Internal Communications

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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
BUILD AN INTERNAL CULTURE OF ENGAGEMENT AND FOCUS
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WHAT IS INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS?
Internal communications in the workplace has
undergone enormous change. Technology, remote
working, globalization and flat structures have
led business owners to rethink how they
communicate with staff. Internal Communications
(IC) is keeping employees informed and connected
to your business. Its about ensuring decisions,
programs, policies, goals, and company vision are
shared with staff. Its about giving staff a
platform for their ideas and feedback. Internal
communications flows in all directions and in
multiple forms. And while some companies will
have unique communication requirements, many
share almost identical communication tasks. These
often include Human Resources updates, leadership
news, operational communications and inter-team
collaboration. Done well, internal
communications fosters employee loyalty,
belonging, and a shared sense of purpose.
Employees feel valued. They understand where
they fit and how they can contribute. Staff
retention improves, as does overall business
performance. Done poorly, staff feel
disconnected, mistakes are made and projects
fail. Lack of direction increases risk and staff
turnover.
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11 REASONS WHY INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS IS
IMPORTANT
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS KEEP PEOPLE IN THE
LOOP To ensure your people are rowing in the
same direction, information must be communicated
across the entire business in a consistent way.
A well-thought-out internal communications
strategy allows you to build support for exciting
new products, milestones, and initiatives. It
provides a single source of truth (which stops
internal confusion). And it reinforces internal
culture aligned to your business strategy. In
light of the new hybrid world of
remote-and-on-site working, businesses are trying
harder than ever before to improve
communications. Messages must have cut-through
and clarity. Consequently, communicators are
rethinking how best to connect with staff, to
keep them close to and interested in the business.
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS ACHIEVES COMPANY-WIDE
GOALS   Good internal communications will drive
the right outcomes for your business. Employees
want to understand what their role is, how this
contributes to the big picture, and ultimately
what that big picture is.  Done right, your
staff will reach their potential as they will
genuinely feel valued and engaged. Clear
goal-setting from the top will ripple through to
every department and team member. This helps
staff to discern which tasks to prioritize and
improve their productivity.  Consider too that
almost 100 percent of employees believe
that communication influences all tasks daily.
Thats why communication that supports the
overarching goals will ensure the right work
gets done. 
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS PROMOTES
CAMARADARIE Everybody wins if they feel part
of a good team. Multi-way communication between
staff, managers, and interdepartmental colleagues
helps everybody feel like their input matters.
It can also prevent company knowledge from
becoming siloed and untapped. This is more
important nowadays with remote working widely in
place. Keeping information flowing to home-based
workers is essential for staff to feel connected
and cared for.  Communicating progress helps
maintain momentum to get projects across the
line. And importantly, nurtures a true team
spirit for ongoing success.
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS ENHANCES THE EMPLOYEE
EXPERIENCE   Research suggests that employees
spend on average 2.5 hours a day searching for
information. This leaves staff feeling frustrated
and ineffective. Employee experience differs
from employee engagement the former is how an
employee feels as a result of every interaction
with their employer (location, tools, meetings)
whereas employee engagement is how an employee
responds to their employer (participation,
social, tasks). Good internal communications can
enhance the employee experience by helping
staff feel connected with the important stuff.
Making it easy to find information is a start.
Inviting staff to share their feedback and ideas
on proposals and decisions will foster a sense of
worth. The modern-day intranet has come a long
way since its inception, featuring many social
sharing features to truly impact the employee
experience.
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS ENGAGES STAFF  Once
upon a time, internal communications was thought
to mean emails from the CEO. Thankfully, thats
all changed. Technology has paved the way for
effective multi-way communication giving everyone
a chance to participate. Forums, blogs and chat
channels are just some of the internal
communication modules that enable lateral
conversations and increases engagement. While
likes, comments and shares are popular tactics
that show interest and readership. Furthermore,
theres increasing evidence that younger
generations expect (and thrive in) a lateral,
collaborative workplace. Engaged employees are
more likely to express opinions and participate
in work conversations, leading to fresh ideas and
a greater chance of success.
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS PROMOTES
CULTURE  Creating the perfect workplace
culture can be a tough nut to crack. Its the sum
of many parts, least of which is how the
companys values, mission and goals are
articulated and interpreted. Setting the right
