The move to the hybrid workplace has led to decreased cross-functional collaboration and communication. 48% of leaders and managers have noticed a decline in workplace communication. Whether your organization is remote, on-site, or hybrid, effective communication is crucial for maintaining a functional workplace. Therefore, fostering regular communication between leadership and employees should be a top priority for your HR department.
By building an effective HR communication strategy, you can ensure that your employees feel included, valued, and optimistic about their future with the organization. Keep reading to learn:
- Why communication in HR is important
- Essential communication skills
- How to improve your HR communication strategy
The importance of having an HR communication strategy
How you communicate company goals, objectives, and policies with your team can significantly impact employee engagement, retention, and morale. Developing a communication plan for HR will enhance employee message delivery. Some HR communication examples that can benefit from a clear strategy are:
- Company policies and procedures, such as legal requirements, training, and security standards
- Employee benefits, including health insurance, time-off policies, and disability
- Employee incentives, like health and wellness programs, professional development opportunities, and employee discounts
- DEI initiatives and employee resource groups
Why is communication in HR important?
HR communications covers a wide range of topics, from employee benefits and performance to corporate policies and organizational structure. Maintaining an open communication channel allows you to convey information from the top down and receive feedback and inquiries from the bottom up. This applies to all stakeholders, whether they're executives, staff members, or anyone in between.
Good communication in HR is necessary because it directly impacts how well your department and organization functions. With open and transparent communication channels, information can flow freely and accurately, ensuring employees feel informed, valued, and included. This leaves less room for confusion and misinformation, which can negatively impact employee engagement, morale, and productivity. Here are some additional ways that communication in HR benefits your company:
Builds trust with employees
Trust plays a crucial role in promoting a healthy workplace environment. Unfortunately, trust in organizational leadership has taken a hit since the pandemic. One way to calm these concerns and gain back employees' trust is to communicate clearly.
Companies that prioritize clarity in their HR communications foster trust among employees and promote a positive work culture. When employees feel that they are kept in the loop about the company's activities and that their concerns are heard, it boosts their confidence in leadership.
Enhances employee engagement and morale
When employees feel respected, valued, and included in an organization, it increases engagement, job satisfaction, commitment, and overall morale. An effective HR communication strategy that acknowledges and celebrates employee accomplishments, offers opportunities for professional growth and development, and promotes open communication and feedback, fosters a positive and supportive workplace environment.
Increases productivity
Employees who receive detailed workplace communications and feel included are almost 5 times more likely to report increased productivity. When informed about their roles, responsibilities, expectations, and company goals, employees can perform their tasks efficiently. Effective communication from HR can ensure that employees have all the information and tools they need to allocate their time and resources more productively.
Strengthens teamwork and collaboration
Clear and effective HR communication is vital in building open dialogue, fostering information sharing, and promoting transparency. This, in turn, strengthens teamwork and collaboration. When communication channels are well-defined, team members can share ideas, work together towards common goals, and leverage each other's strengths and expertise to solve problems collectively.
Moreover, strategic HR communication also promotes cross-functional collaboration, diversity, and inclusivity amongst team members, which creates a thriving company culture and workplace.
Aligns employees with organizational goals
HR helps employees connect their roles and contributions to the broader organizational objectives. Regularly communicating organizational goals, progress, and changes can foster a sense of purpose and belonging among employees. This alignment helps them understand their part in the bigger picture and motivates them to work towards common goals, make informed decisions, and contribute to organizational success.
Essential HR communication skills
HR communication requires a combination of skills that enable you to deliver messages and information clearly and accurately. It should also allow you to engage employees and build positive relationships. Here are some HR communication skills that you should master:
Active listening
Active listening involves giving your full attention to the person speaking, understanding their message, responding appropriately, and retaining the information shared. By actively listening to employees' perspectives, you can effectively address issues and develop communication strategies that are tailored to their needs.
Writing
Clear and concise writing helps craft compelling messages, policies, and communication materials. Whether you're drafting emails, communicating with job candidates, or writing internal communications, you need strong writing skills to convey information effectively and engage your audience.
Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence allows for better interpersonal relationships. It involves recognizing, understanding, and managing emotions in yourself and others. Emotional intelligence helps you empathize with employees, build rapport, and address sensitive issues. By cultivating emotional intelligence, HR professionals can create a supportive, inclusive communication environment that values diversity and promotes well-being.
Flexibility and adaptability
Regarding HR communication, it is important to be adaptable and flexible in your approach. This means using different communication channels and adjusting your strategies based on feedback and emerging trends. Doing so will help ensure your communication is effective and engaging for everyone involved.
Creating and improving your HR communication strategy
Establishing or improving your corporate communications involves aligning your strategy with organizational objectives and employee needs. If you already have a strategy in place, take the time to review your current communication approach. This involves evaluating existing processes to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
However, if you're building your strategy from the ground up, here are a few components that are essential to constructing one that's effective:
Define your employee segments
When communicating with your employees, it's important to customize your approach to suit their individual needs and preferences. To do this, you first need to segment them based on their departments, roles, and locations. This will enable you to develop a communication strategy that effectively engages all members of your team and delivers relevant, engaging, and actionable content.
Outline your communication goals
Consider the objectives you want to accomplish by creating a communication strategy. Determine whether you aim to convey information about employee performance, company updates, policy changes, onboarding details, or all of the above. This will influence what technology, processes, and messaging you implement.
Gather employee feedback
Engage with employees through surveys, polls, and one-on-one conversations to collect feedback on their communication preferences, concerns, and recommendations. Understanding your employees' unique perspectives and insights allows you to develop communication strategies that meet their needs and preferences. This will ensure that your messages resonate with your audience and are more likely to be effective.
Select communication channels
Establish clear and accessible communication channels that facilitate information sharing and promote open dialogue within your organization. When reviewing your options, consider your employees' needs and preferences. Channels such as Slack, email, bulletins, and intranet portals serve unique purposes for delivering specific types of messages.
Determine your communication costs
After deciding which communication channels you would like to utilize, it is important to determine the associated costs of implementing them. This step includes any expenses related to the technology you adopt, such as digital platforms, collaboration tools, and communication software that enable real-time updates, information sharing, and engagement. This can support remote work, mobile access, and interactive communication, allowing you to connect with your employees anytime, anywhere.
Define your messaging and content approach
Creating clear, concise, interesting, and engaging messages that resonate with your team is key. Consider incorporating the company's brand voice and tone into your approach to communicate effectively with employees and keep them engaged. This can be achieved through various methods, such as storytelling, using visuals, and personalized content.
Set a timeline
Deciding how often you will communicate with your employees and different groups within your workforce is important. For instance, you may need to communicate more frequently with new hires than with those who have been with the company for a while. However, it's essential to maintain consistency in your communication without overwhelming your employees with too much information.
Enhance your HR communications
Effective communication in HR helps create a culture of openness within your organization. Being transparent and open with your employees can help establish trust, encourage accountability, and boost employee engagement and satisfaction. Take the time to review or create a strategy, improve your communication skills, and implement tools and processes that will help you to keep your employees informed and, most importantly, heard.
