Contact Centre Wallboards – Do yours connect with Millennials and Boomers? Stephen Pace, CEO of SJS Solutions, discusses why its all about the Visual Experience.
People generally today are used to consuming a lot more news and content, faster, more frequently and on numerous devices. And for the younger generation, it’s all about the ‘visual experience’.
A well thought out internal communications strategy designed to appeal to the way your different employee groups take in information will help retain your people and attract your future stars. And the technology is here to help you.
People consume information differently
We came across an interesting article in The Guardian recently, on how people across the generations consume daily news. It looks at the differences between Millennials – 18-34 year olds – and the Boomers aged 50-65.
The article highlighted that the Millennials like to access news items a number of times a day; they are used to receiving many types of messages and images frequently and newsbrands have adapted well.
Millennials will tend to fill any spare time during the day finding out what the latest news is or checking their social media updates. Boomers, on the other hand, will tend to have more set times when they like to check news.
So, what does this mean for companies that use TV screens and other devices to transfer knowledge, information and data to their employees?
Getting the balance right is key
We believe wallboards need to inform, inspire and instruct. Getting this balance is key – aiming to provide a mix of vital information – ‘need to know’ as well as ‘nice to know’. Developing and maintaining this mix will help you appeal to a broader audience and deliver far better results.
But it’s not just about content – your designs need to look visually appealing too, be consistent with the brand values of the company and be available on different platforms. Using traditional “data only” layouts are guaranteed to switch off your agents and employees.
Wallboard content needs to be well thought out and form part of an on-going internal communications strategy. It is not just about providing the important information people need but creating an environment that delights and surprises people at all levels of the company.
Wallboards need to be visually appealing
It is estimated that we, as consumers, are exposed to about 5000 images or adverts a day, but only 12 of them will be remembered. The challenge to get your attention today is huge.
Millennials make up the majority on highly visual social sites such as Instagram. According to Sprout Social, 53% of users are between the ages of 18-29.
With the constant bombardment of images and data everywhere, it is difficult for companies to create the balance between engaging employees by giving them a good experience and not pushing too much at them.
It is important to think about the next generation now
The 18-29 year old users on Instagram, as well as the younger generation still at school, expect everything to be fast, relevant and accessible on the device of their choice – they haven’t known anything else.
Smart companies will be adjusting their communication strategies now – to cater for the current as well as the next generation of employees. They need to ensure their technology is fit for purpose to meet the internal communication objectives and provide the sort of instant access to knowledge younger people need to perform at their best.
Wallboard technology has come a long way
Wallboard technology has come a long way in the last few years and last year saw the launch of the 5th generation of the Optymyse Visual Communications Solution, a multi-platform solution capable of displaying engaging designs via flat screen TVs, mobile devices and agent desktops. Optymyse allows companies to quickly and easily tailor communications to specific groups of people, making content highly relevant and visually appealing.
The way we communicate is constantly evolving and modern contact centres and managers using out-dated visual communications will get increasingly frustrated that the technology isn’t doing what it needs to do.
When used properly, alongside a well thought out internal communications strategy that is designed to appeal to all employee groups and the way they work, wallboards can provide very quick returns on investment – boosting morale, improving performance as well as saving time and money.
