2. Agenda for Today
Introduction to Internal Communication
Internal communication and the changing
environment
Organizing the Internal Communication
Effort
Implementing effective Internal
Communication Effort
Role of Management for the effective
Internal Communication
3. Before we begin, let’s answer
these quest….
What is internal communication? Based on your
principles of public relation subject? And how do
we make relations/moviate employee?
What is your most important aspect in selecting
an organization to work after graduate. Select
the first top 5
(1. salary, 2. reputable company, 3. Close
location/near to you, 4. supporting benefits, 5.
CSR activity performed by the company)
4. Introduction
For years, managers have focused on “customer care.”
Recently, dedicate the same kind of attention to their own
employees, recognizing that employees have more to do
with the success of a business
A study by consulting firm Watson Wyatt found that
companies with the highest levels of effective
communication experienced a higher level of total return
to shareholders within 4 years of business, compared to
firms who communicated least effectively
Bottom line – employee communication is a business function
that drives performance and contributes to company’s
financial success.
5. 1.0 Internal Communication and the Changing Environment
The environment for business has changed dramatically over the last half
century.
Today’s employee is a different person in terms of values and needs than
his or her counterpart in earlier decades
Most of today’s employees are well educated, have higher expectations of
what they will get out of their careers and want to understand more
about the companies they work for.
The workplace today is also different - tighter staffing, longer hours,
greater workloads, and more emphasis on performance are the norm
6. Internal Communication and the Changing Environment
Employees increasingly demands participation in
the conversation that are driving
organizational change
This participation is important to keeping
employees at all levels of organization,
regardless of job role or responsibility
Communication must be two-way process
Part of the problem at many companies is that
senior managers simply do not involve
lower-level employees in most decisions.
This tends to make these employees feel isolated
and unwilling to accept changes within the
company
7. Internal Communication and the Changing Environment
Managers need to recognize that, if they provide info to employees and
also listen to them, those employees will be excited about their
work, connected to the company’s vision and in position to
further the goals of the organization.
8. 2.0 Organizing the Internal Communication Effort
The best way to assess the effectiveness of a
company’s internal communication efforts is by
determining what employees’ attitudes are about
the firm.
This can be done through a communication audit.
Based on audit results, communication
professionals can design the right program for the
organization.
E.g. both Starbucks Coffee Co. and Kinko’s Inc. hired
outside consultants to conduct internal
communication audits so as to identify
strengths and weaknesses in those companies’
existing communication practices
Questionnaires / in-person interviews and focus groups
via video conferencing are some of the methods
used
9. 2.1 Goals for Effective Internal Communication
1. To improve morale and foster goodwill between employees and management.
2. To inform employees about internal changes such as reorganization or staff
promotions.
3. To explain compensation and benefit plans such as new health care plan or
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
4. To increase employee understanding of the company and its products,
organization, ethics, and external environment.
5. To change employee behavior toward becoming more productive, quality
oriented, and entrepreneurial.
6. To increase employee understanding of major health and social issues or
trends affecting them, such as child care or AIDS.
7. To encourage employee participation in community activities.
8. Creation of an atmosphere in which employees know that they are important
assets to the firm
10. 2.2 Where Should Internal Communications Report?
In the past internal communication reported to human
resource
80 percent of corporations in the United States place the
responsibility for internal communication in the corporate
communication area.
Similar to Malaysia business where most internal
communication is placed in the corporate communication
area while the administration on these employees still lies
within the HR Function
Often, however, both areas
have some involvement with
internal communication.
11. ACTIVITY TIME
In a pair, identify any organization. Based
on the selected company, list out where
should internal communications is
reported?
12. 3.0 Implementing an Effective Internal
Communication Program
Once goals for an internal
communication program are
established and decisions made
about where the function should
report, the program is ready for
implementation.
In smaller organizations, internal
communication may be part of
everyone’s job since the ideal
method of communicating with
employees is one-to-one or in
meetings with small groups of
employees.
13. 3.1 Communicate Up and Down
Many large companies are perceived as being faceless,
unfeeling organizations, an impression that is only
reinforced when no upward communication exists from
employees to management.
When high-level managers isolate themselves
physically and psychologically from other employees,
effective communication cannot happen.
Effective internal communications can generate a
dialogue throughout the company, fostering a sense of
participation that can make even the largest companies
feel smaller in the hearts and minds of employees
The best approach to communicating with employees is
thro informal discussions between employees and
supervisors
14. 3.2 Make Time for Face-to-Face Meetings
One means of ensuring that employees have access to senior
management is to hold regular, in-person meetings with fairly
large groups of employees.
Such meeting should take place frequently (at least quarterly) and
should be used as opportunities for management to share
company results and progress on key initiatives.
