Internal Communication

How does it work?

Successful and effective communication can only happen when the following four elements align well with each other:

1. Sender – person who sends specific information to a receiver.
2. Message – information that the sender wants to communicate to the interlocutor.
3. Channel – the way that allows an exchange of information between the sender and receiver. This can be a personal conversation, a presentation, a meeting, a letter, or an email.
4. Receiver – person who receives information from a sender.

Avoid Mistakes

To avoid mistakes in internal communication:

• the sender should convey the message thoughtfully,
• the content of the message should be prepared in a way that is specific to the target group,
• the transmission of the message should take place via a common channel,
• the message should arrive correctly at the recipient.

1. There is insufficient Communication

If employees learn important information from the local newspaper and not from their supervisors, then something is definitely wrong. Communication through external media, as well as unofficial channels, should only occur after staff have already been informed through internal channels. All important information concerning the staff or the development of the company should therefore be passed on by management to the workforce in a timely and targeted manner.

2. Incorrect or contradictory information

Transparent internal communication is enormously important for gaining the trust of employees and generating sustained enthusiasm for the company. A trustworthy and honest exchange of information eliminates rumors, which have a negative impact on the working atmosphere and employee motivation.

3. Communication at the Wrong Time

To avoid irritation and misunderstanding, information to the workforce should be provided at the right time. If important content is passed on too late or too early, it comes not across as serious to employees. Good planning in terms of timing and content plays a central role in internal communication.

4. Communication as a one-way route

Communication is always a dialogue. If employees are not given opportunities to express their opinions and take a stand, dissatisfaction is inevitable. Active participation brings many benefits. Staff experience appreciation, identify with the company and contribute their own ideas.

5. Incomprehensible communication

Just passing along a complicated business management report to the workforce? Not a good idea! The information needs to be presented in a way that the target audience can easily understand.

Internal communication should be appreciative and trusting at all times. It is the task of managers to pay attention to transparent communication as well as common communication channels and to initiate appropriate optimization measures if necessary. Regular dialog is particularly important in extraordinary situations such as change processes and critical phases. Proper communication minimizes uncertainties in the team and strengthens the team spirit.

Advantages for managers

Managers can share important technical and organizational information. As a result, the error rate is reduced and work performance is improved. Through transparent and respectful communication, managers motivate their workforce and positively influence employee retention.

Internal communication offers the following advantages to the management level:

• Strengthen employee loyalty and team spirit
• Building trust
• Communication of the company's values
• Opportunity of feedback
• Good connection with field employees
• Promotion of process transparency
• Efficient work between different organizational units

The workforce is the first dialog group for the success of the company. When internal communication between all levels functions well, the quality of work improves significantly.

Advantages for Employees

Good internal communication is an important component of successful HR work. If information is passed on transparently and honestly, the motivation and productivity of the entire team increases. The workforce feels valued and sees more career prospects.

Through regular feedback, employees experience the importance of their work, which in turn has a positive effect on self-esteem and personal development. Employees develop a better understanding of the company's values and perform more purposefully. Collaborative work on projects, rapid sharing of experiences, easy document management, and communication across time and local boundaries offer real added value.

Intranet

In almost every larger company there is a so-called intranet. This internal, self-contained platform offers a specific group of people a wide range of important information as well as documents and forms that affect the entire workforce. In particular, this includes menus, process descriptions, training documents, event calendars or surveys. The intranet contains information that governs the company's day-to-day operations. What are the intranet advantages and disadvantages?

Advantages:

• Increase employee motivation and productivity
• Find important information faster
• Simplify cross-functional communication
• Ideal as a knowledge and content management system

Disadvantages:

• Security standard ( a good firewall is needed)
• Overwhelming the staff with too much information
• Often very time-consuming and costly
• Regular maintenance of the platform required (time and financial resources)
• Possible software and implementation issues

Social Intranet

On the social intranet, employees create individual profiles, post interesting news, comment, write blog posts and share their knowledge. The most important advantages of social intranet: it promotes social interaction.

It also strengthens employee loyalty, collegial relationships, a positive "we" feeling, and cross-team and cross-departmental exchange. There are a number of social intranet solutions on the market that can be implemented depending on the needs and the size of the company.

Blogs

A blog can be integrated on the company's website or in the social intranet. It offers employees an opportunity to share their own ideas and experiences. An internal blog is ideal for knowledge transfer, information exchange and training. Blog posts and storytelling presented in an exciting way encourage reader interest as well as emotional connection. A blog can be implemented both intra- and internet-based.

Webinars

Internal webinars are a perfect way to communicate in-house. The content is presented personally by a speaker. Webinars are especially good for training, presentations and technical papers. With livestreaming webinars, questions can be addressed immediately and the workforce experiences more appreciation through personal, albeit digital, contact.

Digital Signage

Digital display boards installed in central locations such as foyers, meeting rooms or cafeterias. They inform employees about important events and news. The advantages of digital signage solutions are flexibility, visual presentation and interaction opportunities.

Podcasts

Podcasts become more and more popular. This is because they offer an excellent way to communicate certain Internet-based content efficiently and cost-effectively. Lectures, product presentations, interviews as well as conferences can be offered as podcasts and reach a wide audience. The digital format via PC, tablet or smartphone enables location-independent participation and saves travel costs.

Chats

Mobile business chats used via mobile devices continue to grow in importance and popularity. The results of Bitkom Digital Office Index 2020 show that 81 percent of companies already use smartphones for external and internal communications. Professional chats enable rapid exchange and efficient communication. Chats support flexibility in the organization and create a sense of participation.

Face-to-Face Events

Face-to-face events enable a direct exchange and provide space for a high level of interaction between the participants. Those present have the opportunity to ask questions in case of ambiguity and the trainer can respond better to queries. Gestures and body language can emphasize the importance of the content. This promotes interpersonal communication and motivation. Face-to-face events also provide an excellent opportunity to make professional and friendly contacts.