I still remember the dismissive tone from an acquaintance when I said I worked in employee communication and she sneered, “Oh, that means newsletters.”
Well, it can, I thought, but there’s a lot more to it if it’s done properly.
What does employee or internal communication look like in your organization? What do you think it should look like? More importantly, what do you want it to accomplish?
There are still CEOs around who believe employee communication is about following the military-style command-and-obey model, where those in authority give orders and employees obey without question.
Even when employee communication is seen to have a larger role, another all-too-prevalent view is that it’s a one-way conduit for telling employees what management wants them to hear.
The problem with these two approaches is they don’t provide an opportunity for questions and feedback, which is necessary for employees to feel engaged in their work and the company that employs them.
Why is engagement important? Beyond providing employees with a greater sense of satisfaction, research shows it results in higher productivity and lower staff turnover.
So how do you engage employees?
Tell the truth
Internal communication can significantly, and positively, influence employee engagement and your bottom line. Honest internal communication, that is. Employees will see through fake messages quicker than Vancouverites see through rain.
What does that mean for those in charge? Tell employees truthfully where the organization is headed and why, and what you’re doing to get there. They probably already know much more than you think; the grapevine is a powerful force in every workplace. And if you provide employees with accurate information from the start, they won’t need to come up with their own interpretation as it passes through the grapevine. Before you send out any message, ask yourself whether it’s honest.
Once employees understand where the organization is headed, they’re more likely to do their jobs without complaining or slacking off.
Think from an employee’s point of view
Knowing where they fit in a team effort is a powerful motivator. If there’s a personal benefit (such as simplifying a process or saving employees time), even better – they’ll work harder and look for ways to do their jobs better, improving productivity.
So the next thing you or your communicators should ask before delivering an employee communication is, “What’s in it for them?” You know what you want to say, but you need to couch it in terms that consider your employees’ point of view. Your new policy may well save money and improve overall profits, but employees will embrace it more quickly if they know how it will make their workday better.
While you understand that higher profits mean a better chance of keeping them all employed, that’s not the first way they see it. They might even see higher profits as you getting rich off their efforts. Too often they are so immersed in their day-to-day work that they don’t see the big picture unless it’s clearly presented to them, with an explanation of their roles within it.
So that’s how you craft your outbound messages, but even that is no longer enough.
Dialogue means two-way
Invite comments and questions from employees, and answer them openly and honestly. Whether you use an old-fashioned town hall meeting or question box, a video or Skype conference, a blog or a Twitter feed, employees expect a chance to ask you questions and to be answered. You may be surprised by what you learn from them, too.
Don’t say anything you don’t mean. If you can’t answer a query, say so. Promise to find out, or explain why it must be kept confidential for now (in contract discussions, still under consideration, etc.).
If you ask for employee opinions via a survey, report back to them on the survey results. And if you aren’t willing to act on the results, don’t bother doing the survey. Surveys that have no noticeable effect disillusion employees and lower engagement.
Start from here
So, these are the basic tenets of employee communication:
- being open and honest;
- considering the employee point of view;
- creating opportunities for dialogue; and
- listening and acting.
The strategy you set must be based on these tenets. Specific tactics flow from the strategy and your understanding of your own staff. For example, don’t expect an email message to accomplish much if most of your employees work on the plant floor and never see a computer except to check parts inventory. On the other hand, posters in the break room aren’t going to do any good if staff are hunched over their computers and eat at their desks, while the break room sits empty.
Those are tactics, and you must choose them with care. But without understanding and applying the basic tenets, any strategy or tactic will fail.
Employee communication can still mean newsletters, if that’s one part of your communication plan, but it’s so much more. Talk to your employees, listen to your employees, and you’ll be amazed at how it benefits all of you, from a positive work environment to a better bottom line.
Nancy Painter is an internationally Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) and communication consultant based in Surrey. Her internal communication strategies and tactics have earned provincial, national and international awards from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), which evaluates communication efforts for their business effectiveness.
For the latest on communications resources, career development and networking opportunities, see www.iabc.com and www.iabc.bc.ca.
