Are you neglecting internal communications?
It is surprising how many organisations purely focus on communicating with the outside world and neglect those closest to home. There are key reasons why communicating effectively with those within your organisation – your employees – should be a matter of course. Not only can it help avoid disgruntled employees, but it can also have many positive benefits for businesses. We’ve outlined some of the central points as to why implementing an internal communications strategy is of importance to your business:
1. Collaboration
Internal communication efforts enable those within an organisation to sing from the same hymn sheet. Objectives can be communicated to all members of the team, so everyone is informed of the aims of the business and therefore can collaboratively work together to achieve them. It also prevents wasting endless hours in meetings going over the business’ goals, as everyone is already aware of them thanks to a transparent and informative communications method. There are many channels that can be used to enable content to be communicated to those within your business. Whether a daily e-shot, weekly newsletter, monthly presentation or intranet system, each provide a regular form of communication that invites open and ongoing dialogue.
2. You remain in control
It is never a good thing for an employee to find out something about their company from an external source rather than their own employer. It can breed distrust, misinterpretation and disloyalty because employees feel like they have been kept in the dark. Having an internal communications strategy avoids this happening, as employees can be provided with a clear and controlled message from the organisation itself rather than an external source that may have made an issue appear as something it is not. Any negative issues communicated internally from the outset also means feedback can be received, allowing for preparation on how to respond if the issue is to become public knowledge. The bottom line here is transparency. No employee wants to feel deceived. Open communication through well-structured internal communication keeps you in control, and builds trust and respect, while dispelling suspicion and workplace rumours.
3. A happy work environment
Happy people are more productive, confident and have a greater willingness to help others. All of these are extremely beneficial to a business. Happy employees often mean a lower turnover of staff and also, it can attract talent to the company due to it being viewed as a desirable place to work. Internal communications can help to build and maintain happier employees and therefore creates a more positive working environment. It allows for engagement through people being able to have their say through feedback and further, employees feel important and valued if they are a part of the bigger picture.