What is employee communication?

As a basic definition, employee communication is the exchange of information between employees and managers or company team leaders. The information communicated can relate to anything from ideas and company information to feelings and emotions.

Usually, there are two main methods of communicating with your employees:

• sharing information verbally;
• sharing information electronically (including using platforms such as email, mobile apps, intranets and collaboration tools).

There are different ways that you can choose to communicate and share information with your staff. However, it’s important to note when making your decision that the approach you choose to adopt reflects how you choose to operate your business. Therefore, your method of communicating may need to be an important consideration when implementing a strategy. Although many different approaches function within the workplace today, we are going to discuss one of the more commonly used and widely accepted approaches in this article. The approach outlined in this article is known as ‘two-way communication’. You can create two-way communication by enabling your employees to join your company conversations. They will be able to share their thoughts, opinions and any concerns. In the past, it was the case that a business would adopt a downward employee communication approach. This allows the information to flow from the higher level to the lower-level employees. However, after a shift in mindset, now it is common for employers to adopt a two-way communication approach.

Why do good employee communications matter?

With good communication implemented throughout your business, you can expect to see a more productive, happy and engaged workforce. But despite the obvious benefits, many organisations have not considered the importance of implementing an effective communication strategy. Aside from the benefits to the individual, it’s widely accepted that good employee communication creates a knock-on effect for other aspects of the company. A more motivated and productive workforce is just one of the reasons why creating an open and honest culture could be good for your company.

Other benefits include:

• it enables employees to stay connected to their workplace;
• employees understand their organisation’s purpose and strategy;
• employees can identify with your company’s values;
• employees may develop a sense of belonging and understanding of their contribution to the wider purpose of your business.

We take a closer, more in-depth look at the advantages of developing good employee communications below.

Advantages of good employee communication

As previously mentioned, businesses that adopt a two-way approach as part of their internal communications strategy usually see the benefits within their teams and the wider business. Introducing a two-way communication approach in the workplace can be a great way to create a good sense of connection as it promotes a transparent and open workplace culture. If you’re still deciding whether to develop your employee communications strategy, it might be beneficial for you to understand the full impact and benefits to your business. Here are some of the advantages of good employee communication:

Improves employee engagement

Good communication increases how involved your staff are likely to be in their daily roles and responsibilities. When your employees feel informed and information is transparent, they have received the knowledge they need to do their jobs efficiently. If they feel as though they can communicate, be open and honest and have the opportunity to provide feedback, they are likely to feel more connected. It could make your employees feel more connected to the company and their colleagues.

Promotes workplace harmony

Bad communication can lead to misunderstandings and disruptions in the workplace. Clear and transparent employee interaction helps prevent problems and, when they do occur, helps to get them resolved quickly. This can help to maintain harmony in the workplace and keep your staff happy in the workplace.

Encourages a diverse workplace

If you can create an atmosphere that supports inclusive communication, you allow for employees of different backgrounds, thoughts and ideologies to have a voice in the workplace. This may ultimately enable your staff to feel more like a team and encourage them to pull together and function as a cohesive unit. Allowing all voices and all opinions to be heard is powerful and empowers your staff. When everyone feels included, valued and their voice is heard, companies can truly succeed.

Improves the workplace experience

Efficient employee communications enhance the overall experience in the workplace by giving employees a sense of purpose within their daily responsibilities. When employees feel like they have all of the necessary tools, information and resources, they feel valued. They can thrive.

This can influence their lives outside the workplace, too. If an individual feels connected and included, they are empowered to be their best in any situation, including at work and in their personal life.

Stimulates innovation and fresh ideas

Employee communication encourages innovation and collaboration to take place. When team members can successfully share opinions and information they are more likely to feel able to be open and honest with their ideas. Innovation is an inevitable side effect. If you promote a workplace culture where everyone is heard and perspectives and ideas are listened to, it makes your staff more likely to collaborate and work together as a team.

Increases inter-departmental cooperation

Employees are more likely to feel supported when good communication between different departments exists and they can collaborate freely. Companies excel when working together in this way.

If one department is not communicating with the larger organisation, they can feel isolated and cut off. Regular interactions keep departments connected to what’s going on with the entire company.

Creating an effective communication strategy

An effective approach to internal communications is cohesive and strategic and supports a culture of trust and openness.

Your strategy to building good employee communication in the workplace may need to:

• be aligned with your overall organisational strategy;
• promote a shared sense of purpose within the business;
• be developed with support and input from senior leaders;
• utilise different digital channels and tools;
• be reviewed and assessed regularly for its effectiveness.

