Intelligent CXO Issue 16 | Page 26

BUSINESS STRATEGY
Caroline van der Merwe , COO of SmartWage hard for employers to communicate with their employees effectively ?
Employers need to meet employees where they are
The simple answer is that we aren ’ t meeting employees where they are . The majority of deskless employees ( 90 %) in South Africa don ’ t have or don ’ t use email and apps aren ’ t the answer either . According to a study by Datafree , in a sample of over 150,000 people , the majority of mobile users have five or fewer apps on their phones due to limited storage capacity and the data cost to download apps . outbreak or to hear from staff who couldn ’ t get to work during riots or flooding was critical .
The problem , though , was that most employers weren ’ t able to effectively communicate with those most affected .
If we want to connect and engage with employees , we need to meet them where they are . In a country with high data costs , WhatsApp is that place . Nearly all South Africans ( 97 %) use WhatsApp daily , making it the most downloaded app in the country .
The problems South Africans are facing with effective communication
An effective communication strategy lies at the heart of any business ; it is the key to creating trust among employees and between employees and management . According to Gallup , having a clear communication strategy alongside an effective employee engagement solution can lead to an 18 % increase in productivity and a 23 % increase in profitability .
Digital innovations are making communication easier ; what we previously had to stick up on
HAVING A CLEAR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY ALONGSIDE AN EFFECTIVE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SOLUTION CAN LEAD TO AN 18 % INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY AND A 23 % INCREASE IN PROFITABILITY . notice boards we can now send instantly via an app or email and virtual meetings are made possible with Zoom , Google Meets and Microsoft Teams .
But , in the South African context , employers have a communication gap that is hard to bridge .
Far too many South African companies are struggling to digitally connect with their employees . With the information age upon us and methods of communication plentiful , why is it still so
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