All good communicators know the key to ensuring their message gets received lies in understanding their audience. No two are exactly alike. Giving a toast at a wedding isn’t the same as reminiscing with old friends at the bar — which is different from presenting a new plan to the boss.

For internal communicators working in a corporate setting, discrete target audiences are built and maintained through list segmentation. The more well-defined the group — whether it consists of new recruits or a specific department within the company — the more likely its members are to receive information relevant to them. The end result: higher open rates and enhanced employee engagement.

To help sharpen employee distribution lists even more, internal communicators should begin incorporating the digital employee experience, also known as DEX, into their strategy playbook.

What is DEX?

Simply put, DEX encompasses all the ways employees use technology to perform their duties at work. This includes everything from laptops and mobile phones to messaging apps and project management tools.

Although a somewhat new term, DEX is bound to become more crucial in the years ahead. A recent survey of 800 global executives from McKinsey, for instance, found 85% had either somewhat or greatly accelerated the adoption of digital technology at their organization to improve how employees communicate and collaborate with each other. Examples include videoconferencing and filesharing services.

Similar to how good customer experience (CX) can help drive sales and boost a brand’s reputation, a healthy DEX can increase productivity and heighten workplace satisfaction.

Gartner® research described the current state of DEX as follows: “Today’s work environment requires end-user service leaders to use a broad range of factors to determine which devices and applications employees need to do their jobs. Historically, IT organizations would create a broad set of worker categories based on their roles or departments. Now, employees expect a more personalized digital experience, and meeting these expectations is becoming integral to attract and retain talent.”

How to improve list segmentation with DEX

As noted above, internal communicators must constantly work to keep their email lists organized and up to date. Employees come and go. Companies move staff onto new teams or relocate them to new cities. This creates a denominator problem whereby the exaggerated list size reduces the open rate.

Another avenue to consider in creating more targeted lists is DEX. Rather than grouping employees by tenure or seniority, internal communicators should focus on their interaction with company technology and day-to-day requirements, regardless of demographics.

One practical way to get started is by defining different work style segments. Does the employee work behind a desk or on the factory floor? Are they mainly interacting with customers in a retail setting or other employees in an office? What does their working environment look like?

Indeed, according to research from Gartner®, “By categorizing based on work styles instead of roles, segments are simplified by grouping role types with common needs.”

The next step is to create different employee personas. How would you rate their technical skills and access to digital tools? What are their goals and roadblocks to achieving them? These details add more nuance and specificity to an employee’s work style, further honing the potential to email target audiences. In some situations, a company’s HR or IT department may already have this information, preventing the need for internal communicators to start from scratch. Persona creation can help different departments establish a partnership that ensures lists stay relevant and targeted for a better employee experience.

With all the data in hand, the final step involves creating a one-page profile for each employee, highlighting the key areas relevant for list segmentation. Reduce everything to its most essential components, keeping the emphasis on DEX characteristics.

Classifying employees along these lines, as opposed to more traditional approaches, can unlock more refined audiences that will make internal communication efforts more efficient and effective. This project is an ongoing process, not a one-time effort. The personas will evolve as each organization’s digital workplace matures, so it’s essential to consistently monitor and update them as needed. Using benchmarking and A/B testing can provide the necessary data to evaluate if your list targeting is successful.

Since so much of successful communication comes down to the sender having a clear understanding of the receiver, it’s critical for internal communicators to continue experimenting with how they define their various email groups. As digital technology continues to play a bigger role in today’s business landscape, it’s important to view employees through that lens.

The post How focusing on DEX can improve list segmentation appeared first on PR Daily.

As the final results of the 2024 US Presidential Election came in, a seeming win for Trump of the most contentious American election yet means that roughly half of voters are disappointed. Whether your workforce skews blue, red or purple, all employees will share a sense of unease, anxiety and stress until the dust settles. Many will for the foreseeable future, too.

While some leaders choose to stay silent during this period, those who understand how to communicate in times of ambiguity reclaim an opportunity to strengthen trust with employees while reinforcing values and redirecting focus to their organization’s big picture.

Integral’s latest research found that the younger employees are, the more they want to express their political views in the workplace. It also found that senior leaders are more comfortable having political dialogue than other levels of managers—and more concerned about political tension, too.

Those insights suggest an opportunity for  communicators and leaders alike to set expectations for respectful political discourse, acknowledge, align and assure employees amid uncertainty, and unite the workforce  around a shared mission.

“This election is a historic moment for businesses and society alike,” Golin Global President of Corporate Affairs Megan Noel told Ragan.

“Communicators considering a post-election communication should be prepared for heightened emotions and various reactions to the outcome. Avoid speculating about the potential impact of the election results, especially prior to any official decisions being made.”

Noel recommends that all post-election communications reinforce five things:

1. The importance of civic engagement and respect for the democratic process. While that’s normally been positioned ahead of election day, keeping that message alive matters now more than ever.
2. Commitment to your purpose and values “that guide [your company’s] behaviors and actions, such as integrity, respect, care, and inclusivity.”
3. Support for employees, customers and communities regardless of political affiliation or stance. This should explicitly mention “the permission to not engage in political discussion, especially during the immediate days following the election.”
4. Company benefits that support mental and physical wellbeing, “including access to resources and tools as well as inclusion networks/ERGs gatherings.”
5. Safety and security measures in place at any office locations close to polling places, demonstration sites or campaign HQs. “This will be important should demonstrations or protests break out.”

Reinforcing these messages consistently also requires tweaking them as employee sentiment evolves. “Communicators should continuously monitor conversations and dialogues that may impact their companies and brands and use that information to correct, adjust or inform key audiences as needed,” Noel added.

Putting it all together

During Ragan’s Internal Communications Conference at Microsoft HQ in Redmond, WA last month, Microsoft Director of Employee & Executive Communications and Employer Brand Amy Morris, and Senior Manager of Communications and Reputation Management Sarah Shahrabani, showed how Microsoft’s values plug into a communication framework to help the matrixed comms function manage political discourse across internal channels.

They also emphasized the importance of having messages of unity come from leaders as another mechanism for reinforcing trust, while Morris explained how her team prepares leaders with pre-vetted talking points that emphasize Microsoft’s values and equip the leaders to address timely, topical issues as they emerge.

Similarly, Noel’s recommendations serve as smart reputational guideposts for any leader, or communicator crafting messages on a leader’s behalf, to follow.

Applying her five post-election points to an employee message looks something like this:

Got any other tips for executive messages that acknowledge, align and assure employees during moments of unease? Let us know in the comments below.

Join us next week for post-election therapy as we look to 2025 and beyond at Ragan’s Future of Communications Conference.

Justin Joffe is the editorial director and editor-in-chief at Ragan Communications.  Follow him on LinkedIn.

The post An employee communications template for addressing post-election unease appeared first on PR Daily.

It’s not a pleasant situation, but it’s bound to occur at some point: your boss has a terrible idea.

Whether your supervisor wants to tweak the length of your emails or overhaul your entire internal communication strategy, you know the decision is bad for business. At the same time, flat out telling your boss that his or her plan is foolish can be bad for your career.

Read on for a three-step process for navigating this delicate predicament.

No. 1 – Identify where the new direction is trying to take you

In all likelihood, members of the leadership team aren’t introducing new tactics because they’re bored or the company is surpassing every one of its sales goals with minimal cost. Chances are there’s either a real problem that needs fixing or an opportunity to boost the firm’s performance.

Therefore, listen closely to your boss’s idea to identify the core issue he or she is seeking to address. Ask questions. Probe beyond the surface.

For example, a boss may want to pack more information into employee communications as a sign of increased transparency, which he believes will improve workforce morale. Another executive may want to abandon online training sessions because she sees some staff members struggling to incorporate new software into their daily duties.

While the proposed means of achieving these ends may be ill-advised, uncovering and articulating the desired outcome is what matters.

A bonus to showing an open mind at the outset, as opposed to shouting a reactionary “No” to anything that deviates from the norm, is that it keeps the lines of communication open. It avoids unwelcome tension. It can help turn a top-down order into a department-wide discussion.

The first step in successfully rejecting a poor executive decision is making sure your boss understands your intention is to do what’s best for the company, not undermine his or her authority. Ultimately, you want to maintain a good relationship with your boss throughout the process.

No. 2 – Embrace data as your guide  

The next step is to build your case with solid evidence.

If your boss presents a bad idea, use data to illustrate why it’s bad. A plan to radically transform your email strategy, for instance, should be avoided if benchmarking data shows your team is outperforming rival firms on open and engagement rates.

When presenting data-backed insights to leadership, keep it simple. Make sure the metrics you’re highlighting connect to the results your boss cares about, such as revenue and employee retention.

Overall, try to keep your rebuttal objective and fact-based. Leave opinions and personal viewpoints at the door. Once people’s egos get involved, the conversation can turn sour. A boss might end up forcing their decision through, no matter how harmful, just to prove they’re still in charge. This isn’t good for anyone — not for you, not for them and certainly not for the company.

No. 3 – Offer an alternative route to the same destination

The final step involves coming up with your own idea to replace your boss’s plan. This can be a modification of your manager’s proposal or something completely novel. Either way, being positive and constructive will go a long way in justifying why the company should not adopt your boss’s bad decision.

Please note that this isn’t always the case. Sometimes a slapdash strategy needs to be rejected, end of story.

But recall step number one: In most cases, management debuts a new initiative or restructures how the company operates because there’s a bona fide problem that needs resolving or an opportunity worth pursuing. The trick is to devise a way of accomplishing this feat in a way that’s healthy for the business.

Again, as stated in the second step, rely on hard numbers to strengthen your argument. Use statistics to show why your boss should choose your method of attacking the issue instead of their initial idea. The more your manager can see a better option for moving forward, the more likely they are to leave their bad idea behind.

The post How to say ‘no’ to bad management decisions appeared first on PR Daily.

Hundreds of communications professionals gathered at Ragan’s Employee Experience Conference in Nashville this week to learn and share about how they are engaging employees and improving the overall work experience.

Clear communication, connection and giving employees a sense of ownership isn’t just about boosting job satisfaction, it’s about improving business performance and ultimately, the bottom line. Among the top takeaways:    

Leadership and Communication Strategies

• Caleb Campbell, West Point graduate and former NFL player turned business and leadership coach, kicked off the main program with a keynote addressing how leaders and their employees can manage pressure through Purposeful Presence, which encourages people to Recognize, Reframe and Respond to what they’re feeling. “Name it to tame it,” said Campbell. “If we name it, we can communicate it.”  
• According to Brian Brockman, vice president of communications for U.S. and Canada at Nissan Motor Corp, the language of leadership boils down to four key elements. That includes understanding who you are talking to; breaking down the complexity of the message into three key points through the lens of the employee; mapping the most effective channels for reaching different types of employees; and working with internal messengers to crystalize their authentic voices and ensure consistency. 
• Make your leaders comfortable as communicators. At REI, all leaders undergo two hours of executive communications training, according to Senior Manager of Internal Communications Nicole Bernard.  
• According to Amanda Schoch, chief communications officer, Pacific, at Northwest National Laboratory, give internal brand ambassadors the information and tools they need to succeed. “Anytime we roll out something big, they get the same information as our top leaders,” she said.  

Enhancing Employee Experience

• Employee experience goes far beyond job satisfaction, according to Johari Matthews, vice president and executive director of ONE Community and the Tennessee Titans Foundation. “Brand visibility, reputation and ROI are all tied to employee experience, particularly when it comes to retention,” said Matthews. 
• Southwire positions its approach to the employee experience as the “4 C’s”: Communicate, Collaborate, Connection and Celebration, according to EVP, chief people and culture officer Fernando Esquivel. “We have two P&Ls,” said Esquivel. “Profit and loss, and people and their lives,” he said.

