If you want your internal communication to be worthwhile (and if you don’t, don’t do it), you need to know the three things employees want.
Too many times the people who create internal communication (HR, IT, Corporate Communication, Marketing, Building Services are the usual sources) get wrapped up in what needs to “go out” and forget about what employees want and need — the real goal of any internal communication.
Regardless of industry, job function, level of expertise, time with the company, means of access and location employees want:
Solutions to Problems
From Day One, employees face problems. These problems will range from newbie issues (like where the washrooms are or what “end of day” means in your company or department) to routine operational questions (such as job-specific procedures and new product specs) to personal concerns (like vacation policies and health benefit enrollment).
Every time you make it easy for employees to find — and understand — solutions, you make it easier for them to do their job and you save the company money through time saved.
It’s important to remember that there are two aspects to helping employees find solutions:
- Keeping the purpose of the content clear and distinct
Tip: Before writing/creating, articulate what current or potential problem(s) will the content address.
- Choosing the right channel(s)
Tip: Before writing/creating, think about the longevity of the information then choose your channel(s) accordingly. For example, if the content is about a planned server shutdown (and, therefore, solving the problem of people not being able to sign in or save their work), “push channels” such as email or meetings would be appropriate. However, if it’s about how to anonymously report a suspected security breach (solving the problem “What do I do in this situation?”) you’ll want to use a “pull channel” such as an intranet, shared drive or binder for those without computer access.
Awareness
Not every employee wants — or needs — to know everything in detail. (That’s why audience segmentation is critical.) But people like to be aware of what’s going on. It helps employees feel connected to the organization and colleagues in other departments or divisions.
The trick is to not swamp everyone with FYIs. Instead, establish a repository for summary information (e.g. new product releases, employee pension performance, and your company in the news) that everyone can access if and when they have the time and reason to catch up on what’s going on. Intranets (and bulletin boards for paper-based employees) are the most versatile options.
Tip: Put the energy into creating a way of occasionally reminding employees that the repository exists. Keep the method general and consistent (not “in your face”) and you’ll help employees develop the habit of checking the repository as often as serves their personal need to know.
Respect
Everyone wants to feel they — and their work — is respected. Show respect for employees by making sure communication is relevant, has a human tone, doesn’t waste their time and makes it clear what (if anything) the employee should do.
Tip: When reviewing content (email, poster, video script, etc.) don’t look at it from the organization’s perspective. Step out of your official role and consider it from an individual perspective. Does it make you feel confident or frustrated? Communicating with respect fosters confidence — and that’s how you want employees to feel.
Don’t Be Fooled
It’s important to know that there are two common concepts that derail employee communication, if you make them the goal of your content: Engagement and Employees-As-Ambassadors. Both are desirable outcomes. However, if you approach creating internal communication from the perspective of improving engagement and creating employees-as-ambassadors, you’ll stay stuck in the mindset of looking out what the organization wants, not what employees want.
Instead, focus on what employees want and you’ll increase the odds of the organization also getting Engagement and Employees-As-Ambassadors.
Remember, engagement is personal. Each employee has a different recipe for feeling good about their job — the other way of saying engagement. Sure, there are common ingredients (such as respect, compensation, commute, company reputation, direct manager’s style, workload and career development opportunities to name a few) but the combination is different for each person — and can even change for one person over time.
The same is true for what kind of ambassador (positive or negative) an employee is. Not everyone wants to wear the company logo or tell their friends and family to buy the company product. That doesn’t mean they don’t like or believe in the company; it just might not be their style. When employee communication overtly encourages employees to act as de facto marketers, you risk turning employees off. However, if you give employees what they want (solutions, awareness, respect), those who are inclined to share their opinions about the company they work for will have good things to say.
Bottom line?
Communication designed to provide Solutions, Awareness and Respect → Employees who feel good about their work, their job and their employer.
