How to Build Better Communication Across Your Workforce

Clear communication keeps every part of your business moving, but it’s one of the hardest things to get right. When updates don’t reach the right people, productivity drops, safety risks increase, and employees feel disconnected. Traditional methods like email, calls, and meetings often miss frontline workers who rarely sit at computers. To build a truly connected workplace, you need communication tools that meet employees where they are, deliver information quickly, and make it easy for everyone to stay aligned. 

This guide explores how different communication methods compare and how to choose the one that keeps your team informed, engaged, and productive.

→ Take the next step toward better team communication. Download our Internal Communication Audit Survey template and find out what’s working, what’s not, and how your company can improve message delivery and employee engagement.

Compare Communication Methods for Your Staff

Different communication channels offer distinct advantages and limitations. Understanding these helps you select the right approach for your workforce.

In-person communication works well for building relationships and reading body language during conversations. However, it falls short for remote teams, field workers, and urgent updates. Gathering distributed teams for face-to-face meetings wastes time and delays critical information.

Email allows you to send detailed information and attachments on your schedule. The problem is that only 20% of emails get read. Frontline workers often lack consistent computer access, and many don't have work email addresses at all. If your message sits unread in an inbox, it might as well not exist.

Phone calls handle quick questions for small groups, but become impractical at scale. Calling dozens of employees individually consumes hours. Night shift workers present another challenge: either you stay up late to reach them, or you interrupt their personal time during the day.

Video calls accommodate more participants than phone calls, but they require app downloads, stable internet connections, and data usage. Many non-desk employees lack the technology or network access to join reliably. Video calls also demand immediate attention, which doesn't work for shift-based teams.

Messaging apps like WhatsApp and GroupMe let employees read messages on their own time. However, these platforms require app downloads, internet connectivity, and personal phone number sharing. Most messaging apps don't support scheduled sending, increasing the risk of employees missing time-sensitive information.

SMS text messages reach 98% of recipients and get read within minutes. Nearly everyone carries a cell phone capable of receiving texts with no apps, internet, or data required. Text messages work across all phone types, including basic devices, making them accessible to your entire workforce regardless of technical skills or equipment.

Communicate Effectively With Your Team

Strong workplace communication requires intentional practices that build trust and keep everyone informed. Follow these strategies to improve how you share information with your staff.

• Be honest and transparent. Your employees need to trust you. Transparency creates better work environments and drives innovation. Those who work in high-trust businesses have 106% more energy at work, are 50% more productive, and experience 40% less burnout, according to a study.
• Provide regular updates. Without consistent communication, employees may feel left out or assume information is being withheld. Share new information as it becomes available so staff can complete their work effectively. When shift schedules change, notify employees immediately so they arrive on time and prepared.
• Enable two-way communication. The best communication flows both directions. Share information employees need, then give them easy ways to ask questions or provide feedback. This builds stronger relationships between frontline workers and team leaders.
• Understand your workforce. Recognize what stressors your employees face and what support they need to succeed. Know their roles, goals, and challenges. This understanding guides what information to share and how to deliver it most effectively.
• Match methods to your audience. Not all communication channels work equally well for every situation. Office employees with desk access have different needs than frontline workers in warehouses, construction sites, or retail floors. Choose tools that reach your entire workforce, not just those with computers.
• Send information at optimal times. Your employees work different shifts and take breaks at varying times. Schedule important updates when staff can read them without distraction. Text-based platforms like Yourco let you compose messages when convenient and deliver them when employees are ready to receive them.

Reach Frontline Teams Where They Are

Non-desk employees make up 80% of the global workforce, yet they're often hardest to reach with traditional communication tools. These workers in manufacturing, construction, logistics, retail, and hospitality rarely sit at computers and may not check email for days or weeks. When you need to share shift changes, safety alerts, or company updates, you need a method that reaches them immediately.

Text messages solve this accessibility problem. Frontline workers carry phones to job sites, warehouses, and store floors. They check texts during breaks without needing to log into systems or open apps. This immediacy means your team gets critical information when it matters most.