• Greg Hill, chief people officer at Exos, focuses on the key components to fostering the connection between employee experience and business results. “Look to the data first,” he said. “Too many organizations go with the heart first. Second, we encourage people to use the word ‘pilot’—that allows them to make mistakes. Third is transparency—clearly conveying why we do what we do.”  
• Remember that the hiring process is a rolling process – no new employee will be honest about their experience, advised a panel on onboarding featuring Sara Ng, vice president of communications and brand experience at ING Americas, Anita Myers, training manager, ecommerce sector North America at DHL Supply Chain and Kathryn Metcalfe, visiting professor at NYU. Mapping goals and end-of-year evaluations over 10 months, then feeding that information to the manager and letting them map that on a timeline that feels reasonable, will make the employee journey feel personal and real.  

Fresh takes on Communication and Employee Engagement

• Employee preference will be the future of communications, according to Alejandro Zequeira, manager of marketing and communications at Baptist Health South Florida. “You can get them information while using the feedback on what they prefer to target your channel and reach,” said Zequeira.
•  3M gives life to its intranet through an initiative called “Bright Ideas” that spotlights internal thought leaders via Ted Talk-style presentations. “Comms are the nervous system of an organization,” said Fanna Haile-Selassie, senior communications manager, corporate initiatives and employee experience. “We get the inside information on feelings, sentiment and understanding through what folks are engaging with.” 

The post Top 10 Takeaways from Ragan’s 2024 Employee Experience Conference   appeared first on PR Daily.

Benchmarking plays a crucial role in business, whether it involves internal assessments or comparisons with industry standards. By evaluating metrics such as sales and employee retention rates, companies can determine their strengths and weaknesses in relation to both their own past performance and that of their competitors. This analysis helps identify areas for improvement and growth opportunities within the organization.

This is why benchmarking is so important in business — both internally and externally. Whether it’s marketing and sales or some other department, one firm’s metrics may appear robust in comparison to themselves yet feeble when placed next to similar figures from competitive organizations. Companies need to know where they stand both in comparison to their past performance and their industry peers to properly identify strengths, reveal weaknesses and uncover opportunities for growth.

The ROI of sales and marketing analytics is fairly straightforward, starting by simply calculating revenue — costs. Marketing and sales teams can likely tell you how many leads they produce per month. They tend to have tools that measure performance, such as 4.5% of new opportunities coming from content posted to a particular social media channel, for example.

Can the same be said for internal communications?

Like marketing and sales, content must be created for, and delivered to, employee audience groups to educate, engage and motivate action, yet the measurements of this activity often lag, likely due to the lack of an easy-to-calculate revenue ROI. Worse, companies might attempt to force-fit existing external tools for these internal use cases, turning what was authentic internal email into externally flagged messaging on a level similar to spam — which is unfortunate at best and detrimental at worst.

A company that communicates with employees efficiently and effectively, and doesn’t overload them with irrelevant messaging, is far more likely to have higher employee productivity and lower turnover than one that doesn’t. It’s also better prepared to handle change management activities, embrace industry innovations, and deal with difficult industry challenges when they arise because the channels are open, and employees are engaged and listening. All of this, of course, helps drive financial performance.

Accurately sourced benchmark data provides valuable reference points for your company’s key performance indicators (KPIs). Collecting your own data, and comparing it to industry benchmarks, will help you identify not only the best practices and KPIs that matter for your organization but will reveal the channels, cadence and narratives that are moving you toward your organizational objectives.

Internal communicators looking for a benchmark resource should look no further than PoliteMail’s 2024 Internal Email Communications Benchmark Report, which examines more than 4 billion emails sent to over 15 million employees around the globe. The annual study arranges the findings by S&P industry sector and distribution size — from fewer than 1,000 people to 50,000 or more — so that professional communicators can compare and contrast their results with benchmark data relevant to their particular company.

At present, statistics show employees receive, on average, 14 corporate email broadcasts a month containing 30:46 minutes of content with 163 links. Email utilization spiked during the pandemic and has remained high as a majority of employees continue to work from home. As companies evaluate their communication analytics and make improvements, messages get shorter, more frequent, and have less linked content per message — which reduces information overload and leads to higher engagement rates.

The average corporate email open rate now sits at 68%. The top fifth of all firms that demonstrate email best practices, meanwhile, have an average open rate of 83%.

One of the key best practices is having clean, accurate distribution groups. Too often, corporate distribution lists contain a large number of former employee email addresses, yet neglect to include the newest employees. This creates a denominator problem whereby the exaggerated list size reduces the open rate.

Focusing on the right combination of metrics is also crucial. Communicators and the people they broadcast for tend to get fixated on the email open rate despite the fact that recipients often immediately delete or skip past email messages they open. Open rates can be deceptive for other reasons, as today, many email security tools automatically open messages and links to scan them, generating superfluous data. Updated versions of Outlook open emails multiple times to increase download performance.

For these reasons, PoliteMail’s internal email analytics go beyond counting opens and clicks, with a focus on attention, readership and engagement.

Unlike marketing and sales software, PoliteMail’s internal email measurement tool is integrated with Microsoft 365 and Outlook, which allows communicators to continue sending emails using their familiar day-to-day email platforms while measuring a variety of key metrics. Armed with this analytics data, building evidence-based communications plans and reporting key performance indicators is now possible. PoliteMail’s 2024 Benchmark Report serves as a valuable reference point for communicators to determine if their strategies are working or not.

As the saying goes, you can’t manage what you can’t measure. Creating a winning internal communications strategy requires a foundation of objective, accurate and reliable data. Otherwise, it’s all guesswork.

Download PoliteMail’s 2024 Internal Email Benchmark Report today!

The post Optimizing internal emails for engagement: The role of benchmarking appeared first on PR Daily.

“The future is already here — it’s just not evenly distributed.” 

The quote, attributed to science-fiction writer William Gibson, perfectly describes what tends to happen when technology leaps forward. Whether it’s a smartphone or the internet, what was once strange and inaccessible to many eventually becomes something everyone can’t imagine living without. Now, we’re seeing this scenario play out once again with the rise of generative artificial intelligence.

No longer a far-flung idea, GenAI is transforming how companies do business. The International Data Corporation estimates enterprises around the world will spend $151.1 billion on GenAI solutions by 2027. That’s up nearly 680% compared with investments made in 2023.

“The hype around GenAI is proliferating, and so is HR leaders’ interest in this technology. Seventy-six percent of HR leaders agree they will be lagging in organizational success if they do not adopt and implement generative AI in the next 12 to 24 months,” according to Gartner research.

Getting a solid grasp on how the tool can enhance creativity and boost productivity, therefore, is crucial. Read on to discover how HR professionals can benefit from using GenAI today.

Spark creativity

Feeling stuck and uninspired? Not sure where to start? Whether it’s writing a new job posting or crafting a work-from-home policy, GenAI can help put things in motion.

With tools such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, HR professionals can do everything from rephrasing sentences to looking up industry benchmarks to producing summaries of complex topics in a language everyone can understand. If prompted, the technology can spit out an entire rough draft in seconds, too.

Consider open enrollment. It’s a critical season that requires employees to read their emails, follow instructions and act within a set timeframe.

GenAI can assist by providing appealing subject lines and constructive feedback on messaging. It can even offer a schedule to help HR professionals navigate the weeks ahead in a way that’s most likely to increase employee engagement.

“Start learning,” says Ashley Varney, SHRM-CP, PoliteMail’s Director of Human Resources.  “Play around. Ask questions and see how it actually works.”

Task automation for job applicants

Time management is crucial to any successful HR professional. GenAI can step in and do some of the heavy lifting when it comes to tedious and time-consuming tasks, such as creating onboarding documents, writing standard interview questions or offer letters, and summarizing documents.

GenAI can also assist with navigating job submissions, creating responses to validate qualified candidates, and making job recommendations based on skill sets. Chatbots are quickly becoming a standard tool for entry-level job screening and recruitment.

Make it your own

Beyond grasping the basics, HR professionals can tailor GenAI to their specific needs.

Let’s revisit open enrollment. Older employees near retirement are more likely to respond to a different call to action than younger employees just entering the workforce. The two groups have unique needs and outlooks on life. GenAI can create custom messaging designed to speak to each segment.

The same goes for employees working in different countries. Someone in Canada, say, will be dealing with a different healthcare system than someone working in America. Communicating in a manner that’s both personal and relevant to the receiver can do wonders.

Some companies serious about GenAI have begun building so-called prompt libraries — an archive of standard commands and queries meant to ensure the technology provides consistent results with even greater precision. This can save employees time and avoid the confusion that comes from starting from scratch each time they use the tool.

Integration with existing tools is another avenue to getting the most from GenAI. A Salesforce survey, for example, reveals that 45% of people would use GenAI more if it were incorporated into the services and devices they already use.

This is the thinking behind PoliteMail’s integration with Microsoft 365, which empowers communicators with the tools they need in an easily accessible program. Because PoliteMail lives inside Outlook, users can utilize Microsoft’s AI-powered tool Copilot and reap the benefits of its content generation and editing system.

Risks and challenges

Despite the many benefits of GenAI, caution is warranted.

Questions about copyright infringement and possible regulation remain unanswered.  In addition to not being trained on how the technology works and how it can influence their work, many workers do not know how to mitigate the risks associated with its use in the workplace. Providing training on the responsible and ethical use of GenAI will be paramount, including how to prevent bias, ensure accuracy and avoid using confidential company data to model data.

Privacy and security are another concern. Some firms discourage their staff from entering proprietary statistics or sensitive employee data into GenAI tools, as it’s unclear how this material is stored and who has access to it.

The technology can also produce biased results and outright inaccurate information. Some data used to train an AI model may come from unreliable sources such as social media channels or Wikipedia. According to Innovation Insight: Generative AI in HR, a report from Gartner, “Unreliable or skewed data can propagate bias and potentially toxic content. Accordingly, 53% of HR leaders are worried about bias and discrimination in GenAI.”

“GenAI is a great place to start, but it should never be your final draft,” says Varney. “Human intervention is necessary.”

Prepare for constant change

As powerful as GenAI is today, it’s only going to get more advanced in the years ahead.

Text-generated images will usurp stock photography. Automation will fulfill more tasks. Sure enough, 75% of people who use GenAI are looking for ways to automate their work responsibilities and communications, according to figures from Salesforce.

Corporations will be responsible for training their employees on using GenAI in an effective yet ethical manner.  To avoid some of the risks such as violating copyright laws or leaking proprietary company data, some organizations have created “AI playgrounds” which allow employees to learn and master the technology in a practice environment.

Varney, therefore, advises other HR leaders to start dipping their toes in the water now to avoid being thrown into the deep end later.

As she put it: “Prepare your workforce, as AI literacy is bound to be a skill requirement in the future.”

The post Balancing risk and reward: GenAI in HR strategy appeared first on PR Daily.

With the maturity and ongoing popularity of TikTok has come the phenomenon known as TikTokification — that is, an emphasis on bite-size, relatable, authentic and community-based content across platforms, online spaces and experiential activations.

The term has been circulating across sectors for long enough that the think pieces surrounding its benefits and drawbacks have come full circle. This brings us to today, when it’s clear that this style of content is here to stay thanks to its ability to capture attention amid the noise, as described in LumApps’ whitepaper, “Your Go-To Guide for Creating Impactful Videos to Enhance Your Internal Communications Strategy.”

The next generation of employees will enter the workforce having thrived on and even played a hand in shaping this content ecosystem. Earning their interest, attention and even loyalty will require employers to connect with them through familiar formats, much in the same way Slack and similar tools rose to meet Millennials’ workplace communication preferences.

