Disconnected employees? Here’s how to reconnect

Front-line employees are the face of organizations.

They deal directly with clients and customers, yet they are most likely to feel disengaged.

Though engaging with such a disconnected audience can seem impossible, there are ways to do it. Powys County Council launched a campaign that created connections between front-line workers and leaders. The council got its senior leaders on site, pitching in and seeing what life is really like for their people who are out supporting the local community.

The key to Powys County Council’s success was in understanding its audience. When discussing disconnected teams, it can be tempting to jump straight to channels. That inevitably raises the question, “How do employees feel about using their own devices?” That’s not wrong, but that’s not the best place to start.

Here are essentials for reconnecting with the disconnected:

1. Understanding research and avoiding assumptions

You might know what the role of a front-line employee involves in theory, but have you taken the time to know what it entails in practice? Take a page out of Powys County Council’s book, and shadow your colleagues. Spend time chatting about what matters to them, what type of information they want to receive and in what format.