4 Practical Ways Digital Signage Supports Frontline Employees

Some people call it the 'communication crater.' Others refer to it as the 'technology gap.'

No matter how you say it, the issue remains: companies aren’t investing in technology for their deskless employees.

Thankfully, there's a glimmer of hope — because more and more businesses are utilizing digital signage. This is a phenomenal way to support your frontline teams with future-proof tools that can help them stay engaged.

If you're not yet convinced of the benefits of digital signage, or if you're looking for buy-in from your leadership team, you can use this guide to explore the benefits and make an informed decision for your company.

We also provide a few possible use cases so you can brainstorm ideas for building engaging content, distributing company updates, and sharing safety procedures.

But first: let's define our terms.

What is digital signage for the deskless workforce?

You're probably familiar with digital signage, which is the process of displaying facts, data, and other relevant information on a workplace TV screen.

Digital signage for deskless workers takes this to a whole new level — because you're only targeting an internal audience and communicating with workers who don't have access to their own company devices.

A whopping 80% of the world is considered the 'deskless workforce,' so it's no surprise that digital signage solutions are becoming more and more popular for traditionally screen-free industries.

So if your business operates in:

• Agriculture
• Healthcare
• Education
• Retail
• Manufacturing
• Hospitality
• Transportation
• or Construction

It may be worth considering the benefits of digital signage in bridging traditional communication challenges.

💡 Related: Digital Signage & Deskless Workers

4 ways digital signage supercharges employees

We might be biased, but as the research shows, digital signage is one of the most effective communication tools for deskless employees.

Rather than just tell you, we're going to show you instead.

Here are four benefits arising from deskless worker digital signage:

1. It closes communication gaps

Digital signage could keep your employees from quitting — literally. As many as one in five deskless staff members (or 20%) feel so overwhelmed by job-related information that they've considered throwing in the towel.

The reasons for this follow a similar theme:

• Overwhelm due to the sheer amount of information needed to do their job properly (83%)
• Not knowing or being unfamiliar with certain aspects of their job (43%)
• Inability to access up-to-date training materials (30%)

With the help of a digital signage solution, you can address these challenges virtually right away. Just think of all the innovative ways to get vital details displayed: sharing mission-critical info, important updates and training resources, and even on-the-job safety updates so no one feels out of the loop.

You can also embed a handy QR code so employees can get more information at a glance. Plus, it's not a bad idea to create slides in multiple languages so you can ensure equitable access for all employees.

2. It reaches a wider audience

Considering four in five deskless employees don't even have an email address, sharing updates, changes, and other important announcements can be surprisingly challenging.

It gets even more challenging for distributed teams juggling international locations. And if you have multiple working stations (such as processing rooms and packaging stations), it could feel like a nightmare getting everyone in the loop.

But take heart! Distributed workplaces are where digital signage shines — and it’s never been easier to help employees stay informed with a centralized, accessible TV screen.

Just imagine the possibilities for TV screens in your break rooms, for example:

• Display company news so everyone gets the latest updates
• Share health and safety guidelines to meet OSHA requirements
• Offer skill development resources such as training videos and continuous learning

Digital signage makes it easy to share essential business information with employees always on the go. It also helps them feel valued, confident, and empowered to make informed decisions.

Which leads directly into our next point…

3. It lowers turnover

Do you struggle to keep employees engaged? So do 62% of other business owners. 

And not only does low engagement impact job performance and productivity, but it significantly increases turnover rates as well.

It doesn't help that deskless employees already suffer from above-average turnover rates, especially compared to office-based work. Considering the national average turnover rate is just 13%, quitting rates in industries such as hospitality (73.8%) and transportation (56.7%) seem almost impossibly fast.

That's why many businesses use digital signage to engage deskless workers in more meaningful ways. This goes above and beyond basic training videos and weather updates. Think about how you could use digital signage to:

• Tell employees about upcoming events where they can meet other people and engage in community
• Share notices for professional development opportunities and company initiaves to help your employees climb up the career ladder
• Display performance metrics (like leaderboard dashboards) so sales associates and can engage in friendly competition
• Showcase employee recognition efforts by integrating your signage with third-party software (think Bonusly, Motivosity, and WorkTango).

💡 Related: 8 Ways To Use Digital Signage For Employee Recognition

4. It prepares your org for the next generation of digital native workers

Population aging is the biggest driver of worker shortages, especially in the US. This has particularly affected the frontline workforce, as the numbers clearly show:

• One in four employees in the manufacturing workforce are 55 or older
• A third of a million home health and personal care aides (or 332,300 people) will drop out of the workforce to retire every year
• Less than 1 in 10 airline mechanics are under the age of 30, and 25% are 55+

There's no way to stop this 'silver tsunami,' especially as birth rates decline and older frontline workers prepare for retirement. But you can create a more interesting environment for the next generation, starting with digital signage software.

First, think about how to empower younger workers with cutting-edge, sufficient technology. As many as 1 in 2 Gen Z workers say they're more likely to stay in a job that offers genuinely useful technology (like digital displays for internal communications, for example).

Also, think about how you might enable a more flexible workforce. Considering 72% of Gen Z employees want hybrid work, a digital signage solution such as company TV channels can keep employees informed regardless of location.

And don't forget about methods of engaging deskless employees, including interactive elements and touch-enabled content. You can use these tools to bridge the communication gap and capture the attention of younger workers — since 80% of them want to work with innovative solutions in technology anyway.

Keep in mind that Generation Z is the most likely generation to leave frontline positions. If you're not appealing to their needs with digital signage solutions, you're leaving a very valuable tool on the table (er, wall).

Using digital signage for your deskless workforce

Digital signage offers near-endless possibilities to deskless workers in every industry. Using the right tools will make it easy to boost your organizational culture, increase job satisfaction, and communicate effectively with employees around the world.

If you're looking for the easiest way to get started, you can use Fugo.ai to test drive your pilot program. We offer a powerful tool for boosting employee communications via company TV channels, a slide builder, TV dashboards, and so much more.

Say goodbye to traditional methods of internal communication — and hello to the new era of internal comms. Take our tools on a spin for yourself by getting started with a 14-day free trial of Fugo.