Tips to Remember When Communicating with Employees

Employees are indispensable to the success of any organization. However, without proper guidance towards specific goals, and without open lines of communications, employees will not be able to perform their tasks to the best of their abilities. It will be difficult for them to comprehend what is expected of them if management fails to communicate with them in an effective manner.

Communicating with employees during a hectic work day is certainly challenging. Their preoccupation with the tasks they need to accomplish may lead to them disregarding or missing out on memos and correspondences sent out by management.

In order to improve communications between management and employees, here are some tips you can opt for:

1. Prioritize communication

In order to truly be able to develop and promote employee engagement, companies should consistently prioritize communication. Communication should not only be seen as a one-off project; rather businesses should make a concerted effort to truly integrate constant communication into all staff members’ everyday life at work.

There are tons of ways to improve communications in the workplace. Employees and managers can share ideas and information through regular town hall meetings at work. Even remote employees should benefit from constant communication with senior management, and this can be achieved through virtual executive summits. Employee feedback surveys as well as focus groups also promote and encourage open lines of communication.

However, remember not to overwhelm your employees with meetings. Keep meetings only an hour long, and schedule 15-minute catch-up meetings with employees every morning just to update everyone with what is going on with the team or with a particular project.

2. Communicate with your staff through different avenues

Effective communications is achievable if you tap into different communication platforms. Some may be more effective than others for particular occasions and/or teams. For example, large group assemblies may be effective in disseminating information at a quicker rate to a larger group, but smaller meetings are more effective when it comes to motivating staff members through one-on-one chats.

Aside from tapping into traditional methods of communication, you can also improve communications by using more modern platforms such as video conferencing, instant messaging and social media.

3. Utilize desktop alert systems

A modern communication tool that is particularly effective is the desktop alert system. It is effective, efficient and responsive, and it allows for a more expansive reach and distribution of information. This tool can also be used to encourage workers to integrate the corporate vision of the company into their work.

The great thing about this tool is that alerts are non-intrusive, so work is not disrupted when messages are delivered. Important information can be added to wallpapers and screensavers so that employees are highly likely to see and read them. Messages can be configured to run at a scheduled date and time.

4. Listen to what employees have to say

One of the best ways to improve communications with employees is to listen to what they have to say, and integrate their suggestions into your daily operations. Employee feedback is important as it not only gives management an insight into what staff members are thinking, but also makes employees feel valued and heard.

5. Pursue face-to-face communication

Because of the many modern communication tools available, it’s easy to forget one of the most effective methods out there – face-to-face communication. Remember that this kind of interaction may be old-school, but it continues to strengthen relationships, establish and build trust and camaraderie, and boosts employee engagement.

If time permits it, opt to have a chat with your employees instead of just sending them an email. This interaction will only need to take 15 minutes or less, but it fosters strong working relationships that will ultimately result in success.