Fortunately, it doesn’t require high production value or polished writing to create impactful comms that hit the same way a scrollable TikTok does.

According to TikTok’s 2024 What’s Next report, successful content creation in 2024 revolves around “curiosity, imagination, vulnerability and courage. … The unknown and uncomfortable is what creates the unimaginable — and those brave enough to create for it won’t just keep up, they’ll flourish.”

Whether that means creating TikTok-style videos or simply embracing what makes them effective, communicators may find new ways to connect with employees using these tips.

Don’t stress about polished production

Many of the videos that go viral on TikTok and Instagram are wobbly selfies shot while the creator is lying in bed or wandering the streets. This approach makes the creator personable, approachable and authentic compared to a shot obviously filmed by a crew.

Of course, this type of content isn’t suitable for every situation: Keep it more formal for layoffs and M&A. But if you have the opportunity to deliver a message with off-the-cuff, reactive video content, seize it. A celebratory selfie video from the CEO after a successful quarter may be better received and build trust more effectively than a stuffy, overproduced corporate video that puts distance between leadership and employees.

Push beyond comfort zones

Remind reluctant executives that sometimes it takes feeling a little cringey to get to a baseline comfort level with different media and formats.

“It is essential to consider both engagement and the desired outcome,” said Sean Winter, general manager, North America, at LumApps. “In other words, are you asking employees to consume something, understand something or act on something (or all three). This is where more modern forms of communication can really make a difference not only in how your employees understand, but also in how they then use that knowledge to get better at their job.”

Video can also help with efficiency: Can a 30-minute meeting be a 30-second video recap instead?

Get to the point, and keep it snappy

It’s long been known that capturing attention within the first three to five seconds is critical to keeping audiences absorbed in a piece of content. This usually takes the form of an exciting opening line or headline that makes audiences want more, but it can also mean getting creative with formats and narrative structure. Feed surprise and curiosity to keep eyes on your comms.

And of course, keep the message tight. Recent data has shown an appetite for longer-form videos on platforms such as TikTok, but you’re still looking at three to ten minutes, and that intro is vital for convincing audiences to stick with it. Get right to the heart of your message and ensure that every moment counts and every word is necessary.

Edutain your audience and tap into passion

One of the factors that keeps users coming back to TikTok, according to the What’s Next report, is its likelihood of introducing viewers to new interests, and humor remains a major draw for viewers. Communicators have the opportunity to ensure that their messaging sticks in employees’ minds by considering creative and entertaining ways to announce new policies.

Lean into employee interests to keep people invested. Have a lot of book lovers among your employee community? Look to #BookTok for discussion and engagement inspiration.

“Look at your favorite LinkedIn influencers (even humorous ones like Corporate Bro),” said Mary Davis, product marketing manager at LumApps. “They have engaging, funny and quick content that does a really good job of getting their message across.”

And don’t forget the music that keeps TikTok thriving: Verizon head of communications Andy Choi rewrote Beyoncé’s song “Texas Hold ‘Em” with a teambuilding message for a quarterly update.

Make it a conversation

Nothing translates a viewer to a loyal follower on TikTok better than the sense that they are seen, heard and valued as a member of a creator’s community. The same principles apply to comms content.

“Reply, reply, reply,” is a mantra for TikTok creators, and both communicators and leaders can do the same on intranets, in Town Hall Q&As and beyond to help employees feel seen.

Employees themselves also make the best subject matter experts for their roles. Consider working with employees in different departments to develop training videos for their colleagues and successors to maintain institutional knowledge over the years.

Keep community at the heart of the equation

“TikTok is a place where diverse voices, collaborative formats, and subject matters have flipped everything we know about traditional storytelling on its head,” the What’s Next report reads. “Content on TikTok is designed to be reinterpreted and built upon, so mobilize our community and give them an equal seat at the table to shape your brand’s identity and narrative.”

Crowdsourcing content from employees provides a wealth of top-notch content and helps employees embrace an organization’s culture. Ignite belonging by trusting them to authentically carry messaging forward.

For example, as part of its “Disney Cast Life” campaign, Disney Parks rallied its cast members to promote the launch of the Guardians of the Galaxy-themed Cosmic Rewind ride, allowing them early access to the ride and encouraging them to tease the experience with social media posts.

Make new tech your friend

Most communicators have an extensive archive of announcements, reports, policies, town hall messages, event videos, blog posts, emails and beyond. These archival materials can be repurposed into shorter-form intranet posts, social media materials, and vertical video. If you’re stuck or overwhelmed, try using an AI chat tool to adapt content that may have begun as a PDF into an engaging video script.

A communicator’s job today is much more than posting the latest policy updates to the intranet: It’s about helping employees feel they’re part of something. Look to platforms like TikTok, where communities thrive, to find out how to build loyalty and enthusiasm among your own workforce. Drill down into more tactical video production tips in LumApps’ whitepaper, “Your Go-To Guide for Creating Impactful Videos to Enhance Your Internal Communications Strategy.”

The post How TikTokification can help internal communicators build culture and community   appeared first on PR Daily.

Effective internal communication is the backbone of any successful organization. It encourages engagement and helps ensure all employees align with company goals and are aware of key information. However, to optimize your internal comms, it’s important to objectively evaluate your communications efforts and adjust accordingly.

An internal communications audit is a way to evaluate your organization’s internal communications processes and strategies. The purpose is to assess the intentions, types, volumes and effectiveness of internal communications and answer questions like:

• How effective is this channel for this purpose?
• Do employees feel like they receive sufficient communications?
• Do employees engage with our messages?

Research published in the Journal of Business Market Management proved that internal communication — from an organization and supervisors — significantly optimizes employee engagement. Additionally, a study published in 2020 found a positive and significant relationship between downward communication and employee performance.

Findings like these underscore the significant benefits of internal communications on organizational success. They also highlight the value of objectively measuring and optimizing efforts to achieve the most significant impact.

Why Conduct an Internal Communications Audit?

Here are a few of the main reasons:

1. Identify comms gaps. By evaluating the impact of your comms, you can pinpoint areas where your communications are lacking or ineffective.
2. Boost reader engagement. An internal comms audit can help reveal the types of messages and channels employees engage with most (and least), which may vary based on the nature of the communications. Knowing this helps you adopt more effective strategies and minimize the rest.
3. Ensure alignment. By auditing your internal comms, you can ensure your messaging aligns with organizational goals and values while evaluating your employees’ ability to consume the messaging. This alignment can help you foster more consistent and cohesive communications.

Step-by-Step Guide to Conducting an Internal Communications Audit

1. Define objectives. What do you expect to learn from your audit? Lay out your goals. Determine what aspects of your internal communications programs you wish to assess and improve. For example, your main objective may be to evaluate your leadership-to-management and leadership-to-employee messaging. You may want to review the use of various channels (e.g., email, intranet, Teams) about the types of messaging you send. Or you might be interested in learning if employees feel they get enough or too much communication and how that might vary by topic.
2. Ask good questions and gather the data. With your objectives in mind, prepare question sets and requests for other data you may want. You’ll want to collect (or request) quantitative and qualitative data through surveys, interviews, focus groups or existing data sets. It’s good to set a benchmark as a starting place for comparing data. Data may come from your communications team (e.g., types of messages, volumes published), IT (total messages sent from specific addresses or to particular groups/DLs) or HR. Suppose you’re evaluating channel use and effectiveness. In that case, you may want to survey employees about their preferred communication channels by message category, ideal frequency, and any areas where they feel communication is overwhelming or lacking. You can also dig into your inbox, Sharepoint pages, and Teams channels to pull out relevant examples from each broad category of messaging you want to evaluate.
3. Analyze findings. After you gather your data, analyze the numbers — or queue up a data analyst ahead of time — and identify results and trends. First, look for results that show outstanding areas of strength or weakness. Collate your survey responses and conduct a thematic analysis to identify commonalities across the various reactions and multiple questionnaires.
4. Develop actionable insights. Next, brainstorm actionable insights and recommendations for improving internal communications based on data analysis. For example, let’s say you review the data and find that most employees feel disconnected or unaware of the company’s business strategy. To combat this deficit, you may suggest a new leadership communications program and a monthly virtual all-hands meeting to loop employees into critical organizational priorities and share the company’s progress in the previous month.
5. Publish an implementation plan. To ensure success, take your list of actionable insights to the next step by organizing a detailed plan for implementing the recommended changes. Be sure to include timelines and responsible parties. Don’t forget to loop surveyed employees back into the insights you have discovered and what you are planning to do. As you adjust comms later in the cycle, remind people that the changes are in response to your audit findings.
6. Monitor and evaluate. One extensive audit can prove very helpful in driving change, but a continuous improvement process is ideal. You’ll need systems to measure and monitor the effectiveness of the implemented changes continuously. You might utilize occasional pulse surveys to assess employee satisfaction with the revised communication programs and adjust as needed.

A detailed audit can be your friend when your team feels change is necessary but is still determining where to start. The process helps you identify areas of strength and improvement, gather critical data, develop insights, and implement an action plan. By executing an effective audit, you can focus on what employees say they want and improve communications effectiveness, leading to improved outcomes, like increased employee engagement and work performance.

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No one benefits from an unhappy workforce. Yet detached and unmotivated employees seem to be everywhere.

Last year, for example, two-thirds of U.S. workers reported feeling either not engaged or actively disengaged on the job, according to Gallup. These dissatisfied employees cost companies an estimated $1.9 trillion in lost productivity. Ouch.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Both managers and employees can do their part to boost morale in the workplace — and it begins with a sound communications strategy.

For those in leadership positions, the key is to establish an ongoing dialogue with subordinates. Employees want to know what’s happening and why. Who did the business just hire? How did the department perform last quarter? Keeping people in the loop on a routine basis makes them feel more connected to the company. More transparency leads to fewer misunderstandings and a more self-assured work environment. It’s the internal communicator’s job to set benchmarks and measurements to understand which channels employees prefer to receive communications, how often and what format works best.

Employees also want to express their opinions and be heard. The more their superiors listen and act on the input, the more workers will invest their time and energy into the company.

Managers should set up regular calls or schedule recurring meetings on internal communications platforms such as Slack, as they can no longer rely on news spreading around the office in an informal manner. While remote work has declined since the height of the pandemic, numbers from the Census Bureau show that around 26% of U.S. households still have someone working from home at least one day per week. A more formal approach to disseminating information cuts down on unfounded gossip, too.

Internal communicators can partner with team managers by collaborating on crafting effective messaging that resonates with employees, providing resources and training on communication strategies, and offering consistent feedback and support. By aligning their efforts and actively involving team managers in the communication process, internal communicators can ensure that messaging is relevant, timely and tailored to the specific needs of employees, ultimately leading to increased engagement and stronger relationships within the organization. This partnership allows team managers to be champions of communication within their teams and encourages a culture of transparency, trust and open dialogue throughout the organization.

Providing feedback — both positive and constructive — is also crucial. Employees want to know that their individual efforts serve a greater purpose by contributing to the company’s overall success. As additional findings from Gallup put it, people “want to be known for what makes them unique.” Managers, therefore, can help drive employee engagement by celebrating good work in a public setting. Reward a job well done, whether that’s in a group email or an all-hands Zoom meeting.

On the other hand, while criticism can be hard to hear, it signals to employees that what they do, and how they do it, matters. Someone cares enough to point out flaws. That said, best to have these conversations in private.

At the same time, employees shouldn’t feel like passive viewers of their own careers. Communication is a two-way street. Managers should encourage workers to submit their ideas and share their day-to-day frustrations before they snowball into bigger issues that push them into adopting a “quiet quitting” mindset. The more available and approachable managers can make themselves — within a healthy work-life balance, of course — the better.

