Let's get together - keeping your workforce talking

In any company, communication can be tricky- especially when it comes to an agile or remote workforce.  

In today’s diverse workforce, there are so many variables that it is simply impossible to create a one-size-fits all strategy. For many industries the additional challenge is creating a communication and engagement strategy for those employees who are harder to reach, those employees that work irregular hours, are based offsite or might not be sat in front of a computer screen. 

So how exactly should employers go about creating an inclusive, functional and comprehensive communications strategy? While this is a task that many employers might find daunting, it can be achieved with three simple steps. 

Demographics 

To ensure that your communications strategy is as effective as possible, it is important to consider the makeup of your workforce. Demographic studies can guide you on how best to communicate with employees based on personality, generation and many other factors. That said, nothing beats just asking your employees what communication methods work best for them and how exactly they would like to be communicated with in the future.  

Personalisation 

Older members of your workforce might prefer talking by telephone, email or face-to-face, while younger members may prefer digital channels such as texts or push notifications. In our current diverse workforce, focusing too heavily on one method of communication can end up leaving large sections of the workforce in the dark. To ensure that all staff members are being accounted for in your communications strategy, you should consider the makeup of your workforce, and their personal quirks. It might not be possible for larger companies to speak to each staff member individually but asking people what they want from communications is the easiest way to make sure you’re giving it to them, so perhaps using a pulse survey might come in handy here. 

Optimisation 

Technology is your friend when it comes to effective communication. Emails, push notifications and even live video are all important to consider when building your new comms strategy.  However, with so many options, it can be easy to lose sight of the simple goal of your strategy, to give employees easy access to company information, and to ensure that it is understood.  As a result, you should consider hosting in the same place, and that your communication methods tie in with the benefits platform – either by incorporating them into push notifications or an internal comms page, or by directing employees to their benefits hub to access each new communication. Keeping everything in one easy to access place not only makes it more user friendly, but encourages engagement.  

These steps will help guide you to creating an effective and efficient communications strategy for your workforce. But it is also important to remember that communication must be a two-way street. Allowing employees to provide feedback, whether it is positive or negative, is an important part of creating and maintaining a functional strategy, in any aspect of business.