How Instant Messaging Boosts Workplace Productivity
An easy way to communicate at work is essential, but surprisingly challenging to get right.
In today’s ever-evolving workforce, the ‘when, where, and how we work‘ continues to shift, employees need communication platforms that increase efficiency and productivity. It’s time for employers to integrate state-of-the-art tools that empower their employees and increase their workplace flexibility but decreases their costs. Used effectively, instant messaging will lead to a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and security, which, in effect, make the business more productive.
Instant Messaging improves communication
In a survey conducted from November 2017 and January 2018, by the corporate arm of the Economist,
“Respondents say communication barriers are leading to a delay or failure to complete projects (44%), low morale (31%), missed performance goals (25%) and even lost sales (18%)—some worth hundreds of thousands of dollars”.
Source
Instant messaging is less distracting than a phone call and more direct than an email response, as well as the bonus of being able to monitor whether your contact is available or not. Users may set up status messages to remind others whether they are away, which adds to the usefulness of instant messaging as a beneficial communication device.
Effective interactions between team members are the key to productivity.
Less distracting, more personal
A 2018 study found that reducing workplace distraction, increased productivity. The study also found that the biggest distractions at work were small talk with colleagues, meetings, phone calls, and office noise.
Respondents perceived that if these issues could be resolved with a more direct line of contact: 75% would be more productive, 57% would be more motivated to work to the best of their ability, 51% would be more confident in their ability to complete their tasks well, 49% would be happier at work, and 44% would deliver higher quality work.
Source: Udemy In Depth – 2018 Workplace Distraction Report
By default, interacting with employees through instant messaging enables them to be succinct and to the point. Instant messaging apps should eliminate much of the internal churn and duplication of visits and emails. It even provides more personal contact between remote workers and managers.
Return on investment
The words any manager wants to see. ROI is an essential metric for efficiency, and replacing travel expenses has been one of the most significant advantages of instant messaging. Already in 2004, Radicati Group created a report on the economic and efficiency gains of instant messaging.
In the report, employees were provided with two typical daily tasks, both with and without instant messaging, and found that companies could save an average of 40 minutes a day per user with instant messaging. They estimated that an organization with 5,000 people could see a $37.5 million a year savings in productivity.
Today, companies in the US alone waste 15% of their time and $37 billion on unproductive meetings, while in the UK, a research found that by improving connectivity and using instant messaging technology, employers would recover 3.14 hours of work per week. That is a staggering 18 extra working days per year, and a £34.1 billion gain in productivity, with the right tool.
While meetings are necessary from time to time, a workplace messaging app can help your team eliminate the bulk of them, as well as help you save money.
Quick search, faster results
The average worker spends 20% of each week trying to locate their colleagues and track information, according to McKinsey. From the data above, we know that improving communication in the workplace solves part of that problem. With the help of built-in search tools that are standard features in the leading instant messaging apps, workers can locate vital job details the same way they would perform a search on Google.
Security
What was the average cost of data breaches in 2019 globally? Over $3.92 million per country, with the UK and Italy in the top 10 countries in the world facing such threats and high costs. So, securing your data is fundamental to your productivity, as much as any of the points above. The improved privacy and protection of data that instant messaging provides may be the most significant advantages for your company. Although the use of free consumer-grade chat apps for work-related communication poses privacy and security risks (read our post), company instant messengers, such as Messagenius, help businesses of all sizes avoid the next data breach.
Mobile messaging apps are crucial to business communication today, as the workforce is becoming increasingly mobile. There’s no denying the workforce is changing. Consider that around 40 percent of the workforce works remotely at some frequency, 73 percent of companies are projected to have remote workers by 2028 and that the global mobile workforce is expected to reach 1.87 billion people.
With workplace instant messaging technology, team members can communicate efficiently and stay engaged, both critical factors to achieve increased productivity. From an organization’s perspective, when the technology is used to its maximum potential, return on investment is a guarantee, by saving time, as well as securing your data, which all lead to higher levels of productivity.
Take your enterprise to the next level with Messagenius. Contact us today on how we can help your workforce achieve high productivity.