Ultimately, employees want the respect that comes from reliable communication. They want the trust that accompanies a lasting relationship. Although 82% of employees believe it’s important for their organization to see them as a person rather than just an employee, only 45% say their organization sees them this way, according to research from Gartner. This is a big opportunity for companies looking to increase engagement and extend employee retention rates.

By working together, managers and employees can create a work culture that fosters a robust sense of camaraderie and collaboration. Whether it’s a client or customer, boss or worker, everyone will be better off because of it.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is hyped to become a transformative force across all industries. According to Next Move Strategy Consulting, the global AI market was valued at $95.6 billion in 2021 and is predicted to grow with a 32.9% compound annual growth rate to reach $1.85 trillion by 2030.

As the use of AI expands, it has the potential to revolutionize HR and corporate communications by linking data with content, but we must use it responsibly. According to Top Trends in Privacy Driving Your Business Through 2024, a report by Gartner®, “By 2025, regulations will necessitate focus on AI ethics, transparency and privacy, which will stimulate — instead of stifling — trust, growth and better functioning of AI around the world.” Let’s explore what this might look like.

First, recognize AI for what it is: Artificial

While AI output is fascinating at this stage, remember that it’s only as good as its inputs. AI rehashes and rewrites existing content, just a bit more cleverly than traditional plagiarism. While people currently use AI to write news stories, concerns about job displacement are not unfounded. However, it’s essential to recognize that AI’s contribution to corporate communications is much more nuanced than merely replacing human writers. Yes, AI can quickly generate text, yet the output is limited to the quality and integrity of the sources it has processed. Rather than replacing human writers, AI is more likely to become a time-saving assistant, allowing communicators to gain insights from data and focus more on strategy and creativity.

How will AI assist employee communications?

1. Use communications analytics data to inform content strategy. One of the significant challenges in corporate communications is understanding message uptake. Communications analytics data like PoliteMail’s Benchmark Report reveals that employees are willing to spend about a minute with an average email, with the highest engagement observed in messages of just thirty seconds or less to read. It won’t be long before AI makes this type of data analysis available as real-time recommendations, with variable tuning based on the message content and intended audience. Internal comms and HR teams may leverage AI tools as an editor to quickly condense lengthy content into more concise, reader-friendly message summaries. For example, internal comms could ask an AI tool to take a Teams meeting transcript and produce a bullet list summary for broadcast distribution.

2. Optimize communications for higher engagement. AI excels at pattern matching and machine learning. So, when teams apply these tools to content analysis and communications metrics, they can enhance both assets’ value. Effective communicators possess strong intuition and language skills, and adding data-driven insights to evaluate the impact of their work will expand their reach and improve desired outcomes. For example, PoliteMail provides an AI-driven subject line suggester trained on attention rate data. Based on past performance, the tool suggests subjects likely to garner more attention. The communicator provides the content and ideas — what are we communicating and why — and AI helps optimize the how and the word choice.

3. Maintain a consistent brand voice. Beyond visual brand guidelines that define a company’s logo, font, and colors, corporate communications teams seek to maintain a consistent brand voice (the company’s style, attitude and tone). With its ability to learn patterns, AI can help a diverse team of writers execute a more consistent brand voice by mimicking a specific fashion, point of view and character. By training AI to edit content to align with an organization’s defined brand voice, communicators can ensure a cohesive identity. An organization could train an AI on its brand voice by inputting its current collateral library that fits the brand voice. Some have seen tools like ChatGPT accomplish this when prompted to rewrite a speech in the style of Teddy Roosevelt or write a story in the style of Mark Twain.

Say Hi to AI

While AI is a powerful up-and-coming tool, companies should view it as a collaborative partner rather than a replacement for human intelligence. Leveraged responsibly, AI can help streamline content production and provide valuable data-driven insights that help comms teams produce more engaging content. Used strategically, AI can elevate corporate comms by strengthening content strategy, optimizing communications for reach, readership and engagement, and defining and maintaining a robust and consistent brand voice.

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When it comes to understanding employee engagement and satisfaction, Voice of Employee (VoE) data takes center stage. Capturing the thoughts, emotions and experiences of your workforce can uncover insights that shed light on factors that influence their commitment to productivity. The truth lies in the alignment between company culture and employee expectations. Workloads, retention rates, productivity, innovation and HR efficiency are all crucial elements of a healthy company culture.

According to recent findings by Gartner®, “Interest in expanding data sources to measure and understand worker activities and sentiment has grown significantly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.” We believe primarily due to the adoption of working from home, companies needed ways to keep tabs on the work, without being able to see them in the office.

“The overall cost and risk of collecting and processing more data on employee activity and sentiment can outweigh the benefits from the generated insights,” warns Gartner. Instead, the research explores human-centric approaches to measurement, with the intent to continuously improve the structures, policies, interventions and support mechanisms put in place to positively impact employee productivity, experience and wellbeing.

Active listening is a human-centered approach to gathering data, a central tenet of emotional intelligence, and helps build trust and rapport while avoiding employee backlash to monitoring. Often, active listening can be performed by managers or using specialized focus groups. Such information will then supplement and provide better context to the computer-generated employee activity and sentiment data.

At PoliteMail, some of our favorite non-intrusive metrics to measure employee email behavior include:

• Reach: the number and percentage of your employee audience paying attention to your communications.
• Readership: the number of employees actively reading and investing time into those messages.
• Engagement: a combination of email readership levels and click behavior over time.

Measuring employee activity over time helps establish baselines and trends.

What is active listening?

Active listening is essentially giving your full attention to someone when they speak and seeking to understand their perspective without judgment or interruption. The aim is to understand the essential meaning behind what someone is saying, not simply their literal words. The intentional practice of active listening involves good eye contact, non-verbal cues, asking open-ended questions, paraphrasing back to them and listening to comprehend rather than respond.

Such listening may sound intuitive, but in practice, it’s challenging to perform and difficult to master.

What does active listening involve?

One approach under the umbrella of ‘active listening’ is for managers to practice reflective listening, where one seeks to understand an individual’s ideas and emotions and reflect those thoughts back to them. Reflective listening may look like this: “It sounds like you’re overwhelmed by this project and the upcoming deadlines. Tell me more about [X].” Or “It seems like you’re disappointed about [Y]. Why is that?” These statements acknowledge the employee’s emotions, and the open-ended question prompts them to share more. By paraphrasing back to the speaker what you heard, the listener communicates they are genuinely interested in understanding what was shared instead of simply reacting to it. Follow-up questions can then help the speaker clarify their message to ensure it is understood and interpreted correctly.

Using active listening to inform employee data collection

The monitoring of who is doing what, measuring what is getting done, and monitoring the quality of the work is a critical part of organizational management, and it should be utilized and presented in a way that improves employee experience without feeling intrusive or oppressive. In addition to production, leadership must understand what employees say and, more importantly, what they feel.

An active listening strategy can work both ways to enable discussions of how and why your organization collects and uses data. Conversations between leadership, internal comms and employees will inform the application of this strategy moving forward and seek to answer questions like the following:

• What data do we want to collect? And why? What will we do with the data?
• How and when can we anonymize employee data and still be useful?
• Will we allow employees to opt into (or out of) certain data collection?
• How will we share data with employees?
• How will we use employee feedback to make changes?

According to Gartner, “Employee digital footprints generate a lot of data from which you can infer employees’ productivity, satisfaction with their experience and well-being. But you will only ever see a part of the picture.” To understand the employee experience more fully, it’s essential to pair human-centered data collection methods with personal active listening, where you’ll learn not only what employees say but how they feel.

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Ragan is pleased to announce the 2024 Top Places to Work in Communications. This year’s class of inductees put employees first by ensuring their staff’s active involvement and motivation, advocating for increased diversity and equity in the workplace, presenting impactful narratives and creating a positive and supportive work environment.

Here’s a glimpse of what this year’s group has done to rise to the top:

• Marathon Strategies set out to find out what a great workplace meant to employees at this small PR firm. Partnering with a consultancy, the company implemented key tactical initiatives: reinvestment in employee career development and skill training, embracing employee flexibility and time off, and providing financial and mental health resources.
• The Kroger Co.’s Corporate Affairs team activated the organization’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste (ZHZW) impact plan to create communities free of hunger and waste by expanding its seamless ecosystem, optimizing store-level execution of ZHZW programs, enabling technology to recover and redistribute more surplus food, and aligning charitable giving to feed more people.
• In 2023, Cincinnati Children’s was named the No.1 pediatric health system. It believes in an integrated approach to its work, removing words like “internal” and “external” from the vernacular. Instead, the organization focuses on “Culture Communications,” reinforcing its effort to use proactive, intentional messages and images to educate, inspire and unite the organization, while its Culture Committee regularly plans social, educational and service activities and produces a regular e-newsletter.

Congratulations to this year’s full class of honorees:

• 5WPR
• Aadi Bioscience
• Aspectus Group
• Bell
• Boden PR
• Cincinnati Children’s
• Corporate Ink
• Coyne PR
• Hager Sharp
• Henry Schein, Inc.
• Horizon Therapeutics
• Hotwire
• HUNTER
• Identity
• iQ 360 Inc.
• Kaplow Communications
• KCSA Strategic Communication
• Marathon Strategies
• McCownGordon Construction
• Merz Aesthetics
• Meteorite
• Mower
• Next PR
• Pace Public Relations
• Peppercomm, a Ruder Finn company
• PwC
• Red Hat
• Sachs Media
• Sage Communications
• Schmidt Public Affairs LLC
• Seattle Children’s Hospital
• Sharp Think
• SourceCode Communications
• The Kroger Co.
• The Levinson Group
• Vault Communications
• Vested
• Zeta Global

All honorees will be recognized during a special luncheon at Chicago’s Fairmont Hotel on April 18, immediately following the conclusion of Ragan’s Employee Communications & Culture Conference.

During this event, we’ll also celebrate this year’s Ragan’s Employee Communications Awards finalists — and announce category winners. These awards shine a spotlight on the organizations, communicators, teams, tools and campaigns that unified, engaged and inspired employees during a time of uncertainty. Employee Communications Awards finalists will be announced soon, and profiles for all honorees and winners for both programs will be available online after the event.

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Employers understand that employee engagement does not mean employee happiness, so in 2024 they are all about perfecting the employee experience to retain talent and strengthen teams.

Enhancing engagement with innovative tools and integrations 

With the ongoing popularity of remote and hybrid work, traditional methods of internal communication are being challenged (and before you ask — yes, email is still alive and kicking). In response, organizations are harnessing the power of innovative tools and integrations to foster increased engagement. These tools incentivize employees to participate in activities that produce valuable data to track engagement. Through gamification and interactive features, employees are more likely to participate and feel a sense of belonging within the organization.

Automation has become a pivotal force, transforming various aspects of business across industries. For internal communications, automation presents an array of opportunities to streamline processes, enhance efficiency and deliver more personalized communication experiences. Management plays a crucial role in promoting the initiative of leveraging automation in internal communications by providing resources, setting clear goals and encouraging a cross-functional and collaborative work culture. By using automation, companies can revolutionize how they engage and connect with their employees via the following methods:

Multi-channel distribution: Automation enables internal communicators to effortlessly distribute messages across multiple channels, including email, messaging apps, intranets and social media. By automating the distribution process, companies ensure consistent and timely delivery of information to employees, regardless of their preferred communication channels.

Content delivery: By utilizing scheduling and workflow automation tools, organizations can plan and deploy communications in advance, improving content consistency and increasing employee engagement.

