Internal communications are often the heartbeat that keeps a business going. Giving feedback to your employees, learning new ways of working, motivating the workforce with news of exciting developments – they all come down to good comms.
A company’s culture is one of the most important factors in retaining staff and the way in which you communicate with your staff plays a crucial role in that.
Here are five top tips on how you can make internal comms the best they can be.
Develop an internal communications plan
It might sound basic but why don’t you try winging something as pivotal as internal comms and see where it gets you…
Inconsistent messaging, unhappy staff and high levels of employee turnover we’d bet.
Make lines of communication clear – if someone has an issue, who do they go to? And make sure that these line managers are all on the same page when it comes to company policies.
Make internal knowledge readily available for newcomers
We’ve all been there when starting a new job. You don’t know where to save your work, you don’t know the email address for IT and good luck trying to find a knife and fork in the canteen!
Having training and inductions dedicated to new starters is a great way to make sure that this knowledge is taken on board immediately, while posters containing important messaging are a smart method to make sure it doesn’t get forgotten!
Organise team socials
Having your team communicate is great for business, but one of the best ways to encourage it is to get your workforce together outside of the workplace.
Colleagues don’t always have to be bosom buddies, but strong and positive relationships across departments and within them are important for overcoming obstacles as they arise.
Maybe you want to organise a team away day for your staff or simply put some money behind a bar and let them do the rest – whatever works best for them will work best for you in the long run.
Mix teams often
It’s vital not to let cliques form in your workforce as this can often lead to bad feelings and tension among your employees. A connected workforce is a happy workforce.
When the chance allows – a new project, for example – be sure to put unfamiliar people together and build those bridges back up.
Plan regular catch-ups
Weekly catch-ups are a great way to gauge the mood of your team and also discover new things about each other – strengthening bonds across the board.
You can also then use monthly one-to-ones to drill down on more business-focused topics like the progression of that project or your workers’ progression hopes.
