Employees form the backbone of any organisation as they are responsible for the drive needed to move towards a company’s vision. People from different verticals and departments have to work collectively fulfilling their roles & duties so that the larger objective if a company can be achieved. Companies which are big in operations have their business units spread across various locations and geographies. But wherever the employees are, they need to have synergies when they work so that they can all work together to get to the final objective. Thus it becomes important for companies to ensure that all employees are connected and work synchronously.
There are several channels which help to connect employees who are far apart at different locations. Some of the main channels by which employees can stay connected and engaged are through calls, emails, video conferencing, seminars, sessions, personal visits etc. All these channels have a certain cost and turn around time associated to them and hence people connect using these based on their needs and requirements. Some of the basic channels which help connect employees despite geographical challenges are as discussed below.
- Calls & Emails
This is the very basic type of connectivity channel which employees can use to be connected with their team mates who are far away. Companies provide landlines or mobile connections using which employees can continuously be in touch with each other and discuss all points regarding their business. Calls give employees the flexibility to talk to their counterparts or colleagues or clients at any point of time and as many times as they want. This is extremely cost effective. Similarly, emails also help engage a larger group through relevant documents, analysis or any other communication which needs to be shared with everyone involved in a particular activity. Thus every company needs to provide email and calling facility to their workforce.
- Video Conferencing
Another very engaging tool and medium for employees to connect is using video conferencing. Video conferencing enables employees to see each other at the very instance and have discussions as if they are sitting together. Options like sharing screens through video conferencing enables people to connect at multiple locations and discussion presentations, documents and much more. Another advantage of video conferencing is that people can be interviewed or their performances reviewed visually as well. However this is slightly costly as it requires to have video con equipment at all locations, high speed internet and also people in different time zones to be available simultaneously.
- Social Media groups
With the emergence of smartphones and social media apps, it has enabled businesses to be better connected at all times even if all stakeholders are spread across various geographies. Social media apps give the power to managers and employees to be connected at all times through groups. This has lead to faster communication between employees and give & take instant updates. Employees on the groups can share text, documents, images instantly keeping everyone relevant in the loop. The turn around time to get a resolution on critical queries can be quickened using social media app groups. This is one of the cheapest way to connect with the relevant stakeholders in a business.
- Conferences & Sessions
Another way in which employees can interact with each other are through conferences, seminars and similar sessions. These are elaborate sessions which have to be organised well in advance and work on a particular topic. Usually this form on engagement and interaction happens when the senior management want to give some business updates and news to their subordinates. However, these conferences are extremely time consuming and very costly. A lot of time and money is required for preparing for such events. Apart from that it requires tremendous efforts for the senior management to prepare relevant content which would add value to subordinate employees. Costs also include travel, accommodation etc for all those people who are travelling from different cities or world.
- Personal Visits
Employees can travel to places where they have their colleagues or clients with whom personal interaction is required. Marketing managers often travel to various markets where their products and services are functional. This enables them to see the market first hand with what the customers actually want and how the company can improves its sales, communication, distribution, services etc. Personal visits also help in people knowing each other in a better way as they build a personal working relationship, which is stronger than by simply having a phone call or through email. However, personal visits have an additional cost of travel and accommodation.
It is very essential for employees to stay connected with each other especially when companies grow beyond geographical boundaries. And this can be done by using various mediums and channels so that the continuity in work doesn’t stop and helps the business of a company grow.
