How to improve team engagement with Internal SMS messaging

Who doesn’t love texting?  It’s fast, easy to automate, and has the highest open rates. But does it work for internal communication among employees? The short answer is yes. In fact, today a lot of companies, both large and small are successfully using sms messaging for employee communication.

In today’s post pandemic world and with increasingly large teams, keeping employees engaged is proving to be more difficult by the day. Did you know that approximately 70 percent of American workers do not feel actively engaged in company matters.  Over 72 percent of employees do not fully understand their company’s strategy and 63 percent of employees would want to hear from the company’s leadership more.  

Keeping your employees connected to the company and other colleagues starts with adopting an integrated communication system for company-wide messaging. In this article, we delve deeper into how and why text messaging is a worthwhile solution for employee communication.  Read on to get it right and boost your team engagement.

Why Use Texting for Employee & Internal Communication

The digital age has ushered in many new communication channels, including email and social media.  Some are better than others. But how do you get your message across?  Things can get messy and confusing, especially when you have a large team and lots of topics to discuss.

As a result, communication can suffer, and employees can get bored and distracted.

A good way to avoid this is by using text messages to communicate with employees.  Texting is discreet, fast, and simple.  It allows you to communicate with employees without interrupting other tasks, and keep everyone abreast of important information. Here’s a closer look at why using text messages to communicate with employees can benefit your business:

• Text Messaging is Fast and Convent

Working with other people is stressful enough, whether you’re doing it over the phone, in person, or via a written document.  That’s where the power of texting comes in. It’s an effective, fast, and low-cost communication tool for internal communicators and employees in lending, finance, medical, and several other fields. 

Texting is much more convenient than other forms of communication because it doesn’t require any special equipment.  Your employees only need a phone or a computer. The management can send a text message to the company number whenever they have something to say, and the message can be read by everyone in the company almost instantly.

• Using Text Messages to Communicate with Employees is Easier to Track

It’s easier to keep track of what everyone is doing throughout the day when you can send them a quick text message instead of having to go through a bunch of emails or phone calls.  When managers text employees, the message can be received almost instantly.  Even better, company messages are less likely to pile up with the 99% open rate.

• SMS is Cheaper Than Other Communication Channels

While not every business or agency will be able to leverage the cost-effective value of sending messages, many small and medium-sized enterprises can.  Why? Texting is much cheaper than several other forms of communication. 

You can send as many messages as you want at a bulk price.  However, this depends on the SMS marketing service provider. Some providers charge more than others. 

Examples Of Internal SMS Messages to Employees

You know how employees leave notes on your desk to let you know what’s going on?  Or do you have employees and team members who need a little extra motivation?  If so, you might want to consider sending them an internal SMS message to keep them in the loop without cluttering their inboxes every time you have something important to share.

Here are some examples of internal SMS messages for some inspiration to write yours too:

HR Updates

Recruiters spend hours scouring job boards and inboxes to find the perfect candidate.  But what if they could read their employees’ minds?  By sending the right internal messages, you’ll be able to see which candidates are interested in working for you, what their strengths are and whether they would be a good fit for your automotive company.

Here’s an example:

Security Alerts

Scary news and security breaches can strike at any time.  The last thing you want to worry about is a mass panic or total ignorance of the imminent danger looming around your workplace.  You can send an alert to your colleagues with important information about a security threat at the workplace via internal SMS.

Here’s an example:

Employee Incentive

A good employee recognition program shows your employees that you appreciate their hard work.  You can reward employees for staying with the organization, exceeding expectations, and demonstrating exceptional behavior through SMS.

We’ll show you how:

Shift Scheduling

Do your employees ever feel as if their job is completely unpredictable?  With no end date in sight, and no set working day, they spend their working time waiting for the next shift.  Well, say no more. Internal SMS works for shift scheduling as follows:

Send Quick Reminders

Employees probably have a lot on their plate and keeping track of it all can be a hell of a task.  Quick SMS reminders can motivate employees to take action, keep them focused on a task or give them the nudge to complete an ongoing task.

Here’s an example:

Connect With Remote Workers

Remote workers tend to have fewer face-to-face interactions than their on-site colleagues.  That can be a challenge for managers who are used to frequent communication and collaboration with their teams.  SMS can ease the burden as in our example below:

Manage Accounting

Managing your fitness business means keeping abreast of important information on its operations.  From financial reports to operational details, your company needs to know what’s going on.  That’s where SMS steps in.

Sending Short Updates

Sending out timely updates is an important part of managing your company and teams.  SMS is the perfect way to reach your employees if they don’t check their email as often as you’d want them to.

Here’s an example of a short update with SMS:

Communicating With Non-Desk Workers

Do you ever feel like your team isn’t getting the most out of their collective brainpower?  Perhaps they’re not collaborating as effectively as they could be, or maybe they’re not all pulling in the same direction.  Well, using SMS to communicate with non-desk workers is a sure way to keep them on the same page as everyone.

