To have teams truly committed to the organization, it is a must for the Human Resources department to have a good internal communications strategy. A good communications strategy not only keeps employees informed about relevant aspects of the business, but also allows them to participate in important decisions about the company’s development.
When talent managers take into account the opinions of workers, teams feel part of the company, promoting the feeling of belonging, motivation and satisfaction.
In addition, according to a study carried out by the consulting firm Gallup, not taking care of corporate communication can cost businesses the amount of 80 billion euros per year in productivity losses.
If you do not want your company to decline in terms of profitability, this article interests you.
What do we understand by internal communication? Why is it important to the success of the organization? How can we improve it?
Internal communications, what is it?
Internal communication aims to establish effective communications between people within the organization. It is not a one-way communication where top management sends messages to their employees. Beyond that, internal communication aims to establish dialogues between the different departments, so that everyone can participate in the development of the company.
This type of communication ranges from the announcement of new policies, updating of tools, important events, audits, work environment evaluations, or participation in Team Building activities.
In general terms, those responsible for launching communications and serving as a link between employees and managers is the HR department, however it is not an exclusive function of them.
In any case, internal communication is a tool which organizations can promote relationships of trust, help increase team’s commitment and boost employee’s integration into the company. In the same way, it helps to share the culture and values of the organization and thus align its objectives with those of the workforce.
5 reasons why having a good internal communications strategy is important for companies
One of the main reasons why internal communications is important is because it is demanded by the human team that makes up the organization. The Harvard Business Review magazine revealed in an article that 90% of surveyed employees wanted to receive weekly communications from their company; while 29% preferred it daily.
We humans are social beings, so fluid, honest and transparent communication with employees is essential for their well-being. Especially in times of crisis, such as during the toughest times of the Covid-19 pandemic, informing teams about the state of the organization and keeping them connected to each other is vital for the business to continue to develop normally.
But in addition, carrying out good corporate communications management has many benefits for companies:
1. Internal communications provide employees with a holistic view of the company
Internal communications are not about sending top-down messages. As already mentioned, it implies a two-way communication where all voices have a place. People want to feel that their contributions are important to the success of the company and creating an appropriate communication channel for this will greatly increase productivity.
In this sense, we must emphasize interdepartmental communications. For example, the technical team should have the opportunity to explain what they are working on, so that the sales team can have a better understanding of the product and offer better service to customers.
A simple conversation between interdisciplinary professionals can boost sales up to 20% .
2. Internal communications help to understand the organizational culture
Internal communications help the corporate culture to be present among employees. Moreover, the organizational culture is the central axis on which the entire communication strategy must revolve: in each message, shared news, topic of discussion, survey or evaluation, the tone and values that the company wants to transmit as employer brand must be implicit.
Doing it right makes it easier for teams to understand the business mission. In fact, Forbes magazine found that companies with a strong and robust culture fostered leadership initiatives and employee recognition, increasing revenue by 682%.
3. Internal communication increases productivity
At Team Insights we constantly emphasize the importance of creating conversations with employees that promote participation and the exchange of opinions.
Internal communication ranges from asking your employees how they are, how the processes can be streamlined, if they consider that the leadership style is appropriate, to publicly congratulating them for a job well done.
These small but important acts make teams feel that their contributions are taken into account and that they are valued, which will positively impact their commitment, making it more likely that they will work harder and better. As a result: a 69% increase in productivity.
4. Internal communication motivates employees
There are people who are not satisfied with simply going to work and want to play a more direct role in the development of the organization. Effective internal communication management considers training sessions and conferences, leadership programs, Team Building activities, client events, media appearances, etc.
Giving visibility to a wide range of valuable activities get employees the opportunity to expand their horizons and acquire new perspectives that help them perform their functions in a more satisfactory way and make their work a place more enjoyable and motivating.
Keeping employees motivated is important: A survey by Korn Ferry revealed that 1 out 3 employees leave their jobs because they’re bored.
5. Internal communication as feedback tool
Sharing corporate messages is also a resource by which managers and HR professionals can obtain quality feedback that helps them make better strategic decisions and boost business profitability.
Satisfaction surveys, anonymous chats, discussion forums, periodic meetings… help the organization to keep updated on the status of its teams. With this information, it is easier to draw up action plans capable of improving the organization as a whole.
How to improve internal communications?
The first thing organizations should consider is the development and implementation of an Internal Communication Plan within the Strategic Plan.
This plan, in which the management team, middle managers and those responsible for communication management will participate together with the collaboration of employees, must cover the following aspects:
- Basic information about the organization. Activity data, records, regulatory standards, security guidelines…
- Shares of valuable content in the form of a Newsletter, blog, internal magazines…
- Socialization activities aimed at improving interpersonal relationships and the work environment. This point includes leisure activities and anniversaries.
- The communication channel through which employees can speak and be a fundamental part of the company by promoting initiatives, suggestions and / or proposals for improvement.
How will we know if the Internal Communication Plan works? Measuring and evaluating it.
Team Insights helps you in your communications strategy
Team Insights is a software that automates the sending of employee surveys, and allows you to obtain the insights you need to continuously improve the internal communication of your organization. With our tool, you will be able to get quick answers and observe the effect of your decisions in real time.
But in addition, Team Insights is at the same time an online platform for internal communications. It has an exclusive space for employees in which they can contact their department heads completely anonymously and share valuable feedback with which to get the information you need to draw up action plans that improve the well-being of your teams.
Of course, constancy is a must. If you want to obtain all the aforementioned advantages, you need commitment from the organization, a communication plan adjusted to the values of the company and a recurrent measurement and analysis of the situation.
Discover all that Team Insights can do for your company. Request a DEMO. And if you like it, you can use it for free with our Free Plan.
