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.

The post How internal communications teams actively listen to employees appeared first on PR Daily.

Hello, communicators:

Author, trainer and speaker Maura Nevel Thomas recently published a Forbes leadership piece focused on improving productivity which features four quadrants of attention management:

My latest for Forbes Leadership channel, detailing my 4 Quadrants of AttentionManagement model & a case study showing the results of productivity training with me at a medical device manufacturer: Make This Easy Mental Shift to Improve Your Productivity: https://t.co/bdHamJkuGS pic.twitter.com/uOydC186sA

— Maura Nevel Thomas (@mnthomas) July 2, 2020

Using “control” and “attention” as the chart’s axes, Thomas argues that the most effective way to increase your productivity is to learn how to shift your attention.

Where do you fit in this chart—and how has crisis communications affected your attention management? Share your thoughts below and under #DailyScoop on Twitter.

Here are today’s top stories:

The Academy’s 2020 class highlights diversity and inclusion efforts

 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences extended 819 invitations to its organization and announced its 2020 class is made up of 45% women and 36% “underrepresented ethnic/racial communities.” Nearly half of the attendees (49%) are international, coming from 68 countries.

Say hello to our brand new class of Academy members. #WeAreTheAcademy https://t.co/jRJWPQYH1Y

— The Academy (@TheAcademy) June 30, 2020

In a press release, the Academy’s chief executive, Dawn Hudson, said:

We take great pride in the strides we have made in exceeding our initial inclusion goals set back in 2016, but acknowledge the road ahead is a long one. We are committed to staying the course.  I cannot give enough thanks to all our members and staff who worked on the A2020 initiative and to our head of Member Relations and Awards, Lorenza Muñoz, for her leadership and passion in guiding us through to this point and helping to set the path going forward.  We look forward to continuing to foster an Academy that reflects the world around us in our membership, our programs, our new Museum, and in our awards.

Why it’s important: Organizations across industries are facing more pressure than ever before to make meaningful diversity, equity and inclusion strides within their workforces and membership bodies, as well as adopting partnerships, campaigns and messages that are more inclusive. Evaluate your goals and how far you’ve come in achieving them, and make it a priority to adopt DE&I strategies that you can actually accomplish, but that also causes you to stretch.

SOCIAL BUZZ

The #StopHateForProfit Facebook boycott is underway, which includes more than 500 organizations. However, Facebook’s co-founder and chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, told employees that his “guess is that all these advertisers will be back on the platform soon enough,” according to a report published by The Information.

The Information reported:

“We’re not gonna change our policies or approach on anything because of a threat to a small percent of our revenue, or to any percent of our revenue,” Zuckerberg said.

The brand boycott has grabbed a plethora of headlines, but Marketplace reported the organizations involved make up “only a tiny fraction of Facebook’s roughly 8 million advertisers.”

MarketWatch reported:

“By pulling ads, they save money and make a low-risk statement that results in positive publicity and marketing for their brands among constituents,” Gerard Francis Corbett, a communications strategy consultant based in Silicon Valley, told MarketWatch. “The Facebook boycott is a lower-risk way for CEOs to make a [political] statement.”

Whether or not your organization is taking part of the boycott, ensure that the stands you adopt for social and political issues are backed by clear actions. Doing so will more effectively strengthen trust and bolster your brand reputation.

MEASURED THOUGHTS 

LinkedIn recently partnered with Vision Critical to publish a report on COVID-19’s affect on marketing efforts, along with marketers’ responses.

Most respondents (74%) said budget cuts presented a challenge, with 42% reporting decreased budgets as a large stumbling block for their campaigns. With decreased budgets and shifting consumer behaviors, many marketers are shifting their focuses and channels, with 40% moving events online and 67% producing webinars to reach and engage with their audiences:

Image courtesy of LinkedIn.

 Marketers are also changing their content strategies, with nearly half (47%) increasing focus on human-centric and emotional content, 53% highlighting thought leadership and 46% emphasizing corporate social responsibility efforts:

Image courtesy of LinkedIn.

You can view the entire report here.

CRISIS LEADERSHIP BOARD

Looking for more insight on how to address the current global crisis and lead your organization into a strong recovery?

Join Ragan’s Crisis Leadership Board to network and brainstorm with peers, get the latest intelligence and research, and start to strategize for the future of your organization.

