Internal Communication is a fundamental pillar for the success of any organization. It helps consolidate the corporate culture, helps integrate the members of the company around the same values, mission and vision, and is useful for retaining talent in a context of competition for the best professionals. In an environment where remote work, Artificial Intelligence and generational diversity are booming, companies face unique challenges and opportunities to improve this aspect of their communication.
Here are five key recommendations to boost your company’s Internal Communication in this 2024 dominated by AI and process automation. Ready to boost your company’s humanization?
1. Encourage a culture based on transparency
Transparency builds trust between employees and company management, which leads to greater loyalty and commitment from members of the organization. According to Edelman’s Trust at Work 2023 report, 79% of professionals consider their employer to be the figure they trust the most, above other figures. Maintaining that trust is critical to development and productivity.
To achieve this, we need to deploy some key behaviors:
Communication on a regular basis. Establish regular virtual or face-to-face meetings where relevant updates are shared and staff concerns are addressed. Listen.
– Information access. Provide easy access to key data, such as company strategies, financial results and organizational changes.
– Open forums. Create spaces for dialogue, such as regular question and answer sessions, through which employees can express their concerns directly to management. Let colleagues define these spaces and which channels they prefer to use.
2. Take advantage of advanced communication technology
Technological tools are revolutionizing the way companies communicate. Messaging applications, collaboration platforms and platforms for setting up and activating an intranet can significantly improve efficiency.
What do you have to do?
– Centralize information. Use a hybrid intranet environment to centralize important documents and policies, as well as to integrate messages, utility files, and communication and dialog tools.
– Employ collaborative tools. Implement collaboration platforms, such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, Trello or Notion to foster fast and efficient communication.
– Automate. Consider implementing chatbots to generate quick, automated responses to common questions. Take advantage of systems such as ChatGPT or Copilot to create your own GPT powered by internal documentation. This can be especially useful for onboarding processes.
3. Personalize messages
Personalized content has a better impact on employees. Their connection with the company is greater when they feel better integrated by the company, and individualization of communications is basic to this, since it humanizes the relationship between the organization and the person.
Keep in mind the following tips to improve in this section:
– Segment Consider employees by department, seniority or location to send relevant messages.
– Create interactive content. Use surveys and questionnaires to understand employee concerns and preferences.
– Seek continuous feedback. Provide opportunities for employees to share feedback on Internal Communication and how to improve it.
4. Develop a clear Internal Communication plan.
Lack of planning can generate contradictory messages and chaos. A well-structured plan ensures that everyone is aligned with the strategic objectives and ensures that we are always moving in a clear direction.
There are three steps you should consider to develop an effective plan:
– Clear objectives. Define what you want to achieve with your Internal Communication.
– Content calendar. Establish a schedule of important messages and themes throughout the year, and execute the necessary content pieces.
– Establish defined roles. Assign clear responsibilities to the team members in charge of participating in the communication processes.
5. Foster recognition and celebration
Recognition reinforces a positive culture and clearly conveys the value placed on the employee’s work. It may, in fact, be the way to close performance milestones and motivate new challenges.
Consider some ideas for implementing recognition:
– Digital Platforms. Use specific applications for award management and recognition through which employees can celebrate the achievements of their colleagues.
– Organize virtual or face-to-face events. Hold events to recognize outstanding employees or celebrate important milestones.
– Incentives and rewards. Consider offering rewards in various formats, such as days off or gift cards, to employees who stand out for their initiative or performance.
Effective Internal Communication is not a luxury, but a critical necessity for businesses in 2024. Encouraging transparency, using more advanced technology, personalizing messages, developing a clear plan and promoting recognition are key strategies to improve in this area. Implementing these tips can transform your company’s work culture, creating an environment where communication flows freely and every employee feels valued.
Dare to try these recommendations and you will see how your company’s Internal Communication will rise to new levels.
