Internal communications: important now more than ever
Let’s be honest: the pandemic has revolutionised the workplace. Businesses have completely changed the way they are working and communicating. Gone are the days of pinning an internal communication on the company notice board or shouting across a crowded office to keep people updated. And the larger an organisation is the more difficult this has become.
Though obviously very useful, email is not the solution – at least it shouldn’t be the only one. Did you know that, on average, computer-based workers spend at least 25% of their working day just reading and replying to emails. And we all know that many of the emails we receive are not really relevant to us at all.
As we are all too aware, large numbers of irrelevant emails can often result in the information that is actually important getting missed in this unnecessary avalanche. Therefore, a different strategy is required.
Luckily, there is help available, with many tried and tested technological solutions for day to day communications, as well as professional content creators (like Seren Global Media) who can help devise the right strategy and tone of voice for your organisation.
Research has shown that 4 out of 5 employees believe that effective internal business communications help them to do their job more efficiently. So, the importance of prioritising the efficient and effective feed of relevant information to employees is obvious.
By not addressing and strategising interdepartmental communications, it doesn’t just make it more difficult to maintain effective internal communications within organisations but can also lead to employees feeling abandoned and alienated. And this is something that also needs to be addressed in your internal communications strategy – particularly at this time.
Remote working is likely to continue, whether you like it or not, and there are many upsides to this not just for the individual employee but also for the organisation: according to research, 49% of people working from home complete their tasks faster than those in fixed workplaces.
However, if your organisation doesn’t already have an effective internal comms strategy then it is certainly something you should think very carefully about now – and don’t leave it too long.
Your strategy should consider:
- Segmenting your audience – not everybody in your organisation needs to know everything all the time. Know what to say to whom, each team will have its own priorities.
- Communicating efficiently and succinctly – use the 5W1H principle (who, what, where, when, why and how) and create your communication around that.
- Timing is everything – make sure you have checked all the facts but try to get news out as soon as you can, while it’s still relevant and before gossip starts.
- Tone of voice – consider making your internal communications informal and personal. This will build morale and create a closer bond, even when employees are geographically separated.
- Encouraging conversation – creating two-way communications allows employees to air their views and share their ideas. Unidirectional communications can get boring for their readers very quickly.
- Measuring and assessing – Check what went right and what could have been better. Internal communications should continually be about improving the way you share information.
Business leaders who neglect the role of internal communication will, undoubtedly, find it hard to build team morale, keep staff motivated and build resilience for their business in the remote-working landscape. So, now is the time to make it a priority for your organisation.
To find out more about how to effectively manage your organisation’s internal communications, get in touch with Seren Global Media PR on 01792 293 333 or email info@serenglobalmedia.com