The Advantages of Digital Communication at Work

Due to the increasing prevalence of working remotely along with the importance of digitization, businesses are learning to appreciate the advantages of digital communication in the workplace.

One aspect of the massive speed of efforts to digitally transform over the past couple of years—seven years’ worth in a short period of time, according to certain observations—is improved digital communications channels.

But are we currently enjoying the full advantages of digital communication?

Many businesses only partially adopt digital communication channels, allowing some departments to reap the rewards while ignoring others. However, in other cases, the use of digital communications tools is seen as a stopgap measure until widespread normalcy is restored in the workplace.

However, the greatest advantages of implementing digital communication tools across an organization only become apparent over time. If properly implemented, digital communication channels can help businesses foster nimble, enthusiastic, and robust workforces.

What does the term “digital communication” mean?

Internal company communication that takes place via digital means.

A broad definition of “digital communication” would include all interactions conducted via:

• Email
• Online chats
• Methods of increasing output via the internet
• Insider networks of businesses
• Talking circles for workers
• Internet-hosted applications
• Program for video conferencing
• Tools for digital whiteboards
• Online networking sites

The company’s internal communication takes place via digital means. Two or three of these channels will typically be used by businesses in various departments. However, electronic means of communication are far from ubiquitous; thousands of employees across the country still rely on physical bulletin boards and scheduled and ad hoc meetings to stay informed.

This incomplete transition to digital communication results in knowledge silos, poor experiences for employees, and the unnecessary confinement of some workers to traditional work hours. This article delves into the ways in which implementing digital communication channels throughout your organization can boost morale, output, and effectiveness.

Workplace benefits of digital communication.

1. Boost Internal Communication

Communication between individuals, groups, and departments is facilitated by applications for instant messaging and posting platforms such as internal intranets.

The difference is dramatic when compared to more conventional approaches, such as employee notice boards or daily meetings. Using mobile-friendly channels that support push notifications, digital communication tools enable instantaneous dissemination of crucial messages, updates, and information to the entire workforce.

The productivity of mobile and social intranets is so high that it even exceeds that of email. Overuse is a major problem in the realm of electronic mail. One study found that 25% of workers spend one full workday per week just dealing with their inboxes.

If email is your only means of digital communication, your messages will arrive instantly, but they may get lost in the shuffle of everyone else’s inboxes and never be read.

Therefore, first think about using modern digital communication tools when you need to announce an important company update, change shifts for your team, or recognize outstanding performance.

2. Efficient Information Flow All Across your Organization

The siloing of useful knowledge into various departments or sections of an organization is one of the biggest challenges faced by businesses when attempting to develop their workforce.

Therefore, teams are missing out on opportunities for growth and development because they are not communicating with one another and sharing knowledge. Because of the lack of information sharing, no benefits are ever realized.

Using intranet-connected online discussion spaces facilitates the exchange of knowledge and best practices among employees in different offices, teams, and departments. Your service quality will improve as a result of the growth of your staff.

They worried that expertise and best practices were being hoarded in individual camps, so they launched an “intranet” with specialized knowledge forums so that staff members from all over the country could learn from each other. The result was a more cohesive and knowledgeable workforce despite geographical differences between camps.

3. Implementing Innovative Work Process

Some employees may find entirely new avenues of productivity thanks to the advent of digital communication channels. With this strategy, you may be able to retain and recruit highly skilled workers, who can prove invaluable to your company.

Only 28% of workers surveyed by Fujitsu are eager to go back to the office full-time after their recent experiment with working from home. One of the main advantages of digital communication is that it can make full remote or hybrid working a reality for your business, which is becoming an increasingly attractive option for employees.

Despite having access to email, 72% of UK homeworkers reported not having the technology to better communicate with their organization and coworkers. This highlights the importance of going above and beyond the basics in this area.

Your remote workers can efficiently collaborate thanks to video conferencing and digital whiteboard tools. As a result, mobile intranets and chat tools make workers feel more invested in the company’s success and more like they belong to the team, both of which are essential to sustaining high levels of performance across locations.

4. An Improved Working Environment for Different Departments

The challenge with using email or other antiquated methods of internal communication is that they don’t reach everyone.

The result is a work environment that is friendly to some employees (those who are stationed at a desk and have access to email at all hours) but inhospitable to others (those who are on the go and miss out on important company communications, such as newsletters and updates).

Maintaining the interest of these workers is challenging, leading to a decline in service and a frustratingly high turnover rate.

All sorts of options become available when mobile-friendly digital tools for communicating are used. Push notifications from an intranet app on employees’ mobile devices ensure that everyone is kept up to date with the latest information at the same time.

As a result, your entire staff will feel more invested in the company as a whole, and employees from all backgrounds will feel welcome and appreciated.

5. Strengthened Workplace Resilience

A high level of resilience in the face of unforeseen events is achieved when you have instantaneous access to your entire workforce and when employees can work from locations other than your business premises.

Preparing for a global disaster by maintaining digital communication systems is not enough. Employees can often continue working through common problems by using this method.

• Minor illnesses (employees can work remotely to stop the spread)
• Time constraints associated with childcare responsibilities (for example, flexible working during school holidays)
• Ambiguities in the place of business (for example, office inaccessible due to a power outage)
• Difficult and potentially fatal weather for commuters

With the right combination of digital communications tools, you can train your staff to be more versatile and productive in the face of both global and localized setbacks to operations.