60% of organizations admit to not having a long-term internal communications strategy, according to PR News Online. Internal communications are vital to your business as research has found they can boost worker productivity by as much as 25%. So, how can you improve your internal communications so that your employees are more engaged?
Online team updates
Harvard Business School found that the average number of meetings attended per day is 6.9. Around 50% of employees say the meetings they attend are pointless. It’s best to scrap your meetings as much as possible and opt for a more effective alternative. If you need to provide an update to your team, do so in a more engaging way such as with a presentation or online status report. If a conversation is needed, avoid a formal meeting and do a quick 5-minute standing catch-up around the water cooler or outside the building. Another option is to jump on a group video call to blitz through a quick update and answer any questions.
Use internal communication apps
A Gallup poll found that almost three quarters of workers fear they’re not being updated on the latest company news and updates. Mobile internal communication apps are a must, especially for employees that aren’t tied to a desk all day. The benefits of this is that all workers receive updates at the same time and they quickly respond and react to the message. Employers are then able to measure user engagement. Sharepoint analytics can be used to measure KPIs, pull automated reports, and identify your users. You can then identify what content is active and what’s not, so you know what your employees are most interested in.
Nurture relationships
A CPP Global study revealed that 85% of people say workplace conflict is something that they’ve gone through. Conflict in the workplace is particularly time-consuming, with employers spending almost 3 hours every week dealing with issues arising from conflict. Too often, employees in different teams, workers based at separate locations, or staff members with more senior roles don’t get the chance to get to know their colleagues very well. This often creates tension, resentment, and conflict. One simple way to ease conflict among workers is to encourage better internal communications among one another. You can do this by banning emails and persuading staff members to talk to each other about things either face to face or on the phone. Virtual team quizzes are a great team bonding exercise which don’t have to cost a lot of money or take up too much time. It’s also beneficial to use an instant messaging system for businesses, such as Slack, and motivate your workers to send words of encouragement, advice, and tips to each other.
Poor internal communications are impacting the way too many employees are performing in the workplace. But there’s no need to sit back and accept this. By implementing these simple tips, your organization’s internal communications will improve and so will your workers’ performances.
