Four Steps to Improve Employee Communication

Featured article by Calvin Paige, Independent Technology Author

Taking steps to improve communication within your company will lead to a higher workplace morale, with employees who feel that their voice is heard and appreciated by their employer. Employees who are encouraged to openly share their ideas, opinions and suggestions are more likely to feel valued at work than those who are never called upon. As a result, improved communication can lead to higher rates of employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention. We’ve put together some of the best ways to improve employee communication within your business.

#1. Make Getting in Touch Easy:

If an employee has a problem, question, or an idea, do they know who to turn to? Make it easy for your employees to come to you and share their opinions and ideas. How you do this will depend entirely on what works best for you and your workforce. In some settings, an open office door, employee focus groups or regular face-to-face meetings may be appropriate, whilst other companies find digital communication works best, using chat groups on applications such as Slack, WhatsApp, or Kik Messenger. Follow the link for more information on getting Kik for iPad.

#2. Provide Regular Information:

In order to truly improve the rates of communication within your company, it’s vital to first acknowledge that communication is a two-way street. In addition to encouraging your workforce to share information with you, you should also be prepared to provide your workers with regular updates. Keeping employees in the loop about any big business decisions, changes, trials, and news will set the standards for communication. You can do this via a weekly or monthly employee newsletter, a corporate blog, or a regular all-employee email.

#3. Gather Information:

Bear in mind that not all employees will feel comfortable about coming forward and providing you with information, for example, if they worry that their job will be put at risk by speaking up. In some cases, employees will find it easier to discuss their concerns when prompted. A regular employee survey is a great way to gather information from your workforce and can be done anonymously to ensure more accurate answers. Use the results to track your communications progress and determine where any improvements can be made.

#4. Make Personal Connections:

As a business owner, manager, or team leader, your efforts to communicate with team members via newsletters and regular meetings could go to waste if you fail to make a good personal connection with workers. Although it’s important for management professionals to remain professional on the job, being friendly towards your team and making the effort to get to know them as individuals can make a huge difference. Sharing a little bit about yourself with employees can help to put them at ease around you and make it easier for them to relate to you as a person.

Today, good communication is more important than ever before for businesses of all sizes. Encourage open communication, provide resources and information, and take a personal interest in your employees.