Breaking mailroom monotony: Three ways of using automation to keep employees engaged

In business, disengagement can quickly lead to serious consequences, including reduced quality of work, dissatisfied customers, and high employee turnover. Currently, nine-in-ten UK workers are disengaged at work, costing the UKover £257 billion annually. Disengagement occurs when employees are dispirited and demotivated, potentially leading to errors and delays in work.One-third of workers in the UK are also at high risk of leaving their jobs, with job enjoyment ranking as one of the top reasons employees would take up a new job.

Labour-intensive tasks like stuffing, sealing, and franking letters may sound outdated in 2024, yet many mailrooms require employees to do this kind of work. Manual processes are still the bread and butter of physical mail and are crucial in allowing businesses to communicate effectively, reaching customer who may or may not have digital means.

To run an efficient mailroom today, businesses need to make work easier for employees by leaning on the power of technology to take some of the load – for instance, by automating processes. But with UK workers teetering on an employment cliff edge, how do businesses engage and motivate mailing teams?

The disengagement dilemma

Workplace boredom may sound cliché, but it has a real impact on job satisfaction and can influence career decisions, especially in repetitive environments such as mailrooms. Demotivated employees are more prone to errors and reduced productivity, leading to significant time and financial losses for businesses.

Mistakes by disengaged mail room employees can even cause compliance issues. For example, if a mailroom inserts the wrong letter into an envelope, the employee can be in violation of the Data Protection Act. The consequence of violating such laws can lead to legal and financial repercussions, resulting in severe reputational damage to a business.

Avoiding mailroom maelstrom

Timeliness and consistency are crucial qualities in mailrooms so that businesses are able to send the right message, through the correct channel, at the right time. But with organisations facing growing financial pressures such as increasing overheads and lingering inflation, avoiding physical mail altogether and keeping communication digital can seem like an easy short-term solution.

While traditional mail is slightly declining, it’s still predicted that four billion letters will be sent a year by 2028. But with 62% of UK consumers still preferring physical letters to emails, forward-thinking businesses will be seeing the lack of competition as an opportunity to fill the demand for physical mail. By capitalising on the increased personalisation physical letters offer, businesses can use mail to enhance their customer relationships.

At the same time, businesses must recognise that increasing mailroom activity alone won't necessarily translate into higher employee engagement or job satisfaction.

Embracing automation

To keep employees engaged, businesses should aim to make work less labour-intensive and reduce the need for manual tasks. Here are three steps to help implement automation in a mailroom:

1. Assess your current systems: The first step toward transforming a mailroom through automation is to evaluate the existing technology and processes. Legacy systems that require employees to manually stuff and frank letters not only disengage the workforce, but also slow down the responsiveness of business communication. Particularly time-critical letters such as appointments, or communication with legal and financial implications.
2. Pinpoint inefficiencies: Identify specific bottlenecks in the mailroom process, such as manual folding, envelope insertion, and franking. Automated document processing systems can be employed to handle these tasks efficiently. For instance, using a folder inserter can cut processing time by more than 75%. By eliminating these repetitive tasks, businesses can improve employee engagement and create a more dynamic workplace atmosphere, moving away from the ‘factory-like’ environment often associated with traditional mailrooms.
3. Implement a fully automated system: Investing in advanced technology like automated franking machines can provide a single source of truth for postage rates, eliminating the need for employees to cross-check rates with various online sources. This not only reduces errors but also speeds up mailing operations.

By following these steps, businesses can create a more efficient mailroom, enabling employees to capitalise on automation so they can focus on higher-value tasks that require a human touch.

Signed, sealed, delivered

With physical letters still being the communication channel of choice for many, businesses should be utilising mail to provide a personalised experience that emails and notifications cannot offer. After all, posted mail dates backthousands of years. Its continued longevity means businesses should be looking for ways to keep physical correspondence ticking, rather than replacing it.

Automated mailing systems can boost the job satisfaction and productivity of employees, ensuring businesses are ready to communicate with customers for decades to come. With automation, mailroom teams can focus on meaningful tasks, keeping them engaged and motivated instead of trapped in a conveyor belt of monotony.

‍