How Digital Signage Can Improve HR Communication

A human resource professional’s job has never been more challenging. A survey from last year found that 95% of HR professionals said the job was “too much work,” with more than half thinking of leaving the profession. HR professionals handle onboarding, job training, safety instruction, performance management, compliance requirements and many other tasks.

At the core of these HR tasks is communication.

People talk about digital signage as a way to promote products. However, using digital signage as a communication technology can significantly reduce the work required for employee training and communication. And more than just easing the burden on your staff, digital signage can also help keep your workers engaged and informed. Regular communication is critical to retention; an engaged employee who feels part of a team will likely stay with the company.

Using Digital Signage To Train And Retain

The value of digital signage for employee communication is universal. Still, it is instrumental in environments where employees do not have a desk, corporate computer or company-issued mobile devices. These “deskless workers” still need regular training to be kept in the loop on changing company policies and to feel the benefit of morale-boosting and team-building messages. Here’s how digital signage can keep workers engaged.

Real-Time Updates

Communicate about company events and priorities: If workers don’t get regular information, they often assume the company doesn’t care about them—or worse. Regular messages keep them engaged, assist in training and remind them of essential aspects of their job. Digital Signage allows for instant updates and dissemination of information. This is particularly useful for announcements about important events, policy changes, HR initiatives, or corporate news.
Example: Notifications about upcoming training sessions, deadlines, or changes in work schedules.

Enhanced Employee Engagement

Recognize employee milestones and accomplishments: Publicly showing praise and recognizing promotions, anniversaries or birthdays are all ways to show employees they are valued. Digital Signage can be used to display motivational messages, celebrate employee birthdays, work anniversaries, and achievements. This helps in building a positive workplace culture and boosting morale.
Example: Showcasing “Employee of the Month” photos or team accomplishments.

Training and Development

Deliver training content: People like to watch their way to knowledge. Using video segments delivered on a local screen is a great way to provide training to employees. Digital Signage can broadcast training materials, such as short videos, infographics, or instructional content. This is especially beneficial in large organizations where consistent communication is crucial.
Example: Videos on new processes, safety standards, or corporate values.

Feedback and Interaction

Interactive Digital Signage can enable employees to provide feedback, participate in surveys, or vote on various topics. This helps HR gather valuable insights and engage employees in decision-making processes.
Example: Surveys on employee preferences for corporate events or satisfaction assessments.

Sustainability

Using digital displays reduces the need for printed announcements, making communications more eco-friendly.

Other uses for digital signage include reminding people about safety tips or protocols, informing employees of perks like free tickets or discounts and customizing messages so that people in remote offices feel connected to headquarters.

Time and Resource Efficiency

Instead of sending numerous emails or holding meetings, important information can be broadcasted on digital displays in real-time. This saves time for both HR professionals and employees.
Example: Vacation schedules, duty rosters, or updates on HR policies.

Multimedia Content

Digital Signage supports various content formats like text, images, videos, and animations, making communications more vibrant and memorable.
Example: Corporate value videos or animated instructions.

Targeted Communication

Digital Signage can be customized to display different content for various audiences. For instance, different departments or branches can see information relevant to them.
Example: Local event information or department-specific HR news.

Implementing Digital Signage in HR communication strategies can make them more modern, interactive, and effective, leading to higher employee engagement and a better overall workplace atmosphere.

How A Managed Service Provider Can Help You Make The Most Of Your Signage

You do not have to start from scratch or design your digital signage system. A managed service provider (MSP) can share their experiences and discuss your objectives and target audiences with you. Together, they can help you organize the right solution for you. Beginning with installation and maintenance, the experienced MSP can guide you on technology selection and implementation best practices and provide affordable support and maintenance programs.

Another benefit of an MSP is in operating the system. Few team members have the time for another operational assignment. An MSP can help you run your signage. Using a cloud-based content management system, an MSP lets you tailor your message as narrowly as you wish and update it as frequently as you need, using content from whatever sources you choose.

If you are starting from scratch and considering a DIY approach, here are some suggestions to help you be successful.

• Selecting a display: At first glance, it seems that for Digital Signage it is more economical to use a consumer TV, which is usually used at home. But cheaper doesn’t mean better. For Digital Signage, it is better to use professional displays because they are more reliable, brighter and designed to last longer. Professional displays have an anti-glare screen that can be used in portrait mode and a professional control system that can be integrated into the room control system. If you view the purchase of a professional display as a long-term investment, it will prove to be more cost effective over time.

• Audio: Avoid using content that requires audio. It creates fatigue for anyone who is near the screen or passes the screen often. You want the message to be delivered visually, like a freeway billboard.

• Playlists: If your content does not update on a regular basis, your audience will become immune to the screen, and when you do update, they will miss it. You do not have to change the whole playlist every time, just change parts of it regularly. Also, change the layout of the screen on a quarterly basis. This change will also help keep your audience engaged.

• Scheduling. Schedule the launch and playback of playlists helps you determine in advance when to show this or that content. By creating a schedule for a day, week, month or even a whole year, you can avoid being distracted by daily updates. Content management systems allow you to synchronize the schedule with your work calendar. For example, you can add to the schedule congratulations to employees on their birthdays or national holidays and the necessary message will appear on the screen automatically at a certain time.

• Content distribution: Although you think a thumb drive inserted in the screen will be a good solution, once you have more than two screens, you will really want to have a network connection so you are not walking around updating content. Plus, an online content management system will let you pre-schedule and expire content, saving you from urgent trips to update the screen.

• Digital Signage player: Don’t reuse old computers or cheap players designed for watching TV, movies or games to play digital signage content. Make the investment in a small form factor professional digital signage mediaplayer that mounts behind the screen. The old computer is not being used because it is old and outdated. The cheap media players are underpowered, unreliable, insecure, and don’t do well with content that uses data-driven content updated in real time Your communications deserve quality hardware.

• Automation: helps keep on-screen information always current and updated in real time, forcing employees to pay attention. The information displayed can be synchronized with external data sources including services such as OneDrive, Outlook, Excel, SharePoint, Google Sheets, Microsoft Flow, Slack, Microsoft Outlook, Office 365, Google Calendar and many others. Automation saves time, reduces errors, and ensures continuous, consistent, and focused communication across the organization.

Yes, you can get started on your own, and you can have an impact on your employee base. But before you tackle one more project, check with TimeLine. TimeLine will help you maximize your signage investment, helping your employees stay safe, adequately trained and engaged. As we know, a happy employee is more likely to stay with the company—and for that, your HR staff will thank you.