What Are the Different Types of Employee Communication?


Whether you’re making shift changes, sending an emergency alert, or simply messaging about an upcoming company event, employee alerts are a critical part of companies functioning on a daily basis. The fact is, when employee communication is done well, it offers a slew of benefits like happier employees, increased productivity, higher retention, and more. But when it’s done poorly, there can be misunderstandings, frustration, turnover, and disengagement among employees.
This is particularly significant for non-desk workers, who often lack consistent access to traditional communication channels.
So what’s the best way to ensure that all of your employees have access to effective employee communication? In today’s digital world, there are a lot of options on the market. Find out about some of the most popular types of communication and which is most effective for non-desk employees.
What Is Employee Communication?
Employee communication occurs any time there is relaying of information between an employee and someone within the management, HR, or leadership team of an organization. It can take several forms, like:
- Vertical Communication: This form of communication occurs when employees at different levels communicate, like managers with employees or vice versa.
- Horizontal Communication: This form of communication occurs when employees at the same level communicate with one another, like co-workers discussing a new assignment.
- Downward Communication: This form of communication occurs when managers or company leaders communicate to employees of an organization.
- Upward communication: This form of communication occurs when employees communicate with their managers or company leaders.
Often, the message that’s being shared will dictate what form of communication is most appropriate. Topics like company announcements, onboarding, scheduling, call offs, and benefits enrollment are all common employee communication examples.
Effective communication in the workplace is not just about exchanging information; it's about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. It helps in building trust, preventing or resolving problems, providing clarity and direction, and creating better relationships.
What Are the Different Types of Workplace Communication?

There are a few ways to categorize the different types of communication in the workplace, including the method of delivery and the types of communication tools used to deliver a message. Let’s take a brief look at each of these.
Internal Employee Communication Methods
There are four common ways to communicate in the workplace:
- Verbal: This method is all about communicating by spoken word or sign language. Traditionally, this took place in person or on the phone, but online conferencing tools offer additional options for video messaging.
- Non-Verbal: Non-verbal communication includes the different gestures, body language, and facial expressions we convey day in and day out. For managers and HR representatives, a keen understanding of your non-verbal cues—and how they might be interpreted—is important to effective communication.
- Written: Written communication involves spreading the word by writing a message down. This might include email, text messages, flyers, newsletters, websites, and more. Because written communication can’t rely on non-verbal cues, it’s important to ensure what you’ve written has the right tone.
- Visual: This type of communication uses pictures and images to convey meaning. For example, videos and infographics can be a great way to communicate in an engaging way, especially for training or onboarding purposes.
Types of Internal Communication Tools
Today’s modern businesses require modern, digital solutions to deliver the most effective communication to employees. Three of the most popular internal communication platforms include:
Messaging Apps
Apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and WhatsApp are popular messaging platforms. To use them, employees create an account and download an application straight to their desktop or mobile device. Once installed, they can access one-on-one and group messaging capabilities. While these platforms can work well in office settings, they bring significant disadvantages for businesses with non-desk employees. Because a lot of non-desk employees don’t have a company computer—they’re required to download an app on their personal device. And, for non-desk employees who don’t own a smartphone, these apps won’t work at all.
Email has been a go-to for both internal and external employee communication for quite awhile. It’s convenient, it allows you to attach files, and you can send group messages in bulk. But for businesses with non-desk employees, it presents some issues. Many non-desk employees don’t have access to a company email address, and less tech-savvy employees may not have a personal email address at all. Email also relies on WiFi or cellular data, something that’s not always available—especially at a job site. And, there’s the ever-present issue with open rates. Only about 20% of emails get read, which means your employees could be missing out on critical information.
SMS Text Messaging
Finally, there’s text messaging. Most of us use texting in our daily lives, so it’s something many workers are accustomed to. You and your employees can simply text back and forth in a format they’re familiar with, without the need for an app, email address, or an unlimited data plan. Because of this, text messages are a great way to communicate with non-desk employees who may not be around a computer, a WiFi signal, or have unlimited data. All your employee needs is a cell phone that can send and receive SMS messages. And with Yourco, HR and Managers have access to a web application attached to a dedicated company texting number, which allows you to mass text your employees without creating a group chat.
