Internal communication strategy in 2 weeks
In today's fast-paced business world, effective communication strategies are the backbone of successful companies. This is particularly true for family-run businesses where the company's values and the close ties between employees play central roles. A well-thought-out internal communications strategy can not only increase productivity and strengthen company loyalty, but also help reduce turnover and future-proof the company. With our employee app, we offer a tailor-made solution that is specifically designed to reach and integrate commercial employees. In this blog post, we'll show you how you can develop a solid internal communications strategy in just two weeks.
Week 1: Planning and preparation
The first week is crucial for the success of your internal communications strategy. In this phase you lay the foundation that you will build on in the following week. It's about analyzing the current status, setting clear goals and understanding your target groups precisely.
Day 1-2 : Current analysis and goal definition
Start with a thorough inventory of your current internal communications landscape. Which tools and channels do you already use? Maybe you have an intranet, use email for newsletters or have notices on bulletin boards. Evaluate how effective these channels are. You may notice that your emails often go unread or that important information on the bulletin board is overlooked.
A concrete example: A medium-sized company used regular email newsletters to share information. However, an internal survey found that 40% of commercial employees rarely or never opened these emails because they did not have access to company email during work hours.
Then define your goals. Do you want to increase the reach of your communications to ensure important information reaches all employees? Or is the focus on strengthening the sense of community by creating a platform for exchange and dialogue? Set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to evaluate your success later.
Day 3-4 : Target group analysis
Your employees are not all the same, and their needs can vary greatly. It's important to understand the different groups within your workforce. For example, your office workers might prefer to use digital channels, while your commercial employees are better reached via mobile apps or face-to-face approaches.
An example: During the analysis, it turned out that the best way to reach production employees in a company was via a mobile app that they could use on their personal smartphones during their breaks. The app provided short, easily digestible information and updates in an engaging format.
Day 5-7 : Selection of tools and channels
Based on your current analysis and target group analysis, it is now time to select the appropriate tools and channels for your communication strategy. If your analysis shows that many employees prefer mobile access, an employee app could be an ideal solution. Such an app can deliver tailored content, send push notifications for important updates, and even provide a forum for communication between employees.
An example of this could be the introduction of an employee app in a family-run manufacturing company. The app could include features such as a news feed with the latest company news, shift scheduling, the ability to exchange shifts between employees and an employee feedback module. This would not only strengthen communication and a sense of community, but also simplify everyday processes for employees.
Week 2: Optimization and integration into the existing employee app
For companies that already use an employee app, the focus of the second week is on seamlessly integrating the internal communication strategy and optimizing existing processes. The challenge is to introduce the new elements of the strategy in such a way that they complement and enrich the ongoing use of the app without disrupting the usual processes.
Day 8-9: Content enrichment and personalization
Start with an inventory of your app’s current content and features. Think about how you can enrich these with additional, strategically targeted content. For example, you could introduce a "kudos" feature that allows employees to express recognition and positive feedback for their colleagues' work. This role promotes a positive company culture and strengthens a sense of community.
Another option would be to introduce personalized news feeds that deliver customized content based on employees' roles, interests and locations. This ensures that every employee receives relevant information, which increases the effectiveness of communication.
Day 10-11: Interactive elements and feedback mechanisms
Use the app's capabilities to introduce interactive elements that encourage employee engagement. Setting up a weekly survey on various topics, from company cafeteria ratings to suggestions for the next team building activity, can generate valuable feedback and show employees that their opinions are valued.
Additionally, implement a simple feedback system within the app that allows employees to make suggestions for improving the app itself or the general work environment. This promotes a feeling of inclusion and participation in the company's success.
Day 12: Fine-tuning and testing
Before you officially launch the new features and content, conduct a test phase with a small group of users. This helps to identify any technical issues and ensure that the new content is well integrated into the existing structure of the app and provides added value to users.
Day 13-14: Official launch and continuous optimization
After a successful test phase, you can unlock the new functions and content in the app for all users. Communicate these updates clearly to ensure all employees are aware of the improvements and understand how they can benefit from them.
However, don't view the launch as the end point, but as the beginning of a continuous improvement process. Continue collecting feedback and analyzing usage to continually optimize the app and communication strategy and adapt it to the needs of your employees.
Conclusion
Implementing an effective internal communications strategy may seem like a challenge at first, but with the right planning and the right tools, it can be achieved within a manageable time frame. Our employee app offers a flexible and easy-to-use solution specifically designed to reach and engage all employees, especially the often-overlooked blue-collar workers. With a clear two-week plan, you can ensure that your company is well positioned when it comes to internal communications to increase productivity, strengthen company loyalty and ensure future viability.