Measuring analytics: Automation allows for streamlined measurement and analysis of internal communication efforts. By automating data collection, organizations can gain valuable insights into employee engagement, content performance and message effectiveness. These analytics facilitate data-driven decision-making, allowing communication teams to refine strategies and improve future campaigns.

Personalized communication: By integrating automation tools with employee data, such as job roles, locations and interests, companies can deliver tailored messages that resonate with specific audiences within their workforce. Personalized communication enhances engagement and fosters a sense of belonging among employees.

Farewell annual surveys: The power of frequent surveys and polls 

Annual surveys have long been a staple in gauging employee satisfaction and engagement. However, organizations are realizing that employees perceive annual surveys as lengthy, time-consuming and irrelevant to their current needs. To improve outcomes, many companies are opting for smaller, more frequent surveys that allow for a variety of question types and customization options, letting teams gather honest feedback. Frequent surveys enable organizations to act quickly on the insights obtained. Instead of waiting for an annual survey cycle, organizations can implement changes, address concerns and make improvements in a timely manner. This agility in response contributes to a more dynamic and responsive approach. It ensures that the internal communications team can make more informed decisions based on the most up-to-date data that reflects the employee voice.

Frequent surveys allow hard-to-reach employees, who might be missed in annual surveys, to have a voice in the feedback process. By having access to more regular feedback, organizations can measure the effectiveness of their internal communication efforts and make adjustments to improve engagement and satisfaction.

Asynchronous video conferencing and AI: Transforming the employee experience 

To further enhance the employee experience, internal communications teams are incorporating AI tools and asynchronous video conferencing technologies to give employees back some of their most valuable resource: time.

Asynchronous video conferencing for flexibility: Internal communications teams can leverage asynchronous video conferencing tools to host virtual town halls, training sessions or informative updates that employees can access and engage with at any time, enabling them to participate and provide feedback on their own schedules.

AI-powered tools and content for engagement: Tools like AI-powered chatbots and natural language processing assist companies in automating routine tasks and facilitating self-help for employees. Chatbots that can answer common employee questions or provide guidance on items such as company policies and procedures not only provide employees with quick access to information they need but also save time for the internal communications team. Intelligent knowledge management systems are being used to enhance and customize training programs by leveraging virtual and augmented reality, making learning more interactive and engaging. AI algorithms can analyze employees’ learning styles, strengths and weaknesses to create more customized training programs that help employees learn faster and retain information better.

By incorporating AI tools and asynchronous video conferencing into the mix, internal communications teams can create a more personalized and flexible employee experience. This approach acknowledges employees’ wellbeing while providing efficient communication channels and support mechanisms that cater to their unique needs, improving their sense of belonging.

Prioritizing the employee experience: The “Working Well” approach 

Many organizations have pushed “Happy at Work” campaigns to engage employees. Happiness is a difficult metric to capture. The True North metric should be employees working well while being well.

The physical, mental and emotional health of employees directly impacts their productivity and overall satisfaction with their work. Active listening, often dismissed as a mere buzzword, is now considered a valuable skill that internal communications teams should embrace. By actively listening to employees’ concerns, needs and suggestions, organizations can create a culture that fosters a positive employee experience.

Incorporating access to mental health apps, virtual wellness programs and Employee Assistance Programs into benefit packages can also help employees with stress management and mental dexterity. It is important that employees understand they have access to these resources to assist with their wellbeing.

Conclusion

The culture and productivity of an organization are shaped by employee experiences that begin with effective communication. In 2024, prioritizing the employee experience requires implementing communication strategies that streamline routes while collecting engagement data.

Leveraging AI-enhanced tools such as employee surveys, intranet analytics, social media listening tools and wellness and productivity apps can effectively measure and improve employee engagement, ultimately creating a work environment that fosters satisfaction, productivity and success.

By focusing on communication and providing support, organizations can create a positive employee experience that aligns with the ever-evolving work landscape.

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In the ever-evolving world of communications, individuals who adapt and push boundaries are uniquely positioned to cut through the noise and make a difference. Deborah Hyman, senior vice president, head of employee communications and employer brand at Wells Fargo, is a seasoned communications professional passionate about simplifying complex topics — and one such trailblazer. With a background that spans reporting, public relations and internal communications, Hyman has embarked on a journey marked by innovation, advocacy and a relentless commitment to diversifying and advancing the field of communications.

Deborah’s career began in journalism, where she honed her love for writing and making complex subjects accessible. During her tenure at a nuclear physics research laboratory, she transitioned into internal communications, pioneering a newsletter to bridge gaps in communication. This early venture laid the foundation for her future in employee experience.

“They needed a newsletter way back then before employee comms was a thing,” Hyman said. “It all started there. I just love influencing the masses. Such a positive thing. Something that makes their lives better and their work experience better. That’s been the journey.”

One of her achievements at this organization was bringing innovative communication techniques to her workplace, including new tools, software and technology. She soon developed a knack for improving existing systems and thinking outside the corporate box, an attribute that continues to define her career.

“I was bringing in new innovations to the lab when it came to communications very early on, and that’s been really the track for my career,” added Hyman. “How do you come in and make things better? How do you work outside of the box that you get put into in corporate America and kind of do things in a fun and interesting way?”

At this year’s Ragan’s CSR & Diversity awards in September, Hyman was the recipient of the 2023 Ragan’s Outstanding Service to the Industry (OSI) Award. Her focus is not just on what she does but on how she supports, uplifts and advances the industry and its professionals. Her involvement in organizations such as Chief, Page Up, Diversity Action Alliance and the National Black Public Relations Society (NBPRS) exemplifies her commitment to this cause.

Shelley Spector, founder and director of the Museum of Public Relations, founder and president of Spector & Associates and last year’s OSI recipient, presented the award this year.

“This is an award for those individuals who go above and beyond their official work duties to achieve more equity and fairness in our industry,” said Spector while presenting the award. “Who take it upon themselves to make change happen, to do it on their own time, maybe even, on their own dime. They break molds, go against the rules, find new ways of achieving that which must be achieved. One such person is Deborah Hyman, the quintessential builder of communities inside and outside the workplace — communities that help individuals grow and flourish, whatever stage of their career in which they happen to be.”

Service to the industry and beyond

One organization Hyman has committed her time to is Chief, which is dedicated to uplifting executive women across various industries. It resonates with Hyman’s mission to promote diversity and inclusivity; through it, she actively engages in forums and networking opportunities to advance women in leadership roles.

Another is Page Up, a branch of the Arthur Page Society, which serves as Hyman’s platform for contributing to the future of public relations and communications. Serving as a member for over a year, she volunteers on the conference planning committee to foster industry diversity and explore topics like employee and internal communications.

However, Hyman’s commitment to impact extends well beyond her professional life. She also serves on the board of directors for Cloud Cares, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of underserved youth in New Jersey. Her fundraising efforts ensure that these young individuals receive the support they need, whether it’s through gifts at Christmas or essential educational resources throughout the year.

Hyman’s involvement with the NBPRS, which recently partnered with the Diversity Action Alliance, demonstrates her unwavering commitment to advancing diversity within the industry. Through the organization, she contributes to actionable plans to diversify the field and holds industry stakeholders accountable for their role in promoting inclusivity.

“We recently held a summit to diversify the industry,” explained Hyman. “To develop an action plan that would be hard-hitting, actionable and work toward the diversifying industry, holding industry partners accountable for diversity and advancing minorities in their companies.”

As a past president of the organization, Hyman is passionate about fostering leadership among Black professionals in the communications field. She aims to transform the NBPRS into an advocacy powerhouse, dedicated to advancing the careers of black individuals in public relations.

Throughout her career, Hyman has often faced situations where she the only person of color in leadership roles, an experience that Hyman believes underscores the importance of mentorship tailored to the unique challenges faced by minorities. Her support of initiatives such as internships, boot camps and mentorship programs for Black students are her way of helping diversify the industry and create opportunities for professionals of color.

“To be in a leadership role and not having mentors or people above me to look up to — that has probably been the biggest challenge,” said Hyman. “Because you can’t be it if you can’t see it. What I’ve had to look at were not people of color I’ve followed and been mentored by. That’s fine, but I do think people of color need to be mentored differently. Because there are different challenges that we face as we’re going through our career journey.”

Looking to the future of communications, Hyman sees endless possibilities. She highlights the significance of being an exceptional writer and the ability to think outside the box. In a rapidly changing landscape, these core skills remain crucial. She emphasizes that communication professionals must be versatile and adaptable to continue driving change effectively.

“Our being communicators, it’s important that we have diverse voices at the table and that we have diverse perspectives weighing in on content visuals, approaches and strategy,” added Hyman. “There must be a diverse mix. It’s important for our future, and its importance is the success of these corporations and firms.”

Hyman’s journey in the world of communication is marked by innovation, dedication, and a commitment to diversity and inclusivity. Her tireless efforts, professionally and in the nonprofit sector, exemplify her passion for uplifting others and advancing the industry. As communication evolves, her advocacy and innovative thinking serve as a guiding light for the profession’s future.

MORE FACTS

Favorite quote: “Seek first to understand than to be understood.” – Stephen Covey

Best early advice received: Dress for the position that you want, not the position you’re in.

Favorite professional development book: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Best skill to have: “The ability to be a great writer. That’s the basic skill I was told I needed 30 years ago and it still remains. That’s a core skill that will take you places.”

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A strong workplace culture can substantially impact an era when reputation is everything.  Communications teams and agencies are increasingly vital in business strategy and reputation management. That’s why Ragan’s Top Place to Work in Communications adds credibility and trust to your brand.

“Ragan is excited to showcase the workplaces and communications departments that promote communications excellence,” said Brendan Gannon, senior marketing manager of Ragan’s Awards programs. “We cannot wait to learn more about the companies, organizations and agencies where communicators can thrive, and communications play a key role in the success of their business.”

Participating in Ragan’s awards program allows you to benchmark your communications department or agency against the best in the field. It offers valuable insights into your strengths and areas for improvement, helping you refine your strategies and practices. It shines a spotlight on your organization’s exceptional qualities, from effective onboarding and training programs to outstanding benefits and unique workplace experiences. Join the list of past honorees like Audible, Hotwire, ING, Merit America, Canidae and many more.

Being named a Top Places to Work in Communications honoree may also come with intangible benefits to an organization as the distinction elevates its appeal to top-tier talent. Prospective employees are drawn to companies with a proven track record of fostering a purposeful and productive workplace culture. Not only could you attract top talent, but your organization might enjoy higher employee satisfaction — retaining existing employees and reducing turnover costs. Show the world why your organization is the place to be.

In addition to recognition, winners receive a trophy to proudly display, a digital banner for their online presence, an editorial feature highlighting their organization’s success and recognition at a live event in 2024. Their logo will also be prominently featured on Ragan and PR Daily’s Job Board, further boosting their visibility.

Don’t miss the chance to showcase your organization as a premier workplace for communicators. The deadline to enter is Sept. 22, 2023, so enter today!

The post What it takes to become one of the Top Places to Work in Communications appeared first on PR Daily.

Why do so many organizations struggle to create and maintain an effective internal communications strategy?

In some cases, it’s simply a lack of priority. Leadership may not see the critical role that strategic communications can play in aligning teams, increasing productivity, and achieving organizational success.

In other cases, leadership may simply not have the time, resources, or expertise to build an effective communications strategy. So, they resort to vague mission statements or adopt rigid plans that do not adapt to the organization’s ever-evolving needs.

Both situations are unfortunate yet avoidable when organizations:

• Set clear and attainable goals
• Follow the data
• Communicate with intention

Here’s how to do exactly that.

