Internal Communications always remember your employees

Always remember your employees All too often organisations overlook the people that work for them when mapping out communications strategies. They pay lip service in the form of an occasional misdirected internal newsletter, throw some money at a staff party and have sporadic employee meetings.

How many of us have worked for companies where employers tout a new era of open communication, canvas your opinion and promise regular feedback? In reality, it rarely happens.

Drawing up a good employee communications plan deserves the same close attention as an organisation’s strategic plan. In these days of fierce competition for good employees, a strong internal communications plan will do much to set you apart as an employer.

The following are some superb guidelines compiled by the International Association of Business Communicators. They are by no means a definitive document but provide a starting point from which to work.

KEY DO’s AND DON’T’s IN EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATIONS • Do work with departmental management throughout your organisation to suggest and design appropriate employee communication programmes.

• Do use several channels to communicate with employees; don’t rely just on email bulletins, for example.

• Do follow up to determine whether critical communication was received, comprehended and retained by employees.

• Do establish a schedule to make sure regular communication takes place with employees.

• Do offer refresher training programmes and participate in these to upgrade and renew your skills in subjects like communication, supervision, harassment avoidance, quality and safety.

• Don’t neglect to inform employees about issues that may have an impact on their jobs or news that may be distributed to the general public.

• Don’t assume that employees are well informed already.

• Don’t disseminate client sensitive or proprietary information to employees, especially through emails or publications.

• Don’t be discriminatory or insensitive to cultural and language differences.

• Don’t rely on supervisors to pass along information to their staff unless the supervisors are well informed and trained for that role, and there is follow up to make sure the communication has been accomplished.

- John Durning, Durning PR, Public Relations and Media Advisers, Christchurch, New Zealand. Ph 64-3- 365 2579, email: john@durning.co.nz; www.durning.co.nz



To learn more about this author, visit John Durning's Website.

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