Is Dynamic Communication the Key to Unlocking a Successful Omnichannel IC Strategy?

The days of relying on a single communication channel to connect with employees are long gone. We live in a hyper-connected world. A dynamic work environment demands a dynamic communication approach.

The very notion of communication in the workplace has undergone a transformative shift. Digital channels have become integral to progressive comms strategies. That’s because the workplace itself has changed too. Almost overnight, organizations have had to become more flexible, embracing hybrid working and rethinking traditional working structures to adapt to the ever-evolving landscape. The knock-on effect is huge—and just what does it mean for leaders and managers who need to communicate with people based in multiple locations using a wide variety of communication channels?

It’s time to stand back and reevaluate how you connect with your employees.

Why Dynamic Communication Is a Natural Fit for Today’s Workplace

When communicating with employees, the goal is to grab attention and build engagement. The challenge is how to do that across the board. Even as the workplace becomes more flexible and hybrid-friendly, it’s also populated with a wide variety of cohorts—from Boomers and Gen X to Millennials and Gen Z. All these demographics favor different comms channels—email, Intranet, video, digital signage, mobile apps.

This is where dynamic communication excels. It spans multiple channels and formats. It flexes and adapts. It ramps up the employee experience (EX) by meeting people where they are, in a way they are familiar with. From social media and mobile apps to digital signage, dynamic internal communications harness all the positive traits of the omnichannel consumer experience.

Omnichannel Comms + a Dynamic Approach = Success

Omnichannel—a widely endorsed concept, primarily in the context of organizations engaging with consumers—has become the cornerstone of developing dynamic employee communication in organizations.

Omnichannel refers to a strategy that uses a wide range of channels to communicate with people, delivering a seamless experience across those channels. People can join a conversation on one channel, then continue on whatever channel suits them.

Dynamic omnichannel communication refers to an advanced approach to omnichannel communication. A business adapts and tailors its messaging and communication strategies to various channels and audiences based on real-time feedback and analytics. This approach involves constantly monitoring and analyzing customer and employee behaviors across multiple channels to provide highly personalized, timely, relevant communication experiences that drive engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty.

Best in Class Dynamic Omnichannel Communications

Some organizations are leading the way in delivering inspiring, dynamic employee communications. Here are two of the most innovative.

Experian: A Multimedia Approach

Financial services organization Experian needed a fresh new approach to internal communications as it looked to inspire and inform more than 17,000 global employees. Inspired by the popular TED Talks, the company launched Experian Live, where leaders connected with employees. Experian TV was also rolled out via mobile devices to share employee stories, leadership interviews, and how-to guides. This fresh, dynamic approach allowed Experian to reach out to its global workforce and create lasting connections.

Pax8: Innovative Digital Signage

Cloud software company Pax8 was on a fast track in terms of organizational growth. It grew from 23 people to over 300 in just over two years. It needed a dynamic internal communications approach that could reach and engage its growing workforce. The organization used a combination of employee communication applications and digital signage. Real-time sales metrics, an interactive sales dashboard, digital onboarding, and corporate updates and culture are all displayed on a network of digital signs throughout the Pax8 workplace. After huge initial success, the organization is already planning on expanding the content it pushes out to the digital signage to include ticketing and KPI screens, as well as employee engagement content.

Treat Your Employees as You Treat Your Customers

To achieve dynamic omnichannel communication in your organization, remember the golden rule: Treat and communicate with your employees as you would your customers.

Remember, in their daily lives, your employees interact with brands in a dynamic way—much like what we’ve seen in the examples above. They are used to interactive, fluid comms delivered across a number of channels. To fully engage with employees, organizations need to bring that level of dynamic customer experience to the workplace.

In effect, we’re talking about the consumerization of IC.

An omnichannel approach allows organizations to enhance and elevate the employee experience. We know that omnichannel is effective. The figures are compelling:

• A Harvard Business Review study revealed that omnichannel customers are generally more valuable to retailers than single-channel customers. The omnichannel crew spent an average of 4% more each time they were in the store and 10% more when purchasing online. Moreover, for each additional channel they used, these omnichannel shoppers spent more money in-store. For example, shoppers who use over four channels spend 9% more in-store.
• A survey by Accenture found that 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that recognize, remember, and provide them with relevant offers and recommendations. Nearly three-quarters of consumers (73%) said that no retailer or service provider ever communicated with them in a way that felt too personalized.

By applying the same dynamic omnichannel customer experience to the workplace, organizations can tap into the satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty levels that are so apparent in the retail sector.

What are the Advantages of Using Dynamic Communication in your Organization?

We’ve already noted some of the key benefits of embracing dynamic communications and an omnichannel strategy:

• Enhancing the employee experience
• Inspiring loyalty
• Driving engagement

Other advantages include the following:

Broadening the reach of your communication

By utilizing multiple channels such as email, social media, messaging apps, and mobile notifications, you can reach employees who may not regularly check their email or have limited access to certain comms channels. And by tailoring your message to fit each channel, you can better connect with employees and increase the likelihood of them receiving and acting on your message.

Dynamic omnichannel communications also allow for real-time updates, enabling you to communicate important news or changes to your workforce quickly.

Encouraging collaboration

With dynamic omnichannel communications, employees can give and receive feedback from their colleagues and managers in real-time, creating a more open and collaborative culture that encourages innovation and continuous improvement.

Virtual collaboration is easily facilitated, allowing teams to work together as a cohesive unit regardless of their location or timezone, creating greater flexibility and agility in their work.

Overall, dynamic omnichannel communications can help break down silos and encourage employees to work together more collaboratively, fostering a more productive workplace culture.

Naturally, there will be challenges with any new strategy too. Keep the following in mind:

• Managing and integrating data across multiple channels
• Ensuring the channels can interact in real-time
• Maintaining consistency across the different channels
• Effectively measuring KPIs across the channels

To overcome these challenges, to streamline and personalize all communications, consider an employee comms platform. With a single platform for managing all employee comms, you can collect and store data from multiple channels in a centralized location, making it easier to manage and analyze.

Digital Signage: The Shining Star

Within the omnichannel world and its wide variety of channels, one stands out. Digital signage.

This channel delivers information in a new and dynamic way, but its real value lies in how effective it is at providing that information.

Digital signage has a recall rate of 83%. That means 83% of the people who view content on a digital sign can recall the information after 30 days. That’s why 56% of internal communicators plan to introduce digital signage into their channel mix. It’s engaging, memorable, dynamic, and effective.

The beauty of digital signage is the ease with which you can update and customize content. With platforms like Poppulo’s Harmony, digital signage becomes part of the omnichannel mix, delivering unforgettable content to a wide audience.

Key Takeaway

The workplace has become more dynamic. Populated by a younger demographic who have grown up interacting with brands on multiple channels, on their terms, many organizations are adapting their internal communications to engage with this dynamic workforce.

Instead of relying on a couple of communications channels, organizations are implementing an omnichannel strategy. This strategy involves the seamless use of multiple channels to deliver engaging and dynamic content. We’ve seen how this omnichannel approach has revolutionized how brands communicate with consumers; now, it’s time for organizations to bring those lessons internally as they vie for their employees’ attention and loyalty.