Successful communication starts with leadership and managers. Your whole strategy can depend on their support as they are a channel to employees. However, communication needs to be a two-way dialogue rather than a ‘top-down’ exercise. This can give your employees meaningful opportunities to provide honest feedback and discuss it with colleagues.

Including social technology in your communication strategy

Social technology can be game-changing to the effectiveness of your strategy and is a great way to make sure everyone in the company is included.

If you’re considering introducing social technology to your business, find out more about the potential benefits listed below:

• social technology enables and encourages employee interaction and feedback;
• often employees feel more included in the business, which ultimately drives a sense of belonging;
• remote workers can feel included in the company;
• it encourages different teams or departments to collaborate and communicate with one another.

There are many ways that companies can use technology to enable employee communication. You could try introducing the following into your communications plan:

• live-stream work events so everyone can join in when they can’t physically be in attendance;
• use online technology and project management tools, including meetings or project management sites to keep everyone connected;
• create internal social networks: using closed social networks reduces email and meetings by allowing quick collaborative communication.

Tips for improving employee communication

Now that you’re aware of the benefits of creating good communication, you may be wondering how you can actively improve it within your company. Here are eight ways you can actively improve communication within your organisation:

1. Align your strategy

Align your strategy to what matters. Ensure that your strategy revolves around the aim of your company’s strategic goals.

2. Involve leadership

Get leadership involved and on board with your strategy. Aim to involve them in the communication strategy.

3. Engaging content

Balance fun, engaging content with critical information. Internal communications should be part critical company information and part fun, light-hearted content.

4. Clarity of message

Try getting your message clear. Consider your employees’ attention span. Use an active voice in your messages and aim to engage. If possible, videos are a good way to maximise engagement.

5. Use technology

Use technology to maximise impact. The way you relay information using technology may need to go beyond just emails. Consider setting up a way for your employees to communicate using a social platform.

6. Progress updates

Share company priorities and progress frequently. Instead of meeting once a quarter to share goals and strategies, consider sending regular updates. Technology is a great way to keep people updated without incurring the time and economic costs of meeting face-to-face.

7. Get to know your employees

Take an interest in your employees. It’s important to know the people who make your business so that you can better understand diverse experiences and backgrounds. This is an important part of encouraging an open, honest culture in the workplace.

8. Consider your remote employees

Consider distributed or remote employees in your strategy. In recent times, the traditional workforce structure has changed dramatically, and some of the changes we’ve seen over the past 18 months are here to stay. Remote working might be a large part of your business now. It’s important to consider how you communicate with remote employees and make them feel valued and included.

How to measure communication effectiveness

A key part of implementing any strategy is evaluating its effectiveness. There are many ways to perform an evaluation, it just depends on what route you want to take. Here are some of the ways you can evaluate the effectiveness of your communication strategy:

Set up employee surveys

Send out monthly or quarterly pulse surveys, using an online tool. Include up to 15 open-ended questions related to the areas that interest you.

Monitor email open rates

Monitor how many of your staff are engaging with the messages you’re sending. This method can be simple and effective.

Analyse intranet analytics

Intranet analytics can provide valuable insight by revealing which areas on the site page have the most views. This information can help you evaluate how your staff feel about current issues and what they care about.

Set up a focus group

Setting up focus groups enables your employees to share their views on what is and what isn’t working. It’s a good way for people to get together face-to-face, though focus groups also work online if it’s difficult to arrange. Create a focus group with an open atmosphere where information, thoughts and perspectives can flow freely. Group participants need to feel that they aren’t being judged, assessed or monitored for the information to be truthful and useful.

Track turnover and work performance

Leaders can track turnover rates and observable behaviours, including work performance. This provides valuable insight from a subjective viewpoint into whether the strategy is effective. Good internal employee communications can make the difference between a company that excels and one that does not. Your communication strategy plays a pivotal role in achieving good communication across your organisation. Senior leaders and managers set the tone for good communication with their employees, so it’s important to have everyone involved – no matter what department or level. The purpose of internal communication is to connect, align and engage your business as a whole. If your internal communication strategy isn’t doing that, then it’s time to revaluate your plan.

Consider what you can do to create an open and transparent culture within your workplace. In a few months, you could be pleasantly surprised when it comes to evaluating your new strategy. All employees play a role in ensuring effective communications. Sharing, learning, listening and collaborating is key to an organisation’s success.

See more: 7 Effective Skills to Help You Become a Better Leader Team-Building Tips and Activities to Boost Employee Morale and Engagement