What if employees could “order up” how they liked their engagement? What would they choose? The data below suggest that organizations might want to change up their “menu”:
-
- 71% of employees don’t read or engage in company content or emails. Why? Because they get too much information that is not relevant to them.
- 74% of employees reported in a Gallup survey that they have the feeling they are missing out on important information at work.
For all the efforts that go into internal communications, employees may not be getting what they want or wanting what they get. How can you serve up communications that inform, inspire, and motivate employees—and help them feel engaged and in-the-know? A good first step is to start with the basics:
-
- Know your audience: What do they want to know, which channels do they prefer, how often do they want to receive communications? All of these answers have likely shifted since remote work began in full force last year. Ask yourself what needs to change to meet their needs.
- Make every word count: if you are communicating in writing, less is more. The more concise and clear communications are, the more likely employees will digest and understand what they are reading.
- Measure the impact: the best way to know if communications are hitting the mark is to ask. Collect feedback through surveys or anecdotally to get reactions. Allow employees to rank the usefulness of a communication, provide opportunities to leave comments, or talk with people to gauge reactions.
To capture the minds (and hearts!) of employees, take the extra step to demonstrate EMPATHY in your communications. The more you acknowledge how they are feeling, and what they are dealing with, the stronger and better received your communications will become. The last 15 months have been challenging and stressful as employees navigate the brave new work world. Make sure that every communication comes with a healthy side order of empathy and you will boost the stats in your organization and engage your employees.