Making internal communication an asset for your business

Internal communication covers all of a company’s communication actions targeted at its employees. Its aim is to circulate information and foster dialogue among employees, bringing them together around a common ambition. To communicate results, to cultivate the sense of belonging of the employees, to strengthen relations with their supervisors or to enrich the overall atmosphere, communication is a motivating and managerial tool. Discover the challenges and benefits of improving internal corporate communication.

Why improve internal communication?

Communicating well in-house is a real challenge: the hybridisation of work is disrupting the way of working with a mix of employees teleworking and on premises. In order to manage the dissemination of its messages and to make sure all employees are included, internal communication has become a domain in which investment is essential.

To team build

Improving internal communication is essential, since employees are the driving force behind the company’s success and reflect its brand image. Teams will be more connected, though they are dispersed; employees will remain more loyal, motivated and be happier, resulting in lower staff turnover. On premises or teleworking, they receive the same amount of information and feel integrated: since the goal of internal communication is to foster engagement, by bringing them together around common values and objectives.

To enhance the company image

Communicating is necessary for good internal operation, but also for a business’s outside image. Improving internal communication helps establish a real corporate culture, enrich one’s identity and cultivate a rewarding employer brand. And better communication means better quality of life at work: everyone feels valued, aware of the role they play, and this is reflected outside.

To increase performance

Improving internal communication will help combat employee disengagement and loss of productivity. Regardless of the size of the company, its activity and the budget allocated for communication, a strategy can be deployed that matches the employees’ needs, the main recipients of these actions. These measures will have a clear and significant impact on employee motivation and even on results.

How to improve internal communication?

There is no secret about how to improve internal communication; you need to invest human and financial resources. Learn what steps you need to take to create an effective and engaging internal communication strategy.

Conduct an audit to set clear objectives

What actions are already in place and those which need to be undertaken? What tools and channels are available? In order to improve internal communication, a strategy must be devised, itself preceded by an assessment of the current situation. Since internal communication can only work with the engagement and involvement of your employees, it is essential to ask them for their opinions. After setting out the areas that need improvement, it will be much easier to draw up a step-by-step plan.

Distinguish between different types of content and communication channels

Good communication relies on delivering the right message to the right recipient. Since it is not useful to disclose all information to everyone, defining the characteristics of the message and the most appropriate form to disseminate it is key; the idea is to avoid bombarding all your employees with mountains of information of little relevance. Next, you need to select one or more channels depending on the content and its tenor: written, verbal, audiovisual, electronic communication or the organisation of events, etc. Because everyone communicates in their own way, it is important to consider everyone’s habits and the generational aspect in order to maintain the accuracy of your content on a particular medium. Knowing your audience is key to structuring your strategy, choosing the relevant channels and improving internal communication.

Encourage dialogue and develop a team spirit

Efficient internal communication must be implemented in all departments to create a climate that encourages dialogue between employees. Leaving room for informal exchanges is just as important for building cohesion: employees who know each other, meet each other, and like each other will be far more likely to communicate. It is therefore essential not to limit yourself to one-way communications, and that is why senior management must set an example by actively participating in these moments of sharing. Tools can be easily used to improve internal communication: corporate digital signage is an ideal channel for connecting to and reaching all employees instantly. This technology broadcasts content to a fleet of screens simultaneously, centrally and quickly. On premises or teleworking, the employees become aware of a communication campaign on the tools of the digital workplace which are free from geographical and temporal barriers. The Cenareo solution offers power and virality to the messages that the communication teams want to share: the force of attraction of digital signage is available on screens of any size, in the field or at the office. Multi-channel, the Cenareo solution connects all the employees and offers them the same level of information, which streamlines exchanges and promotes dialogue.

Follow the success indicators in your strategy

All strategies need an analysis of their actions: which channels have resulted in the most engagement? Which information has the greatest number of people been made aware of? Which action has proved to be the most effective? To do so, you can use measuring tools to assess the engagement generated and, above all, you should not hesitate to make a new assessment and ask the employees for their opinions. Depending on the results, you can adjust your actions and innovate on the form of the content or its dissemination channel: testing out different formats and channels will help you develop a long-term strategy.

Be agile

What is feared most in corporate communications? It is difficult to get the employees on board. Why? Perhaps because of the lack of relevance of messages or use of the wrong communication channels... Or perhaps because employees do not understand the benefits they get from improving internal communication, although their ownership will have a huge impact on the effectiveness of the actions. You therefore need to persuade and encourage dialogue so they will appreciate why it is important with regard to which you need to show flexibility, listen carefully and adopt a test & learn attitude.

The Cenareo solution dedicated to digital signage, your partner for attractive, relevant and always contextualised internal corporate communication. Connect your employees wherever they are with the one-click application that lets you stream multimedia content. More than just a software program, the Cenareo solution is revolutionising corporate communication and makes any screen a powerful communication channel.