Why You Should Rely on Marketing Professionals to Help Guide Employee Communications

Many businesses seek expertise from marketing professionals to craft messages for customers, stakeholders, and the public, but have you considered using a marketing agency for internal employee communications?  Good internal communication can boost employee satisfaction, keep employees engaged and productive, and ensure your teams are all rowing in the same direction.

In 2016, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that 36% of employees felt company-wide communication was essential to their job satisfaction.  Understanding the company’s vision, how company strategies relate to goals, and what employees can do to contribute to those strategies provide employees with a sense of meaning and purpose.  Unfortunately, only 21% of the employees in SHRM’s study were satisfied with the communications they receive.

What should an effective communication strategy include?

Communication can take many forms–from providing routine operational updates to announcing significant company changes.  Regardless of its purpose, the following are important components of effective employee communications:

1. Determine what employees care about.  While company surveys may indicate trends and uncover complaints, the best way to discover employee concerns and understand their perspectives is to talk with them.  Some companies use a series of one-on-one conversations, while others host group sessions to understand the employees’ needs.  Today’s technology makes connecting with employees easier than ever before.
2. Be strategic in developing a communication plan.  You’ve likely heard that a person must be exposed to a message at least seven times before they will truly absorb it.  The same strategies your company uses for communicating promotions to customers are relevant to many internal employee communications.  Marketing professionals should work with management to develop communication goals and then create several strategies to achieve them.
3. Consider a variety of communication mediums.  Just as people have different learning styles, some people receive communications more easily as videos, personal presentations, brief emails, or text supplemented with infographics.  The number of mediums employed will be related to the complexity of the message to be conveyed.
4. Plot out a timeline for re-communication.  Unfortunately, there’s no “one and done” method for successful communication.  As people absorb information, they will likely have questions or need additional information to fill in gaps.  Complex messages may require ongoing town halls or online blogs to address employee questions and provide updated information.
5. Avoid “corporate speak.”  While leaders all must speak from the same set of talking points, they should not read the talking points word-for-word.  Employees can tell when management is simply regurgitating a pre-written set of bullet points.  Work with your managers first to understand critical communications and help them formulate consistent messaging using their authentic voices and words.

How can your advertising agency help you with employee communications?

The team at Paradux Media Group has experience developing communication strategies for employees as well as your customers and the general public.  We will work with you to identify your goals, provide a neutral party for collecting employee feedback and work with you and your management team to develop a plan to communicate critical information to your teams.  Whether your communications are routine or unanticipated, using professional marketing services will help you keep employees committed and moving forward productively.  Contact Paradux Media today to learn more about how we can help your business achieve success.