Here’s an example:

Communicating When Computer Systems are Unavailable

One of the most frustrating moments for employees comes when the system goes offline.  When users can’t access their work or applications, they are often forced to use paper-based processes or other unreliable systems.  You can always ease the frustration with a simple text notification as follows:

Providing a Quick Way to Poll Employees

Employees can make or break any business.  A simple poll goes a long way in getting useful feedback from the very people inside your workplace, whether you’re a staffing agency or a company looking to understand your employees a little better.

Here’s how to provide a quick way to poll your employees via SMS:

Send Payroll Reminders

Payroll software automates many of the payroll tasks that would otherwise need to be performed manually.  However, new employees may not be familiar with how payment works.  A simple payroll reminder text can help answer their questions as in our example below:

Send Information About Job Openings Within the Company

Recruitment is an ever ongoing process.  Recruiters spend a lot of time and resources finding fresh talent, but totally forgetting about the large pool of experts within the company.  Those that remember the talent from within the company can use SMS to announce job openings within the company.

Here’s an example:

Remind Employees About Benefits

Rediscovering the benefits your employees are entitled to is a great way to remind them about the work that they’re doing for the company.  This will also motivate them to continue their work for the company and make sure that they continue to perform at their best.

Sending Employee Recognition Messages

Employee recognition is a constant battle against the unrelenting day-to-day grind of business.  You’re constantly searching for ways to motivate your employees and keep them engaged.  Sending employee recognition messages communicates that you value your team members and the work they do. 

Policy Updates

When you have hundreds of different policies across your organization, communicating them to employees can be challenging.  Different teams with different responsibilities have to be briefed on the latest changes, which can be done via SMS.

Emergency Alerts

In addition to natural disasters, the country is facing unprecedented threats from terrorism, fire, biohazards, cyber attacks, and so much more.  Using text messages to communicate with employees in an emergency can go something like this:

Giving Instructions

Last but not least, text messages can be used to issue new instructions to your employees as follows:

How to Set Up an SMS System for Employee Communication?

Setting up an SMS system for your business communication need not be difficult.  First, decide how you want to manage your messages.  You can have the company send all of its messages or allow employees to send their own.  If you choose the latter, make sure that all employees that need access to the system have it and that they understand how it works.

Define the Purpose of Your SMS

The purpose of your SMS system should be fairly obvious.  After all, they’re not just a way to reach customers whenever they’re not online.

For example, you might send an SMS to a loyal employee to thank them for their hard work.  Either way, using text messages to communicate with employees can keep your employees and customers updated and engaged with your brand.

Find The Right SMS Service Provider

There are a number of SMS marketing available to businesses, and choosing the right one can be difficult.  Many companies use the same service for both sending and receiving messages, but there are different kinds of plans available. 

Besides, some services allow you to send unlimited texts, while others charge per text message.  Most services also offer other features, such as customizing text messages or sending video and image media.  You should look for a service that offers all of these features and more if you want to get the most out of your SMS software.

Once you have set up your account with the service provider, you will be able to begin sending texts to your customers.  You can send out a text with your signature at any time, but it is best to do it during off-peak hours so that your messages will be delivered more quickly.

Spread the Word

Now that you have set up your SMS platform, you can begin to send messages to your employees.  You can use the system as much or as little as you want, and if there are no limits on the number of messages you can send or how frequently you can send them. 

In order to use an SMS platform, your employees need to opt-in to the service.  They will then be informed about the number they can use to send text messages.  These numbers are usually phone numbers registered with a mobile service provider, but they can also use existing numbers that they own.

Build Templates and Set Up the Automation

Once you have set up your account, you will need to start building message templates for the different types of messages that your company sends.  You should include a general message that goes out to everyone, including those who do not work at the company office. 

You can also create a template for each individual employee.  The template should include their name and phone number as well as any relevant information, such as their contact information or information about when they are working.  Once you have this information, you can begin setting up automation so that your employees can send the appropriate messages at the appropriate time.

Legal Considerations for SMS Employee Communications

Using text messages to communicate with employees doesn’t fall short of a few restrictions.  For starters, internal messages and SMS software should be used for company-related communications, not personal ones. 

The company owns the information sent through company-issued devices, so employees might come across sensitive information or learn about a colleague's personal life.  If you want to send an internal message or SMS, make sure it is clear that the content is from your company and not from you personally.

Secondly, employees must be allowed to opt into receiving company SMS and opt out whenever they want.  This is in accordance with the TCPA, which restricts companies from sending text messages to people without their consent.

Lastly, it’s always good business texting etiquette to text employees between 9 AM and 8 PM.  Texting before and after these times would be inappropriate, as they need time to rest and be with their loved ones.

Over to you

The key to successfully implementing internal messaging and texts is to have a clear understanding of what you hope to accomplish.  Do you want to foster a culture of employee engagement and communication?  Employees need to know about company policies, dates for team events, and other company-related information. 

Get in touch with the Smarter Contact team to implement and set up your internal SMS communication strategy effortlessly.