Internal communication is no longer a side issue as it is gradually becoming an essential and dominant aspect of the corporate world in today’s competitive and fast-paced business environment. It has become indispensable for improving business decisions, facilitating feedback, maintaining organisational stability, enabling change management, and most importantly maximising employee performance.
The nature and timeliness of internal communication affect how an organisation operates, engages and impacts its workers. Engaging employees physically, psychologically, emotionally and intellectually for individual and company success is one of the most significant issues organisations face due to increased market dynamics.
More and more businesses are incorporating various tools and channels of internal communication into their systems to ensure that employees interact successfully with one another and are fully engaged in the organisation.
There are many ways to increase employee engagement, including delivering honest feedback, enabling flexible scheduling, and prioritising their physical and mental wellness, among other things. On the contrary, effective internal communication is the primary factor in employee engagement. Employers can’t expect workers to be engaged if they can’t access the information needed to complete their tasks or keep informed about company developments. Organisations need to improve their entire internal communication process.
So how can businesses enhance internal communication to increase employee engagement? The following are some pointers to remember.
- Communication is a two-way street
It takes two to tango when it comes to successful internal communication. Employees need to be heard just as much as they need access to all the information they require to perform their duties. Compared to around 25 percent of disengaged employees, 85 percent of highly engaged employees say they feel heard at work. Employee engagement generally plummets if they feel they are being spoken at rather than with during a conversation. Employees want to communicate with their coworkers to do a task successfully, but they also want to share their concerns, thoughts and opinions. So it should come as no surprise that the ‘workers’ voice’ continues to be the cornerstone of any effective workplace engagement strategy.
- Consider your audience and choose the right channel of communication
For every corporate organisation, it is essential to identify and work with your internal stakeholders and employees if you want to get things done. Do they work in an office setting or the field? Do they have access to modern technology? What are their preferred modes of communication? Considering your findings, decide which channels will be most effective, who will ensure that communication is happening, and how you will measure to ensure the effectiveness of the chosen channel.
Besides face-to-face meetings, consider using electronic newsletters, SMS/text messages, notice boards, departmental group WhatsApp pages, a corporate intranet site, videos, and an annual employee engagement survey to track progress and get honest feedback.
- Make internal knowledge easily available
Communication is also about easy access to information. Document management and knowledge exchange are crucial everyday responsibilities in every industry. You need your staff to be able to locate documents, images and policies and have quick answers to internal information. All this information needs to be centralised and made available to your employees. If you want to increase internal communications, start with how your staff locates pertinent information relevant to their jobs and to the organisation.
- Use a social media approach
Employees can connect via social media. Instagram is a great medium for showcasing company culture, but you should also consider Facebook groups, Twitter direct messages, or LinkedIn groups as possibilities for employees to interact on channels they already use.
- Create an ‘open door’ policy
Internal communication among your staff members helps them to feel at ease to bring concerns to your attention as needed. It’s a fantastic strategy to engage workers and boost workplace communication while also making yourself more approachable. Management is encouraged to schedule meetings with staff whenever they feel it is necessary. Invite them to group talks regarding tasks, initiatives and the overall state of the organisation.
Conclusion
When employees feel heard, they are more engaged. And when they’re more engaged:
- Profitability can increase by substantive margins.
- They’re 3 times more likely to do their best work.
- Absenteeism can decrease by as much as 85 percent.
At the end of the day, employees want to commit to an employer who values their presence and engages them in a workplace they can call home. Therefore, organisations shouldn’t overlook the power of internal communication on employee engagement and on productivity.
>>>The writer is a strategic Corporate Communications Professional with keen interest in the use of internal communications and employee engagement in driving organisational growth and performance. All views expressed in this article are my personal views and do not represent those of any organisation ([email protected])
