Internal communication is a must for any organization that wishes to function properly. Each member should have their own voice, and a means to express it. The communication has to be open and transparent.
What Are the Types of Internal Communication?
#1 – Informal Communication: Coworkers communicate in a casual manner. The topics range from everyday life to work-related matters. This communication form also enables a positive atmosphere within the company.
#2 – Collaboration: To organize projects and discuss the ongoing development process, it is crucial to streamline communication to avoid potential issues that arise during the project.
#3 – Leaders From Within: Someone from within the company, usually one of the upper managers, addresses their employees to share news, accomplishments, future expectations, etc.
#4 – Knowledgebase: A source of valuable information that can be accessed by employees to check up on the company’s policies, coworker contacts, and other details. As a rule of thumb, a knowledge base should be updated on a regular basis.
Since modern work also includes remote workers and some companies are large enough that in-person communication is always possible, it is natural to make the most out of the available tools to make internal communication possible and even strengthen it.
Newsletters
Newsletters are a great way to give employees a quick update. Virtually everyone has a dedicated email address that they check multiple times throughout the day.
Rounding up the latest events and sending them in the form of a newsletter is relatively easy and cheap. Having said that, a newsletter should not be abused and sent too often because it can then become irrelevant, which reduces the open rate.
Cloud Storage
Services like Google Drive, iCloud, and Dropbox might not seem like obvious and traditional means of internal communication, but they actually provide quite a lot of value.
For instance, sharing files and working on them directly in the cloud saves time. You can create a sheet on Google Drive and have multiple people add information to it. Everyone who is part of the project can take a look at the document and see the details they need. And if something is not clear, they can use other tools to get the answer.
Social Media
Social media is something quite a few people use in their everyday lives. Some companies try Yammer and Facebook’s Workplace and see whether integrating such tools helps with the internal communication aspect.
If someone is comfortable with using social media casually, they might also prefer it as the go-to means to keep in touch with coworkers.
At the same time, social media as a whole can backfire in certain cases. Someone might begin spending too much time on social media instead of focusing on their work. That is why it is crucial to establish a system that limits social media to just work-related matters and nothing else.
Internal Blog
An internal blog tool is another example of a communication channel that organizations can utilize.
Blogs exist to share news, reports, updates, and other relevant information in long-form content. A single location with all the useful details is also excellent for onboarding new employees because they do not have to spend time looking up multiple sources.
Internal blogs are only available to members who have access, so do not mistake them for simple blogs that are available to everyone.
Instant Messaging
Unlike blogs that excel in storing long-form content, instant messaging tools allow one to send messages instantly and expect a response.
Slack is probably the best example of an instant messaging tool used these days. Such tools are available on both mobile and desktop. Even if an employee is away from their computer, they will receive a notification on their smartphone.
It looks like instant messaging tools have replaced emails as far as internal communication goes. And if the recent pandemic that showed how effective instant messaging tools for businesses that had to switch to remote work is anything to go by, Slack and other similar communication platforms are here to stay.
Surveys
Internal communication is not one-way traffic. A company that wishes to create a successful and positive environment has to encourage two-way communication.
Surveys are great for receiving feedback and involving employees to participate. It is worth noting that employees feel more valued when they can express their opinions and influence certain decisions.
Surveys are not that hard to implement thanks to tools like SurveyMonkey and DeskAlerts. It is up to the one in charge to come up with the right questions and present them.
Most, if not all, surveys should remain anonymous to increase the odds of receiving genuine answers. Someone might not be willing to share their true thoughts if they have to put their name next to answers.
Collaboration
Team collaboration tools are particularly useful when you have multiple people working on a complicated project remotely. Breaking down parts of a project and marking one part as complete so that the team can move on to the next step improves overall productivity.
An interactive and centralized knowledge hub that helps teams remain cohesive is pretty much a necessity these days. Some of the best examples of such tools include Astana and Trello.
Video Chats
Certain communication aspects get lost when you cannot talk in person. These obstacles are easier to overcome with the help of a video chat.
While not replacing in-person communication, video chats still give a better idea of whether everyone is on the same page. Some employees need to be micromanaged and encouraged to participate. It is easier to do that when you see them on a camera rather than sending emails.
Video chats also provide opportunities to attend meetings for those employees who cannot be there in person because they are traveling or have health issues.