Businesses may claim to prioritise their workforce, but a new survey suggests millions of employees are being left out of the conversation. Firstup’s latest Deskless Communication Survey reveals a major disconnect between organisations and their frontline staff, those who aren’t sitting at desks, checking emails, or attending virtual meetings.
Despite making up more than 80% of the global workforce, deskless employees, such as factory workers to retail staff to healthcare professionals, often miss out on essential updates. The survey of 1,000 U.S. deskless workers shows that poor communication isn’t just frustrating; it’s affecting engagement, productivity, and overall business performance.
A third of respondents say their organisation does a worse job communicating with them than with office-based employees. One in four don’t even know where to find critical information, and nearly 40% say messages either arrive at the wrong time or aren’t relevant to their work.
Poor communication leads to disconnect
The overreliance on email is a major issue. Nearly 70% of companies still use it as their main communication tool, yet more than half of deskless workers have limited access to it. Many simply don’t have time to engage with company updates, which often feel like an afterthought.
A quarter of workers say poor communication makes them feel disconnected from their company, while most believe that getting updates in a way that fits their job would help them perform better.
Nicole Alvino, CEO of Firstup, said: “There’s still a fundamental gap in how organisations connect deskless workers with information they need when they need it. This disconnect erodes trust, then performance and productivity. As AI transforms the workplace, organisations face a critical choice: modernise communication for every worker, or risk falling permanently behind.”
However, there are ways to close this gap. Many deskless employees prefer to receive updates through mobile-friendly channels such as text messages or app notifications, making information easier to access. Others say they respond better to direct communication from their managers rather than company-wide messages. The timing of updates also matters, as many workers struggle to keep up when messages arrive at inconvenient moments.