Learn more about this exclusive membership here.

Essence Magazine owner resigns as chief

The media company’s former chief executive, Richelieu Dennis, stepped down following allegations that he and other executives enabled a toxic work environment.

Though Essence at first denied the accusations, it later announced that Caroline Wanga, who recently joined the media company as its chief growth officer, would take over as interim chief of Essence Magazine. The company also announced it was hiring law firms and “other independent external experts” to investigate its corporate culture.

BREAKING NEWS: @Essence Communications just dropped a statement in my in inbox announcing that Carolina Wanga will step as interim CEO of the company, replacing Richlieu Dennis, who owns the magazine. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/DqpRBz5lOY

— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) July 1, 2020

Why it’s important: What happens behind organizations’ closed doors can quickly become public, damaging brand image and destroying the trust built over years. As you focus on crisis response and creating new business models in light of shifting consumer behaviors, don’t neglect your workforce culture or relegate it to a lower priority.

TAKE OUR SURVEY 

Ragan has partnered with PoliteMail to ask how COVID-19 has affected your role as a communicator, including what channels you’re using more than ever before and what your organization’s employees are asking.

When you have a moment today, please fill out this three-minute survey on the state of communications. Thank you! https://t.co/i3bgKR7DcF

— Ragan.com (@RaganComms) June 26, 2020

Please take our survey here.

As a thank you, you’ll receive a copy of the results, The State of Communication Summer 2020.

TACTICALLY SPEAKING

Ford Motor Company is teaming up with Disney to launch its line of Bronco SUVs. The reveal is slated for July 13 across Disney’s United States networks—including its broadcast and cable properties as well as its streaming and digital properties. It’s the first time a brand has debuted a product line in this manner.

Image courtesy of Ford Motor Company.

CNBC reported:

“This is enormous for us. This is the return of an icon that people have just been clamoring about for years,” Matt VanDyke, director of Ford U.S. marketing, told CNBC. “For us, this is just of huge importance and carefully crafted.”

The effort represents future opportunities for organizations looking to break through the clutter of content and messages bombarding consumers’ attention spans, especially as COVID-19 messaging dominates headlines and marketing budgets are slashed.

Variety reported:

Ad money from large auto companies has been harder to come by in recent weeks. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, automakers are among the marketers paring back their spending. The number of 30-second TV ads from car companies was off by as much as 56% during the weeks of May 4 and May 11, according to Kantar, a tracker of ad spending. During the week of June 15, the number of 30-second ads from car companies was down 31% from the year-earlier period, according to Kantar.

WHAT YOU SAID

We asked what communications focus is currently taking up the majority of your focus (aside from crisis communications), and nearly 36% of you said social media is the name of the game, with more than 30% turning to media relations efforts. Nearly 23% said employee communications and engagement are priorities:

Besides crisis communications, what are you currently focusing on the most?

Share your thoughts under #DailyScoop.

— PR Daily (@PRDaily) July 1, 2020

SOUNDING BOARD

The Fourth of July and Canada Day, along with “holidays” such as National Social Media Day and National Doughnut Day, offer opportunities for brands to engage. How are you reacting to holidays during current crises?

The Fourth of July and Canada Day, along with "holidays" such as National Social Media Day and National Doughnut Day, offer opportunities for brands to engage. How are you reacting to holidays during current crises?

Share your thoughts under the #DailyScoop hashtag.

— PR Daily (@PRDaily) July 2, 2020

Weigh in below and share your thoughts under the hashtag #DailyScoop. We’ll share when Ragan offices open again on July 6. Until then, have a good and safe holiday weekend.

The post The Academy boasts diversity efforts, Essence chief steps down, and 47% of marketers are creating more emotional content appeared first on PR Daily.

Though some have embraced “anti-resolutions,” many still make resolutions and goals about their lifestyles, habits, personal outlooks and more. As PR pros, we should consider making a few to guide our content marketing efforts in 2016.

Here are 16 resolutions to live by this year:

1. Produce higher quality content. Bad content is the nemesis of content marketing. We need to produce high quality content to capture our audience, otherwise we will lose them in an increasingly cluttered media space—especially with recent updates to Google algorithms and the rise in ad blockers.

