The technology currently on offer for the frontline is largely
split between personal, consumer tools and those designed
for the office. When contacting frontline workers directly,
texting and calling remain the norm, across work (68%) and
personal devices (61%).
Many frontline employees are keen to access tools that
would make them better connected to the rest of the
organization (61%). This could mean channels that offer
more enriching content, are easily accessible from frontline
locations and don’t rely on workers being instantly
available, to fit around changeable frontline schedules.
Texting and calling are the most commonly used means of
communicating with frontline workers via work devices
(68%) and personal devices (61%).
Messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram
are the next most frequent communication method (54%).
Collaboration platforms such as Slack, Teams and Workplace
are used by 46%.
Video conferencing is used by just 30% and email by just 20%.
When asked which additional tools and processes are
important for employers to provide frontline workers with,
61% said tools and processes to keep them better
connected to the rest of the organization to share
information and data.