Written by Steven Frost, WorkBuzz Founder and CEO
Article updated November 26, 2024, 10:00 AM
You’re probably reading this from the comfort of your desk. I’m certainly writing it from mine – but we’re in the minority. There are 2.7 billion people worldwide whose jobs are not done in a traditional office environment.
That’s 80% of the global workforce who are ‘deskless’: nurses, delivery drivers, construction workers, shop-floor staff, front-of-house employees, cleaners, handymen. The list goes on. These people are the ‘face’ of almost every organization you can think of—the Everyday Heroes, the most human touchpoint, and the ones who keep everything moving.
They’re of huge (and sometimes underrated) value, with direct, first-hand knowledge of the customer experience. They can highlight potential risks and provide insights and ideas for innovation and improvement.
The Challenge: Listening
Surprisingly, however, deskless colleagues aren’t always listened to by their employers. That makes them more likely to be less engaged and feel less connected to the organization, which can lead to higher staff turnover rates and a negative impact on customer service.
And yet just 1% of business software is designed with them in mind, despite 78% of deskless employees saying technology is an important factor when deciding which job to take.
How WorkBuzz Can Help
That’s why we created WorkBuzz. We believe your frontline, customer-facing workers are your organization’s biggest asset – your ‘superpower’. WorkBuzz helps to give all your employees a voice, wherever they are and whatever they do.
Through our platform, our vision is to make the working lives of one million people better – by helping our clients improve employee engagement at their organizations.
Employee engagement has become a board-level priority for the most forward-thinking organizations, and a strong culture with high engagement is no longer a ‘nice to have’. Engagement is of vital importance, and can heavily influence everything from retention and recruitment to customer service and your bottom line.
However, engaging deskless employees has its unique challenges. These employees are on the front lines, dealing with customers and often working across different shift patterns and locations. They also can’t often work from home or enjoy any number of other perks office-based employees are used to.
To overcome these challenges, you need the right partner. You need to be able to reach your people, wherever they are, understand their needs, and act on their feedback.
Whether you’re in charge of people strategy for an organization in transport and logistics, construction, retail, manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, or countless other industries, your deskless employees are your lifeblood and your difference-makers. It’s time to start listening to what they have to say.