5 Ways You Can Use Texting to Communicate with Your Employees

The average person (especially your younger employees) is more comfortable texting than using any other form of communication, including phone calls and emails.

Having an effective communication plan will help you better connect with your employees, which will keep them more engaged. How do you include texting in your communication plan?

Convey Short Messages

When you’re texting your employees, remember to keep it short and sweet. If you have a lot to say, save it for an email, phone call, or face-to-face meeting.

Send Last Minute Reminders

If you have a meeting coming up, send a quick reminder (like, “All hands meeting in 10 minutes in the conference room”). There’s a good chance that your employees will have their phones nearby, so they’ll get the reminder, even if they’re not near their computer.

Sending quick reminders will encourage your employees to show up on time and in the right place, but also gives them some warning to wrap up whatever they’re currently working on.

Communicate with Offsite Employees

If your employee is at a conference or in a meeting with a potential customer, they might not be able to pick up the phone to have a conversation. They probably, however, can glance at their phone to read a quick text message.

If you need to communicate with an offsite employee, you can send them a text message, that they can answer when they have the chance.

Send Emergency Notifications

If there’s inclement weather, you don’t want your employees putting themselves in danger to drive to the office. If you’re going to close the office for an emergency, send your employees a quick text telling them to stay home. That way, they get the message quickly, without ever getting in their car and trying to drive to work.

Touch Base with New Hires

Starting a new job can be nerve-wracking. A new hire has to remember where they’re supposed to be, when they’re supposed to be there, and what they’re supposed to bring with them. A day or two before their orientation, send them a text welcoming them to your company and reminding them what to expect on their first day. You can even send them a link to your location, so they can open it in their phone’s GPS.