tone, providing relatable examples, showing
progress, and using multi-channel communication
formats all help grow a strong culture that staff
feel part of. A multi-touch internal
communications approach ensures all personality
types are covered. Providing staff with
communication tools that will help
them collaborate with their peers and managers in
a way that suits them whether theyre an
extrovert, introvert, or in-between breaks
down barriers and gives everyone an equal
voice.  Quizzes, surveys, instant
messaging groups, discussion forums these are
just a few of the tools that can feed a healthy
culture and make everyone feel involved.
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS STOPS TIME-SUCKING
RUMORS    Humans love a grapevine. But as we
all know, this type of informal communication can
be full of holes and inaccuracies and almost
impossible to reign in once it starts. Grapevines
are caused by under-communication. Whats
changed now though is that people turn to other
information sources (think social media)
its human nature to delve for answers, and form
ones own conclusion.  Particularly during
uncertain times, staff will crave information. In
the absence of accurate updates, staff may become
anxious and less productive, and start to
speculate.  A proactive internal communications
program that pre-empts staff worries will ensure
theres a single source of truth.
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS RETAINS HIGH CALIBER
STAFF  Research suggests the top three
reasons why people do not like (and subsequently
quit) their jobs are communication-related
constant change thats inadequately communicated
a lack of direction from management and poor
communications overall. Losing staff can be a
major blow to the bottom line. In a recently
published Retention Report of 34,000 respondents,
it costs 33 percent of an employees annual
salary to hire a replacement. So it makes good
financial sense to address these communication
challenges and suppress the brain drain from your
business. Share important information with staff
and let them play a more active role in the
decision-making process.
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS IMPROVES
REPUTATION  A well-oiled communication
program can quickly deal with the inevitable
hiccups that come with running a business.  For
example, a poor customer review on a high profile
social media site can be extremely damaging if
left untended. But if the correct communication
processes are in place, the problem can be
rapidly investigated, resolved, and explained
back to the customer. Remember that better
communication and internal processes cut down on
mistakes or gaps occurring in the first
place. Additionally, if staff feel in the dark
and therefore disengaged, theyre more inclined
to bad-mouth their employer to anyone wholl
listen family, friends, and even customers.
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS MAINTAIN CALM DURING
CRISIS    When a crisis strikes, there is
immediate pressure for leaders to communicate.
People want information and guidance. How
companies communicated with their staff during
the incomparable Covid-19 crisis is one for the
history books. There were some exceptional
leaders who stepped up to the executive
communication challenge, choosing truth and
openness. They delivered their comms at pace and
with candor, not shying away from those
difficult-to-have conversations.  These
leaders earned the support and respect of their
teams. Push-back was minimal as people understood
the background to decisions and adapted to the
required changes.
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS INCREASES REVENUE  A
recent Gallup study revealed striking evidence
that underlined just how much dollar difference
good internal communications can make.
Employees who are engaged have a 41 percent
reduction in absenteeism and a 17 percent
increase in productivity. These workers are also
more likely to stay with their employers. Furtherm
ore, highly engaged teams achieve a 10 percent
increase in customer ratings and a 20 percent
increase in sales!  Creating an
all-ideas-welcome atmosphere creates fertile
ground for free-thinking and innovation. This, in
turn, is likely to drive business growth and
ultimately increase revenue.
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CONTENT
THE CHANGING FACE OF INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
Too much technology, distributed teams, and an
unrelenting pace of progress has created a
chaotic setting for many workers. Important
information gets lost amongst the noise. And
employers feel no-one is reading their
carefully-crafted corporate communications.  Mean
while, its estimated that by 2022, 133 million
new jobs may be generated from the adoption of
robotics and algorithms, while 75 million jobs
may be displaced, according to a report from the
World Economic Forum.  With teams less likely to
be sitting under the same roof, a growing cohort
of remote and/or freelance workers, the
traditional town-hall meeting is not so
easy.  There is growing appreciation that
successful internal communications today is hard
work. Employee communications are no longer the
monthly all-staff email from the CEO. Theres
no silver bullet. No set and forget. Its an
ongoing process that continuously needs effort,
time and resources.  With employee engagement at
an all-time low, theres never been more drive to
solve the communication challenge. Today, the
focus is on providing a positive employee
experience a large part of that is giving the
right information, at the right time, targeted to
the right individual.
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• TODAYS INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS CHALLENGES

