10 Internal Communication Best Practices.

For employees to understand and act upon the overarching goals and values of the company, there should be a strong system of communication in accordance with best practices. Find 10 best practices for internal communication to improve your organisation’s internal communication strategy, connect your team and keep everyone engaged and motivated.

1. Create an Internal Communication Plan

A communication plan should consist of the needs per target audience (employees, managers), best channel of communication, key topics and goals to be achieved.

The purpose of the internal communication should always be to keep the company on track, informing employees and managers accordingly, making it more efficient in achieving internal communication success.

2. Ensure Consistency in Design and in Internal Communication

Strive to continuously share information to all employees, at all levels, with a consistency in content and design. Make sure there is a clear design for internal and external communication messages. By communicating frequently, consistently and honestly, will lead to trust and buy-in from both employees and internal stakeholders.

3. Review Metrics and Data

Regularly measuring the performance of an organisation is an effective way to gain insights. Using metrics to track progress can be beneficial to the internal communication department. It will demonstrate the Return of Investment (ROI) and can support in revising content and the communication strategy.

4. Ask for Feedback and Ideas

Channels for feedback can also be useful when discussing ideas about the workplace, products, work procedures, and should not always be limited to face-to-face meetings.

Regularly receiving and sending feedback, polls and ideas in an organisation can in developing new strategies, creating enhanced products and services and much more.

5. Encourage Cross-Departmental Communication

Cross-departmental communication is essential if the company would like its employees to learn from each other. Organising sessions or special meetings between different departments to communicate, collaborate and share insights are an effective way to achieve this.

6. Maintain Transparency

Transparency is more than just a company policy; it is an organisational mentality. Transparency is a crucial internal communication practice, which promotes trust, responsibility and open dialogue within any organisation. Clearly, not all information can be made available to everyone at all times. Nevertheless, maintaining some transparency about what directly affects an employee’s effort at work can have a huge effect on harmony and rapport within the organisation.

7. Avoid Communication Overload

Regular and consistent communication is essential and the internal communication department should aim to keep messages simple, short and to the point. In short, the goal should always be to send the right information, to the right people, at the right time.

8. Share Industry News, Trends and Insights

Employees are valued contributors to the industry. All staff, regardless of rank, should be constantly updated with the latest industry news. By keeping employees involved in the bigger picture, they are reminded that their efforts are part of something bigger than their own area of work. This can be an excellent motivator.

9. Use Internal Communication for Rewards and Recognition

Consistent recognition and rewards for employees makes all staff members feel that their contributions are valued and appreciated which maximise overall organisational productivity and growth.

10. Share Employee Knowledge and Resources

A strong internal communication plan should include a consistent way of communicating the benefits and resources available to employees. This can include information on a variety of things, from policies, procedures, employee benefit, training and career development.