Calling all internal communicators: it’s time to claim EX ownership

For internal communicators, the spectrum of employee experience (EX) – culture, wellbeing, reward and recognition, ways of working, future of work and career development – is a veritable smorgasbord of ideas when it comes to leveraging the people proposition via employee messages that count.

For us, seeing how broader employee experience themes are really starting to impact the way we work, collaborate, strategize and communicate is really something. And the fact that 73% of State of the Sector respondents are telling us that employee experience is driving C-suite conversations across all regions and organization types is music to our ears – we just need to keep using our new-found influence to make sure these conversations continue to drive organizational wellbeing and fuel the passion of our people.

But we shouldn’t need to tell you this. Whether you realize it or not, you’ve been using your expertise to influence proceedings at every turn during the COVID-19 crisis. So don’t stop now, just because we’re returning to some semblance of ‘normal’ – this is yours for the taking, so capitalize on your post-pandemic worth and take control of the employee experience narrative.

Your organization and its employees will be richer for it – and you’ll begin to realize your true value as a key player in the corporate agenda while you’re at it too. Sounds like a win-win to us!

Value your role

In the same way that consumers look to brands, today’s employees want to understand what their chosen place of work actually stands for, and how their time and effort plays a part in making a difference. But we’re not necessarily talking about an organizational purpose or mission statement posted on a wall here; this is about the hire-to-retire employee experience. Internal communication plays a key role in delivering that message – and it’s up to you to let the decision makers understand the value that you add.

If you look at this specifically from the perspective of the CEO, their understanding of the internal communication function and how vital it is to an organization's performance has grown exponentially during the pandemic – and that is undeniably positive. However, we aren’t quite at the stage where CFOs have bought into generating the investment needed to amplify internal communication to where practitioners believe it should be quite yet. We’re getting there though – you just need to get closer to the leadership tier to get those budgets aligned.

Seize the day

The rise of internal communication in the corporate agenda has been significant during the pandemic, but it hasn’t been easy. There’s been an awful lot thrown at you, no doubt about it. But, as professionals, if you look at this as an opportunity to really understand your senior leaders and use your new-found influence to demonstrate the true impact that effective internal communication can have on an organization, there’s no excuse for falling back into the feelings of pre-pandemic insignificance many of you are all-too familiar with.

Yes, organizations are consistently going through change at the moment; and, yes, there’s an awful lot to do – but don’t let that get in the way of proving how vital internal communication is when it comes to nurturing a healthy organizational bottom line. And be bold in doing so: use your stellar performance during the pandemic as a benchmark when it comes to navigating through investment challenges. Keep pushing forward: stay relevant to the business agenda and essential to the corporate conversation.

Know your audience

When you think about the impact of your internal communications and the challenge of aligning the experience to how people consume content externally, you 100% need to flip the dynamic. This is no longer about telling people what you think they need to know, it’s about saying: ‘Let’s focus on the employee and how they will choose to interact with our messaging’. It’s about using the digital environment to its full potential to deliver the information the employee wants, in a format they can understand, via a method they know how to use, at a time that suits them.

But it’s important to remember that today’s hybrid workplace presents a different challenge too. Homeworkers spend pretty much all day in front of screen, with bright lights in their face and messages pinging left, right and center. Of course digital communication is an essential part of this new world of work, but it’s easy for your messages to get banished to the ‘flagged’ folder till after the event. So think experience first for this group, and be prepared to flip the dynamic dial back to analogue occasionally. Don’t rule out print media – it’s still very much alive and kicking, and it’s the perfect vehicle for delivering direct-to-desk take-notice communications that land with intent.

Make it count

‘IC newsletter? I don’t have time for that – too busy doing my job!’ Sound familiar? While this is undeniably frustrating, you HAVE to listen to feedback like this. If you’re working with a time-poor audience, you need to appreciate that there could be a very real argument against the validity of your messaging. After all, if employees are productively doing their job, delivering to the client and growing the business, do they even need the communication?

The answer is, of course, yes. None of us are in the business of messaging without meaning, are we? You just have to think about timing, relevance and method of delivery. So go back to basics – ask yourself: ‘Why are we sending this communication? Is it going to add value? How does it fundamentally impact the employee? Are they going to be better off for hearing this? What is the actual outcome we’re hoping to achieve?’ Answering these questions honestly will help you refine your process – and then you can use what you know to bring your communications to life in a way that suits the individual.

Take the lead

To secure investment in internal communication, those often difficult budget conversations are so much easier if you have buy-in from the people who can influence the outcome. That’s why it’s crucial for leaders to understand the importance of what you do – hardly difficult considering the role you’ve played throughout the pandemic. And if a leader still hasn’t appreciated the true impact of employee communication during COVID-19, then there has to be a question mark over that leader.

Right now, a lot of employees are re-evaluating their lot. They’re weighing up their options when it comes to life balance, thinking about moving to organizations that fit around their needs, with values that align to their own. One of the most critical elements in this is leadership. How leaders unpack the organizational narrative can be make or break, so don’t be afraid to show them what you’re made of. Tell them: ‘We need to have an impact on our organization for our people. This is how we do it – and this how you should do it’.