Improving Internal Comms In The Remote Work Era
Internal comms is critical to the smooth running of any organization. A business can only perform at a high level when employees can easily communicate with one another, which can help increase productivity, avoid miscommunications, and even improve morale within the business.
However, internal comms can be a real challenge in the era of remote work. Businesses now often have staff working both in the office and remotely, which can create internal communication difficulties that can hold the business back and frustrate staff. With this in mind, this post will look at a few of the best ways to improve internal comms in the remote work era.
Create Communication Guidelines
It&s important that every staff member knows what&s expected of them when it comes to communication. You should create guidelines for preferred communication channels for different types of messages, as well as expected etiquette and response times. You may also need to provide staff training when implementing new digital tools and technologies.
Use A Range Of Communication Channels
Employees must also have access to suitable communication tools that will help them communicate and collaborate no matter where they&re working. These should include video conferencing software and instant chat platforms that allow employees to pick the best option for the type of message. Video calls are the best option when a discussion is required, but often, instant text messaging will suffice.
Use A Digital Workplace Solution
Following on from this, it can be tricky when workers have to use various different tools and platforms for their jobs. This is why it&s best to use a digital workplace solution that eliminates the need for multiple standalone tools.
Digital workplace solutions from experts like Claromentis Ltd can simplify workflows and enhance productivity by providing your team with everything they need. This includes modern intranet applications, project management tools, e-learning, and process automation. There are also engagement-boosting features that can help to keep your remote employees motivated and happy at work (disengagement can sometimes be an issue with remote work).
Create Opportunities For Informal Communication
The importance of informal communication in a business shouldn&t be overlooked. It&s the cooler and lunchroom talk that creates strong relationships between staff and a positive workplace environment. This is one of the major drawbacks of remote work, which is why you need to create opportunities for informal communication. This can include virtual lounges, group chats, and online games, as a few examples. This will unite your team, increase engagement, and keep morale high. It's also wise to schedule regular one-to-one check-ins to see how each staff member is doing and establish if there&s any support they need.
Create Collaborative Projects
You can also improve internal comms by creating collaborative projects. When you have projects that require staff to communicate and work together, it helps to create a collaborative culture and encourages staff to be more forthcoming when it comes to communication. Group projects should also keep your remote workers engaged and help to create strong team bonds.
Collect Feedback
You should also collect feedback from your team to see if there are areas that could be improved. You might find that your team is experiencing communication problems that you&re unaware of, so you need to provide the opportunity for them to share their thoughts, ideas, and concerns.
Be Transparent & Celebrate Achievements
When you have employees working remotely, it&s easy for them to feel isolated and disconnected from the business. This can lead to low motivation levels, communication issues, and high staff turnover. Therefore, you need to make sure that your team feels connected and part of the organization. This means that you need to be transparent and provide regular updates on the company. Additionally, you should celebrate achievements to unite your team and keep everyone happy and motivated.
Internal comms is critical to success, but this can be a challenge in the era of remote work. The above are a few of the best ways to improve internal comms in a remote work environment so you can maximize performance, increase engagement, and keep your employees happy and motivated. This should improve the productivity of your team and avoid communication issues that can harm both the business and employees.