Contributor: Internal Communication and How It Affects Engagement

Employee engagement is crucial for every organization that is focused on driving productivity and success. Human capital is a valuable resource in attaining company goals and objectives. However, it can be hard to achieve these goals when employees do not feel passionate about their roles or committed to the organization.

There is a lot that can be done to improve employee engagement, such as recognizing and rewarding exemplary work, giving honest feedback, allowing flexible schedules, and prioritizing physical and mental health, among others. However, good internal communication is the first driver for employee engagement. After all, employers can’t expect employees to be engaged if they can’t find the information they need to perform their tasks or to stay in touch with what’s happening in the company. Internal communication has to be enhanced throughout the organization.

But how can you improve internal communication for staff engagement? Among the things that can be done:

• Put a stop to 1-way communication
• Leverage online software to communicate instead of regular meetings
• Encourage dialogue among employees
• Train employees in the art of language sharing

Most employers tend to forget about those employees working far from the office. It can be overwhelming when people aren’t working in close proximity, but employers should find ways to make sure the internal communication policy is reaching all workers. For instance, if you were expanding to China, you wouldn’t be in a position to understand the laws there. You will not only need help with starting a business in China, but also with hiring and maintaining employees if you are to do it compliantly. One should be able to use these experts to make sure the internal communication strategy is exercised with employees.

That being said, this is how internal communication affects engagement.

It increases efficiency

The most important part of internal communication is to ensure that employees have at their disposal all the information they need to complete their tasks. Having to spend hours looking for missing information can be frustrating and a morale killer. In addition, it can cause delays leading to missed deadlines and targets. In such a case, employees can feel unaccomplished if they are not able to meet their targets. Besides, the wasted hours can be used somewhere else constructively.

It keeps everyone on the same page

Nothing frustrates employees other than being kept in the dark on what is happening in the company. Are there new employees joining the team or some internal changes happening? Employees love to hear from their respective employers in a timely manner. Hearing from an external party will only make employees feel like outsiders. It can be hard to commit to a place where you feel like you do not belong.

Your internal communication policy should be inclusive and strive to keep employees in the loop at all times. After all, they are part and parcel of your organization! In addition, employees want information to find them and not for them to have to look for it. In this case, employers need to adopt modern communication tools where they can have an ongoing conversation about the organization.

It makes employees feel valued

The days are gone when communication in the workplace meant the bosses talking and the employees listening. The modern employer wants to work in a place where there is dialogue. They want to be given a chance to air opinions on company decisions and to be listened to and heard. To engage your staff in a dialogue, be available for them and be easy to talk to.

Doing this shows the employees that you value them, which improves their job satisfaction and engagement. Besides, Gen Z employees already have an ideal employer in their minds. If you don’t make the cut, they are ready to jump ship. Considering the challenges that come with finding top talent, build an environment of open communication.

It enhances employee relationships

A good internal communication policy is one that creates conducive environments for employees’ relationships to thrive. When employees are able to communicate with one another, collaboration is enhanced. No one is on an island! Often, employees need to learn from one another. Those who are less qualified get some up–skilling from the qualified ones. Others find mentors and role models who help them get ahead in their careers.

In addition, bonds between employees turn into friendships that go beyond the office setting. These relationships also make work doable. Additionally, this creates a place where employers would love to spend time, further enhancing engagement.

It improves your organization’s reputation

Internal communication affects how employees perceive your organization, which correlates with their engagement. It is estimated that employees spend about 40% of their lives at work. When there is good communication, employees will give the company their best, which will reflect on the customers they serve. When customers are well attended to, reputations improve. This is because happy employees mean satisfied customers!

It gives employees a voice

The employee voice happens to be one of the most untapped resources and plays a huge role on staff engagement. But what do we mean by "employee voice"? Employees are said to have a voice when they believe their contributions are turned to action. Through internal communication, you can encourage your employees to share their concerns and ideas on a regular basis.

The best platforms to have your staff develop their voice is on social media or through a staff feedback tool. When your employees feel like they have a voice in your organization, they will become more committed to your company.

It facilitates conflict management

Your employees are people with different backgrounds, talents, personalities, and ideologies. At times, these differences are bound to cause conflicts among your teams. Internal communication becomes handy in such instances. How? Internal communication helps employees resolve such apprehension in a more holistic manner. Often you will not even know whether there were conflicts because employees will quickly come together to deal with any discrepancies that may be there.

It enhances employee retention

Employee retention is influenced by internal communication between management and junior employees. Communication about staff development and growth is influential at engaging employees so that they perform at their best. Research by Watson revealed that when you engage employees, they are bound to be top performers­; they also never leave your organization. Such commitment gives companies a competitive edge and increases overall output.

It helps in time management

Organizations are always looking for smooth ways to properly manage their time. Internal communication encourages cooperation among teams. The existence of robust internal communication helps your organization achieve its goals faster. However, you will need to employ some time management techniques to improve employee engagement. Some of the things that you could do include:

• Delegating duties
• Helping employees prioritize tasks
• Adopting time-management tools

It makes work fun

Engagement is not all about transparency and bilateral communication. It also revolves around making work fun! Although employers are required to share crucial business trends and news, it also does not mean that you cannot add some fun to it. For instance, if you are sharing your organization’s newsletter, you could make it into a video that you send to your colleagues through an app.

Doing so will have them interacting and reacting to the content that you have shared. Employers could also use videos to make announcements to celebrate achievements in your organizations. Having such interactive communication stunts will strengthen your staff engagement. Thus, endeavor to make work fun!

It drives productivity

Internal communication helps your staff identify what and how they need to do their jobs efficiently. It also increases staff loyalty and minimizes frustration as everyone is trying to do their job effectively. How does communication affect productivity? It promotes all the elements required to have better output. For example, efficient internal communication ensures that there is quick message delivery and renders employees with clear instructions and explanation.

It strengthens the engagement culture

Employee engagement is one of those strategies that are a must-have for your organization to thrive. Internal communication infuses everything your employees do with energy, enthusiasm, and culture. Thus, one should never overlook internal communication, because it is the main ingredient of an engagement culture in the workplace.

Conclusion

Internal communication plays a big part in creating an inclusive environment. Developing such communication is not as hard as one might think. It only takes understanding the dynamics of the work environment to implement the right communication boosters. Internal communication is relevant as it makes employees feel valued, builds a sense of belonging, enhances output, and, most importantly, gives your staff a voice.

At the end of the day, employees want to commit to an employer who values their presence and engages in a workplace they can call home. Therefore, do not overlook the power of internal engagement on employee engagement. It might just be the main tool that gets you at the top of the food chain in the business realm!