While driving to a meeting the other day, I was toggling through Sirius when I stumbled across the classic ‘70s song “Signs” by Five Man Electrical Band. For those that don’t know, it has a really catchy chorus that goes something like this:

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign
Blockin’ out the scenery, breakin’ my mind
Do this, don’t do that, can’t you read the sign?

Hearing those lyrics inspired me to think about how digital signage helps food companies to communicate “do this, don’t do that” to their workers. Now, I realize this song has nothing to do with digital signage — it’s more of a commentary around social rules — but it directed my thinking to how those lyrics relate to our industry. Whether you’re managing a restaurant, a retail grocery store, or a food production floor, digital signage grabs attention and creates engaging, memorable experiences for your employees.

Digital signage also drives employee performance. Not only can it lead to improved employee engagement — up to 25% according to a 2012 McKinsey study — but it can also replace poster boards, banners, and many hard-copy postings that tend to clutter hallways and break rooms. Traditional signage is often lost in the ‘noise’ of information overload.
Whatever your situation, here are three ways your company can use digital signage in your workplace to improve employee communications:

1. Reinforce Training

You’re probably investing heavily in training your employees, but did you know that most of them forget 80% of the information you’ve taught them within 30 days?

Studies show us that the most effective way to train is to deliver short bursts of information over time. Using this methodology, a well-coordinated training reinforcement program with digital signage can lead to longer-term retention of information.

2. Improve your Corporate Culture

We all know that improving a company’s culture can lead to both improved financial results and higher employee engagement. Digital signage allows companies like yours to communicate goals directly to your employees. 

Use it to reinforce the company mission, recognize employees and milestones, and keep everyone up to date on events. Incorporating digital signage can help you to maintain a unified culture across locations by keeping everyone in the loop all the way from the corporate headquarters to your entry-level new-hires.

3. Share Company Performance Metrics

Use digital signage to keep track of production, sales, and internal analytics. Employees can hold one another accountable and celebrate successes together as they keep an eye on progress. Keep employees up to date on production status and goal attainment. You may be surprised how much more committed they’ll be to helping you achieve your goals when they can see how they’re connected and how they make an impact in real time.  

Final Thoughts:

Ultimately, using digital signage can help you to expand on the traditional “do this, don’t do that” approach to employee communications. It helps tie everyone to the operation and reinforce the importance of everyone’s role in maintaining a safe, productive workplace.

You’ll build the kind of place where workers feel like “you don’t need a membership to get in” — they’ll truly feel like a part of the business.

 Have a listen to Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign.