The untapped
value
and importance of
connection.
Field-based employees were feeling increasingly isolated and without an easy option to connect with co-workers. Technology could provide a solution, but a rollout plan and adoption campaign would be critical.
Janet
Field-based medical worker
Three years with organization
Member of field office with 30 colleagues
Responsible for emotionally draining daily tasks
50% of her day is spent alone in the car, driving to patient appointments
A large, home-based, medical care organization with nearly 90% field-based staff was dealing with high attrition and low morale. Medical care-givers complained of not feeling connected and not feeling able to quickly, simply, or securely connect with their colleagues for advice or emotional support. Things that workers in an office take for granted.
Carpool was asked to develop a pilot then assist with the company-wide rollout and adoption strategy for 20,000+ employees, to use a new collaboration platform. This was intended to bring its field-based care staff closer to each other and the company and to help reduce attrition, improve morale, and boost overall care.
Percent of company spending 75% or more out of office / in the field with little to no contact with other colleagues
Pre-launch only one in three employees wanted to connect with colleagues daily
One year after launch 72% of employees were connecting with their colleagues daily
Results
Janet is one of 18,000+ field-based workers who have, historically, only been able to connect with other field-based colleagues when they go into the office approximately once per week. She shared with Carpool that “I love my job, but it can feel lonely at times driving from patient visit to patient visit without any interaction or support from anyone else at our company. It would be so nice just to be able to connect and ask questions or share a laugh. I don’t really need to go into the office, but that is the only way I can connect with anyone else I work with.”
Working with IT, Carpool identified 10-20 field offices to pilot the launch of a fully digital collaboration platform that incorporated secure chat, group messages, documents, and voice and video calls. The aim was to prove that Janet, and the thousands of colleagues like her, could forgo the visit to the office yet still feel connected with colleagues via the new technology. After several months of the pilot, evidence and testimonials from field workers indicated that the new IT tools had helped them feel more connected and they had better morale and motivation to do their jobs.
The company-wide rollout involved Carpool crafting an awareness campaign and strategy for both IT and HR. The focus was to help Janet and her colleagues realize how their work life would be improved by connecting with each other via the new collaboration platform.
One year after the company-wide rollout, the new platform was being used every morning, by more than 9,000 field-based employees, to start their day via a daily stand-up call… something that used to only take place once a week, in most locations.
Janet and her colleagues still perform most of their work alone with patients, but they no longer feel as disconnected or alone as they did prior to using technology. Morale improved and attrition declined because of the culture of connection formed by easier communication.
Carpool has helped us understand how our IT investment can facilitate our transformation to a modern workplace. We have actively engaged our business units and field clinicians to better comprehend their needs and find where our efforts can have a direct impact on the way we care for our patients.”
~ Janet ~
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The information outlined in this case study is based on an actual Carpool engagement.
