Managing Internal Communications in a Hybrid World
Keeping employees engaged and up to speed has never been an easy task and requires planning, preparation and dedicated resources. Throw remote working into this mix and it’s far more difficult to communicate with staff.
So, how can firms ensure they are best managing internal communications in a hybrid world?
Take a step back
While it may feel like we’ve all been working at least semi-remote for a long time, many of the communications channels and tactics that we initially implemented as we moved to a hybrid working environment were only launched out of necessity. Now, though, it is a prime time to step back and really analyse what has and hasn’t worked in keeping employees engaged.
With productivity a challenge for many firms (particularly in the UK), assessing how people collaborate and co-ordinate in remote settings will add real value to a company. Employees could be suffering from Teams fatigue, inboxes might be over-loaded with company messages and WhatsApp groups might be silenced to drown out the digital noise that has become so common place in the new hybrid world.
Meaningful conversations need to be facilitated, and that will likely require an initial step back and rethink from internal comms teams.
Consider communication channels
Of course, that will also mean that employers must consider which communication channels are really best for the needs of their business and each individual function. One of the core objectives that firms want to achieve is a replica of the successes seen when face to face meetings were common place.
Being in the office together naturally provides team cohesion and facilitates collaboration. Achieving this remotely will require different tools and channels. And that doesn’t mean simply sending emails or setting up group chats.
There are a growing number of platforms and software being developed that claim to provide the tools needed to help communicate with, and re
