Communicating With Employees
Date: September 24th 2017
Good communication is essential for a business to run effectively and for employees to be happy. Poor communication can result in misunderstandings, poor performance, low morale and wasted time.
What should I communicate?
Employees should be provided with the information they are entitled to and that helps them do their job.
Staff should also be acknowledged when they do a good job. Credit to employees should be shared company-wide.
Perhaps most importantly, employees should be informed of any changes that will affect them or their job. This information should be disseminated to employees at the same time, so no one feels misled or confused.
How should I communicate?
Sensitive information should always be communicated personally.
Use a phone call, or better still a face-to-face meeting, to discuss matters and reach an agreement quickly.
An email can be useful to get agreements in writing, or to flag an issue that isn’t particularly urgent.
Two-way communication
Businesses must be approachable. If it is unrealistic to have the managing director or CEO of the business available for employees to reach out to, find a relevant decision maker who may take their place.
Respond to every communication, even if it is criticism. If you cannot implement a suggestion or find a solution to a criticism, explain why. Employees must see the business as honest to foster trust and reliability.
