Screensavers, time clocks and signage offer creative ways connect with deskless workers

When an internal communicator sits down and thinks over a new messaging campaign, they’re often considering how it’ll reach their audience in their inboxes or on their work computers. But what if your main audience doesn’t have a desk or spends most of their time moving around the workplace?

That’s what Alejandro Zequeira, internal communications manager at Baptist Health South Florida, faces every day. He told Ragan that over 70% of the staff in the health system is deskless. That includes doctors, nurses and other on-site staffers like environmental services and security.

“We’re doing a pretty decent job of reaching people who are at a computer,” Zequeira said of Baptist Health’s internal comms efforts. “But the folks working in hospital rooms with patients — they’re not usually at a computer.”

But there’s still a way forward for communicators seeking to reach deskless colleagues. Zequeira and his team showed that with a smart selection of channel choice and personalization, internal comms can reach employees no matter where they are.

Multiple touchpoints

 Zequeira conceded that there’s not one way for an internal comms message to get to everyone, especially when they’re deskless.

“There’s no silver bullet to reach everybody,” he said. “But the more you can permeate the audience with multiple methods, the better chance you have.”

He told Ragan that Baptist Health refocused its strategy on deskless workers to meet them where they are — in many cases literally. He mentioned digital signage as a major way to get important announcements through to employees in just a few seconds.

“The average time someone reads a digital sign is between 7 and 10 seconds, so you’ve got to get things across very succinctly,” Zequeira said. “We try to include elements like key headlines, QR codes that lead to more information and graphics to drive interest in what we need to say.”

The internal comms team also uses a more subtle but still practical method of communication for its deskless workers in the form of screensavers at nurses’ stations.

“If there’s something we really want employees to know or participate it in, we’ll put it on a screensaver,” Zequeira said. “It’s all about having multiple touchpoints so messages catch eyes.”

Zequeira also mentioned messages on clock-in screens and once weekly email blasts that employees can check at their convenience as successful internal comms breakthrough strategies.

“Not every platform needs to be a primary source,” he said. “Smaller touchpoints can also prove valuable.”

Snappy video to engage the audience

It’s no secret that short-form video is all the rage right now. But Zequeira’s team has channeled that same popularity and format internally. He said that research at Baptist Health South Florida showed that up to 80% of people surveyed would rather watch a short video than read a one-page article.

He added that the visual element of video messaging enables a deeper connection with the content than reading words off a page. This is especially relevant for deskless workers who don’t typically have much time to interact with a device.

“Video is a way to connect with someone, even if it’s just for 30 seconds,” he said.

After seeing some initial success with short-form video, the internal team launched an email blast that highlights employee-centric video content. This includes employee recognition, leadership updates and culture features. Zequeira said that they’re also encouraging leaders to mention the videos in meetings and storing them on the company’s internal platform, Pineapple Connect.

“We do these email blasts to get information out, but the traction is really coming from our video work.”

The team has even gotten leaders in on the video wave. In conjunction with the internal comms team, Baptist Health South Florida Chief Nursing Officer Jean Putnam records a once-monthly video touching on topics from what’s going on in the health system to what nurses need to know right now.

“She’s always asking us how we can highlight the power of nurses — and people want to listen to her.”

The team’s strategy of experimenting with deskless worker comms has been a measurable success. Engagement is up 12% year-over-year, and that’s due in large part to the comms team’s tireless efforts in helping employees feel seen in every piece of content. Zequeira chalks the success up to a few factors, but authenticity is a big one. As part of the internal comms overhaul, his team now shoots original photos and videos as opposed to using stock images in its comms. It might not seem like much, but making people feel seen regardless of where they’re based in the organization helps foster camaraderie.

“What we’re putting out there should make you feel something, not just learn something,” he said. “If even one person out of thousands tells you that something you created helped them out, you’ve done your job.”

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.