With more businesses than ever before working remotely, the importance of a strong internal comms strategy is taking centre stage when thinking about the ongoing health and operation of a company, in both the short and long term.
Though there are obvious benefits to staff members working from home, there are definitely pitfalls businesses must mitigate to avoid drop in productivity and morale.
Issues that can derail internal communications
There are many factors that can contribute to bad internal comms, which can be disastrous for business; again plummeting productivity, increase in staff turnover and a decrease in overall employee satisfaction.
Issue 1 – A Lack of Consistency
Consistent communication is key for positive internal communications among a workforce. If communication is haphazard, this can cause staff to feel unnecessarily uncertain, especially when working remotely.
Issue 2 – No clear message
Being coherent when communicating with teams virtually, is crucial. Vague and unclear messages can allow people to fill in the gaps themselves, which can create confusion and misunderstandings that breed, causing bigger problems down the road.
Issue 3 – Not quick enough
We live in a fast paced world, where situations can evolve and unravel very quickly. It’s important to be timely when it comes to internal communications so that you can set the narrative and the tone.
What companies can do to strengthen their internal comms strategy
All these factors can be compounded in a virtual office set up. However, incorporating a new internal comms culture built around video & technology into the day-to-day operations of your organisation can really help avoid these issues before they arise.
Step 1 – Embracing technology
Embracing technology that is readily available and adopting these mediums to replace in person forms of communications is crucial for a smooth transition into large scale remote working. From Microsoft Teams and Google products to Zoom calls and WhatsApp chats, these platforms all may have a role in how you communicate with staff going forward in a way that is consistent, clear and reactive.
Step 2 – Implementing virtual gatherings into the schedule
And it’s not just work related communication that is important, with no in person socials pencilled into the calendar, it’s important to keep the team spirit alive with regular virtual gatherings. This could be activity based like remote pub quizzes or just an hour in the week to connect and enjoy some banter (over a beverage or two!). Strong teamwork demands camaraderie which in turn requires trust and familiarity. So team building activities that can become part of the virtual offices culture is important to retain healthy teams.
Step 3 – Not just converting everything from the office model to online
There are going to be some work processes that are great in the office environment but will not necessarily translate or be as effective when working virtually and visa versa. For instance, you’ll be surprised at how much information is absorbed when working in an office full of people. However, when people are working within a vacuum it’s important that information that is usually distributed organically during the workday is fostered by another medium, so you don’t lose the context that is naturally built just by being in the office with your colleagues for eight hours a day.
Quick ways to keep in touch with colleagues
- Slack
- Google Chats
- WhatsApp groups
The above platforms are great ‘instant chat’ mediums. It allows staff to communicate in a way that replicates a short water-cooler conversation. From a ‘hi, how’s your day going?’ to a URL and ‘have you seen this in the news?’
How video can be a useful tool for internal comms
Live streaming platforms such as Zoom, Skype and Microsoft Teams are great for meetings that require back and forth communication. However, pre-recorded video can also take place for presentations, memos and training. Which have the added benefit of being watched by staff in their own time and also being able to review beforehand to confirm accuracy and messaging. Here at Kartoffel Films we have been busy for our clients to let them keep their internal comms thriving using video production whilst transitioning to a remote working culture. Here are some products we’ve been producing for them:
Tool 1 – Video or Animation Staff handbooks
As some organisations pivot to a more virtual office culture, keeping the tone and energy your business is known for intact amongst your workforce will be increasingly challenging. So a visually engaging video staff handbook can help keep your internal brand identity alive. Here you will be able to convey to staff members your core values and what drives you as an organisation, whilst also putting a face to the organisation.
Tool 2 – Digital intranets
Company intranets are full of crucial information that must be accessible and understood to staff members. From Code of Conduct manuals to Training resources, all of these items can be translated to video for internal comms so that your employees can get a deeper understanding of the subtext of this information you are communicating.
Tool 3 – Weekly Updates
With teams working more remotely celebrating the day to day stuff can fall by the wayside. But it’s important for morale to recognize people’s birthdays, work anniversaries, promotions and achievements. By putting together a short weekly video that highlights these team joys can help people feel connected and recognised.
Conclusion
So why don’t you get in touch and see how we can work together to ensure your internal comms isn’t disrupted in these uncertain times.
