Effective internal communications involves regular and engaging two-way conversations with all members of staff.
But some businesses still fail to grasp the tremendous benefits that positive internal comms can add.
Internal communications should increase morale and staff engagement – and happy employees are productive employees.
However, to deliver great internal communications, businesses need to do more than rustle up an employee newsletter every now and again.
Here are some ways to put your staff at the heart of your business.
Create an up-to-date internal communications strategy
This should establish what your aims are and how they are going to be achieved.
Set target activity, deadlines and the required resources and channels at your disposal to implement each element of your strategy.
And don’t forget to audit your strategy regularly against measurable KPIs. If it’s not hitting the spot, these audits will allow you to change tactics.
Segment your employees into defined audience groups and tailor your approach and messaging appropriately
You’d be amazed at just how many otherwise brilliant marketing people don’t audit their target audience when considering their most valuable stakeholders. One size is unlikely to fit all.
Identify any barriers to success
Whether that’s a lack of time/resources, departmental silos, or attitudes across your business.
By being upfront and honest about the challenges you face, and what you can do to overcome them, you’re far more likely to deliver messages that genuinely resonate.
Look for some small wins
There will always be internal cynics, but tackling even the smallest things can make a difference. Once done, you can work up to some of the most complex internal issues.
Create two-way conversations
Tech can be used as an enabler. For example, a staff intranet can play a key role in improving communications across your business. With access to the tools needed to do the job properly, you’ll support your internal communication efforts and your wider business objectives.
Consider your intranet as a means of facilitating virtual networking across your business via commenting, feedback and information-sharing functionality.
You should also allow anonymous feedback to encourage people to open up about anything negative that needs addressing.
Don't let online communication completely surpass personal contact
Yes, tech such as email makes the sharing of information simple, and it can be used to provide an immediate update on developments. But face-to-face contact is still the most favoured approach for communicating important and sensitive issues.
Invest the time and effort to get the results you require
Ensure a commitment to internal comms comes from the top. Let’s face it, if your senior managers aren’t willing to be role models when it comes to internal communications, how can you expect your employees on the ground to buy in?
Create employee champions
Start by selecting a small representative group of employees and empowering them to gather feedback and ideas for business improvement.
Introduce staff reward/recognition schemes
By incentivising your staff in their day-to-day roles, you’ll increase productivity, and satisfaction and retention levels.
As well as traditional long-service awards, consider employee-of-the-month schemes, shout-outs on social media, and team challenges. If you don’t have a massive budget, the rewards don’t need to be huge. Simply acknowledge the hard work of your team and you’ll start to create a culture of recognition.
By leading by example and encouraging dialogue and two-way conversations, you’ll demonstrate that your business takes employee engagement seriously. This will help to foster an organisation-wide culture of visibility, trust and approachability.
Today more than ever, investing in good internal communications is a necessity rather than a luxury. If the people who work within the business don’t love your brand, how can you expect anyone else to?