Setting the Foundation

You need a foundation before you can implement an effective communications strategy. To build it, you must:

Establish Ownership and Responsibility

Organizational messaging is most effective when it comes from two or three consistent sources. In short, know who is responsible for sending what to whom.

This approach ensures consistency in communication, builds trust among recipients, and eliminates confusion.

Nail Down Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Pinpoint the right KPIs to measure the performance of your messages, going beyond the usual stuff like open rates. Instead, use engagement metrics like:

• Time spent reading
• Employee feedback
• Actions taken in response to the communication

These metrics will give a more nuanced understanding of the effectiveness of your strategy.

Know Your Audience

Consider segmenting your audience into smaller groups, allowing you to send personalized messages that resonate with each group.

Targeting specific divisions, departments, or time zones ensures that the right information reaches the right people — which boosts engagement and understanding.

Select Communication Channel(s)

Before choosing the appropriate channel for your segments, you need to know which channels employees use and prefer.

To find out, conduct surveys. Ask questions about employees’ usage, what channels they find most effective, and if they have any suggestions for improvement. If your organization already has communication tools in place, analyze the usage data to identify which channels are the most widely used.

Create Alignment With Company Initiatives

Ensure your messaging aligns with your company’s overall goals and priorities — and be prepared to adapt if those goals change.

Additionally, be cautious about over-planning. While detailed messaging plans can be helpful, they can also become outdated if the company’s priorities shift unexpectedly. Flexibility ensures your messages stay relevant and aligned with the organization’s evolving needs.

Set Benchmarks

One mistake we see organizations make is only comparing themselves to, well, themselves.

While a five percent increase in your open rate is commendable, it might not give an accurate picture if the industry standard is twice that amount.

To gain a comprehensive understanding of your situation, it’s essential to consider external benchmarks that reflect industry standards and best practices.

If you want to see how you stack up against the competition, download our free 2023 benchmark report. The report offers email intelligence from over three billion internal emails to nearly 14 million employees globally.

Send Messages Earlier in the Week

When is the best time to send messages? Our research shows two things:

• Tuesday messages yield higher read rates
• Friday messages show the lowest read rates

Why? Our suspicion is that on Mondays, people are catching up after the weekend, and they may not be fully in the groove yet. By Tuesday, employees are more likely to be settled and receptive to reading.

Send Messages Earlier in the Day

We also recommend sending messages earlier in the day — preferably before work hours.

By delivering your emails around 6 or 7 a.m., they’ll be sitting in your recipients’ inboxes when they start their day. And if you’re using a tool like PoliteMail, you can schedule this in advance, so you won’t have to wake up at 5 a.m. just to send an email.

But this begs the question: When you send messages early in the day, doesn’t it increase the likelihood of that message being buried in employees’ inboxes amidst the morning influx of emails? That’s a fair point — and why your message must stand out.

Make Your Message Stand Out

To make your message stand out, send them from email addresses that make employees pay attention. Using the CEO’s or an executive’s name as the sender, for example, adds weight to the message and increases the odds of it being read.

Keep Subject Lines Short and Sweet

When it comes to internal communications, short and sweet subject lines are essential. Aim for around five to seven words to grab employees’ attention and encourage them to open the email.

This rule also applies to the body of the message itself. Keep messages between 100-250 words.

Target Your Distributions to Smaller Audiences

Targeting your email distributions to smaller audiences can significantly improve the impact of your messages.

Keep in mind that not all departments have the same interests or duties. Instead of bombarding everyone with a massive, company-wide email, send narrowly targeted messages to specific groups. This ensures that each department receives information that directly applies to them.

Go Heavy on the Images

Next, spice up your emails with eye-catching images! If you’re sending out a newsletter, images can make a big difference.

While simple all-text messages, like a short note from the CEO, can work well, too, you’ll find that newsletters come alive with captivating visuals.

A word to the wise: no cheesy stock photos, clip art, or old photos featuring employees who no longer work for the company!

Ensure Messages Are Mobile-Responsive

Your goal should always be to give users a smooth and user-friendly experience — which means your messages should be optimized for every device.

Consider Reading Level

We once worked with a client who was sending messages at a university reading level. It’s no wonder employees weren’t engaging! Use simple and direct language that’s relatable and watch reading time, engagement, and clicks soar.

Limit Hyperlinks

To boost your click-through rate, keep the number of links in your emails to a minimum. Ideally, try limiting it to just one link.

That may sound challenging, especially if you have a lot of information to share.

One way to achieve this is by sending shorter and more frequent messages, each containing a single story or topic with a corresponding link. This approach not only simplifies your message but also increases the likelihood of recipients clicking on the link.

Set a Routine

Establishing a routine for sending emails is a powerful way to engage your audience. By maintaining a set schedule, you create anticipation among your recipients, who’ll come to expect your messages on specific days.

Give employees consistency, and your messaging will have far more impact.

Micheal DesRochers is a managing partner at PoliteMail Software. 

The post Developing an Effective Communications Strategy: Data-Driven Insights for Success appeared first on PR Daily.

A strong remote culture benefits everyone at your company. Whether your employees work in-office or remotely, having a robust remote culture prepares employees to collaborate effectively whenever they’re not in the same space. And in the modern workplace, that can happen often.

Collaborating with employees across long distances is no longer just a necessity imposed by a worldwide pandemic — it’s now the reality of scaling businesses and companies with frontline employees. Not to mention, it’s a must for organizations that want to offer flexible work perks as a hiring incentive.

Remote work remains a significant part of the employee experience, and companies need to proactively invest in building up remote culture.

So what is remote workplace culture exactly? According to Wendy Englebardt,  internal communications director at Monster, it’s all about the unconditional feeling of connection that coworkers experience when they’re bonded by similar priorities, interests, and attitudes.

To create a sense of community, Englebardt — along with Monster’s VP of Global Talent Management, Kaelyn Phillips — prioritized the individual employee.

Their goal was to break down silos and build community. And while that sounds great on paper, it was no small feat logistically. To do this, they scaled and increased communications while restructuring their internal communications channels.

Their efforts involved creating talk tracks for leaders to share information directly with employees via team meetings and personalized emails. It also included developing segmented emails, adding more customized content, and doubling down on wellness communications.

For Englebardt’s team, shareable email templates and internal email software like ContactMonkey made it easy to send segmented emails at scale. With ContactMonkey, users can create responsive HTML email templates for different occasions and send them on behalf of leadership teams, HR personnel, and other departments in a synchronized manner. Multiple communicators can work on a template simultaneously and watch changes in real-time — just like in Google Docs.

But personalization is the real key here. Remote employees can sometimes feel lost and disconnected from the organization. Using ContactMonkey’s email personalization feature, communications pros like Englebardt can address individual employees by name within their newsletter subject line, header, and copy.

Not to mention, communicators can use the interactive capabilities of HTML employee newsletters to add pulse surveys and anonymous comment boxes to gather continuous employee feedback. Along with these features, CTA buttons and other dynamic content serve to engage individual users. This opens space for communicators to build actual conversations with employees instead of simply sending out information into a void.

Individualized employee communications are important because they show employees that they are valued and respected as individuals, which can lead to greater job satisfaction, motivation, and productivity.

That being said, a remote work environment can make it challenging to know whether employees are actually reading or engaging with your communications. That’s why it’s important to gather accurate and precise email analytics.

Beyond collecting email open rates, clicks, and read times, ContactMonkey’s email tracking software lets you segment email analytics by different departments, company locations, or even job titles. Communicators can easily compare engagement across various employee groups, determine where engagement is falling or rising, and create customized content.

For Monster, customization made all the difference when it came to building a strong remote workplace culture. Englebardt and Phillips produced curated content for different occasions and employee groups, from TED talks to HBR articles. Remote teams were empowered to really come together and share their insight on important topics, helping build a sense of camaraderie and connection.

The moral of the story: Building a sense of community across remote and hybrid teams starts with the individual. Curated and individualized employee communications are important because they foster a sense of personal connection between employees and their employer or manager. Employees don’t need to wonder, “Is this stuff relevant for me?” Instead, they’re immediately engaged through tailor-made communications. And when employees feel that their employer understands their individual needs, concerns, and goals, they are more likely to feel engaged, motivated, and committed to their work.

Want to see how ContactMonkey can help you build a robust remote culture? Book your free demo to see ContactMonkey’s data-driven internal communications software in action.

The post How to build a strong remote culture through individualized employee communications appeared first on PR Daily.

“My accent comes out after a glass or two of wine,” said native Bostonian Jennifer George, VP of Communications and Public Relations at Shutterfly. Since her career took off, however, she’s called multiple countries home.

Her journey started in China, where she consulted for small and medium-sized businesses, something that George said showed her “the power of what comms can do.” Afterwards, she volunteered at a school in Kenya for young girls who had been rescued from child marriages. “I got to see firsthand how climate change was impacting the plight of women and girls,” said George. “It kicked off a professional passion of mine for ESG.”

It’s not George’s only passion: In addition to being the executive sponsor of Shutterfly’s mental health employee resource group (ERG), she’s the former global director of communications at Headspace, the mental health and meditation app. “I cannot speak more highly of the importance of having a good support network,” said George.

Ahead of her session at Ragan’s upcoming Employee Communications and Culture Conference, George shared her favorite TED talk, her best advice to managers seeking to implement mindfulness practices with their direct reports, and why she’s made it her mission to destigmatize mental health in the workplace.

Communication has truly been at the center of all aspects of your life. Your passions have really grown from your lived experience.

George: At first when you’re up and coming in your career, you think you have to bifurcate everything: “This is the professional me; and this is the personal me.” The truth is, there’s no such thing.

That’s at the core of one of the causes of burnout, though, that lack of separation from work and home that came out of being at home during the pandemic.

When lockdown first started, I was running PR for Headspace. And I was so overwhelmed. It was a peak moment for people who were looking for mental health support — we were partnering with Governor Cuomo in New York, Governor Whitmer in Michigan, we were making new fresh content and trying to make it available for free to as many communities and audiences we could.

I remember one moment, it was a Saturday night. I was on the phone with Governor Cuomo’s press secretary. And we were preparing for one of his upcoming press conferences.

I was holed up in the bathroom on the phone, trying to have this personal call. My two-and-a-half-year-old was banging on the door trying to get in, and I’ve got my foot against the door, and I’m trying to hold it together.

I’m not alone in those stories of desperation. You just suddenly realize there’s no way you can balance [your way out of] this.

I’m the executive sponsor of our mental health ERG here at Shutterfly. I’ve struggled with mental health myself, which I talk about very openly, because there’s still a huge stigma around it.

How did you walk back from that? What allowed you to re-center yourself after that moment in the bathroom with your foot against the door?

When COVID first started, I figured it’s going be a couple of weeks, things will go back to normal… like everyone else thought. I was already struggling a bit with my mental health because of postpartum anxiety [my daughter was born in mid-2019]. And after about a month, which was right around the time [of the bathroom incident], there was a moment where I was trying to make dinner and the kids were crying, and I was getting more calls.

I just slumped on the kitchen floor. I texted my therapist, and we had a session that night. And since then, every Friday at 1 pm, my calendar is blocked and my team knows that it’s blocked, because I’m talking to [my therapist].

You would go to the hospital for a broken arm. Your mind needs help just the same way. Mental health is physical health. I saw it in that moment when I physically could not get up.

How do you recognize when your fellow employees get to that moment? Do you have any advice for handling those delicate conversations?

I make it a real point to talk very openly about my own mental health. But I also ask questions: How are you doing? Is there anything that I can take off your plate? Can I help you reprioritize? Opening [the door] to that conversation is the first step.

