Steps in Implementing an Effective Employee Communications Programme

5 tips to improve employee communication 

Most organizations plan meticulously how to best engage their external audience, but they conveniently forget about their most important constituency: employees. High performing organizations make sure employee communication is their priority and this is one of the reasons they stand out! 

Here are the top 5 tips to improve employee communication in your organization

1. Communicate with clarity 

Overusing jargon or technical terms will only lead to more misunderstanding. Be clear while communicating.

2. Set the tone

Management and leadership of the organization need to set the tone right. The need to be accessible and they need to understand that there is a certain relation between strategic employee communications and organizational goal achievement. 

3. Know your employees 

You don’t need to communicate differently with different employees, you just need to know your employees. To understand the perception of your employees surveys them regularly. 

4. Use multiple channels 

Most people need to hear or read the message multiple, least the message is lost in translation. Distribute your message through various channels so that it reaches people well within time. 

5. Measure the effectiveness

No communication should be without a set objective, else the purpose of communication is entirely lost. There are many ways to facilitate communication, but what’s the point if it falls on deaf ears. Make sure you regularly measure the engagement and ask employees if the communication strategy works.

There are a few key steps to take when building an effective internal communication strategy. These steps will ensure that your strategy is airtight and has the maximum benefits for all employees.

1. Review Your Current Strategy

Before revamping your internal communication strategy, it’s important to take stock of what’s currently in place.

Evaluate your current IC strategy to identify its strengths and weaknesses. Find out what you’d like to improve on. Ask yourself questions such as:

• How is your current strategy being implemented?
• What software and channels are you currently using?
• How effective is it?
• What impact does it have on company culture?
• What are the chief complaints you’ve been receiving about it?

Answering these questions will give you a good baseline to start with. You can then build and improve on this with your new strategy.

2. Define Your Audience

Before coming up with a plan for your internal communication, it’s important to identify your audience.

Most companies make the mistake of treating their employees as one large, homogeneous demographic. This is problematic as different divisions of your company will want different things out of their communication channels.

For example, your software development and sales teams will have very different communication needs. Spend some time and segment your audience into different groups so that it is easier to give them what they need.

3. Set Clear Goals

It’s important to have concrete goals and timelines in place to add some structure to your planning process.

Devise reasonable timelines for planning, ideation and execution to set yourself up for success.

Goals should lay out what you want your internal communication efforts to achieve.

When coming up with goals, it’s essential to follow the SMART formula:

• Specific: Your goals need to be concrete, not vague.
• Measurable: Your goals must be quantifiable.
• Attainable: Ensure that your goals are realistic with your current resources.
• Relevant: Goals must be directly linked to your company’s aspirations.
• Time-bound: Your goals must have deadlines to keep yourself on track.

4. Define Your New Strategy

Now it’s time to hash out your vision for your new internal communication strategy. Your new internal communication strategy should include:

• Clear goals
• An Audience segmentation
• Clear metrics
• Realistic timelines
• Ambassadors
• An internal communication solution
• The right content types
• An effective content distribution