The Digital Workplace creates a unified digital work environment that is accessible anywhere, anytime. By improving the employee experience, it also fosters team engagement.
A single space to manage everything. In a Digital Workplace, employees find all the tools they need to do their work. Internal social networks, creator and note taking tools, calendar, email software, documents… everything!
But the proliferation of tools poses a problem: organizations today use an average of 16 SaaS tools versus just eight in 2015¹. This is why the Digital Workplace doesn’t simply compile the tools; rather it integrates them and facilitates their interactions.
It is estimated that employees with access to easily accessible applications waste 17% less time on manual processes². And employees who use their time more efficiently on tasks with higher added value are naturally more engaged.
The large majority of DSIs believe moreover that digital empowerment could lead to at least a 5% increase in revenue over three years³. And yet fewer than half of all companies have a form of Digital Workplace today, and often only a part of it4: intranet, company social network, Office 365 suite, etc.
Despite its usefulness, the Digital Workplace remains underdeveloped due to the significant effort required to implement it. Because this digital space concerns every member of a company, each member must be involved. The top management’s role is to drive change, and it is within employees’ best interest to refer their problems up the corporate ladder so they can be taken into account in the selection of a customized solution.
Hence the usefulness of communicating the Digital Workplace program to all participants through a massive internal communication campaign. A campaign that will, notably, take place through the email signature: a widespread and effective touchpoint that can be managed centrally.
Internal communication touchpoints are the channels used for delivering messages to associates. These can take many forms, including emails, newsletters, meetings, email signatures, and more.
Effective internal communication allows for the easy transmission of information and encourages employee engagement. It’s an essential tool (even more so in the current period) for uniting team members around common projects and values. While internal communication is almost constant for obvious reasons, it does require some coordination to remain consistent across all channels.
In addition to the often-blurry distinction between online/offline, these channels or touchpoints can be categorized into two groups. First, there are “synchronous” touchpoints, which facilitate real-time interaction. There are also “asynchronous” touchpoints, which do not require a direct response. Team members tend to consider the former as a damper on productivity, while the latter allows everyone to maintain control over their schedule.
This is often the key touchpoint for internal communication. In one day, team members receive an average of 121 emails and send 40. Because their opening rate hovers right around 100%, professional email remains a particularly effective touchpoint. What’s more, it’s asynchronous: even if a reply is required, it rarely has to be instantaneous.
Pro: Asynchronous and informal
Con: Can get lost in the fray
Still an email, but a bit more formal. Newsletters are sent on a regular basis and have the benefit of presenting curated content on a reliable schedule. They are anticipated and keep a predictable line of communication. Nevertheless, this is a totally one-sided touchpoint with no back-and-forth interaction.
Pro: Keep to a schedule
Con: Top-down communication