We all know exactly what the roles of sales or accounting are in a company, right? We might even have a slight idea of what the IT guys are doing.😊
But there is another business discipline, that plays a crucial role in organizations, even more so during the Covid 19 pandemic — internal communications!
But what exactly do we mean by that, what purpose does it serve, and what steps can you take to ensure you and your employees will communicate effectively?
Keep on reading to find out.
Table of Contents
What Is Internal Communication?
3 Reasons Why Good Internal Communications Is Important
What Makes Good Internal Communication?
An Example of Effective Internal Communications
Must-Have Internal Communications Channels & Tools (Infographic)
Internal Communications Best Practices
Internal Communication Trends for 2024
Key Takeaway: You Can’t Do Without Internal Communications
How Meltwater Can Help You Improve Team Communication 💡
What Is Internal Communication?
Internal communication (also known as IC, employee or team communication) refers to verbal and non-verbal means of communication within the company across different departments.
It entails everything – from informing employees about an upcoming company event to delivering new hire announcements.
Depending on the organization, internal communications can be the responsibility of any department, but it’s usually handled by HR, marketing or PR.
We differentiate between formal and informal internal communication.
- Formal internal communication happens through specific communication tools and channels (which we will cover in more detail later on).
- Informal internal communication, on the other hand, covers all the information that is passed on (e.g. via rumors).
💡 And then there’s employee engagement...
When it comes to internal communication in a business environment, there is another query that occasionally pops up – employee engagement. To avoid confusion, we have summed up the main difference between the two concepts:
Internal communication is the action a company takes to interact, and motivate its workers.
Employee engagement, however, is the reaction or feedback a company gets from investing time, strategy and a certain budget to communicate with team members.
Now that you have a better understanding about what internal communication is, let’s find out why it’s essential for your business.
3 Reasons Why Good Internal Communications Is Important
Effective communication in the workplace is a must-have for any business — whether you’re a small company just starting out or a global and established corporation.
Here’s why...🧐
It helps avoid panic during a crisis
Acquisitions, restructuring teams, layoffs, mergers, conflicts – there are times when every business encounters a crisis. This is when effective internal communications can do wonders.
People will have a lot of questions and delicate information will have to be treated with special care. Being fully transparent and honest about what happened, who was affected by the incident and what measures are planned (using a communication plan), will help the employees stay calm and respect the company even more.
It manifests your company culture
Effective internal communications will breathe life into your company culture and help manifest it.
All news updates, CEO blog posts, and company announcements play an important part in how workers interpret the organization’s cultural landscape.
Therefore every piece of content should convey, illustrate, or represent:
- Company values
- Mission & vision
It gives everyone a voice
Let’s get one thing straight. Internal communications is NOT about the leadership sending messages to its employees.
It’s about promoting a two-way dialogue concerning topics involving the company.
People need to see that their opinion matters and is respected, regardless of which department they work in. If, for example, the marketing team has the opportunity to freely talk about a task they are working on or share updates, so should the tech team.
Such an approach enables people to have a more holistic view of what matters and is happening within the organization.
Defining the importance of good internal communications ... Check! ☑️
Next, let’s answer the following question...
What Makes Good Internal Communication?
It all starts with implementing an internal communication strategy in your company. We have compiled a list of things to consider when taking on the task.
- Ask yourself “why” you want to implement an internal communication strategy.
- Identify key metrics to track (e.g. employee satisfaction, employee referrals).
- Segment your internal audiences (e.g. by role, department, part-time or full-time etc.) and decide who should receive which messages.
- Choose your channels to communicate effectively (e.g. print media, employee apps etc.).
- Establish an approval process to ensure all messages convey priorities, are error-free, and support the company brand and image.
- After the strategy has been implemented, tweak and refine it if needed (involve your employees and ask for feedback).
An Example of Effective Internal Communications
Let’s take a look at how Bosch took employee communication to the next level.
In 2017, the company launched a TED Talks-inspired style format focussing on its workers – “The Spark”.
The concept is fairly simple. At each event, 8-10 employees share their stories, skills and knowledge with the rest of the organization and the world.
And they love it.
For the shy ones or those lacking experience in public speaking, the company even engaged coaches to help them prepare for the sessions.
Lean back and enjoy the following video from a Bosch employee explaining why we should never stop being curious, no matter the age.
In the following section, we will dive into different internal communication tools you can make use of at your company.
Must-Have Internal Communications Channels & Tools (Infographic)
As mentioned, picking the best communication channels and tools can drastically improve how your team members communicate with each other.
So which ones are a must-have?
