We see it every day — our clients come to us and ask, “what's new in internal communication?” “what's fun and engaging?” or “what can we do to get our employee's attention?” Fortunately, we have the answers.
Trends in communication are just that — trends. And like side parts, cargo pants, and mood rings, what was cool and effective last year, might not be as cool and effective now. So, let's take a look at what we see as the most popular trends to consider as you develop your employee communication strategy.
The Importance of Communicating with Employees
Following a record rise in employee engagement leading up to 2020, Gallup recently reported the most significant drop in engagement since 2000. What may surprise you is that the drop isn't necessarily pandemic-related. Instead, the steep decline is attributed to the lack of inclusive cultures at workplaces around the country. So, communicating with employees in a way that promotes a sense of belonging is more important than ever before.
Maybe the majority of your team members or colleagues are working from home still or perhaps it's common for your team to be dispersed around the country (or globe) making it challenging to ensure consistent, engaging communication.
Either way, employees want to feel like they belong and are supported by their colleagues and company leaders too. Plus, communicating effectively to employees can be directly linked to the growth and success of your team and the company as a whole.
How to Do It
So, what can you do to make sure your employee communication is trending, inspiring and engaging? Here are 10 trends.
Connect with employees in new ways. Now more than ever, you might have employees working from more places. Some working from home and others working in the office or out in the field. It's important for everyone to feel like part of the team, even when they aren't face-to-face.
Schedule virtual lunches or happy hours over Zoom to keep everyone engaged and foster a sense of belonging while working outside of the “normal” environment.
Be bold. While traditional communication methods may have served their purpose for your organization in the past, don't be afraid to try something new and supplement your go-to tactics with something outside of the norm. Consider communication apps or adding digital communication to supplement other materials. Add a little spice to your internal communication strategy. Check out an example here.
Get personal. Focus on your employees as people. Targeted messaging that elicits an emotional response has traction. Employees are more likely to be engaged and take action when they feel a certain way.
Try asking for stories or testimonials from employees to be included in a specific campaign. Offering a way for employees to share their viewpoints and experiences can go a long way.
Involve leaders. When communication comes from the top down, it shows that initiative is a priority and encourages others to commit or take action also. Try gathering video testimonials from key people within the company and broadcasting those in such a way that tells a story.
Make communication fun. We live in a world that loves gaming and loves competition even more. Whether it's playing an online game to win a free t-shirt or attending an onsite event with live-action games, people like to test their skills and get something for it.
Use social media. Highlight accomplishments or feature an employee/team for a job well done on your company's social media channels. This will not only make the employee feel good, but it also helps build your brand and promote your company culture.
Keep mobile in mind. There's no denying it — we all have times of the day when our hand is seemingly glued to our phone. Many companies are taking advantage of that and developing apps to send out important company information.
Use others to tell a story. People enjoy watching or seeing other people's lives through videos or photos on Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok in real time.
Encourage company leaders and all employees to submit their own stories to a communication platform that can be shared with the company. Take it up a level and incorporate a way for other employees to comment, share, or like stories they see from their colleagues.
Make your message available. Employees want to be able to find the information they are looking for quickly and easily. Whether is looking up a specific benefit or registering for a new wellness program, accessibility is key. Be front and center with your message across a variety of channels.
Stay focused. There's a lot going on right now all over the world and many of us have days where we don't know which end is up. It's important to stay focused on who you are as a company and who your people are to your organization.
Your Next Step
Contact us for creative, on-trend communication plan solutions that will elevate your business's success!