Care and continuing healthcare organisation CRG Homecare has seen 1,267 of its 1,500 members of staff access its mobile engagement and communication platform since the launch in October 2018.
The app, provided by StaffConnect, was introduced to help connect employees, as well as facilitate the efficient delivery of information to staff, the majority of whom work remotely in the community as care assistants.
Results from the organisation’s engagement survey, conducted in June 2018, and feedback from face-to-face listening lunches, led by a member of the shared services team or senior leadership, found that employees felt isolated and disconnected from each other.
This feedback informed CRG Homecare’s decision to implement an app-based engagement and communication tool. For example, the listening lunches included demonstrations of the app, to gauge employee interest.
Lisa Hillman, director of workforce development at CRG Homecare, said: “We knew that connectivity between our branches and employees was a challenge. After collating the results of our employee engagement survey and talking to our employees, it was clear many felt isolated and disconnected from the wider group. StaffConnect was brought on board to enhance employee engagement and boost peer communication.
“It offers us a modern, technological solution that integrates seamlessly into the day-to-day lives of our workforce; something that was particularly important to us, as most of our team are non-desk based.”
The app was launched to employees using face-to-face sessions delivered by the provider at CRG Homecare’s operating locations; this gave staff all the relevant materials they would need to access the technology.
When launched, 700 employees accessed the app. This has now increased to 1,267 employees, as at March 2019.
CRG Homecare plans to further enhance its StaffConnect app to host relevant information and key policy documentation.
Hillman added: “Since its launch, we’ve been able to deliver electronic documentation, recognition and [organisation] news in real time, directly to our workforce’s mobile devices. It’s easier than ever for us to communicate with our team, recognise our employees and for them to communicate with us.”
