The best way to improve internal communication in a company is to have a well-thought-out and employee-oriented strategy. Indeed, when well executed, internal communication can have a positive impact on many decisive aspects of a company’s life.
Readjustments to action plans are a sign of a healthy company that is committed to the well-being and appreciation of its employees. It is also a key lever for reducing turnover, attracting new profiles, increasing productivity, and boosting the company’s performance.
In addition to the right tools and the implementation of effective actions, improving a company’s internal communication also requires good practices.
Take stock of the existing situation
The decision to improve internal communication in a company usually stems from a specific need. However, before developing a new plan, it’s best to have a holistic view of existing strategies. Some elements may well have escaped your attention.
Measure employee engagement
This preliminary step is also useful for surveying employees and measuring their satisfaction with work and internal communication. In addition to the various feedbacks, the report is also used to collect suggestions for improving internal communication.
The analysis work within the teams can be done by means of a survey and/or an interview. To get honest feedback, you can use a trusted platform for employee reviews. Employees usually feel free to leave both positive and negative comments about the company.
Conduct an audit of current internal communication
An inventory makes it possible to take stock of the actions put in place and to analyze their effectiveness. It is also ideal for identifying failed initiatives, gaps, areas for improvement, and new challenges. It’s time to take a step back and start anew.
Improve internal communication with clear and realistic goals
As with any project, setting coherent and structured objectives allows you to stay focused on the actions to be implemented. Here, it is necessary to define SMART objectives that are understandable by everyone and based on the overall brand strategy as well as selected indicators.
The best practice is to identify the challenges of good HR communication on which the company wishes to position itself for its development. These include, but are not limited to:
- Improved productivity;
- Ease of disseminating information;
- Contribution to the well-being of employees;
- Enrichment of the corporate culture;
- Support for employees and managers;
- Improving employee engagement;
- The attractiveness of the company and the ease of recruitment;
- A reduction in staff turnover.
The objectives for improving internal communication in companies must also take into account the resources available and the results of satisfaction surveys.
Create an effective internal communication plan
The best strategy to improve internal communication is one that takes into account the size of the company. Indeed, the success of this project depends essentially on the human and financial resources made available. The sector of activity is also an unavoidable factor.
Here, it is not a question of knowing what type of management to choose for the management of a company. Rather, the work consists of identifying the main elements of the internal communication action plan as well as the conditions for their implementation.
Identify targets and segment your audience
To improve internal communication in companies, it is necessary to ensure that the right information reaches the right audience. This is the best way to reduce or even avoid problematic situations related to confidential data leaks.
The importance of employee satisfaction surveys for the success of this stage is not negligible. Indeed, the action plan must be used to target each type of employee, according to their needs to perform on a daily basis and their expectations.
This analysis of the internal audience also provides information on the preferences of each group in terms of internal communication. This is a major advantage and very useful to:
- Make exchanges more efficient;
- Facilitate collaborations;
- Have satisfied and motivated employees;
- Create a work environment conducive to growth;
- Implement effective crisis communication to manage a bad buzz.
Determine the importance of different pieces of information
The distribution of individual tasks, the progress of a project, the writing of a report, the new work rules, an upcoming meeting… On a day-to-day basis in a company, a lot of information is exchanged between managers, employees, and management.
For an effective internal communication strategy, it is important to distinguish between each of them. Indeed, for information to be disseminated internally or externally, it is necessary to determine its relevance, target, and degree of urgency. The level of confidentiality will also be taken into account.
Choosing the right tools to improve internal communication
It is essential to put in place the best tools to improve communication at work. Indeed, a good choice impacts the company on several levels. Visual, verbal or written, these internal distribution channels:
- Promote cross-functional communication;
- Boost employee engagement;
- Promote a qualitative employee experience;
- Increase the performance of staff members;
- Optimize the work of team members;
- Increase business productivity.
Depending on its objectives and size, the company can move towards the usual communication channels such as posters, telephone, CRM, email, and meetings. They can also choose social events, suggestion boxes, internal newsletters, or even rely on the corporate social network (CSR).
Technology also makes it possible to take advantage of a wide range of applications and software to improve business communication. Some comprehensive communication tools even offer multiple features such as:
- Chat exchanges;
- Shared calendars;
- Data and screen sharing;
- Video/audio calls
- Videoconferencing;
- Internal newsletters;
- Remote webinars.
In all cases, it is necessary to ensure that the tools chosen and the content they convey are accessible and readable, regardless of the device used. It’s ideal for making internal communications mobile.
Involve managers and employees
How to improve internal communication without involving employees? Especially when we know the impact of this approach on employee engagement, their sense of belonging, and their participation in the life and objectives of the company.
Collaboration between managers and employees is a strategic lever to improve internal communication in companies in a sustainable way. This is what makes internal communication in a company and the employer brand: a winning duo.
The idea is to get employees involved in strategic decisions, beyond the scope of their position. From this participation can emerge good ideas to improve the quality of life at work and the performance of internal communication.
You can also give the teams a voice through a group that acts as an idea box on social networks or an editorial committee. This will then make it possible to regularly collect various information that can be added to the editorial calendar.
Create habits that enhance the employer brand
This is another good practice to improve internal communication in a company. It consists of organizing, on a regular basis, internal events in line with the company’s image and values. Enough to bring employees together around common interests.
Creating traditions can help develop your employer brand through communication. Physical or digital, these different moments of conviviality can take several forms.
Organize unifying moments
There’s nothing better than an informal face-to-face meeting to build trust between employees. We can think of an aperitif to celebrate the greatest successes or team-building activities such as design thinking workshops.
These different occasions are ideal for getting to know all the employees. They can also form the basis of many long-lasting relationships, outside of the professional context. This helps improve internal communication in the company.
Encouraging knowledge sharing
In a changing company, it’s important that employees also continue to learn and develop new skills. Regulations and discoveries in certain sectors are constantly evolving.
These career developments are a valuable asset for improving internal communication in the company. This is because beneficiaries can share this knowledge and experience with other team members. As a result, they will receive certifications.
Sharing is a great way to build team spirit. It also creates a virtuous circle in which team pride, motivation, and performance coexist.
Develop good practices between teams
One way to strengthen teams’ ability to communicate effectively is to develop a healthy company culture. This requires clear and free exchanges and effective and transparent conflict management.
Improving a company’s internal communication is not limited to the good times. Sometimes, intentionally or not, employees and the company find themselves in conflict. You can read our article that gives examples of crisis communication strategies.
Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of an internal communication strategy
There is no point in improving internal communication in a company without regularly reviewing the chosen strategy. The evaluation is important to measure the performance of the actions put in place, justify investments, identify areas for improvement, and adjust the plan if necessary.
As a first step, the manager must carry out an internal communication audit. They can also track performance indicators such as quantitative KPIs for the engagement rate and those for the rate of use of tools.
On the other hand, they can organize individual feedback sessions or satisfaction surveys. They will then be able to draw inspiration from this example of an employee satisfaction questionnaire to obtain relevant answers.
In a company, communication and employees are valuable internal resources to be managed carefully. Improving internal communication is the ideal strategy to effectively pass on information and have productive employees who proudly wear the brand image.
