Internal communication is what makes your day-to-day operations run smoothly. It means openly discussing the needs and wants of the employee journey while having the confidence to ask any questions necessary to facilitate the process. Click here to learn more about the definition of internal communication.
In today’s digital world, there are several online tools available to help facilitate internal communication. On top of that, the workplace has evolved into a space that encourages discussion, whether through office layout and design or modern ways of thought that have been instituted in the office values.
In today’s post, we’re covering the top 5 internal communication best practices in the workplace. Employ these tools and methods and you’ll notice an increase in quality of work, a rise in employee satisfaction, and smoother daily operations. Whether you’re starting your own business or have an existing company that needs some restructuring, you’ll find these best practices useful.
1. Build an Internal Communications Strategy
In North America, 31% of internal communicators admitted that they do not employ any form of formal planning. This suggests a reactive approach to internal communications in the workplace as opposed to a proactive one.
If you want to see an improvement in the way your employees communicate, it all starts with a plan. Here’s what you should keep in mind:
- What platform or tool you will use
- The features of the platform
- What kind of content you want to share
- What groups will you create and how will you segment your employees (if applicable)
- The current and desired participation rate
- Current levels of employee satisfaction
Note: Depending on some factors, like the platform you use or the industry you’re in, there could be potential for some crossover between external and internal communications. A strong internal communications strategy will consider how to spread information for employees and customers. By combining your external and internal communications teams, you cover way more ground.
2. Define the Online Tools and Programs You’ll Use
With the rise of technology, innovative solutions have come to the forefront of business operations. Whether you work at a large corporate company or a small agency, there are several online tools available to you and your team that can help make your day-to-day run more efficiently.
Here are a few tools and programs that you should consider implementing:
- Trello: User-friendly project management system to keep track of tasks, time, and collaborate across projects.
- Slack: Internal communications program that acts as an instant messenger. Can create group chats and channels for different projects, teams, and topics of discussion.
- GoToMeeting: Enables face-to-face communication across distances through online video calls and conferences.
- Google Drive: Cross-collaborative documents where multiple users can access a single file and leave comments or edits.
92% of employees say having technology that helps them do their job efficiently affects their work satisfaction, according to a study. Make sure your employees are part of the majority by adopting these powerful online programs!
3. Encourage Cross-Collaboration
Cross-collaboration refers to open communication between different teams, departments, and external groups. This is key to employee growth as they learn from one another and are able to work together to achieve common goals.
How do you achieve this? Have a Q&A session or a special gathering between different departments to communicate, collaborate and share insights. Create a group chat or channel in your online communications tool and pose a question or topic for discussion. Encourage brainstorming sessions and build polls to asses group opinions.
Your employees are not just part of the organization — they are a part of an industry. Share industry news, events, trends, and insights to keep the company informed and promote discussion. Encourage your employees to do the same.
Important company news and updates would get lost in spam folders, skimmed over and forgotten, or completely ignored. This is why using an intranet platform such as Slack or Simpplr will facilitate the dissemination of communication.
4. Recognize and Praise Success
Employee recognition is a major factor in contributing to growth of a company and the happiness of employees. Recognizing the success or progress of an employee and rewarding them for their hard work can make them feel valued and appreciated, which contributes to higher levels of engagement, satisfaction, and motivation.
Use your communications software as a platform to recognize hard work. Create posts or channels dedicated to this notoriety. This will maximize the organization’s productivity and growth.
5. Note Ways to Improve Internal Comms
No internal communications strategy in the workplace is perfect. The key to success is to recognize the constant need for growth and to push for better results.
Is there enough engagement in your channels? Are your employees adapting to or responding to your efforts at promoting discussion? What can you do differently to ensure a smoother flow of information across departments? Perhaps changing up your topics of discussion, hosting more group meetings, or creating different channels of communication can help.