Internal Communications: How Technology Can Bring Them To Life

Oct 14, 2016 | 0 comments

Communicating well with people within your company is, in many ways, even more important than how you communicate with those outside it. With employees demanding more engagement than ever before, not communicating with your team can severely impact not just morale and productivity, but your bottom line. Research even shows that 20 to 25 percent of companies’ revenue each year is being lost thanks to disengaged employees.

So with only 13 percent of employees using their intranet each day and 31 percent never using it at all, how can you make sure that employees are actually engaged with your internal communications? We’ve put together our top tips for using technology to make sure your internal comms are actually doing what you want them to do.

Open Up (Socially, That Is)

internal communications social networkLooking around, you would think all anyone does all day is go on social media – and you wouldn’t be far wrong! With people on Facebook and other various social networks checking their networks first thing in the morning, at lunch and well into the evening, creating an engaged internal corporate social network could be really effective.

So what’s holding them back? A lack of engagement from the company leader, according to Harvard Business Review (HBR). Traditionally, leaders have tried to keep a level of distance or formality between them and employees – but today’s leader recognises the need to be a leader not just in person, but also digitally. After all, even the President of the US tweets and is all over Facebook! If a leader is able to show their engagement with a social network, it can prove a valuable tool for creating real connections between leadership and staff.

For example, as HBR describes, the President of UPS North California District, Rosemary Turner uses Twitter (because it’s the channel that most of their people are using) to share updates, photos of the team, and provide an open channel of communication for employees. Sending a ‘blast’ on Twitter has shown to result in more responses than sending out a survey internally.

When developing a social network: create interesting content that appeals to your employees; keep it front and centre on your intranet; encourage employees to take part; and most importantly, be open and honest about what’s happening – you won’t regret it.

Get Moving

remote worker communicationsWith so many people working flexible hours, from home, or on the road, more and more employees are using their mobile phones as a hub for their work. To make your intranet and internal communications really effective, don’t forget about the humble phone! With 94 percent of employees believing mobile devices make their work more efficient according to one survey, having your intranet accessible while on the move means employees can keep up-to-date with company news, announcements or content of interest – staying engaged and productive wherever they are.

Make It Fun

Everyone loves a game. The new buzzword in technology might be “gamification,” but it’s a philosophy companies have used for years, through work contests, wellness programs, fundraisers and more. With technology, that can be taken to the next level, through leader board, completion bars, badges and more, all updated in real time and shared throughout the company. Need to engage people in your intranet? Reward employees for everything from watching videos to joining in discussions. Employees will feel celebrated and enjoy engaging with your internal communications more.

Give Them Something To Watch

internal communications video contentWe’ve all been handed (or sent) an 80 page manual and groaned about having to read through it and do any of us really remember the contents? Instead of sending through boring documents, why not bring some life to policy changes or other announcements by announcing it through a video? Need to engage the team more? Why not send round funny videos from around the office or clips of everyone doing a team building exercise? Encourage people to share and search the videos and you’ll find a lot more engagement.

With one study finding that “audiovisual content is one of the most meaningful ways to communicate,” there’s no excuse not to include some in your internal communications strategy!

Get Writing

intranet blog newsVideos might be great for engagement, but blogs can be just as effective at shaping your reputation and persona online. Particularly in large corporates, the average frontline or admin employee can feel very disconnected from CEOs and other executives. A friendly blog post, with the ability for employees to post comments or questions, is a fantastic way to establish yourself as a thought leader while also creating engagement with employees. It can be a great idea to share with them your reasoning or opinions on new programs or policies, or share news or other exciting info.

Above all, keep in mind that internal communications are all about engagement. Use technology to help draw in employees and don’t be afraid to be open in your communications, so they feel comfortable to do the same. Want to know more? Check out Rachel Miller’s (All Things IC) eBook Where’s Internal Communication Headed?

Internal Communications Help

Is internal communications an issue within your organization? If you would like some help with how an intranet can improve internal communications within your organization? For a no obligation discussion on the possibilities, contact the team at MyHub.

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