Have You Considered Your Internal Communication?

A company’s internal communication efforts is potentially the single most important driver of employee satisfaction. Employees are a company’s biggest asset, so those who feel more involved and aware of the company’s objectives and activities are likely to be happier, which in turn promotes better performance and employee retention.

Good internal communication is more than putting your hand in your pocket for the Christmas party, as your business grows it must become an essential part of your everyday activities.  Without it, management decisions may be made in a vacuum without the buy-in of employees, which can lead to disengaged staff. The rumour mill often spreads much faster than the facts.

Normally the best place to start is the end.  Before even writing your internal communication plans, determine what it is you want to achieve. By understanding your goals and the needs of your employees, it is easier to work backwards to ensure your internal communication is fit for purpose.

Think beyond just sharing information, a company newsletter may inform, but it does not engage and it is crucial to remember the importance of dialogue. Do you want to motivate your employees, do you want them to work better together collaborating on new ideas or how the company could perform better?

The social media interaction revolution is here to stay, so think about how you can best use it to your advantage to interact with your employees.

Below are some creative, out of the box internal communication ideas:

• Integrate Video – Video presents an engaging opportunity to share vital messages and communicate in a more personal way.  For example, AstraZeneca used an employee engagement documentary to unify the company behind a new strategic direction
• Blogging – More organisations are making use of CEO blogs as a way of connecting with employees.  Click here to see a few examples of some successful and inspirational CEO blogs
• Launch an Internal Social Network – Adding an internal social networking is one way of engaging with employees.  Launched in 2008, Yammer is one example of an ‘off the shelf’ enterprise social network.  See here how Yammer transformed internal communications at Virgin Trains
• Cultivate Internal Champions – Internal champions support your initiatives by believing in you and singing your praises.  For example, when Barclays realised its staff didn’t know how to use the company app or iPads, (meaning they couldn’t effectively help customers with the technology) they introduced their Digital Eagles
• Corporate Social Responsibly – MSD took 600 employees working in Trafford, Manchester to help brighten up the disused alleyways between peoples house.  Not only did it provide the company with a single vision, it also helped to bring together neighbours whom had never spoken to each other

For more information about our internal communication services, contact Onyx Health on 0191 640 3638, email us at enquiries@onyxhealth.com or visit www.onyxhealth.com.