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According to Gallup , having a clear communication strategy alongside an effective employee engagement solution can lead to an 18 % increase in productivity and a 23 % increase in profitability .

Digital innovations are making communication easier ; what we previously had to stick up on notice boards we can now send instantly via an app or email and virtual meetings are made possible with Zoom , Google Meets and Microsoft Teams .

But , in the South African context , employers have a communication gap that is hard to bridge . Far too many South African companies are struggling to digitally connect with their employees . With the information age upon us and methods of communication plentiful , why is it still so hard for employers to communicate with their employees effectively ?

Employers need to meet employees where they are

HAVING A CLEAR COMMUNICATION

STRATEGY ALONGSIDE

AN EFFECTIVE

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SOLUTION CAN LEAD TO AN 18 %

INCREASE IN

PRODUCTIVITY AND A 23 % INCREASE IN

PROFITABILITY .

The simple answer is that we aren ’ t meeting employees where they are . The majority of deskless employees ( 90 %) in South Africa don ’ t have or don ’ t use email and apps aren ’ t the answer either .

According to a study by Datafree , in a sample of over 150,000 people , the majority of mobile users have five or fewer apps on their phones due to limited storage capacity and the data cost to download apps .

If we want to connect and engage with employees , we need to meet them where they are . In a country with high data costs , WhatsApp is that place . Nearly all South Africans ( 97 %) use WhatsApp daily , making it the most downloaded app in the country .

WhatsApp can be a powerful HR tool

WhatsApp has over 27 million users in South Africa and can be used to do almost anything these days . From ordering an Uber to buying groceries , to getting your flight tickets , the digitally inclusive app has become a powerful way for businesses to engage with consumers .

The question is , why aren ’ t businesses using it to engage with their employees ?

WhatsApp can be used for so much more than most people realise . SmartWage is elevating the app to a powerful HR tool that can drive employee engagement and reduce manual processes ; essentially , everything that can be done via email , can be done on WhatsApp instead .

SmartWage cleverly utilises WhatsApp ’ s capabilities to deliver payslips , IRP5s and important announcements directly to employees . In addition , you can segment by region , store or employee type , enabling instant and transparent