Introduction: Engaging with employees through SMS (Short Message Service) can serve as a potent tool for fostering communication, collaboration, and connection within an organization. Below are some key advantages and strategies for harnessing SMS to effectively engage with employees:

1. Instantaneous Communication: SMS facilitates immediate communication, allowing for the swift circulation of crucial information, updates, and announcements to employees in real-time. Whether it’s a reminder about a meeting, a deadline, or a company event, SMS ensures prompt delivery of messages to employees.
2. Accessibility: SMS is accessible to employees regardless of their location or technological access. Unlike email or other digital communication platforms that may necessitate internet connectivity or specific devices, SMS can be received on any mobile phone with a cellular connection, ensuring inclusivity and broad accessibility for all employees.
3. High Engagement Rates: SMS messages typically boast higher open rates compared to other communication methods, such as email. Employees are more inclined to promptly read and respond to SMS messages, enhancing the effectiveness of communication and engagement endeavours.
4. Personalisation: SMS enables personalised communication tailored to the individual needs and preferences of employees. Employers can leverage SMS to send customised messages such as birthday greetings, bolstering their sense of value and affiliation with the organization.
5. Feedback Mechanisms: Employers can utilize SMS to garner input on workplace initiatives, satisfaction surveys, or employee engagement assessments, garnering valuable insights for enhancing the employee experience.
6. Emergency Communication: SMS proves invaluable for delivering emergency alerts and notifications to employees during critical situations, such as natural disasters or security threats. Employers can utilize SMS to communicate vital safety instructions, evacuation procedures, or real-time updates, ensuring the safety and well-being of employees.
7. Wellness Promotion: SMS can be leveraged to promote employee wellness initiatives, such as reminders for health screenings, fitness challenges, or mindfulness practices. Employers can dispatch motivational messages, encouragement, or wellness resources via SMS to support employees’ physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

When employing SMS to engage with employees, it’s imperative to prioritize their privacy, secure consent for communication, and adhere to relevant regulations, such as data privacy laws and electronic communications guidelines. Additionally, organizations should utilise SMS responsibly and judiciously, striking a balance between communication needs and employees’ preferences and boundaries.

The ERSBio Solution:

Our Communication Module enables businesses to send personalised bulk SMS messages to their database of employees or clients, as well as suppliers, from a central point. Features of this module include:

• Send messages immediately or schedule them
• Personalise messages
• Incorporate data from any field (Amount Due, etc.)
• Save Template messages
• Sends automatic messages for special dates (Birthdays etc.)
• Allows for reply messages
• Comprehensive reporting

Our SMS Notification Module is specifically tailored to communicate with your staff. You are able to send a variety of automated notifications to your staff, allowing them the opportunity to query hours worked before finalising payroll. Examples of these messages include:

• Employees’ Time and Attendance hours for the previous day. This is broken up into Normal Time, Overtime, Overtime 2.0 or other time types you have set up on the system.
• Employees’ Overtime hours for a select period of time, be it daily, weekly or monthly.
• Employees’ actual clocking data. This will indicate when the employee clocked in/out for work, as well as whether they clocked in/out for breaks.
• These notifications also allow for reply messages from employees, with queries/approvals.