Here’s why audio is the best resource to keep distributed teams connected

With over 2.7 billion employees distributed across the world who aren’t regularly tied to a desk for their job, deskless workers make up the backbone of today’s workforce.

These workers aren’t checking their Slack messages, browsing through documents, or interrupting their work to read emails. This means that 80% of deskless workers lack access to deskbound technologies and struggle to stay up to date with traditional communications.

The question is — how do we guarantee that these employees stay connected with the organization, no matter where, when, or how they work?

Here’s the good news: other ways of communication, such as private podcasting, are readily available to support deskless and distributed teams. These technologies offer the flexibility, connection, and inclusivity that distributed workers are desperately seeking from their organizations.

In an episode of our “Behind the Mic: The Creator Series”, Katharine Tinucci, Director of Corporate Communications at Endeavor Air, shares how audio was introduced as a new resource for their teams, the impact that podcasting has had on their distributed workforce, and the feedback they’ve received from employees on the ground and in the air.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE: https://www.buzzsprout.com/881431/11030479

 

What is a distributed team?

Distributed teams include any group of workers who are not bound by their physical location. These teams do not have a dedicated office space and often work across different time zones. Employees who are part of a distributed team can be fully remote, deskless, or frontline depending on the nature of their work.

Deskless employees typically find themselves working with teams that are distributed all around the world. Since they do not regularly sit behind a desk to complete their jobs, deskless workers are faced with a multitude of different challenges than those that are deskbound.

Traditional communication tools, such as email and instant messaging, aren’t tailored to deskless and frontline workers. When it comes to working with a distributed team, deskless workers often struggle to stay in the loop and be included in important company conversations.

 

How to reach deskless workers in a distributed environment

In a fast-paced and distributed environment, deskless employees crave connection but lack the resources they need to stay informed with their organization.

Research shows that just 14% of deskless workers feel connected to their company, and only 3% feel connected to their C-Suite. These workers are desperately in need of a way to close communication gaps and have access to the same level of transparency that is offered to deskbound employees.

Reaching deskless employees means shifting what we know about traditional internal communications and focusing on meeting people exactly where they are.

The solution? Audio in the workplace.

Audio is a form of communication that is revolutionizing how teams work. This easy-to-use, on-demand medium offers an asynchronous and accessible way to receive content at any time, providing deskless workers with the flexibility to focus on what matters most.

 

Why audio is the best resource for distributed teams

Private podcasting, or audio in the workplace, has proven to break down silos, provide direct access to top-down communications, and segment information to teams in real time.

Let’s take a look at a real-world example of how a well-known airline uses audio and private podcasting to reach deskless employees in a highly distributed work environment.

 

A real-world example of audio for work

Katharine Tinucci is the Director of Corporate Communications at Endeavor Air, a fully-owned subsidiary of one of America’s largest airlines. She has played a key role in bringing podcasting to Endeavor’s corporate team, flight crews, maintenance team, and ground operations.

With over 5,000 employees living and working in different parts of the country, Endeavor’s executive leadership team was faced with the challenge of effectively reaching their distributed teams.

Prior to the pandemic, the airline would stage a town hall or travel to meet employees face-to-face. Not only did this require additional time, resources, effort, and planning from the leaders, but it also was not a sustainable or timely way for employees to receive updates.

As an airline operating in a fast-paced and primarily offline environment, the organization needed a new way to reach employees no matter where they worked. To tackle this issue, Katharine spent time educating teams on private podcasting and why it was the ideal solution for their needs.

Leaders quickly realized how easy it was to record content for podcast episodes, and employees found the new medium much more enjoyable as a way to consume information.

Instead of organizing a meeting or writing a long email, the leadership team approached podcasting as simply having a casual conversation that they could easily share with employees.

Private podcasting has helped Endeavor Air create two-way conversations between leaders and employees, deliver a unified message across distributed teams, offer an asynchronous way of staying up to day with the organization, and much more.

Employees now have the opportunity to ask questions about strategy or updates in the business. They can easily leave a text or voice comment on a podcast episode and get a quick answer from someone who is a senior leader at the company.

Not only does this provide employees with the best information possible, but it also encourages them to be a part of the conversation and truly feel like valued members of the workplace.

Listen to the full episode to hear Katharine share more about how to introduce audio as a communications tool for distributed teams, what the airline’s plans are for the podcast moving forward, and tips and tricks for launching a successful company podcast.

Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Podcasts

 

Getting started with private podcasting

Private podcasting is one of the most efficient ways to transform internal communications and keep everyone in the loop with information, updates, news, and more. Whether your team is remote, hybrid, or deskless, podcasts are an easily accessible form of communication for these distributed workforces.

When it comes to keeping your content safe, it’s important to choose a platform that offers top-level security for your organization. As the leading audio and communications solution, Storyboard specializes in providing enterprise teams with an easy-to-use and curated audio-first experience.

Start a private podcast on Storyboard today by visiting the website and creating a free account (which allows creators to launch channels at no cost for up to 50 listeners). If you are interested in an enterprise plan, contact the sales team for more information or to receive a free demo of the platform.

 


 

“Behind the Mic: The Creator Series” is Storyboard’s own podcast featuring users who share why they brought podcasting to their organization, what makes audio a distinct communication tool for deskless and remote workers, and much more. Listen to all of our episodes, linked here.

Your feedback is important to us! We want to actively improve our content and make your audio experience as beneficial for you as possible. Please email us with any questions or feedback: support@trystoryboard.com.