Tips for Creating an HR Communications Strategy

Creating written an HR communications strategy aids the human resources department set priorities, define their audiences as well as objectives, and helps you get sponsorship for the initiatives that you plan on developing.

Communication usually includes all messages sent through print or email, job descriptions, training presentations, reports, legal documents and others. Information can also be more efficiently disseminated via a website which all company staff members can access when they need to.

Remember that your HR communications strategy will detail the plans you have and the types of information you will distributing throughout the company for a particular period of time. If the plan then is not complete or detailed, managers and employee will lack guidance regarding issues that relate to them – such as policies and regulations, training and development opportunities, hiring and recruiting, and benefits.

Here are some of the tips you can keep in mind when developing a communications plan:

Evaluate your current strategy through an audit

Make an assessment regarding your current HR communications strategy. Find out the different platforms of communication the department is utilizing and determine how frequently these avenues are being tapped. After making this determination, analyze their effectivity and identify the results they have produced so far.

Some of the things you can do during the audit is to opt to cut down of costs by sending messages electronically instead of printing information on paper. You can also look into holding focus groups with staff members and team leaders in order to get feedback from them regarding the modes of communication they want and deem most effective. For example, employees may mention that they would want to have more training and development opportunities.

Identify your goals

An integral part of any HR communications strategy is the definition and identification of goals. Refer to your assessment in order to develop goals that emphasize employee engagement, productivity and company success. For example, you can set a goal of creating orientation manuals for new employees. Once you identify the said goal, you can allocate the necessary time, effort and resources in order to come up with a standard manual that all new hires can utilize as a guide regarding company policies, dress codes, job description, etc.

Identify your audience

While your audience will of course be the employees and management of the company, pinpoint which particular group you will be speaking to. For example, if you want to create a mentoring program for old employees and new hires, make sure that you create content that is relatable to the two particular groups. Another example would be if you wanted to come up with a program for the sales department, all content must then be directed and relatable to the sales people of the organization.

List down the tools you need

Do you require templates? A logo? Or charts and graphics? Make sure to take note of all the necessary tools you need to create your HR communications strategy. This way, not only are you able to make sure that your required resources are available, you will also be able to tap into the employees that has the training and experience to develop and implement your plan.

Establish a calendar

Choose how many times you want to distribute and disseminate information, and determine how long it will take to produce each of your plans. For example, if you are planning to create a newsletter for the company, establish how often you want it to be distributed. Do you want it to come out every month or every quarter?