Shutterfly has a very heavy quarter 4; a lot of holiday cards, gifts, school photographs. It’s often very hard for people to take time off. Every quarter 4 I require people to put in at least a week, if not more, into our [group] calendar. People know that their work is going to be taken care of, and they are encouraged to take that time off [without stress].

I send notes. World Mental Health Day, Stress Awareness Month. [Sometimes] I’ll also send a list of resources. Andy Puddicombe’s TED talk is a great one to just rewatch. There’s also The Motherhood Center. A lot of folks in communications are women and mothers. From my own experience, it can be really challenging struggling with mental health, but also trying to take care of your child.

Of course, we have our employee assistance programs, but [I think beyond that] to other options, like [therapy app] BetterHelp. We have access to Sanvello [a mindfulness app] as part of our benefits. Find different ways to check in.

We also set up a 15-minute block on the team’s calendar, about 18 people, every single day. It’s a mindful moment. It’s meant to [allow you] to take a little bit of time, take a walk, meditate or just make something part of your routine.

There has also been a generational shift in how people look at work. There are people who have never stepped foot in an office, that had been working at home for years.

The workforce is facing a massive amount of burnout and stress and loneliness. The pandemic certainly supercharged it, but the macro-economic environment is exacerbating it. You’ve got increased stressors as it relates to geopolitical turmoil in Ukraine, Russia, what’s happening in Israel. All of these things together are creating a really complex place for our minds.

[My first consideration] is helping to reduce the stigma around [mental health], whether it’s bringing in a speaker or resiliency workshops.

The other piece is just around preventative care. How are we proactively monitoring our workforces and evaluating [our] employees’ mental health? We’ve done wellbeing surveys to get a pulse on how our people are faring right now. How is their workload? Are they accessing the tools on a regular basis? The preventative care piece is really important to help stave off some of that burnout and fatigue.

The third piece is around having the courage to start a conversation [at the top, because you really do set the tone as a leader. There is something about showing care and grace for our people that is so profound.

And that doesn’t take any budget or resources. It just takes [us being able to] wrap our arms around our people in a way that only HR and communicators can do so beautifully.

Join George at Ragan’s Employee Communications and Culture Conference on April 25-27. George will speak alongside communications leaders from Kraft Heinz, US Bank, Motorola, Constellation, and more. 

The post Managing difficult conversations about mental health at work appeared first on PR Daily.

Who’d have thought that a spin-off about the origins of a corrupt lawyer could capture the hearts of so many? We love “Better Call Saul” almost as much as we love talking about employee experience. So we’ve taken the natural next step -– bringing them together in our most ambitious
handbook yet.

What is employee experience and why should you care? Employee experience is exactly what it says on the tin: it’s the impression your company leaves on your employees. It starts as early as when they apply for a job and lasts until the day they leave (and beyond).

The experience your employees have impacts every single part of your company. Productivity, recruitment, retention, customer satisfaction… the list goes on. And it makes all the difference in uncertain times; it’s what keeps staff retention steady and prevents quiet quitting. It’s what helps you recruit and retain people as passionate and talented as Kim Wexler.

Even Jimmy McGill –- the con artist who tries to leave his unsavory past behind – just wants the respect, trust, and compassion his hard work for the bar exam has earned him. When he doesn’t get that, it sends him down the slippery slope toward Saul Goodman, and we all know
how that ends.

Not with Texas Blue Bell chocolate chip ice cream, sadly.

Gene, Cinnabon, and the power of purpose at work. Today’s employees want a sense of purpose, and our friends in Albequerque (and Omaha) are no different. We’ve seen what happens when Jimmy, AKA Saul Goodman, AKA Gene Takavic, dons an apron and clocks into his job at Cinnabon. His spark is gone, and so is his signature look; without the colorful, clashing suits, Gene’s heart simply isn’t in his work.

With Gene clearly lacking a sense of purpose, it’s clear that this new role is not going to end well. But what makes us feel purposeful is subjective, right? Right. However, people don’t have to feel like they’re inspiring world peace to enjoy their jobs. Sometimes giving an employee
purpose is as simple as empowering them to use their unique talents or help those around them.

On a good day, Gene leads a soulless life of anonymity, only clocking into work to keep up his new identity. On a bad day, he’s seconds from being uncovered as the colorful corrupt lawyer from Albuquerque who took pleasure in orchestrating his own brother’s terrible downfall and
went on to join Walter White’s inner circle. Gene feels no responsibility to Cinnabon, nor is he aligned with the organization’s mission and
goals.

Of course, Gene’s true calling never involved supplying the people of Omaha with tasty glazed cinnamon rolls. But it’s also a failing on Cinnabon for not recognizing the lack of purpose he was feeling in his work and taking action.

Who is to say that a highly engaged and motivated Gene Takavic wouldn’t have done everything he could to save his job at Cinnabon, as opposed to focusing on hiding his past? Maybe an employee recognition and engagement platform (like Workvivo) could even have helped Gene Takavic become the best-darned employee Cinnabon Omaha ever saw. With the right tools, Cinnabon could have given Gene easy, immediate access to connect with his colleagues across the US, but also to the ‘why’ of his work. What difference was he making by showing up every day? How successful was the new flavor his branch came up with, and what impact was it having? What positive reviews were coming in from the customers he served?

Without an employee experience app, Gene and his coworkers will never know the answers, let alone get the chance to celebrate them. And for that, Cinnabon lovers throughout Omaha are the ones who have to suffer.

The learning we take from this chaotic tale is that no matter how talented an employee may be, allowing a misalignment in purpose and goals to fester will almost certainly end in tears. Or in Gene Takavic/Saul Goodman’s case – an 86-year prison sentence.

Read the full guide at www.workvivo.com.

The post A sneak preview of the ‘Better Call Saul’ Guide to Employee Experience appeared first on PR Daily.

As the economic downturn mounts, organizations are making headlines every day for announcing large reductions in force (RIFs), and many companies will be cautious with raises and promotions in 2023.

Cue the negative Glassdoor reviews.

Glassdoor management and strategy will be a top focus for communications professionals in 2023. Eighty-six percent of job candidates look at a company’s reviews and rating before applying. Before deciding on a company, 60% of Glassdoor users read at least five reviews.

Regardless of economic stability, a smart Glassdoor management strategy is essential for recruiting and retaining employees. It’s time to take action to set up your organization for success.

What to do right now

• Keep your company’s profile up to date. A Glassdoor page is an opportunity to showcase why it’s a great place to work – you can add photos, award wins and even post recent job openings.
• Openly let your team know you welcome Glassdoor reviews. If a negative review becomes a hot topic of discussion, don’t appear defeated by it; instead, share that reviews are helpful because they provide insight into how employees are feeling. Create a culture where feedback is genuinely welcomed.
• Provide a private channel for team feedback. Give current team members an anonymous outlet where they’re free to share feedback that will go directly to HR/leadership, like Suggestion Ox. This helps minimize the desire to share frustrations publicly on Glassdoor.
• Monitor Glassdoor regularly and respond in a timely fashion. It’s not helpful to respond to reviews months after they are written.

To respond or not to respond

In most cases, my advice is to respond to all reviews. Some companies make the mistake of only responding to negative reviews, but the positive ones deserve acknowledgement and appreciation, too.

However, there are some companies that are hesitant to respond to all reviews. If that’s you, here’s what you need to consider:

• Accuracy: Is the review spreading misinformation that needs to be refuted? ​
• Opportunity: Does responding give you an opportunity to publicly share your stance on an important topic? Will a response provide transparency for your audience? Is this an opportunity to build a relationship with your audience? Does it give you a chance to communicate a plan of action for resolution?​
• Risk: Will responding add unnecessary fuel to the fire? Will a response appear defensive? Or does the commenter just want to be heard and therefore a response will deescalate the situation? ​
• Consistency: Are you only responding to positive reviews? Are you responding at random? ​
• Research: Carefully investigate the review. Don’t assume it’s true or false without digging in first.
• Language: Does the message or review use racist, derogatory or inappropriate language? If yes, do not respond​.

How to respond to negative reviews

If you’ve made the decision to respond to the reviews, here comes the hard part – handling the negativity. Consider the following best practices:

• Wait until tomorrow. Negative or false reviews will make you want to refute claims right away, which can appear defensive. Take a deep breath. Sleep on it. Just because a review is negative doesn’t mean it’s true. Most people understand feedback is perception, not necessarily fact.
• Don’t be defensive. No matter how unfair a review might be, readers will be turned off (and side with the disgruntled employee) if you act defensive.
• Say thank you. No matter the feedback, thank them for their comments. Even if you don’t agree with what was posted, feedback is valuable.
• Humanize your response. Don’t use a templated/stock response. Users reading your organization’s reviews will notice the pattern, and it’s important to respond genuinely and authentically.
• Sign it with a name. Another great way to humanize your response is by signing it from the CEO or a member of leadership/HR. Make sure the messaging matches their tone of voice and you’re responding with language they’d use in real life. This needs to be from a person, not a company robot.
• Show empathy. I get it – sometimes employees are just not a fit; sometimes their feedback is way off base. Still, it’s important to show you truly care and are hearing the feedback. It’s okay to show empathy even if you don’t agree.
• Apologize if you need to. Whether it’s an​ error or miscommunication, accept blame if you are at fault. Keep the apology short and sincere.
• Address every part of the review. Don’t focus on one point (usually the negative one). Make sure every piece of feedback – positive and negative – gets addressed.
• Show a genuine desire to improve. Nobody expects a company to be perfect. What people care about is your commitment to learning and doing better.

The final word

Don’t forget the final, and most important part of the process – listening to the reviews. Glassdoor pages can serve as an opportunity for your company to receive feedback and grow. Dig into them, make changes and take action. Not all reviews need to be acted on – some are disgruntled employees airing their grievances. But the companies that take the relevant Glassdoor reviews to heart will come out on top.

Shannon Tucker is VP of Next PR. 

The post How to manage negative Glassdoor reviews appeared first on PR Daily.

ESG is often seen as a tool for communicating with investors and customers. But increasingly, it’s also a tool for building strong relationships with employees.

Jeonghyun Janice Lee, the winner of the first Ragan Research Award, given in conjunction with the Institute for Public Relations, seeks to better understand how ESG influences employees, and how they go about telling these stories on social media.

“Almost every company should have in mind ESG topics,” Lee told PR Daily in an interview.

A former PR pro turned doctoral candidate

Originally from Seoul, South Korea, Lee spent nearly 10 years working in both PR agencies and in-house functions in roles including PR manager and online marketing communications manager.

It was during this time that her interest in ESG was piqued as she worked as a representative on an employee engagement committee.

“I had a kind of a failure at this experience to get outcomes from the committee,” Lee recalled. “That marked me that oh, this ESG topic could be brought into PR, employee engagement would be a great idea to research.”

Lee came to the United States to study journalism and mass communications at the University of Georgia, eventually completing her master’s degree and is now just a year away from submitting her doctoral dissertation. That piece will focus on the importance of societal intelligence for employees.

“I created some novel concepts of societal intelligence, which a communication professional has to have to deal with social and political issues nowadays,” Lee said.

After completing her doctorate, Lee hopes to stay in academia as a professor.

But first, Lee will be completing her original research for Ragan and the Institute of Public Relations.

How do employees talk about ESG?

Since her early interest in ESG during her time in Korea, Lee has continued to keep her eye on the topic. Every morning as she browsed the news articles of the day, she saw the term popping up again and again, gaining interest and intensity over the last two years.

“I found out that though ESG could be … not just the investment factor, but also communicated with employee engagement. And then that could be one of the elements of ESG,” Lee said.

