4 Simple Ways To Improve Your Internal Communications

Internal communication is key to attracting and retaining employees, but with 22% of UK companies struggling to retain staff, so many businesses today are getting it wrong.

Thanks to advances in technology, companies are more flexible than ever, with employees having the option to work remotely. This brings huge business benefits, including access to a wider talent pool, but it also has a knock-on effect in terms of how companies handle internal communications and manage employee engagement.

It’s vital you keep employees engaged and invested in your company as this will significantly improve your bottom line, but this is where so many businesses let themselves down. Here’s how to change that:

#1 Research & Plan

A poor internal communications plan is as bad, if not worse, than having none at all. You need to get the research and planning stage right. First up, do your research. Find out who your employees are and how they consume information. What ways of communicating are available to you and how are others doing it? All of these questions are important when embarking on your internal communications plan.

Then make a plan (here’s how to write an internal communications strategy) and stick to it – don’t let it slip throughout the year because this will only impact your employees (and your organization) negatively. Review your plan and make sure you have the resources in place to see it through, without meeting stumbling blocks along the way.

#2 Collaborate With Your Employees

A recent study from Ultimate Software revealed that 75% of employees would stay longer at an organization where they were listened to and had their concerns addressed. This is a great reason to collaborate with your employees and get their input on internal communications.

Yes, senior management will need to lead, but you can really engage with teams by getting them involved in internal communications activity. Give junior members of the company a role and make sure they know how it affects the company. Got a difficult member of a team that doesn’t want to ‘fit in’ with your organization? Try offering them an internal communications role where they can have a say on its direction.

#3 Make It Engaging

Employee engagement is good for the workforce: when our teams are engaged, they’re happier at work and their quality of life improves. An engaged workforce also leads to better business results, as according to focus group Engage for Success, businesses with the highest engagement scores were 18% more productive than those with low engagement.

To make your communications more engaging, use new and interesting ways of delivering your message. A video is the perfect example of this. Do you have a new business announcement to make? Communicate that in an engaging way with a short film. The more interesting the medium (and the content), the more likely employees are to watch it and take in the information.

#4 Survey & Learn

There is no point in making decisions on internal communications if you don’t then measure the results and act on them.

Survey your employees, via an online poll or at the end of a company-wide meeting with an anonymous ballot box, to find out what they like and what they don’t like about how they are being communicated with.

After the survey is complete, review the results and make any necessary changes. Your employees will be more invested in the company and therefore more productive if they realize their voices are being heard.

There is considerable evidence to suggest that engaged employees, through great internal communications, can have a significant impact on an organization’s overall performance, so investing time and resources into these simple ways to improve internal communications is worthwhile.

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