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Unions are no strangers to adversity. The legislation governing unions is now among the most restrictive in the western world, the economic landscape is turbulent, and workers are increasingly atomised. Unions are fighting on many fronts. The technology they use should make that fight easier.
Our recent webinar hosted with Join Together brought together organisers, developers and union leaders to discuss what a more effective approach could look like.This report draws on that conversation, highlighting the specific changes unions are making to improve member experience and what others can learn from it.
Digital friction is blocking growth
The crux of the problem is this: most union joining experiences don’t receive the technical support slick corporates get. Union forms can be complex. Whether it's an intricate form, a complicated website or a question worded in an alienating way, these issues contribute to significant drop-offs in sign-up journeys. But in many cases, they are completely avoidable.
Sam Jeffers, co-founder of Join Together, explained how their work with unions like the NEU, CWU and Forsa has revealed a common theme: people want to join, but forms and systems get in the way. In one case, replacing a blank text box for employer name with a searchable list boosted completion rates from 66 to 81 percent. A small tweak, but resulting in a big difference.
"Digital technology allows us to measure things in a way we haven’t before," Sam said. But many unions still aren’t monitoring drop-off rates or testing how their forms perform. Instead, they rely on assumptions, often outdated, about how people navigate online spaces.
Five principles for improving recruitment
The webinar presented five core principles for designing more effective joining experiences:
- Measure everything: Using tools like Mixpanel or Google Analytics to track how users move through forms helps identify exactly where people drop out.
- Test with real users: Observing real members use your joining process will quickly reveal what is confusing or frustrating.
- Sweat the small stuff: From the order of drop-down menus to whether a question is skippable, details matter. Ask only what you need, and make every question easy to understand.
- Don’t make people think: Break complex questions into bite-sized steps. Avoid jargon. Pre-fill answers where possible. Let users progress even if some details are missing.
- Design for real life: People sign up on their phones, on buses, during lunch breaks. That means your forms need to load fast, work offline and offer the option to save and return later.
Tools that support the organising workflow
Building on these principles, we presented our new Organiser Dashboard, a tablet-ready tool for reps and organisers to manage real-world conversations. Rather than storing notes on paper or trying to collate scattered spreadsheets, the dashboard offers a clear visual layout of who has been contacted, what actions have been taken, and who needs a follow-up.
The system is customisable for different types of campaigns, from strike ballots to rep recruitment. Organisers can import data from membership systems, assign local reps specific contacts, and filter by region, engagement level or issue type. The tool also links directly with our broader digital platform, allowing organisers to follow up conversations with automated SMS, email or call campaigns.
Andrew from Movement described it as a "digital clipboard" always available, infinitely adaptable and designed to work in the messy, shifting terrain of real-world organising.
What unions are learning
Some of the most powerful takeaways from the webinar came not from major revelations, but from small surprises. In one case, rewording a date question for education workers from an academic year format to a simple graduation year resolved long-standing confusion. In another, adding employer-specific terms for employee or payroll numbers helped people recognise what was being asked for.
As Hannah from Movement put it, these learnings offer a chance to rethink how unions build momentum at every level. They also show that when user-needs drive digital choices, recruitment doesn’t just increase; it becomes easier, faster and more rewarding for organisers and members alike.
From firefighting to future planning
In a context where organising is often reactive; fighting cuts, countering legislation or preparing for ballots, the temptation is always to put your head down and get on with the job. But the webinar reminded us that if we zoom out a bit, can simplify and speed up the systems that underpin our work. Smart, incremental changes to digital systems are simple to implement, and could reap massive rewards..
By adopting tools like the Organiser Dashboard and rethinking member journeys, unions can do more than fix forms. You can empower organisers, reduce admin, and start building a foundation for growth that is fit for the next generation of workers.
In short, digital transformation is not a nice-to-have. It is the front line of modern organising.