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CONTENT
WHAT DO EMPLOYEES WANT?

• Most employees crave information about where they
  work after all, its where they spend the
  majority of their time. As such, theyre curious
  about the inner workings of a company, from
  business strategy and company goals, to training
  opportunities and whats being pushed out across
  social media.
• They have a deep, personal interest in many of
  the decisions at stake. Its why they value the
  opportunity to feedback, debate and discuss. Its
  essential to let them share their voice.
• Traditional communication methods still carry
  weight, but technology is breaking new ground
  thats empowering staff to get involved in the
  conversation like never before. 
• In order for staff to do their job well, they
  expect
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• Fast, easy access to accurate information in
  just a few clicks
• Visually-rich, interactive and easy-to-follow
  digital experiences
• Instant messaging functionality with colleagues
• Flat structures and therefore access to all
  staff including the CEO
• Two-way communication so that employees can
  listen and be heard
• Gamification such as quizzes and leaderboards,
  recognition, and rewards
• Consider too that employees have different
  communication styles and learning preferences
  such as visual, auditory, reading/writing and
  kinesthetic all of which need to be catered
  for. There is so much to be gained from internal
  communication tools capable of meeting these
  preferences, that businesses are failing their
  staff if they do not take action.

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CONTENT
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS?
Today, everyone has a role to play.
Communications is not the one-way, top-down
street it once was. All employees should be
sharing ideas, collaborating with colleagues and
providing feedback to help the company
succeed. However, every team needs leadership.
And the strategic vision of this leadership
needs sharing. In larger companies, this lies
with the C-Suite, responsible for guiding
culture, growing the employer brand, and ensuring
staff are kept informed. On behalf of management,
the creation and execution of such messaging
often sits with an internal communications team
or a public relations team. These are skilled at
writing and producing creative content. In
smaller companies, it may be the CEO or the human
resources executive responsible for internal
communications. In both cases effective internal
communications is done best when its an
interdisciplinary effort including the CEO and
the C-suite departmental managers and all
employees.
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CONTENT
KEY BENEFITS OF EFFECTIVE INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS
Company Culture Employee Experience Knowledge United
Better ways to inform, update, and celebrate achievements Motivate, engage, inspire, involve staff to feel part of something special Facilitate unified working, remove silos and share knowledge throughout
Employee Engagement Change Management Innovation
Staff understand the big picture, the meaning of their work, and the value they add Clear, reliable, unambiguous communications minimizes confusion and garners internal support Great ideas can come from anywhere not just the boardroom if staff have the right channels to make suggestions
Employee Retention Compliance Reduce Email Volumes
Studies show that retention levels could be 44 higher through effective IC Employers have a responsibility to ensure staff are trained on legislation Co-ordinated, fresh-format messaging saves the bloated, largely unread inbox
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CONTENT
WHAT IS AN INTERNAL COMMUNICATION PLAN?

• An internal communications plan provides a
  roadmap to ensure staff are informed about
  important company information.
• Without this, it is easy to become distracted
  from the core goals and almost impossible to
  defend its value.
• A plan helps to focus on specific areas that need
  addressing. This may comprise of company goals,
  company updates, kpis, leadership communications,
  new initiatives, staff news, crisis
  communications, marketing campaigns, culture
  communications, company performance and more.
• Essentially, it should include the following
• Analysis of the current state of the business,
  and its future plans
• What the internal communications plan will
  accomplish organizationally
• Who the audience is
• What the messages are, broken down by key topics
• How messages will be shared, using a range of
  tools, tactics, and channels
• Timing and duration of when messages will be
  sent
• Performance analysis to identify whats getting
  cut through and whats not

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• HOW CAN IC BUILD WORKPLACE CULTURE?

A companys culture is what makes it unique.
Almost everything else can be copied by a
competitor. Developing that uniqueness can
attract and retain talent, win customers, and
grow the business. How staff interpret each
company message will affect workplace culture. A
poorly written email, an insensitive remark on
the company intranet, or radio silence on an
important topic can damage internal
culture. Thats why a key purpose of an internal
communications strategy is to manifest a healthy
culture. This can be achieved with the right
tone, messaging, delivery, and format. But it
doesnt stop there. Culture is also interpreted
in the company news thats shared and whats
omitted the truthfulness and transparency of a
company, what its values are, and why that
matters. Communicating your values and culture
must be continuous. And this doesnt have to be
boring! For example, creating short and quirky
staff videos showing fun ways of exemplifying
your company culture could resonate
well. Appointing representatives with good
communication skills will do wonders for creating
a thriving company culture.
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CONTENT
GOOD INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS AT TIMES OF CRISIS
Pandemics, extreme weather, economic recessions
life doesnt always go to plan. Businesses are
impacted.  Difficult and sometimes fast
decisions have to be made. This is when effective
communication is needed the most. Dont wait
until an emergency or unexpected incident strikes
before putting a crisis communications plan. In
the hour of need, its essential to have the
right communication channels poised with
pre-populated, emergency content ready to go.
This saves time and error during an already
challenging time. Communications around
redundancies and structural changes must also be
handled with care. The morale of all staff
along with the companys reputation is on a
knifes edge.  Transparency, consistency and
compassion form internal communications best
practices when it comes to explaining tough
calls. The more open and communicative and
organization is particularly around sensitive
topics or difficult news the more united its
workforce becomes.
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• RAISING INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS STANDARDS TO MEET
  STAFF EXPECTATIONS

Technology apps pervade every aspect of modern
living. Social media posts, instant messaging,
podcasts, webinars, and live-streams are exciting
formats in which we consume content. Its no
surprise that employees expect a feature-rich,
engaging digital experience in their professional 
lives, similar to what theyve become accustomed
to in their private lives. In other words,
workplace technology has been consumerized. The
responsibility lies with the employer to ensure
staff are equipped with everything they need to
perform their roles efficiently, safely, and to
the Best of their ability. This directly
impacts the service and experience staff deliver
to clients. The modern-day intranet encapsulates
multiple internal communication tools all under
one roof.
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INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE TO KEEP YOUR
STAFF INFORMED
Fundamental to the successful implementation of
an internal communications strategy is having the
right technology today. MyHubs
cloud-based intranet is designed specifically for
small-to-medium-sized organizations. Its fully
scalable, designed to support your companys
growth. And fully customizable, to honor your
exact needs.   Designed specifically for those
focused on internal communications, MyHub
requires no coding skills or IT experience. It is
simple to set up and fun to use! Being
cloud-hosted also means youre future-proofing
your investment you get to benefit from our
latest new features and enhancements as soon as
theyre released. Book a demo today or sign up
for a 14-day free trial.