Shockingly, 60 percent of businesses do not have a long-term internal communication plan, according to a Workforce report. Those organizations could be making a costly mistake – one that hinders their business productivity. Poor internal communication leads to low employee engagement, low employee productivity, and lower profit margins. In fact, companies with engaged employees reported a 20 percent bump in sales and a 21 percent hike in profitability. At the same time, many businesses have no idea where to start when it comes to internal business communications protocols and tools, including choosing an internal business communication software to invest in. Regardless of the phase that your business is in, there are a few key communication tools that can prove invaluable.
Team Messaging And Video Conferencing Tools
The idea of the ‘office’ has become much more expansive over time. More companies are moving to remote working. With such models, investing in employee communication software, including internal messaging and video conferencing tools, becomes paramount to maintaining great internal communication. Video conferencing software and messaging apps like Slack, RingCentral, and GoToMeeting include file sharing and group video meeting features that enable employees to share business documents or screens while on a call- simulating an in-person meeting in every way.
Analytics And Sentiment Software
You can’t manage what you can’t measure. This popular saying is particularly applicable to a business’s internal communications. A business could be disseminating information and news to its employees, but it does not guarantee that it’s being received well by your employees. For instance, a Prescident Digital Media survey showed that 31 percent of employees never use their company intranet. Similarly, some employees report that the communicators can often use jargon-rich language, which can be alienating and confusing. The makers of Tryane analytics software note the value of insights into commonly-used applications like Office365 to drive digital transformation and boost the efficiency of business communications: by using analytics, you have a better understanding of how software is being used, and can gauge employee understanding.
Employee Engagement Platforms
Regular communication with your employees is important to maintaining their engagement and satisfaction. Cultivating a culture of constructive and non-judgmental communication helps employees feel like they can express their concerns – and helps the business address those concerns. Employee engagement is a useful way to gain employee feedback and useful employee engagement data, without cutting into the company’s time and resources too much.
Approximately 83 percent of HR leaders say all people decisions should be made using data, yet only 37 percent of leaders do so, according to a survey by Sage People. Therefore, the right employee engagement platform can make all the difference in your organization. Employee engagement software Achievers Listen provides managers with continuous feedback, and encourages them to follow up. The platform also automatically creates reports and presentations of key findings and trends. Other employee engagement solutions include Ascentis, Lessonly, and Culture Amp, which tracks employee job satisfaction trends.
Clear and effective communication is vital in running your business smoothly. For any organization, internal communication isnot only about sharing information with employees, but enabling ongoing conversations with your employees and implementing the best practices to give your company a good internal communications strategy – and valuable internal business software like these can be a good start.