Communicating With Non-Desk Workers
Non-desk workers, often referred to as frontline, blue-collar or field workers, are professionals who primarily perform their duties outside of a traditional office setting. This broad category includes essential workers such as retail employees, healthcare workers, construction personnel, factory workers, and delivery drivers, among others. These individuals are the backbone of various industries, enabling critical operations and services across the globe.
In many countries, non-desk workers constitute a significant portion of the labor force. In the United States, they make up about 80% of the working population. This underscores the indispensable role non-desk workers play in the economy and highlights the diverse challenges they face, which are often distinct from their desk-bound counterparts.
Effective communication is crucial for the productivity and engagement of all employees, but it is particularly significant for non-desk workers. These workers often don't have the luxury of sitting behind a desk with easy access to emails or internal communication tools. As a result, organizations need to adopt tailored communication strategies to adequately address their unique needs.
Proper communication supports several vital aspects:
- Operational Efficiency: Timely and accurate information flow ensures that operations run smoothly. Non-desk workers often need real-time updates about shifts, tasks, and safety protocols, which can be challenging without access to consistent communication channels.
- Safety: Many non-desk roles are inherently risky, and proper communication is essential for ensuring safety regulations are understood and followed.
- Employee Engagement: Engaging non-desk workers poses a unique set of challenges, especially when they are geographically dispersed or do not have easy access to digital communication tools. Yet, it is crucial for fostering a committed and motivated workforce.
The Case For Traditional Communication Methods
Traditional methods like emails, bulletin boards, and verbal exchanges have been cornerstones for decades. While they can be seen as outdated for office workers, they do offer some benefits for non-desk workers.
Bulletin Boards
Bulletin boards serve as a central location for disseminating information such as policy changes, shift schedules, or upcoming events. They are tangible and don't require technology for access, seemingly making them ideal for environments like warehouses or factories. Nevertheless, this method assumes that all workers regularly visit the bulletin board location, which isn't always the case. Non-desk workers might overlook essential notices since they may not walk past the information board during their shifts, which is why a multi-channel communication approach is important.
Verbal Communication
Verbal exchanges are personal and can offer immediate feedback, making them effective for providing direct instructions and clarifying misunderstandings. However, for organizations with large teams or those operating across multiple shifts and locations, relying solely on verbal communication becomes challenging. There's a high risk of miscommunication or distortion of the original message as it passes from one person to another—commonly known as the "telephone game" effect. Furthermore, in loud work environments like construction sites or manufacturing plants, critical instructions may be misheard, compromising safety and efficiency.
Limitations of Traditional Methods for Non-Desk Workers
Addressing these limitations calls for more innovative communication solutions tailored to the needs of non-desk workers, ensuring they remain connected and informed regardless of their physical work location or schedule. This is where SMS-based communication can excel in this multi-pronged communication strategy for deskless workers.
Deskless workers can receive instant SMS alerts for everything from company announcements to employee surveys. While announcements can be printed as signage and verbally communicated, SMS guarantees a 98% read rate, overcoming many of the issues with communicating with deskless workers.
The Competitive Advantage of Modern Communication
Real-time communication plays a critical role in shaping employee morale and productivity. The shift from traditional communication methods to modern, digital-first approaches has ushered in a new era of workforce management, offering numerous benefits for organizations willing to adapt.
Real-time communication tools, such as SMS messaging platforms have become indispensable in connecting non-desk teams to management and vice versa. These platforms not only facilitate seamless interactions but also contribute to a more engaged and motivated workforce. Improved communication helps in reducing misunderstandings, enabling quicker decision-making processes, and fostering a sense of community and belonging among team members.
Yourco: Employee Communication Made Easy
According to recent studies, 95% of text messages are opened within three minutes. Yourco empowers organizations to capitalize on just how effective text messaging really is with an easy to use platform.
With Yourco, you can:
- Send two-way communication between HR staff, managers, and employees
- Manage employee communications in a web application on a desktop computer, laptop, or cell phone
- Save and log conversations for historical employee communication records
- Build stronger relationships with your employees.
By leveraging modern communication tools like Yourco, organizations gain a competitive advantage. They can ensure that non-desk workers receive timely updates, feel more connected to the company, and have opportunities for engagement that were previously challenging with traditional methods.
Ready to learn more? Reach out to schedule a demo or try for free today.