1. Employee apps 💬
Employee apps such as Slack are considered some kind of a super-channel for internal communication and are available to all employees — accessible with their company or private (mobile) devices.
Employee apps allowed companies to:
- Reach and connect to every team member in real-time
- Regularly share information
- Implement measures quickly and effectively
2. Intranet 🌐
Having a well-managed employee intranet has many benefits, as all-important company data is available in one place.
It provides a great opportunity to:
- Share knowledge across departments
- Stay up-to-date with the latest company developments
- Discuss current matters and issues
Moreover, companies often use the intranet to have better control of documents — e.g. team members can see who wrote what, who performed edits, or which is the latest file version.
3. Podcasts 🎙
Company podcasts and branded podcasts are become ever more popular!
They offer the perfect alternative to video and text, and employees can listen to the content without having to pay full visual attention.
A podcast from the company CEO is far more authentic than sending out a plain memo and will have a greater impact on people.
It’s also the optimal channel to reach those working from home.
4. Video 📹
Videos are the way to go if you want to increase employee engagement. It’s a fact that a combination of sound and visuals is more memorable than simply reading a text. Therefore it's an ideal way to convey messages when you're looking for participation and responses.
And the best thing about using videos:
- They're cost-effective
- They're easily accessible via various devices
- They can reach a lot of people
- They allows room for creativity
Ready? And...action!
5. Internal Newsletter 📧
With an internal company newsletter, information reaches your team:
- Quickly
- Clearly
- Well structured
When sending out a newsletter, keep in mind that people often don’t have the time to read never-ending text blocks. Therefore, dress it up with photos, graphs, GIFs or videos to make it more engaging.
This tool is also ideal for acknowledging the accomplishments of your employees or mention a successfully completed team project.
Internal Communications Best Practices
If you already have an internal communication strategy in place, there are different ways you can improve it.
1. Organize team-building events
Executives are usually occupied with day-to-day tasks or achieving business goals and tend to forget the importance of personal interaction.
Team-building activities are a nice opportunity to get everyone together, let go of the stress and socialize outside the workplace.
Such events are even more important if you are managing your teams remotely.
2. Send out surveys
Was there a recent pressing issue or conflict in your company? Send out employee surveys to get an insight into how your workers think and feel about it.
By gathering their feedback, you can get valuable information on how to deal with communication problems in the future or how to prevent them.
3. Mix up the channels you use
You shouldn’t overwhelm your employees with numerous tools, but rather narrow down your selection.
Make sure you have the right mix of channels. Combine digital and analog communication options and face-to-face exchange. It is important to choose communication channels that appeal to everyone.
4. Listen
The measures you take to improve team communication are fruitless if you don’t know how to listen to your employees.
Really take the time to analyze their input on different issues concerning the organization and show them how much you value it.
Internal Communication Trends for 2024
To wrap it up, lets look forward to what thoughtful and strategic internal communication will look like in 2024 and beyond.
Mental health & wellbeing 🧘🏻♀️
Working from home as a result from the Covid-19 pandemic has had both positive and negative impacts on working people around the world.
More than ever, companies should focus on their employees’ mental health and wellbeing by ensuring a good work-life balance and offering psychological help if needed.
“Communication freeze”🛑
Set fixed times when you deliberately refrain from checking your e-mails or app notifications and, in return, don’t send any to your colleagues.
A “communication freeze”:
- Reduces the stress level of employees
- Gives people more time to fully focus on the project they’re currently working on
Internal influencers 📣
In every organization, there are employees who are very social media savvy and feel more confident on new digital channels than other colleagues.
These are the people you should bring on board to push digital channels and platforms internally and increase employee engagement.
Key Takeaway: You Can’t Do Without Internal Communications
In our fast-paced, networked, and mobile world, team cooperation is becoming more and more indispensable.
Which channels to use for internal communications largely depends on the company and its employees.
It’s critical that you establish a good mix of tools that are tailored to the respective target group and make sure that team members feel well-informed and valued at all times.
How Meltwater Can Help You Improve Team Communication 💡
Different teams within a company require different types of information.
Here is where the Meltwater Newsletter and Newsfeed tool comes into play!
It enables you to
- ✓ Share news with the entire organization or key stakeholders by using a customized email template
- ✓ Showcase selected articles or social media content on your website or intranet
- ✓ Communicate results of team projects
- ✓ Demonstrate positive brand exposure to investors, employees and executives
- ✓ Stream customer testimonials from social media channels
Hold on, there’s more...
The Newsfeed can also be easily integrated into Slack or other employee apps. Sounds promising, right?
Fill out the form below to discover all the ways our tool can benefit you and your business.
