Using technology to communicate your reward offer

Many NHS organisations are using technology to communicate reward messages to staff. Using various technology channels can help to deliver messages to staff spread across a large geographical area and different sites.

These examples give you a snapshot of what some NHS organisations are doing and include contact details to find out more.

There are many ways to communicate your total reward messages, find out more in our communicating reward infographic.

Mobile applications

Mobile phone apps are increasing in popularity with NHS organisations using them to send instant notifications to staff. Apps can be a good way to communicate with staff who do not always have access to a computer.

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is using an ESR mobile phone app. This enables staff to access self-service functions through their smartphones and tablets. The organisation is using this app to encourage staff to view their Total Reward Statements and also includes the corporate handbook and the ‘In our Gift’ ideas hub. The local benefits section provides links to various discounts and benefits, along with details of the health and wellbeing support the organisation offers. The app’s health and wellbeing offer has had 3,200 hits in five months.

• Name: Stuart Middleton
• Job title: Head of HR
• Email: Stuart.Middleton@mpft.nhs.uk

Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is using the StaffConnect mobile app to communicate with staff who do not have regular access to the Trust’s IT facilities. The StaffConnect app is linked with the trust’s ESR portal and is used to send corporate and tailored messages, including the trust's reward offering. The app is accessible from any device connected to the internet and staff are using it to keep up to date with the latest news and alerts. The app allows staff to provide feedback, ask a question, comment on a story or tag a colleague to encourage engagement and conversation. The statistics show that this app has been downloaded and registered by over 10,000 staff to date, which is 54 per cent of the workforce.

• Name: Jane Shepherd
• Job title: Marketing & Communications Manager - Digital IT
• Email: Jane.Shepherd6@nhs.net

Social Media

NHS organisations are using social media to engage, participate and to build relationships with their workforce. It is one of the common ways to get local and national benefits messages to staff in real-time.

Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust

Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust is using Twitter and Instagram to promote its reward benefits to their workforce. Instagram has been useful to post updates from suppliers directly to its Instagram story to keep the workforce updated on the benefits and offers. There has been lots of engagement on the Instagram stories and the content can be duplicated on the organisation’s Twitter account to maximise engagement with the workforce.

• Name: Fiona Lee
• Job title: Staff Benefits Manager
• Email: Fiona.Lee7@nhs.net

Benefits/communication platforms

Employee benefits platforms help to bring all your benefits in one place. Organisations can choose an off the shelf or a more tailored platform to suit their workforce needs. NHS organisations are using a range of different benefits platforms to attract, recruit and retail staff using various features.

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust launched a mutual recognition scheme on a benefits platform. The trust linked staff actions to trust values to recognise staff for their hard work. This initiative has been very popular during COVID-19 and has helped the organisation to increase the morale of staff. The recognition comments are showcased on the trust’s internal online social wall. The take up for this initiative exceeded the trust’s expectations and there were 397 thank you comments in the first month of the launch.

• Name: Sophie Thurgood
• Job title: HR Coordinator
• Email: Sophie.Thurgood1@nhs.net

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS) is using Workplace from Facebook to communicate more effectively with staff. Engaging with ambulance crews has always been significantly challenging because the workforce is constantly moving, working and often working unsupervised. The trust adopted Workplace because it looks and feels like Facebook, so no training is needed, but the data is secure and owned by the NHS. This means there are no information governance concerns that often arise with public social media platforms. The platform also links to the trust’s Microsoft SharePoint intranet, which means staff can access further information on policy, updates, operational and clinical bulletins and information on reward and benefits. The vision was for a safe space for all 2,900 employees in NEAS to share stories, ask questions, challenge each other and build stronger teams. Since launching in June 2020, around 65 per cent of all staff have joined Workplace, with positive feedback from colleagues on how communications and engagement has improved.

• Name: Mark Cotton
• Job title: Assistant Director of Communications & Engagement
• Email: Mark.Cotton@neas.nhs.uk