Today’s employee, regardless of role, is inundated with information across more channels than ever, from more and more audiences. How can we deliver important information in a format they want to read; with a message they will actually remember or act on?
Below we’ve provided 6 insights on how to craft impactful messages for your employees as a foundation for developing a meaningful and actionable internal campaign.
The cost of poor communications is not just in the daily frustrations it causes. In fact, according to David Grossman's The Cost of Poor Communication, a survey of 400 companies with 100,000 employees or more reported an average cost over $64,000,000/year - yes, you counted those zeros correctly - as a result of poor internal communications.
Phase 3 has worked with a variety of clients on internal campaigns, including development of an Employer Brand platform for ABM, introducing a Safety Initiative for Nissan and an Employee Recognition Program for Vallen. We know from experience that improving your internal communications strategy will require a thoughtful, long-term plan that addresses employee feedback and concerns, while taking into consideration the nuances of your unique company culture. Incorporating these 6 ideas is a great place to start.
1. Be brief.
Brevity is always welcome. If you’re promoting a tool to increase efficiency, you have to communicate efficiently. This is especially true when so many employees are reading on a mobile device - 71% of employees spend over 2 hours a week accessing company information on mobile (Fierce Mobile IT).
If you absolutely must deliver a lot of information (detailed instructions, for example), give employees a concise, bulleted overview—and link to the full text. (Which should also be as concise as possible.)
2. Don’t be boring.
If it looks like work, and sounds like work, employees will see it as work. And not the good kind. Employees view internal communications from external departments as extra work—and quickly move it to their to-do-later list. This begins the cycle of “announce, remind, remind again” that conditions employees to always ignore you the first time. 30% of employees say they tend to ignore email from their employers.
Get their attention. Surprise them with an unexpected message delivered in a bold or playful tone of voice. Watch what happens.
3. Employees don’t read.
They skim.
Bite sized. Headlines.
Bullet points. Pictures.
Make your content easy to digest.
4. Write well anyway.
Employees don’t read, not because they’re illiterate bums, but because they’re suffering mightily from information overload. That’s all the more reason to write like a breath of fresh air.
5. Say one thing.
When you’re introducing a new program or tool, you must resist the urge to stuff your messaging like a Thanksgiving turkey. Deliver one message at a time, clearly, succinctly, and repeat it in multiple places, giving it time to sink in.
5. Add Value.
That means focusing on the benefits of adopting this new tool or practice you’re promoting—and pre-emptively answering the question, “What’s in it for me?”
Whether you're looking to establish an employer brand platform, a targeted campaign with a specific call to action, or a long term internal communications strategy to boost employee engagement, Phase 3's experienced team of strategists can help you cut through the noise.