2. Use mobile responsive email marketing. Mobile use will continue to dominate in 2016. Litmus reported that in June 2015 desktop email represented 22 percent of all email opened, webmail ranked in at 29 percent and mobile was up to 54 percent. It’s time to make sure your emails are mobile responsive in order to give your users the best possible experience. Without it, you risk losing their attention.

3. Live where your audience is. With so many channels available to us for content distribution, it’s easy to lose focus and want to be everywhere. Instead, we must concentrate on where our audience is. Conduct research to collect insight on which channels your target customer spent the most time using in 2015. Was is Facebook? Twitter? Instagram? Snapchat? Your company blog? Maybe a combination? What about email? What are the projections for 2016? Find out where your content will gain the most traction and be there.

4. Repurpose your stuff. Strong content takes time to create, so don’t let it go to waste after one use. Much of the content your team produces is recyclable. Take the time to break it down into pieces that can be used across various channels and on different occasions.

5. Leave the corporate speak out of it. A jargon-filled corporate blog will hinder the development of your brand. Your audience is bombarded with messages every day, to make sure yours have the most impact, leave out the corporate speak.

6. Flex your social media muscle. Make sure you are consistent in providing your audience with interesting updates, photos, videos, quick facts, etc. Don’t forget to work on being social. The beauty of these social channels is that you can engage with your audience and learn more about them. This contributes to your bottom line, and builds goodwill towards your organization.

7. Create internal ambassadors. Your people are your most valuable assets. Actively promoting your brand and engaging employees through internal channels can be extremely effective. Your employees believe in your organization, and thanks to social media, their reach and amplification potential is greater than ever. Plus, the messages they share with their networks can be more effective than more stream-lined marketing messages.

8. Stop using content marketing buzzwords. For an emerging field, content marketing has created an embarrassing number of buzzwords. In a January 2015 Contently article, Joe Lazaukas predicted 10 terms that would be overused in the next year, which include “storyscaping” and “culture of content.” We could certainly add others for 2016, but in the interest of demystifying content marketing for our clients and partners, tone it down.

9. Increase content team collaboration. Effective teamwork is vital to content marketing success. Whether it’s brainstorming, production, or process, your content team needs to run like a machine. A good way to increase collaboration is to hold structured meetings for different purposes—creative sessions, working meetings, or administrative gatherings. Make sure all team members come prepared in order to increase efficiency.

10. Develop a content strategy. Research from the Content Marketing Institute shows that content marketers with a written strategy are more effective, but only 27 percent of B2C and 48 percent of B2B marketers have one. A strategy will serve to guide all of your content marketing efforts. It will also allow you to define what success looks like and determine what you need to do to achieve it.

11. Mix up your content types and formats. Look past the traditional article and experiment with video, e-books, white papers and webinars to spice up your content roster.

12. Post visual content on social. We are more attracted to posts with photos, videos and infographics because the brain processes visual content faster. Visual content also generates more engagement on social media, which leads to increased traffic and conversion rates.

13. Measure your efforts. All too often, measurement is overlooked by content marketers. This year, make it a priority to define what success looks like. What are your goals? How will you measure them? This will allow you to gauge the impact of your content marketing efforts on audience building, lead generation, sales and brand awareness. RELATED – Find out how internal communications powerhouses JLL Americas, Microsoft and Cleveland Clinic measure their outcomes.

14. Get a content marketing platform. You may have been putting this off because of the research it takes to find the right one for your organization, but 2016 is the year to invest in the right content marketing tool. A platform that fits your needs will optimize all of your content marketing efforts and save your team time and money. Here is an awesome list of tools grouped by purpose. It’s a great place to start.

15. Integrate your content marketing efforts. Great content can come from the cool things your organization is doing, many of which might stem from your other marketing and PR efforts. Events, ad campaigns, media pitches, fundraisers and employee engagement initiatives can all be great story opportunities. Your new content strategy (see No. 10) should be integrated with your overall communications strategy to help identify great stories derived from other tactics.

16. Contribute to a content marketing culture. Parts of your organization may not be on the content marketing bandwagon yet. Education is crucial to helping people understand what content marketing is and why it is so powerful. Make the case for content marketing in your organization; use success stories from others to back you up.

Maria Scopelliti is a communications advisor at the University of Ottawa. You can connect with her at mariascope.com.

(Image by DigitalRalph, via)

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