Designing Effective Internal Communication to Boost Productivity

Modern organisations, hybrid work cultures thrive with intuitive, interactive communication systems that enable teams across functions and geographies

In July this year, when India’s leading IT company announced a 2% cut in its global workforce to resolve a skills-mismatch, the move snowballed into a full-blown reputation crisis within a matter of days. From media reports calling it a harbinger of AI-driven disruption of the organisation’s business model, to anonymous groups on Facebook with 20,000+ followers venting their ire and angst against the company, the hallowed employer was in the midst of its biggest people – and reputation - problem. Among the key initiatives the company took to contain the crisis was to step up its internal communication.

Recognising the power of purposeful communication to allay concerns and build trust, the company reached out to its people working in over 150 offices worldwide. The proactive and interactive outreach – which involved both online as well as personal engagements - yielded measurable results and before long, the crisis was mitigated. The company’s employees are no longer in the news cycle for all the wrong reasons, the social media groups have gone silent and the stock price has made a sharp recovery. It’s back to business, with a robust internal communication machinery in place.

Internal Communication an Imperative

Today, internal communication is as important as external communication; a resentful employee can be as damaging as a resentful customer. The lines between external and internal communication have blurred due to the influence of social media, and employees play an active role in shaping the external image of an organisation. Thoughtfully conceived, constructed and conveyed internal communication is not just for a crisis situation. In this era of remote work, hybrid systems and distributed teams, effective internal communication has emerged as the foundation for organisational success. A high-performance organisation has a communication system that not only optimally deploys digital tools like Teams, Whatsapp and in-house applications, but also enables effective and timely communication between all internal stakeholders.

Effective internal communication gives clarity, builds bonds, enhances employee performance and aligns all team members to work collectively towards achieving the organisation’s goals. Organisations that devise an effective internal communication strategy enjoy benefits like better employee engagement, greater team alignment with the leadership’s vision, sense of ownership among employees that leads to stronger independent decision-making, and improved teamwork and collaboration. Clear, effective communication is a catalyst for collective success.

Getting it Right

• The first step to effective internal communications is to have open lines of communication between leadership, managers and individual contributors. The access and direct connection help teams feel seen, heard and respected.
• Understand your audience. There can be a significant gap between what organisations think their people value and what they actually do. Take honest stock of what works, with confidentiality if needed. And then take suitable action to fix it.
• Create different channels for different objectives. While the official mail can serve the official communication needs, varying channels like newsletters, apps, podcasts and videos can be created for effective employee engagement.
• Tailor the message, instead of using a one-size-fits-all messaging approach. Customise the communication for the recipient to identify with it. Internal communication specialists know this too well.
• Create feedback loops. Fostering an open culture helps teams feel heard and included. Surveys, polls and other tools can help gather feedback, and help fine-tune the communication – and strategy – going forward.

Trust the Experts

In a rapidly evolving business landscape that places increasing importance on talent, internal communication is integral to employee engagement. Organisations that underinvest in internal communications face the prospects of a soft work culture with low morale, lower engagement, fractured trust and weak retention of employees. Clear, concise and engaging internal communications help drive employee performance and boost productivity, as well as navigate change with agility. Forward-thinking organisations recognise the value internal communication specialists bring in building and sustaining this momentum for excellence.