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Five Ways HR Leaders Can Drive Effective Communications With Employees

Forbes Human Resources Council

Cat Graham, Founder and Chief Employee Experience Officer, Cheer Partners, the employee experience agency

Employees' expectations of their employers changed in 2020. The new expectation is that the role of the human resource is to care for the entire employee. Many of us instituted wellness programs, flexible work schedules, parenting affinity groups and single point of truth resources. That said, the way we need to communicate with employees also changed in 2020. They want more concise, inpiring, visual content they can use that gives them a reason to believe. Gone are the days when communications teams are responsible for all the content. Human resources can and should drive employee communications. 

In a 2020 study, only 22% of leaders said they know what drives employee disengagement at their companies. This is where human resources has a unique opportunity to create two-way communications to uncover what's working and what's not. Last year taught us all the value of voice-of-employee strategies and how they drive engagement. Here are some ways you can drive employee engagement through effective employee communications.

Engage

In developing digital employee communities, we have learned to engage with concise, compelling content that invites discussion. The voice of employees has never been more important, and two-way communication tools will continue to play a large part in how HR connects with the team.

Consider a quarterly "ask me anything" session with different leaders and a cross-section of employees. Host it on a video platform such as Webex or Teams and use the chat feature to encourage questions and share links to further develop your answers. Consider hosting "Friday forums" on the last Friday of each month and choose a topic to review, from wellness benefits employees would like to see or any new program you have rolled out.

Allow for organic chat channels where they can offer each other help, share concerns and ideas. Employees want to know they have a voice, and by giving them multiple ways of engaging in the work, culture and team, you can increase connection, results and brand loyalty. 

Empower

Human resources now knows the importance of putting the human experience at the center of their strategic plans, which includes robust training and transparent career mobility programs. The employee experience is much like the customer experience. Employees want to take control of their career opportunities. They want the responsibility, accountability and, most importantly, authority to make decisions and be supported by their employer for taking these risks.

In a look at over 7,000 employees, one researcher found that "employees who felt a low level of empowerment were rated with engagement at the 24th percentile, whereas those with a high level of empowerment were at the 79th percentile."

Empowered employees perform better and yield better enterprise results. Consider how HR can empower them in decision-making on the benefits you offer, in their career decisions and in their day-to-day lives. Your enterprise doesn't have to embrace risk for the sake of reward unilaterally, but you can drive discretionary effort through communications tools. Training is another excellent tool for empowerment. 

Enable

When companies that never had remote options had to go remote last year, the biggest challenge was learning how to enable employees to do their jobs without the traditional resources in the office. Most of us ultimately developed effective tools to enable remote working, so let's build on that.

Human resources can enable employees to provide feedback on what to keep doing, stop doing and start doing. Cut out the redundant processes and give them the time back to address the things that are important. Consider adding a collaboration site as the single point of information so employees can easily and seamlessly self-service their resource needs, and repeat in your communications where this link is to avoid wasted time and frustration. 

Endorse

Employee endorsement is a powerful tool and one that ought to be communicated and celebrated. Employees who feel their employer values them can become powerful brand ambassadors, which create benefits internally and externally. Give employees permission to drive peer-to-peer recognition and get in the habit of encouraging them to be brand ambassadors and culture navigators.

Feature your actual employees in your recruiting materials and newsletters. Encourage leaders to hold innovation brainstorms and shout out the employees who bring valuable ideas to the table. Consider what you do internally that could be repeated externally on your social channels. Years ago, the employee of the month was our only form of endorsement, but we can amplify the value with our digital tools. By including employee storytelling in your strategic plan, you can show employees that they matter and are the very fabric of your enterprise.

Educate

One of the most successful teams I worked with last year increased their learning and development. They hosted lunch-and-learns twice a week, many led by their own team members. They created a page on the intranet with valuable resources, and front and center was a place for any employee to recommend a course they needed anonymously. Class topics ranged from healthy eating to mindfulness to more traditional resource-driven courses, like tool set tutorials and project management strategies. A critical component was that these courses were recorded, so those who couldn't make the time could self-service their learnings. Ensure in every communication you share with employees you communicate the why as well as what's in it for each person. HR can use this valuable intention to embed a reason to believe. 

Human resources has an incredible opportunity to embrace last year's lessons and carry them forward in 2021 with a renewed commitment and the power of communication. HR is now at the center of the employee experience, and employees want to hear from you. 


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