The corporate world, much like any other environment is not without rapid change.
We find ourselves in an era that’s defined by the presence of multiple generations in today’s workforce. This creates a diversity that’s unprecedented and never before seen. We’re the first to navigate this tricky environment.
Gallup’s Global State of The Workplace report indicates that 85% of US employees are not engaged or actively disengaged at work.
It, however, cited that effective internal communication strategies are able to boost employee engagement levels as well as drive positive bottom line results.
In fact, research conducted by Gallup suggests that managers who hold regular meetings with employees tend to be three times more engaged than those employees who do not engage in regular meetings.
We’re about to arm you with three foolproof communication strategies that are sure to boost employee engagement for your company.
1. Leverage tech to promote better communication.
Technology has advanced so rapidly to better assist business growth and success. It only makes sense to leverage it to promote better and more frequent communication with employees.
The rise and presence of millennials in today’s workforce has meant that the corporate environment has needed to come to terms with what it means to work with the most tech-savvy generation we’ve seen to date.
This diverse environment has produced its own set of challenges from effectively engaging remote workforces to the rise and prominence of social media in driving company culture and employee engagement.
Companies like Vero have successfully overcome the remote workforce challenge by instilling a weekly 20-minute standup into their work weeks – they do this effectively by using video-conferencing tools.
There are many companies who are also using tools like Slack to promote effective team communication as well as the utilisation of project management tools like Trello that allow management visibility into workforce productivity.
There’s more…
It’s important to also take a look at HR tech that can promote and boost employee engagement, increase internal communication and be a driver in workplace culture bountiXP.
bountiXP, in particular, boasts a real-time recognition timeline similar to that of popular social media platforms. Its mobile-friendly design is perfectly suited to meet the needs of your diverse workforce.
Consider this…
There are currently 3.03 billion active social media users across the globe! Where the average person spends roughly two hours a day on social media.
Adding an element of social connection to your workplace can be a critical driver of culture and engagement.
2. Increase face-to-face communication with your employees.
Now don’t let this confuse you, digital solutions in workplace communication should definitely be leveraged. This above strategy does not mean that you should omit face-to-face employee communication, but rather the opposite.
Face-to-face communication can often build a sense of trust and authenticity with your employees. It is, therefore, critical that managers are actively looking for opportunities to communicate with employees.
Let’s take a look at JM Family Enterprises, they’ve seen themselves in the top 100 companies to work for…19 years in a row! Stephanie Slate, Director of Talent Acquisition was asked why she thought this was so: she had this to say: “To create the People First culture, you need to have leaders who live the culture”
What defines a “People First” culture for JM Enterprises?
Communication and Connection form a part of a long list of values that help determine the direction of their culture. Where the CEO and the executive management team avail themselves to making an authentic and genuine connection with each associate that comes through the door.
This is a great example of values-based leadership and showcases why its so important to driving a great company culture, boosting employee engagement but also driving revenue.
Did you know that JM Enterprises is valued at over $14 billion? Now you do
3. Be available.
Joseph Badaracco, Professor of Business Ethics at the Harvard Business School said this: “Communication can’t always follow the top-down model. With the fluidity of information in business today, leaders need to be masterful listeners; they need to be able to receive as well as send.”
Your internal communications strategy should make it easy for every employee to make contact with your executive management team and even your CEO.
You may want to consider the implementation of an “open door” policy. This will ensure that your employees feel a sense of comfortability when the need to communicate with management arises. Adopting a strategy of availability will help you build better relationships with your employees.
*Tip: Oftentimes it’s the more informal, impromptu chats that you have with your employees that will aid this process in a more organic and natural way. Don’t avoid these situations as it can bring about circumstances where your employees are able to learn from you and vice versa.
Key takeaways:
Communication is still one of the most undervalued contributors to high performance and competitive advantage.
It is, therefore, crucial to give your internal communication strategy a little more thought and direction.
Your management team may need extra training to build communication skills into their skillset. It’s important to remember communication and its execution does not always come easily to everyone.
Not only will an effective internal communication strategy help ensure that your employees have all the information they need to be effective in their jobs, it will also promote engagement and boost your company’s revenue along with it.