NYC Boutique Lifestyle PR Agency Shares Insights For An Effective Internal Communications Program.

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​The global Covid-19 pandemic, social unrest and political precariousness has taught companies an important lesson -- internal communication is key to a company’s success. It reaffirms a level of commitment from management to employees during these unprecedented times.

Allen Marketing Communications, Inc. a boutique travel and lifestyle public relations agency based in New York City provides invaluable tips for leveraging internal communications 1) to keep employees informed and engaged with the company and 2) to boost morale and 3) to foster a sense of community., 

Clear and Concise Message
For some businesses, communicating with employees without a clear message or strategic direction could wreak havoc on morale and productivity. In fact, communicating effectively with staff is equally as important as addressing others externally. 

Implement a Seamless Intranet To Connect With Employees
Depending on the size of the company, the industry and the scope of the message, communicating and disseminating information among staff could be relatively manageable. Most employees have access to an internal drive, one-one conversations, website, project management tools, communique, newsletters, surveys, digital channels, social media, phone calls and emails. There should be no reason for teammates to be left in the dark when it comes to receiving relevant company news.

Employee communications have played a significant role during the pandemic. Some businesses have had to make the tough decision to have employees work remotely. Managers were concerned with maintaining workflow and had to explore ways to enhance the process of communicating effectively with their team.

Keep Employees Informed and Up To Date About Company Developments
For some staff, this was their first time working from home, separated from their co-workers. This posed unique challenges, such as the lack of supervision, technological issues, limited team collaboration, social isolation, distractions from home, and in some cases, working in different time zones. Keeping employees who remained in the office informed on how to remain safe during Covid-19 has been very important.

Gather Staff Feedback and Address Employee Concerns
Companies now have to experience employees returning to work with high levels of anxiety and expectations on job security, childcare, safety risks in commuting on public transportation and getting vaccinated in time for work. Engaging staff for feedback on how to transition back to work can help eliminate some of these anxieties. 

For instance, management can provide online surveys to staff on their preference of a hybrid schedule, not returning to work in the office at all, working remotely full-time or working two to three days a week in the office. Discovering employees’ concerns early could help prevent them from losing interest in work or impacting their ability to perform their duties. Most importantly, responding to the results of the surveys in an impactful way can make a huge difference in how employees view their jobs overall.
 
It is really important to engage employees and make them feel connected to their place of employment.  Happy employees are more productive and it reduces employee turnover.

Olivia Almagro is a consultant for Allen Marketing Communications, Inc. based in Miami, Florida and an adjunct business professor.
 

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