The 5 "Whys" Internal Communications is Key to Your Growth

Communicating to customers and markets is more often a priority for companies at the expense of their other major stakeholders: their employees.

Companies spend their energy and budgets educating the public or markets about their products and services and often neglect to do the same with their own internal teams. Having employees who are ill-informed about what’s happening internally is a considerable risk; after all, if employees don’t know what an organization’s strategy or objectives is for the future, then how can they possibly contribute to the best of their abilities? All companies, whether an SME, startup or larger corporation, must find the right tools and take the right measures to facilitate and encourage communication between employees on a peer level.

Why?

Effective internal communication is very powerful.  According to a study, it increases customer satisfaction by 40%, enhances overall company performance by 36%, and a 30% increase in profits. So, it’s a win-win situation. Here are 5 “Whys” internal communications is important”

#1| Every employee is a spokesperson

We live in a time when nearly everyone has a social media account and is sharing content daily. Each person can act as a spokesperson for their company, from sharing company successes, or expressing negative sentiments on the organization they work for. They have the power to sway other people, in one click or a few seconds.

This means internal and external communications go hand-in-hand. Employees have a circle of friends, following, and family who they communicate with, and in those situations, they are brand representatives, especially on LinkedIn. Employees may not need to stick to the “brand line” every time they talk about their jobs. On a more practical level, companies should provide clear instructions to their employees about how they should refer to their places of employment on social media and other public forums

#2| Human connection matters

Human connection and building relationships is what life is about. You can only maintain them if co-workers have pleasant encounters with each other. And without strong and positive relationships, you’ll be unable to work towards the big goals. 

#3| Facilitates Innovation & collaboration

I always say: “two minds are better than one.” When employees are at ease to communicate with one another, they more easily interchange ideas - which are at the heart of advancement and innovation. The global outcome is truly the sum of all its interactions and collaborative efforts. The department or team feels supported by one another and gains satisfaction in knowing they worked together to build something greater.

$4| It Ensures Transparency

Organizations with effective external and internal communication are more transparent. Transparency builds trust for your brand, your products, and your services. Transparency is an important factor for people in managerial positions, because whenever tough decisions are made, transparent managers will have less explaining to do. Also, it is easy to implement new policies with a smooth or established internal communication system. We live in a time of email overload, you may want to utilize effective internal communications tools to help you leverage your efforts, which relates to the next point…

#5| Managing complex organizational structure

The structure of organizations is becoming more complex and fragmented. Centralized workplaces of traditional job types are increasingly a thing of the past.

Today’s workforce is a blend of centralized and remote staff, contractors and shift workers, operating in multiple time zones, using all types of devices. By 2020 it’s estimated that 3/4 of the US workforce will be mobile workers.

The challenge for organizations is how to unite centralized, flexible, remote and dispersed employees. With staff operating in such diverse environments, access to information isn’t equal. This disparity can adversely affect things like change implementation, team co-ordination and process compliance.

In conclusion, companies need to communicate well with their employees to INSPIRE them to do their best work and share their passion with the world. Both external and internal communication is equally important for the growth of your company.

LesliePerezPR.com helps organizations of all sizes enhance their internal communications. For more information email Leslie@Leslieperezpr.com.