The Untapped Majority: Who Are the Deskless Workers?

Picture this: You walk into a bustling hospital, a humming warehouse, a busy factory floor, or a lively restaurant kitchen. What you see are employees constantly in motion — fixing, building, healing, delivering, serving.

They’re essential to how the world operates. And yet, most of them are "deskless."

Deskless workers make up over 80% of the global workforce — that’s more than 2.7 billion people. Despite their critical role, communication tools in most organizations are still designed with office workers in mind.That’s because the decision makers are mostly in offices! 😊

The result? A growing disconnect. One that impacts employee feedback, morale, retention, and ultimately — your organization’s performance.

It’s time to rethink how we listen to and engage this majority.

And that’s where text-based employee surveys come in — fast, frictionless, and surprisingly powerful. (Visit the Trivvy Blog for more insights.)

Traditional Surveys Are Failing Deskless Teams

In most companies, employee feedback tools look something like this:

• Long email surveys
  
  
• Login-based web forms
  
  
• Apps that require downloads and password resets

Now imagine trying to complete one of these during a 12-hour warehouse shift. Or between patient emergencies in a hospital. Or after a 10-hour outdoor construction job, with no company-issued device.

No wonder traditional surveys often go unanswered by deskless workers.

 Studies show that only 20% of company emails are even opened by non-desk employees. In contrast, text messages have an astounding 98% open rate.

If we want real employee feedback from deskless teams, we need a method that's as mobile and easy as they are.

Why Text-Based Surveys Are a Game Changer

Text-based surveys and communication tools require no links, no logins, no downloads. Just a simple, fast interaction, right where employees already spend their attention: their mobile device. (Learn more about how Trivvy works.)

Here’s why this matters:

1. Accessibility Without Barriers

Deskless workers often don’t have regular access to a company laptop or email. But according to Pew Research Center, 98% of American adults own a mobile phone. By delivering surveys via text, you remove the biggest barrier to participation.

2. Higher Response Rates and Authentic Feedback

Employees are much more likely to respond when it’s fast and easy. Text message surveys have response rates 6-8 times higher than email surveys.

Plus, responses collected via text tend to be more candid — because they feel conversational and less formal.  You get richer, more honest employee feedback — the kind you can actually act on.

3. Real-Time Pulse Checks

Long annual surveys are often too little, too late. Real issues simmer for months before they’re noticed — and by then, turnover has already taken its toll.

For example, Trivvy customers who use the text-based capabilities, send short, pulse-style questions weekly or monthly. This keeps a real-time pulse on morale, engagement, safety concerns, and more.

The reason this is so important is that according to Gallup, an “astounding 42% of employees who voluntarily left their organization in the past year report that their manager or organization could have done something to prevent them from leaving their job.” 

Beyond Surveys: Communication Is About Retention

Surveys aren't just about data collection — they’re about connection.

When employees feel heard, they are:

• 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to do their best work (Salesforce).
  
  
• 70% less likely to leave the company (Gallup).
  
  

Trivvy takes this a step further than most tools by not only gathering feedback — but instantly suggesting actionable follow-ups tailored to your organization. It’s not just data; it’s a guide to improve engagement and retention.

Real-World Impact: Stories from the Field

Construction Company Cuts Turnover by 30%

A regional construction firm struggled with high turnover among site workers. Exit interviews (when they happened at all) revealed that employees often felt unheard and undervalued.

Switching to text-based employee surveys with Trivvy allowed the company to:

• Identify site safety concerns faster
  
  
• Adjust shift patterns to reduce burnout
  
  
• Recognize and reward top performers quickly
  
  

Within a year, voluntary turnover dropped by 30%, and employee satisfaction scores improved dramatically. 

Healthcare Workers Speak Up

In healthcare, timely feedback can be the difference between smooth operations and systemic stress. 

One hospital implemented text-based pulse surveys, asking frontline nurses simple weekly questions like:

• “Do you have the supplies you need?”
  
  
• “How supported do you feel this week?”
  
  

This real-time employee feedback surfaced critical supply shortages that formal channels missed — allowing managers to act within days, not months.

The Business Case for Text-Based Communication Tools

Beyond engagement, there’s a strong bottom-line case for better communication:

• Companies with highly engaged employees are 21% more profitable (Gallup).
  
  
• Organizations that prioritize internal communication experience a 47% higher return to shareholders (Towers Watson).
  
  
• 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication as the main causes of workplace failures (Salesforce).
  
  

In short: Communication isn’t just nice to have. It’s a competitive advantage.

And for deskless workers, the simplest form of communication — a text — may be the most powerful.

How Trivvy Fits Into This Future

Trivvy was built specifically to bridge the communication gap for deskless and frontline teams.

With Trivvy, you can:

• Launch text-based employee surveys in minutes
  
  
• Collect fast, candid employee feedback
  
  
• Receive instant findings and recommendations based on results
  
  
• Act quickly to fix problems before they lead to turnover
  
  
• Empower your workforce without making them download apps or remember logins
  
  

It’s workplace communication, finally designed for how deskless employees actually live and work.

Best Practices for Text-Based Employee Surveys

If you’re ready to start with text-based surveys, keep these tips in mind:

1. Keep it Short and Simple
   
   • 3–5 questions max
     
     
   • Use plain language
     
     
2. Ask Actionable Questions
   
   • Focus on things you can realistically change or improve.
     
     
3. Follow Up
   
   • Acknowledge what you heard.
     
     
   • Share what actions you’re taking.
     
     
4. Conduct Regular Pulse Surveys
   
   • Consistency builds trust.
     
     
   • Regular pulse surveys keep communication channels open.
     
     
5. Protect Anonymity Where Needed
   
   • Especially for sensitive topics, assure employees their voices are safe.
     
     

With tools like Trivvy, setting up this kind of effective feedback loop is no longer a heavy lift — it's a natural extension of your operations.

(Get started with a free Trivvy account.)

Conclusion: The Future Belongs to Organizations That Listen

The future of work isn't just about offering perks or bigger paychecks. It's about creating cultures where employees feel seen, heard, and valued — no matter where they work.

Deskless workers have felt like they are invisible for too long. They’re the engine of your business, and they need to be heard.

By making communication effortless through text-based surveys, and leveraging tools like Trivvy to do so effortlessly and act on employee feedback, you’re not just gathering data — you're building trust.

And trust is the foundation of every thriving team.

For more discussion on this topic see our Linkedin post.

For related News, Tips and Tricks, see here.

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Trivvy is a text-based survey and communications tool (no links or logins required). Trivvy goes beyond results; it provides instant follow-up recommendations tailored to your organization. To find out more and try Trivvy for free, click here. 

You can also check out this one-minute Trivvy video.