Lee will study this in two ways: First, by “clustering” social media conversations between users online to see how they discuss ESG and draw patterns between them. Secondly, she’s examining the reports of top ESG companies listed in the S&P 500 to see how these documents addressed employee engagement through an ESG lens.

Lee’s research brief will be published through both IPR and Ragan in the fall of 2022.  Lee will receive her award at the 2022 IPR Distinguished Lecture and Awards Dinner in New York City on December 1.

Allison Carter is executive editor of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post ESG as a tool for employee engagement: Inside the first Ragan Research Award appeared first on PR Daily.

Aside from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workplace, the biggest story in employment news has been the phenomenon known as “quiet quitting”. The loosely-defined term refers to an employee doing the job they’re paid to do and not going above and beyond the description of their role. The trend has sparked conversations about boundary setting at work and how employers can better keep their employees engaged, but it’s also led to a conversation around a related topic: quiet firing.

Quiet firing, on the other hand, describes the behavior of management and other leaders that create the conditions for quiet quitting in the first place. Quiet firing can include passing over an employee for promotions, not including them on important projects, lessening lines of communication between manager and report and any other lack of support that prompts an employee to seek opportunities elsewhere.

However, smart and strategic internal communications can help keep employees engaged, encourage managers to keep lines of contact open and reduce the likelihood of quiet quitting or firing at your organization.

Maintaining periodic, constructive feedback

While quiet firing is loosely defined, the trend has been reported as existing in some form by many employees in the modern workplace. According to a Linkedin News poll from August, 48% of survey respondents reported seeing quiet firing situations happening around them in their place of work, and an additional 35% of respondents claimed that they had been the subject of quiet firing. However, the solution to solving the issue of quiet firing isn’t a complicated one. It simply requires open communication between the manager and the report.

TIME reports:

If you think you’re being quietly fired, “speak with leadership, advocate for yourself…and come together with other people who have the same needs as you do or who are looking for different changes in the workplace and then give it some time and see if those changes are actually made,” suggests Janice Gassam Asare, a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Racial Equity Consultant.

The report explains that managers may avoid giving feedback on employee performance over fear that it will be negatively received. However, managers can avoid this pattern by providing periodic constructive feedback to employees and being available to address concerns about work and more.

The role of manager communications

Even though it’s only been reported on recently, quiet quitting and quiet firing aren’t new issues in the workplace. However, there are ways to keep employees engaged and managers more involved in the activities of their reports, and of course, it all comes down to communication.

Multiple reports about quiet firing ascribe the trend to a lack of communication about important company activities from manager to report. This can include professional development sessions, upskilling opportunities, and company social functions. By ensuring you and your teams are communicating clear objectives, providing timely feedback and keeping employees in the loop, managers and their direct reports alike feel supported.

As internal communicators, this means giving all employees in an organization the ability to address concerns without any roadblocks. You can work design and refine your intranet to function as a hub where employees and managers can keep on top of both resources for their jobs and company activities, convene regular town halls where employees can address concerns, and hold your managers accountable to set up regular meetings with their direct reports that are structured to focus on both performance and their overall well-being.

Quiet quitting and quiet firing are trends that no manager wants to face. However, with proper communication tools and proactivity, these can both be avoided.

Providing better resources for both employees and managers

 In many instances, employees that have reported quiet quitting ascribe their issues to a lack of benefits, resources, and generally a lack of work-life balance. However, this isn’t just a positive for employees; their managers can also stand to benefit as well.

Giving flexibility to both managers and their reports can make the time to address performance, potential promotions, and important projects. Your messages, channel mix and cadence should be optimized to ensure that you’re clearly communicating any company policies that afford employee flexibility and wellness, especially amid a hybrid or remote work situation because of the pandemic.

Additionally, you should encourage managers to adapt their use of software, such as messaging apps like Slack or Teams and organizational tools like Trello to the individual preferences of their teams to ensure that their outreach effectively fosters connections and a sense of belonging.

The post How to end ‘quiet firing’ once and for all appeared first on PR Daily.

Finding the perfect candidate for an open role is never easy, but it’s even trickier in today’s tight labor market. To compete for top talent, organizations need a top employer branding strategy to go with it.

This may sound easy. Slap some pretty graphics on your LinkedIn page, use words like “work-life balance” in your postings and call it a day.

That isn’t good enough anymore.

Rainey Turlington, employer brand consultant at exaqueo, recently shared her expertise with Ragan Training on the top mistakes she sees from employer branding efforts — and how to fix them.

Don’t assume that because your company has a strong consumer brand, it has a strong employer brand.

Strong brand recognition for your product isn’t the same as being a great employer.

“There are plenty of successful companies that are selling products or services like hotcakes and turning over employees just as fast,” Turlington said. In fact, they can sometimes be victims of that same success.

“Selling” a job isn’t like selling other products. You can’t simply offer a list of pay and benefits to job seekers like you’d share specs on a car. Job seekers need to know what their relationship with colleagues and the organization will look like. It requires a softer, more authentic touch than traditional branding.

Don’t assume that you already know what your company’s employer brand is just because you work there.

It’s easy to count yourself as an expert because you went through the hiring process and log on every day.

“Although your perspective is valuable, it’s limited and biased based on your role,” Turlington explained. To properly measure you employer experience, ask employees at all levels and throughout the organization about their opinions and impressions to gather a broad view that will help you understand your strengths and weaknesses.

Don’t try to be the best place to work for everyone.

“Your company is a great place to work — for certain types of people,” Turlington pointed out. But the same workplace that’s wonderful for goal-oriented adrenaline junkies may not be a great fit for a meticulous, slow-and-steady type. Trying to be all things to all people can mean that you wind up being not great for everyone.

To attract the people who will thrive — and stay — at your company, get specific about what types of people tend to succeed there. It’s OK if some people decide that’s not them.

Don’t assume that a strong visual identity equates to a strong employer brand.

Some people think the words “branding and think of a visual identity. In actuality, it’s great to have, but it’s only one part of your overall brand. As Turlington puts it, “That expression has to be rooted in research and based on a strategy that is unique and has a differentiated, ownable set of characteristics.”

Don’t build an employer brand without the resources to manage it.

We’ve all been in a place where we develop a killer strategy, launch it and … then no one is assigned to its ongoing upkeep so it just fades away.

Don’t let that happen to your employer brand. Nothing is more important to your success than attracting the right people. Devote time and money to keeping your brand strong.

Bonus tips

Turlington offered additional tips for what you can do now to tune-up your employer brand.

1. Do a communications audit. Look at your owned channels — careers site, social channels, LinkedIn and employer review sites, for example. Examine submitted content for themes that might apply to attraction and retention. Remember you’re branding the whole experience, not just recruitment.
2. Claim and clean up all your employer accounts. Look at reviews and remove any that aren’t legitimate. Then start responding to the real ones — whether they’re positive or negative.
3. Audit your competitors’ employer brands. Look at their owned media, apply for their jobs and check out the experience. Make note of what they’re doing well and what you can do better.
4. Invest in third-party research to find your company’s unique set of attractors, detractors and realities. This will help you create a clear messaging framework on what makes your company unique and how to do it.
5. Use specific language to describe the culture of your organization and who thrives there. Make sure you’re partnering with HR to ensure you’re describing the kinds of relationships employees can expect to have.

Allison Carter is executive editor of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.

The post 5 mistakes you’re making with your employer branding appeared first on PR Daily.

While social media practitioners increasingly encompass a wide range of disciplines and titles — from community managers to paid social experts, analytics leads and more — your organization’s focus will depend on the needs of your audiences.

As strategic communications skills also become increasingly crucial to successful social media strategies, your employees should be one of those audiences on your radar, too. Activating your employees to become your brand ambassadors and influencers by weaving them into your social strategy can assist with employer branding initiatives, educational and reputational support, and much more.

Ragan and PR Daily caught up with Amanda Ponzar, chief communications and strategy officer at CHC: Creating Healthier Communities to ask her a few questions about how she approaches activating employees as influencers. Ponzar will be a speaker at Ragan and PR Daily’s upcoming Social Media Conference, which takes place in person Sept. 21-23 at Disney World in Orlando.

Ponzar’s responses have been lightly edited.

Ragan: Why did you get into communication in the first place? What drove you to it?

Amanda Ponzar: I’ve been writing stories and poetry since I was a little kid, even before I could spell, and I’ve always been into fine art, drama, singing, public speaking, etc. I never “got into” communications, it got into me, or was born into me. I wrote for high school and college papers and was an English major in college and assumed I’d go into teaching or journalism, but colleagues at one of my first jobs redirected me into advertising copywriting. I’ve been working in communications and marketing ever since, for more than 20 years.

What do you think is the most important part of a social media communicator’s role in an organization?

 Social media is the fast and furious (and frequent) public face of an organization. Social media communicators must flex and move faster, swiftly adapting to news — global pandemics, tragedies, social justice, politics and more along with stakeholder posts — versus creating content calendars and sticking with them a year in advance. Compare that to a website that often gets a major overhaul every few years at best.

Social media shines when it’s “social” and personable, engaging with empathy and authenticity in a timely manner, whereas a website can be more corporate and static.

What tips or advice can you share so that organizations can make the most of their social media communications?

Posting regularly is important, along with understanding what channels work best based on the needs of your stakeholders. We’re B2B and relationship-driven so LinkedIn is pivotal for us, whereas TikTok or Instagram might be more important for a brand that engages with consumers or different generations. It may sound trendy and sexy to be on every platform out there, but unless you have a massive team and money to burn, narrowing your target is best.

Engaging your employees as influencers helps expand your reach on social media. And it always comes down to testing and measuring content and doing more of what works, as every company is different. Just because a celebrity does something and it works for them doesn’t mean it will work for your brand.

What do you see as the next thing for social media communications? What should organizations be doing now to stay ahead of the trends?

Visuals and video continue to be big, and authenticity reigns supreme. It’s important to follow the top brands and individual accounts to see what’s working and test it for your own organization. I don’t try to get ahead of trends; rather, I follow those who are doing great work to watch and learn.

At this year’s Ragan and PR Daily’s Social Media Conference, you’re conducting a session the rise of employee influencers. Can you give our readers a preview of what they can expect to learn?

Social media platforms have given individuals influence and the ability to reach your customers, prospects, and other stakeholders. This goes way beyond traditional word-of-mouth marketing, just telling friends and neighbors in your network. Employees can be your most passionate, knowledgeable, authentic ambassadors.

We’ll talk about harnessing employees to raise their voice in support of your organization and teaching them how to be more visible on social media. It’s truly a win-win, creating strong personal brands and executive presence for your employees while raising awareness and credibility for your organization.

Join Amanda and other social media leaders at Ragan and PR Daily’s Social Media Conference, when speakers from TikTok, Intel, Meta and more will share their ideas and success stories. Register today!

The post The Road to Disney: How to engage employees as influencers on social appeared first on PR Daily.

Employee experience isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a journey. From the moment a person onboards to the moment they exit, each stage says something about your company, values and overall culture. Internal comms plays a crucial role in this journey — from engaging employees at all stages of their tenure to cultivating culture, experience and a sense of belonging. And when it comes to employee experience, comms pros need to have a seat at multiple department tables for knowledge sharing and collaboration.

On Sept. 14, our FREE webinar, in partnership with LumApps, will explore five ways internal comms could improve the employee experience, presented by Kate Forster, culture manager at Caliber.

You’ll walk away with:

• Survey cadence best practices, including how often, how many questions to ask and how to use the findings
• How benefits — from wellness to vacation, among others — play a role in the employee journey and how to communicate those offerings
• Why technology is the lynchpin in the overall employee experience
• And much more

Register today!

The post Webinar: 5 ways to improve your employee experience appeared first on PR Daily.