SMS-based platforms designed for employee communication offer key advantages:

• Message scheduling allows you to send updates at optimal times for each shift, ensuring night crews and day teams receive information when they're ready to read it.
• Automated translations convert messages into 135+ languages and dialects, so multilingual teams receive information in their preferred language without manual work.
• Delivery tracking confirms who received messages and who needs follow-up, giving you visibility across distributed locations.
• Secure document sharing lets you send training materials, safety procedures, and policy updates that employees can access on any device.
• Workforce segmentation ensures you can target messages by location, department, or shift, so the right people get relevant information without unnecessary noise.

Privacy matters, especially when communicating with large groups. Consumer messaging apps expose everyone's phone numbers and create chaotic group threads with off-topic replies. Professional SMS platforms send messages individually while maintaining central oversight, so employees receive information without the noise of group conversations.

Engage Employees Through Real-Time Feedback

Communication shouldn't flow in just one direction. When you send information to your team, they need easy ways to respond with questions, concerns, or confirmations. Two-way communication builds trust and helps you understand what's happening on the ground.

Text-based communication naturally supports back-and-forth dialogue. Employees can reply to messages with questions or send photos documenting issues they encounter. Managers receive these responses immediately and can address concerns before they escalate into bigger problems.

Real-time feedback through SMS delivers practical benefits:

• Quick polls and surveys let you gauge employee sentiment, gather suggestions, or confirm event attendance with response rates far higher than email.
• Instant incident reporting enables workers to text photos and descriptions of safety hazards or damaged goods immediately, creating timestamped documentation for insurance claims and compliance audits.
• Direct question channels give employees an easy way to clarify instructions or report problems without waiting for the next shift meeting or playing phone tag.
• Confirmation tracking shows which employees acknowledged important updates like policy changes or schedule modifications, helping you identify who needs follow-up.

Beyond operational benefits, responsive communication shows employees that their voices matter. When you make it easy for staff to reach you and you respond promptly to their messages, you demonstrate respect for their time and input. This reciprocal relationship strengthens engagement and reduces turnover.

Simplify Communication With Yourco

Yourco turns SMS into a complete employee communication platform built for frontline teams. Schedule messages days, weeks, or months in advance and deliver them at optimal times for each shift. AI-powered translations automatically convert your messages into each employee's preferred language across 135+ languages and dialects, ensuring your multilingual workforce receives information they can understand and act on immediately.

Create targeted groups by location, department, or shift while maintaining individual privacy. Employees receive texts directly without seeing their coworkers' responses or phone numbers. Track message delivery and responses through centralized dashboards, with all communications logged and searchable for audits and compliance.

Share documents and training materials via secure links, and let employees send photos and documents back for signatures, proof of delivery, or incident reports. Yourco also integrates with 240+ HRIS and payroll systems, syncing employee data automatically so your messages always reach the right people.

Try Yourco for free today or schedule a demo and see the difference the right workplace communication solution can make in your company.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most effective communication method for non-desk employees?

SMS text messages deliver the highest read rates at 98%, compared to just 20% for email. Text messages work on all phone types without requiring apps, internet, or data, making them accessible to frontline workers regardless of their device or technical skills.

How can I ensure my employees receive time-sensitive information?

Use scheduled messaging to send updates when employees are most likely to see them, such as at shift start times. Text-based platforms deliver messages instantly to phones employees already carry, ensuring urgent information reaches your team within minutes.

What's the best way to communicate with multilingual teams?

Platforms like Yourco provide AI-powered translation features that automatically convert your messages into each employee's preferred language. This ensures everyone receives information they can understand and act on immediately, without requiring manual translation from your team.

Can employees send information back to managers via text?

Two-way SMS communication lets employees reply with questions, send photos of incidents or delivery confirmations, and provide real-time feedback. All messages are timestamped and logged automatically for compliance and documentation purposes.