Over the past two years, every organisation has had to navigate a number of pressing external challenges. From the pandemic to the ongoing ‘Great Resignation’, communicating effectively with employees has been essential not only for keeping people informed, but for ensuring they feel heard and understood, argues Lottie Bazley.
Now, amid the cost-of-living crisis, employees across the UK face another period of uncertainty and stress. With inflation rising at the fastest pace in 40 years, three-quarters of workers are considering moving jobs, citing salary concerns as the main reason for looking elsewhere.
During these times, retaining talent and ensuring the workforce is happy is becoming increasingly difficult. It’s therefore essential that HR professionals collaborate with their internal comms teams to establish a two-way conversation with individuals and embed employee wellbeing into all solutions.
Crucially, creating an environment of trust is key to getting this right, which means HR and internal comms need to deliver employee communication in an authentic, empathetic way – and help organisational leaders do the same.
Listening closely
As a first step, an organisation’s internal communicators – from HR, to internal comms to business leaders – need to take the time to understand the needs of each employee, setting up one-to-one conversations with individuals across the organisation.
Recognising that everyone is in a different situation and that there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is vitally important. Fostering a sense of empathy is also key, and a big part of this is being aware of the link between financial difficulties and mental health. Those struggling to pay household bills, for example, may also be experiencing symptoms of anxiety, stress and worry, which could have a knock-on impact on their productivity at work.
Another way to gauge how people are feeling is to run regular employee surveys. Feedback can be played back to the workforce in a timely manner, along with actionable next steps. Data from these surveys gives HR the ability to quantify problems and identify the root cause. They can then make data-driven decisions about solutions, such as introducing and rolling out a new benefits package or announcing new financial wellbeing policies.
It’s vitally important that solutions are communicated clearly across the organisation, which relies on HR and internal comms collaborating closely. Setting up regular meetings between these teams is key for ensuring that internal comms has sight of all HR initiatives, thus helping to foster a sense of mutual understanding between departments. Ideally, these teams need to listen closely to each other as it is just as important as listening to and communicating with employees.
Empathetic leadership communication
Working together, HR professionals and internal comms teams also play an integral role in ensuring leaders across the organisations are visible.
In turbulent times, it is even more important that C-Suite execs adopt an open and personable communication style and that they don’t shy away from discussing difficult topics. This can go a long way to fostering a transparent company culture where employees feel supported.
Given that HR teams already have a well rounded insight of their organisation’s employees, they are well placed to discern the right tone for effective employee communication. Internal comms teams can use this information to shape leadership communications strategies, ensuring that messaging is relevant and delivered with empathy.
Reaching internal audiences
Ensuring that internal communication is informative and sensitive to the challenges employees are facing is fundamental. However, another part of the puzzle is making sure that messaging around support, benefits and policies reach the right people at the right time.
All communication must be tailored to internal audiences, which requires being mindful of different segments within the workforce. Using multiple methods of disseminating information is vital for meeting employees’ individual needs – whether they are at a desk, on the road or in a factory.
This requires HR teams and internal comms teams to use a variety of channels. Implementing the correct technology, such as employee communication management solutions, is a key to making this happen.
This could be through introducing an employee app for frontline workers who cannot be easily reached via email; rolling out an intranet for employees in administration; setting up a communication channel in Microsoft Teams for project managers; or deploying digital signage in production halls for factory workers.
Technology can be a major asset
The correct use of technology can also help to create a community feel amongst the workforce. For example, channels can be set up on internal platforms to unite people with shared interests, address challenges and more.
At the same time, after using technology to set up community channels and ensure that key company messages are reaching the workforce, it’s important that line managers follow-up with their employees one-to-one. Striking the right balance between humans and technology is essential for delivering the best employee experience possible.
By working together, HR and internal comms can ensure that organisations communicate with their employees in an informed, empathetic way. Not only will this make people feel more supported amid an uncertain external landscape, it will help to retain talented employees in the long-run.
