Internal communication is the lifeblood of corporate culture, as it ensures that everyone is pulling in the same direction and singing in the same tune. But before we talk about how this communication can be improved, we should briefly consider what the goal should be. After all, you can't aim sharper if you don't have your target clearly in mind.
In short, internal communication is about bringing your company's employees together and uniting their commitment to your company's goals. Employees should feel informed, empowered and listened to and know what their role is and what is expected of them. Internal communications should engage employees across the organization through useful, relevant and targeted content that is easy to read and even fun.
With these goals in mind, here are some tips on how to make your internal communications more effective.
The connection between your communications and the big picture should be clear: how the information you're sharing aligns with your organization's mission, vision, values and goals. In other words: Your communication should demonstrate how the new policy being rolled out, for example, will help employees fulfill your brand promise. This gives meaning to what you are communicating and answers the question for employees, "Why is this important to their day-to-day work? Note that the purpose could also be value-driven: to create a "we" culture by encouraging employees to share their stories and successes.
Many companies tend to view internal communication as a top-down communication, with management passing on important information to employees. But this view is outdated today. To foster a company culture and inspire employees, managers need to listen to employees and encourage both feedback and buy-in. Your internal communication app can serve as a stimulating forum for discussion and ideas. Features can be integrated that allow employees to comment, share and publish their own content to make them feel "at home" in this digital space.
One caveat: it's not enough to just ask for feedback - you have to act on it. Employees need to know that their voice will be heard and their ideas considered (even if they are not implemented in the end). Otherwise, the promise "We listen to our employees" will ring hollow.
To keep your internal communications interesting and relevant, it's important to offer a mix of content. This means combining company and industry news with news about your employees' achievements, stories about life in your company and user-generated content. Not only are busy employees more likely to read the content in a timely manner, but they also feel part of a larger ecosystem where lots of interesting things are happening.
The right content mix also involves varying the format. Articles and videos are now standard, but you should also consider podcasts, interactive surveys and infographics.
If you work for an international company, you are probably already used to distinguishing between global and local when it comes to internal communication. But there's another way to frame your messages that can help you make them more effective: organizational vs. operational. Organizational communications refer to new HR policies, company-wide projects, finances, crisis communications, etc..Operational content refers to individual departments, units and projects - the information employees need to do their daily work.
Operational content can extend across different local offices if they are working together on the same procurement contract, for example. Organizational content can relate to a single branch or country. By distinguishing between organizational and operational content, you can better determine who should be included in certain communications, which format is most appropriate and in which languages the content should be published.
Today's employees are constantly on the move. Mobile devices have become an integral part of the modern workplace, and it's not uncommon for employees to check company news while commuting, at a client site or in the field. Your internal communications platform therefore needs to be mobile-ready - this means choosing technology with low latency and high connectivity, as well as a clear, engaging and intuitive user interface.
Adapting to modern lifestyles also requires flexibility when publishing content. People today are increasingly interacting via social media and enjoy this form of interaction. Your internal communication app should follow suit and create a "corporate social network". Give your employees the opportunity to publish, share and comment on posts - they will know that they are part of the team!