Engaging deskless workers can be a challenging task for many companies. These workers, who typically include employees in retail, manufacturing, and hospitality industries, may not have regular access to computers or email, making it difficult for managers to communicate with them and gather valuable feedback. One way to overcome this challenge is to conduct deskless worker engagement surveys.

In this blog, we will discuss the best practices for conducting deskless worker engagement surveys, including how to create effective survey questions, distribute the survey, and analyze the results.

First, let's define what we mean by "deskless worker engagement surveys." These surveys are designed to gather feedback from employees who do not have a designated workspace or regular access to a computer. The goal of these surveys is to understand the needs, concerns, and overall satisfaction of these workers, and to use this information to improve their experience on the job.

When designing a deskless worker engagement survey, it's important to keep the following best practices in mind:

1. Make the survey accessible: Since deskless workers may not have regular access to computers, it's important to make the survey accessible on a variety of devices. Consider using a survey tool that allows employees to access the survey on their smartphones, tablets, or other mobile devices.
2. Keep it short and simple: Deskless workers are often busy and may not have a lot of time to complete a long and complex survey. Keep the survey short and to the point, with clear and concise questions that can be easily understood.
3. Be specific: To get the most valuable feedback, it's important to ask specific questions that relate to the worker's experience on the job. Avoid vague or general questions that may not provide useful insights.
4. Use a mix of question types: To gather a well-rounded view of the worker's experience, use a mix of question types in the survey. This could include multiple choice questions, open-ended questions, and rating scales.
5. Offer incentives: To encourage deskless workers to complete the survey, consider offering incentives such as gift cards or other rewards. This can increase participation and help ensure that you get a representative sample of feedback.

Once you have designed the survey, the next step is to distribute it to the deskless workers. Here are some best practices for distributing the survey:

1. Communicate the purpose: Before sending out the survey, make sure to clearly communicate the purpose of the survey and how the feedback will be used. This can help to build trust and encourage participation.
2. Choose the right time: Consider the schedules of your deskless workers when choosing the time to distribute the survey. Avoid peak times when they may be particularly busy, and try to choose a time when they are more likely to have a few minutes to spare to complete the survey.
3. Use multiple channels: To reach as many workers as possible, consider using multiple channels to distribute the survey. This could include email, SMS, or even posters and flyers in high-traffic areas.
4. Follow up: If you don't get a high response rate to the initial survey, consider sending follow-up reminders to encourage participation. This can help to increase the response rate and ensure that you get a representative sample of feedback.

You can do all of this using Mercu. Mercu delivers continuous engagement surveys to your deskless teams in the chat apps they already use. This ensures maximum participation whilst giving your managers and team leaders the insights they need to retain your people.