In the past decade, the use of mobile phones has found its way into our lives, both personally and professionally. Without it, some of us just couldn’t live! And that’s not an exaggeration either, you probably know at least five people who are always glued to their phone. Companies have taken note of this by offering an employee app to reach and manage all their employees.
However, here’s the thing. In the past, only big corporations had the means and knowledge to incorporate an employee app in their employees’ daily routine. What’s an employee app, you ask? “[An employee app] enables employees to receive personalized, relevant, and time-sensitive information from their organization, wherever they are, on their mobile devices simply by accessing an app or through push notifications — so they stay informed about the company and can do their jobs more efficiently.”
It has evolved though, the employee app isn’t just a communication tool. It is the employee’s “gate” to the entire organization; they have one place where they can get all the information needed. It’s also one place that you, as a manager, need to manage all your employees — from chat to surveys to updates and more. It provides a clear view on what’s going on with your employees. An employee app is a basic tool that your company needs; it’s the new hot trend and it’s here to stay.
The time for just big companies to use an employee app to their advantage has all changed in the last couple years or so. Nowadays, most small businesses have an employee app and that’s all due to the fact that they aren’t as outrageously expensive as they once were. Companies, like Connecteam, offer an employee app that can be set up in 15 minutes and costs less than $30 a month for up to 200 users.
So, should you be using an employee app? Let me answer that with some statistics:
- 77% of Americans own smartphones, says the Pew Research Center.
- 85% of American adults get news on their mobile phones, says Pew.
- 43% work remotely some of the time, says Gallup.
- People spend around four hours a day on their phone, says the New York Times.
It’s clear that most of your workforce is on their mobile phone, so it’s time you joined the bandwagon, and for good reason.
How do employee apps help your everyday work flow?
1. Improve communication.
Do all employees have access to an updated employee directory? How do employees get company updates? Do your employees have to call you for every little thing or send a dozen emails? What about the ability to send pictures when a hazard or incident occurs? How do they send their feedback and suggestions?
Here’s another question, how can you be sure all your employees got the message? It shouldn’t come as a surprise that strong communication is truly essential to ensure a small business succeeds. Having a great line of communication will lead to a healthy company, happy employees, higher productivity, strong growth, and great success — whereas having poor communication will only cause the opposite.
Using an employee app helps bridge the gap. You can send company-wide announcements and updates to all your employees with the click of a button. Most apps allow you to filter groups by location, department, etc. Sending surveys to gauge how your employees are feeling can help expose bottlenecks before they turn into full-blown chaos. Create a virtual suggestion box so your employees can send their thoughts and ideas whenever the moment strikes and be sure to act on the great ideas to show your employees you truly value their input.
2. Simplify operations.
By using an employee app, you can take all workflows and forms digital so that structuring information flow and employee needs is easier than ever. If an employee needs to order a new uniform, they just do it via the app instead of filling out a paper form which can take months to process or an email that just gets lost in the chain. Employees can add their e-signature, GPS location, pictures and such so that you can be sure everything is covered. Most apps let you set required fields so nothing gets missed. As soon as the employee hits “send” on the employee app, the designated employee gets the form (in this example, the HR team) and can start to process it straight away.
Going paperless can save you a lot of business costs that can add up in the long run. Plus, you can improve compliance and can easily standardize operating procedures for all employees.
3. Mobile scheduling.
Automating the scheduling process via an employee app will help offer consistent results, will reduce mistakes and costs, boost productivity, and help improve overall employee satisfaction. If you’re still using pen and paper to create an employee schedule, you’re opening yourself up to a boatload of mistakes and human error. When the schedule is automated, it is so much easier and quicker to build a schedule that is fair and compliant. Most scheduling apps offer auto-assigning shifts, clock-in and clock-out features, automatic notifications when new schedules and shift changes occur, ease of shift swapping and even payroll importation.
4. Boosts engagement.
Employee engagement is on the forefront of most managers’ minds and for good reason too. When you have engaged employees, they are committed to their work and the company goals because they are more emotionally invested. You don’t want employees to just clock in and clock out; you want them to give 110% every day because they want to, they want to see the company succeed.
Additionally, good employee engagement leads to higher productivity, more satisfied customers, high retention, an enhanced company culture and success across the board. That’s why it is crucial that you establish engagement from the first day and an employee app can help you in this process. You can send surveys on a regular basis so you are always gaining knowledge on your employees’ concerns and satisfaction levels. This allows you to correct bottlenecks and pain points as soon as they occur instead of letting them fester and grow. If an employee app allows you to host a virtual suggestion box, make sure it’s always accessible. Your employees might have great ideas on how to help the company, so allow them to share their thoughts and ideas whenever they have a “light bulb” moment. Employees want to feel heard and valued; including that in your engagement strategy will boost their morale, happiness and loyalty.
5. Improve onboarding and build professional skills.
You set the tone on an employee’s first day so creating a smooth onboarding process is key. It keeps things simple and stress-free for both managers and the new hire. With an employee app, you have all the necessary steps outlined so you can prepare the onboarding process from the first day to the first week to every month going forward. Plus, you are able to welcome the new hire to the team efficiently and in a way that truly makes them feel like they’re being welcomed to the family.
We’ve only just scratched the surface on all the benefits that an employee app has to offer. We recommend signing up for a few free trials until you find the right fit for you, your company, and your employees. It’s the easiest decision you’ll ever make!
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