Inform

Inform is WorkStep's "1-to-many" segmented messaging tool. Inform enables WorkStep users to reach their workforce via SMS and email, and segment messages based on location, role type, tenure, sentiment and any other attributes provided to WorkStep (e.g.: age, shift, DE&I information, etc.).

When changes are implemented in response to feedback collected through WorkStep, you can let your employees know you've heard them by sending communications and announcements about new programs or initiatives via Inform. Inform should not be used in lieu of responding to alerts and comments, but can help employees understand what actions are being taken to improve the employee experience.

Broadcast Messaging

With Inform, you can write a custom message to send to your employees using basic rich text formatting (italics, bolding and named hyperlinks). Any valid URL can be linked, including survey links or Always On links, and there is no character limit on messages.

You'll be able to include a custom subject line for email, which will be shown as a message header for the web-based message sent through SMS. Messages (whether viewed by email or web-based page) will also include your company’s logo as a header. 

As you're drafting your message, you'll have the ability to preview your message (shown formatted, exactly how the employee will view it). Messages are automatically saved as they are created and will remain in a draft state until they are sent or scheduled to be sent.

Scheduling Sends

Those sharing messages through Inform will have the ability to either send messages immediately, or schedule the message to send at a later time - as long as its within the next 7 days.

When scheduling a message to be sent, the list of recipients is locked in at the time the message is scheduled to be sent. If you need to make adjustments to the message, you can cancel the scheduled send up to 30 minutes before the scheduled time.

Channels

Inform prioritizes email delivery, except in cases where an email does not exist for a particular employee, or they have previously unsubscribed from email - in which case the message will send by SMS. All email messages include an "unsubscribe" option that prevents the employee from receiving future Inform emails (but does not opt the employee out from all WorkStep emails). Emails are sent from no-reply@inform.workstep.com with "WorkStep Inform" as the sender.

SMS includes a prompt to reply STOP to unsubscribe from Inform SMS (but does not unsubscribe the employee from all WorkStep SMS communications). SMS messages will include a link to a web-based rich-text message, the URL for which is unique to both the recipient and the message, but is a public URL. SMS messages are sent from (833) 583-0338.

Segment Builder

This feature enables users to define a segment of the company’s existing workforce based on permanent attributes, dynamic attributes (ie: favorability), dependent attributes (ie: term reasons), and events in platform.

• Permanent attribute: Your company’s existing filters or attributes. This includes standard attributes like role type and location as well as custom attributes such as DE&I attributes and shifts.
• Dynamic attribute: Favorability towards a theme in the last 90 days. The recipient options for dynamic attributes include those who were unfavorable (a score of 1-3) or favorable (a score of 4-5) towards a particular theme.
• Employment tenure: Users can select custom tenure ranges by either days or years. Segments will automatically exclude any employee with a termination date, and you'll only able to create a segment from the employees within your scope. Additionally, you'll only have the ability to segment on employees that have been imported through a hire and term report (ie: only the employees that receive surveys through WorkStep).

Inform will show you a count of employees that are included in the segment to understand how many employees will be receiving your message, unless that count is below 3 employees to protect the confidentiality of employees' identities.

Saved Segments

Inform enables you to name and save a specific segment to be used for other messages in the future. Saved segments can be edited, but edits will only apply to future uses of that segment and do not impact any scheduled or previously sent messages using that segment.

You'll be able to delete a saved segment, which will remove it from the list of named segments to be used in the future, but will have no impact on previous messages that have used that segment. We'll still keep a record of the saved segment on the backend for auditing purposes. 

Saved segments will only be visible to the user that created the segment, and subsequently only the user that created it will be able to edit or delete the saved segment. 

Sent Messages 

Analytics

For all sent messages with more than 3 recipients, users will be able to see the following metrics on each message: 

• Delivered: # of employees in the segment where the message was successfully delivered (total recipients minus unreachable and no contact details)
• Opened: # of employees in the segment that received the message and opened either the email or the web based message from SMS
• Clicked: # of employees in the segment that received the message, opened it and clicked on any URL in the Inform message content (excludes unsubscribe link and other WorkStep links)
• Unreachable: # of employees in segment where message either bounced (for a variety of reasons) or employees have unsubscribed from Inform
• No contact details: # of employees in segment with neither email nor phone number

Access & Permissions

If you are interested in adding Inform capabilities for your organization, please contact your Account Rep.

Users can have either Author or Viewer access to Inform – this is separate from the permissions they may hold on the rest of the platform. Authors are able to create, edit, send their own messages only. Authors can also view scheduled and sent messages from other users that have been sent or will be sent to any of the employees within their scope. Viewers are able to view scheduled and sent messages that have been sent to at least one employee within their scope.

Sending an Inform Message

1. Open Communication from the navigation bar on the left side of the page
2. Select the Inform tab
3. Select the New Message button

1. To choose segments of recipients you’d like to receive your message, click into the field stating "No Conditions applied", then Edit Recipients to choose from the segments list made up of your company’s custom attributes, favorability to a theme, employment tenure, location, and/or role type. If you anticipate utilizing this same segment again for future messages, you can toggle the save segment option on and name the segment.

1. Create your message by including both a subject line and message body. We recommend including the name of your organization in the subject line for easier recognition by your employees. You can include light formatting such as bolding or italicizing, as well as link to any webpage; these options are at the bottom of the message composer.
   To add a link, simply highlight the text you wish to hyperlink, select the link icon in the bottom left of the message composer, and add your link.

1. Preview the message by selecting the eye icon.
2. When you have the final draft of your message ready to be sent, click the Send button. If you’d like for recipients to receive your message at a later date, select the arrow next to "Send" to schedule a day and time - within the next seven days - for the message to be automatically sent at that time. 
   Scheduled messages can be edited before they are sent. To do so, cancel the send, edit your message, and then reschedule for when you would like it to go out.

1. Once your message has been sent, it will be visible in the Sent folder where you can see analytics beginning to populate for the message.