Most importantly, such meetings should provide employees with
an opportunity to ask questions of management in an open forum.
Topics for these types of gatherings should be limited: than trying
to tackle everything that is going on at the company, managers
should survey employees beforehand to find out what is most
important to them
15. 3.1 Communicate Up and Down
The best approach to communicating with employees is
through informal discussions between employees and
supervisors.
Employees need to feel secure enough in their positions to
ask questions and offer advice without fear of reprisals
from top management.
Respecting employees as well as listening and interacting
with them form the basis for an effective internal
communication program
16. 3.3 Communicate Online
Intranet provided a new channel through which companies could
reach their employees quickly and broadly with important news
on events and key management’s initiative
intranets also serve as interactive platforms where employees
can share their views on company programs, which contribute to
building trust.
Today, employees are bombarded by information, especially
given the ubiquity of e-mail and watsup
17. 3.4 Create Employee-Oriented Publications
the most common form of info sharing in
many companies is through the print
medium.
Unfortunately, most internal company
publications are unexciting
Companies need to realize that their
publications are competing with the
national and local media for their
employees’ attention
18. Create Employee-Oriented Publications
Another way to reach employees through
company publication is to send the magazines
to their homes rather than distributing them at
the workplace.
Above all, these publications must be honest
about anything that might affect employees.
find out about a major corporate event from a
source other than the corporation itself.
19. Employees should look forward to the next issue of the company
publication.
Other print materials are also produced from time to time in
response to important events that directly affect employees e.g.
health or retirement benefits.
Management can also use memos and letter to communicate to
employees about internal changes, such as management
succession, new group structures, or important deals or contracts.
These written communications should come out frequently enough
so that employees do not feel that it is unusual, but not so often that
they stop hearing management messages.
Create Employee-Oriented Publications
20. 3.5 Communicate Visually
Most large corporations have elaborate television
studios with satellite capabilities staffed by
professionals. Such sophisticated systems are the
best mechanisms for communicating with
employees through visual channels.
Managers should not see expenditures on such
communication as wasteful but rather as an
investment in the firm, a way to make each
employee feel more connected
Does not always have to be high-tech – could be
ubiquitous white boards (placed everywhere)
21. 3.6 Focus on Internal Branding
Internal branding is also important to building
morale and creating a workplace where
employees are “engaged” with their jobs.
While communicators do inform employees about
new advertising campaigns, they seldom
recognize the need to “sell” employees on the
same ideas they are trying to sell to the public.
Internal branding is especially critical when an
organization is undergoing changes such as
mergers or a change in leadership.
22. Focus on Internal Branding
Internal branding campaigns can also be launched
when results of internal audits reveal that
employees are not connecting with a company’s
vision or when morale is low.
Just as external branding campaigns aim to create
emotional ties among consumers to your
company, internal branding’s goal is to do the
same with employees.
23. 3.7 Consider the Company Grapevine
The company grapevine-an informal
communication network including everything from
private conversations between two employees to
the latest anecdotes heard in the cafeteria-should
be considered as much of a communication
vehicle as a company’s house organ or employee
meetings.
In fact, given that an estimated 70 percent of all
organizational communication occurs at the
grapevine level, distributing messages faster and
in more credible form than formal channels, it is
even more crucial that manager tap into it.
24. Employee Engagement
Jones and Kober (2019) explained some strategies related to how to achieve superior
employee engagement in difficult times and higher business results. These strategies
are:
1. Stay centered on your core values—it encourages employee engagement in difficult
times.
2. Explicitly support your employee—so they remain motivated during tough times.
3. Solicit employee feedback—ask employees to freely share information, both
frustrations and ideas for developments in a productive way.
4. Communicate upfront with employees—leaders should communicate openly and
honestly, so employees perform more effectively.
25. Article published in Nature (Fan et al., 2020) stated five tips to help support employees
working from home. These are:
1. Create a healthy workspace—encourage workers to create a healthy workspace at home.
Encourage employees to work ergonomically from home as best they can and review their
work‐at‐home setup.
2. Maintain a routine—encourage employees to stick to a routine and to maintain boundaries
between their “work” time and “home” time.
3. Do not forget to be social—communication with colleagues is a great stress reliever. An
organization should set up a session for fun activities that would normally take place in the
office.
4. Encourage well‐being practices—organizations should care about their employee's
well‐being; it can help reduce absenteeism, boost engagement, and performance.
5. Invest in technology—communication tools such as instant messaging and video and voice
calling platforms can help to keep teams connected. It is important to invest in a recognition
platform that allows employees to send and receive recognition.
27. ODL: CLASS PRESENTATION
what strategies/tactic do communication
leaders use to engage their employees
during lockdown/MCO period. Answer
based on case study
