6 ways to reach a scattered, low-tech workforce
Cintas has 30,000 employees worldwide who speak 80 different languages. Half don’t have email. Here’s how the company communicates with them.
Hey, what’s the big problem with employee communications in this day and age?
Crank out some copy for the intranet, send a link in an all-employee email, and you’re there, right?
Well, not if you work for a company where half of your employees don’t have email.
That’s the problem faced by Cintas, which provides companies with uniform rentals and sales, restroom supplies, and document management, among other services.
Based in Cincinnati, its 30,000 employees are scattered across 430 locations in North America, Europe and Asia, says Heather Maley, senior manager of corporate communications. They speak 80 languages, work in positions ranging from administrative to truck drivers, and have various educational levels.
Most aren’t on computers at work, allowing them little access to company videos on YouTube or Facebook posts.
“You’re talking about half of the workforce that doesn’t go on the computer very often,” she says.
Maley spoke on the topic “Communicate up, down and sideways in a large, non-centralized organization.” Here are some tips for organizations looking to improve messaging in a diverse workforce:
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