Using instant chat to improve a speak-up programme
Everyone uses instant messaging these days. Sales organisations have integrated it into their websites to provide an immediate, on-demand selling experience. Marketing teams are using it to engage potential customers, answering prospects’ questions and smoothing their buying experience. And customer support teams are using it to improve support effectiveness, troubleshoot user issues on-the-fly, improve customer satisfaction and reduce the burden of follow ups.
So, shouldn’t compliance teams use instant chat to reduce the barriers between them and their employees? Can compliance teams use a chat feature to improve investigation effectiveness when following up employees’ reports?
The answer to those questions is clearly yes. However, the information transmitted via a compliance hotline is far more confidential and regulated than product enquiry information. The development of whistleblowing legislation is now offering greater protection to whistleblowers and allowing for the non-disclosure of anonymous whistleblowing, but another implication of this is that your organisation can be penalised if you accidentally disclose a whistleblower’s identity.
Given the constant changes in whistleblowing legislation globally, you should actively stay aware and review whether your entire reporting platform is capable of assisting you to get the job done properly. If not, you must find a way to reduce the risk of being penalised.
Common questions asked by our current and prospective clients include:
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The outcome of these discussions has led us to create a platform that supports whistleblowers using an anonymous and secure two-way instant chat messaging platform to report misconduct or share concerns, while organisations can use the same communication platform to receive, assess, investigate and manage the reports they receive. Two-way anonymous instant messaging has proved popular among whistleblowers because it is safe, secure and instantaneous.
How does instant chat improve efficiency?
1. It increases productivity
With more people wanting to use mobile devices, instant chat has become a handy option for whistleblowers to report incidents and share supporting evidence when it’s most convenient. Whistleblowers can simply take a photo or video then share it instantly while they are reporting an incident they witnessed.
2. It resolves questions in a flash
A compliance officer, human resource practitioner or case owner can instantly chat with the whistleblower to obtain additional information to support the case being investigated rather than spending time finding out themselves.
3. Psychological barriers are lowered
Instant chat allows the whistleblower to consider their thoughts, gather up courage and respond when they feel calm. This is often needed when they are dealing with mental health issues stemming from harassment or bullying.
4. It helps to build stronger relationships
A secure and anonymous reporting platform helps to build stronger relationships between employers and employees because the fear of retaliation or revenge is significantly reduced.
5. Investigations are simpler
To be able to kick off an investigation, you need a certain amount of information. Whistleblowers who use instant chat are often more comfortable and happier than those using other forms of communication like telephone or email, so are more likely to share as much information as possible. Secure two-way instant chat guarantees security and promotes a simpler conversation between the whistleblower and case owner.
6. It’s engaging
Reporters feel engaged and encouraged to share information if they get an instant response from the case manager. What’s even better? When the instant messaging supports anonymous communication like the Speeki Platform, the company can reach out to the anonymous reporter for further information.
7. Managing cases is easier
Using instant chat allows you to keep track of the status of conversations and view the progress of investigations.
8. Data is kept secure
Instant chat allows for data to be instantly transferred via a secure and encrypted transmission channel. This is better than requesting hard copy evidence from the whistleblower because hard copies may end up in the hands of unauthorised persons.
9. An audit trail is created
Because instant chat allows for easy record tracking, the conversation’s digital footprint is instantly recorded (though names will be kept anonymous when required). This enables the case owner to review who has made contact and what the conversation was between the investigator and whistleblower.
Our solution
Regardless of your size or global presence, Speeki provides a secure, two-way and anonymous whistleblowing platform for employees and employers in 104 languages.
Speeki does not require multiple platforms to be set up or hosted – everything is easily accessible through a mobile app or web portal. This allows organisations to receive reports from any location at any time of the day and take appropriate action before impact.
