Many organizations owe their success to effective business communication and employee engagement. Every stakeholder in the company requires clear and precise communication to perform their roles efficiently. As per RingCentral, 97% of employees believe that communication impacts their daily job roles.
Employees who are engaged in robust communication with their teammates and other stakeholders are significantly more likely to show the dedication and commitment necessary for any company’s long-term success. As per McKinsey, well-connected teams reported a 20-25% rise in productivity. Communication plays a huge role in the corporate world. Whether we consider the organization’s growth or the employees’ individual growth, the desired outcomes cannot be achieved without proper communication.
A vital aspect of effective communication plans is a consistent two-way flow of information; i.e., top to bottom and vice versa. If information is being passed down from top to bottom, it is essential to encourage feedback that flows from the bottom to the top. This will not only help reduce ambiguity but also boost employee engagement.
Why is employee engagement important?
You will find numerous definitions of employee engagement on search engines. However, the gist of all the definitions narrows down to this:
“Employee engagement refers to how much time, brainpower, and energy employees devote to their jobs on a discretionary basis.”
It is evident from the definition that employee engagement is built on an organization’s and its employees’ mutual trust, integrity, commitment, and communication. Every modern organization must devise an effective employee engagement communication plan to ensure sustainability.
Employee engagement is a metric that measures an employee’s emotional commitment to their job, coworkers, and organization, and it has a significant impact on their willingness to learn and perform at work. Collectively brainstorming employee engagement communication ideas with your team members can help improve team performance and peer relationships. Employees who are engaged and enthusiastic about their work are more likely to act in ways that benefit their firm.
Role of Communication in Employee Engagement
Effective communication not only promotes collaboration but also makes management easier by reducing information silos. Communication and engagement go hand in hand when it comes to empowering employees with adequate means to perform their job roles efficiently. Let’s discuss a few employee engagement communication ideas that you can easily implement in your organization.
Developing a two-way communication channel
Business communication operates on similar principles as personal communication; there must be a balance between expressing and listening. An open two-way communication channel across the organization ensures that employees are not only informed but also heard. For example, imagine you are working in an organization where your manager allows free flow of communication. In this scenario, you will be encouraged to share your ideas and feedback which will support a growth-centric ecosystem. Whereas, if your manager restricts the flow of communication, it might lead to confusion, inefficiencies in work, and low morale.
Would you not prefer to work with the former?
Now when we talk about formal communication within an organization, it flows in a certain direction. It can be horizontal i.e. between co-workers or employees on the same level in an organization, or it can be vertical i.e. between a manager and a team member. No matter which direction it flows in, there is always a hierarchy in place. However, informal communication has no proper directional flow. It can be between any two employees of the organization.
What’s important to note is that both types of communication should be included in your communication plans. It is imperative for the formal and informal channels to be properly in sync with the employee engagement plan for effective business communication.
Create an internal communications strategy
If you create a communication strategy that encourages your team to perform their best, you’ll witness a significant rise in employee engagement. A strong internal communications strategy not only enables a free-flowing exchange of ideas but also allows them to touch base with the company’s latest developments. Having an internal communication channel such as Slack or Skype can help employees instantly get in touch with each other and better collaborate. On the other hand, if your organization’s only channel of communication is email, your productivity will take a hit.
It is also essential to take into consideration the type of communication you are engaging in. For example, if you’re working on a project with a group of employees, it’ll be faster to connect over texts or instant messaging rather than emails to get your questions answered. However, if you’re looking for advice from a senior management employee, it is best to send them a formal email.
Have regular meetings with the team
If you have structured your team as such to have team meetings at 11 AM every Tuesday, ensure that they are followed to the “t.” This will ensure a sense of discipline in the minds of the employees. It will also encourage them to raise their voice if they want to share something important during the meetings.
Setting weekly or regular meetings ensures that the entire team is on the same page. It enables your team members to share feedback, ideas, and concerns with their managers and other team members. This is the best way to ensure how effectively an employee engagement communication plan is practised within the organization.
The art of delivering engaging messages
In order to be successful, organizations need to be able to deliver engaging messages to their employees. It is also important to ensure that your message is customized to meet the needs of different hierarchical structures within the organization.
Whether you’re presenting to a small group or delivering a keynote speech, your message needs to be clear and concise. It should be equally effective for the team members as well as the managers. When everyone understands your message, it shows that you have the ability to adapt your communication style to different audiences and hold their attention. This is a valuable skill in the workplace, where you often need to communicate with people from all walks of life. It is also important to note that while delivering messages that contain instructions, clarity is the key.
Ensure your employees feel safe while communicating
This is a crucial aspect of professional communication in an organization. Devising an effective employee engagement communication plan includes establishing guidelines and procedures that safeguard the employees. Communication confidentiality is always recommended while establishing the formal and informal communication structure. It is imperative that employees feel safe to voice their concerns without the fear of retaliation. Effective professional communication can only lead to employee engagement if they feel secure.
Evaluate the success of your employee engagement communication plan
Once you have set up an internal communication plan for the employees, the next step is to scrutinize whether your objectives are being met or not. This can be done through employee satisfaction surveys or performance evaluations. Once you are able to infer whether employees are able to comfortably speak their minds, it will help envisage a culture where corporate communication and employee engagement form the core of your organization.
Final Thoughts
In today’s ever-evolving corporate landscape, employee retention has become one of the biggest concerns for every organization. One of the best ways to ensure sustainability is by utilizing ingenious employee engagement communication ideas mentioned above. Only through structured endeavors will you excel and deliver an effective employee engagement communication plan. Organizations, where leaders or managers establish effective communication as the base for employee engagement are also enabling a better work environment.
If you’re looking for a platform that not only facilitates internal communication but also allows you to encourage upskilling and reskilling, check out Auzmor Learn. Click here for a free 30-minute consultation!
