Why is it essential for organizations to communicate the nature and value of benefits to their employees?

Communication plays a vital role in our daily lives and is an integral part of the workplace. In the modern age in which we live, we receive, send, and process a large amount of news and information every day, associated with almost any company, any workplace. Read more: Tips for Improving Communication Skills.

Communication ensures the operation of the workplace and it is the quality of communication that can significantly affect the results of work. Improving communication can be done by choosing the use of signs or symbols common to the participants of the communication process, which is not always just the language, but also pictures, gestures, etc., resulting from the company’s common culture and experience. Gestures or pictures can be used to better explain the message to the employee. Successful communication is well thought out and purposefully presented because quality communication is the basis for the success of work.

Effective communication in the workplace is an integral part of company success

Quality communication in the workplace can eliminate unnecessary problems and promote better performance. The ability to communicate effectively in the workplace can increase overall productivity, and create a strong team. If employees consult with each other and consider the views of others, they will be interested in cooperating more and finding the best solution together.

By creating good communication, managers can better understand the talents and skills of their employees, then give clear instructions to the people who are best suited to the task, thus increasing the overall effectiveness of each particular project. 

When teams fail to communicate effectively, the results are detrimental to the company. Research by the US company Gartner shows that 70% of the company’s mistakes are due to poor communication. These statistics show how important communication is and why more attention needs to be paid to clear instructions and negotiations to avoid mistakes in the workplace. 

Here are some techniques to ensure effective communication:

  • Start talking first. Take responsibility and start communicating first, don’t expect someone else to do it. To make communication more successful, it is better to meet in person and discuss the most important topics so that there are no unnecessary misunderstandings.
  • Prepare what to say. Think before you speak. A conversation is more effective if you have prepared in advance, clearly thought out, and formulated what you want to say and get from the conversation.
  • Be prepared for different answers. When formulating a speech strategy, put yourself in the role of the person who will listen to you. This way you will be ready for various answers and possible disagreements, and it will be easier to defend your opinion.
  • Arranging a meeting. This is still one of the best approaches to communicate effectively with a team. During the meeting, there is an opportunity for the whole team to meet and discuss current issues, where each team member has the opportunity to express their opinion and discuss what has been done.
  • Use simple words. To be effective in communicating with colleagues, use words that are easy to understand. If you use vague words or sentence structures that are too long, people may not understand the main idea you want to say, and you may have to spend your time explaining again.
  • Listen to what the other has to say. The ability to listen to each other’s words is one of the biggest problems in communication. Listen to what the other person wants to say to you, do not stop while he is talking, and if you do not understand, ask. Before answering, make sure that you have really heard and understood everything correctly.
  • Avoid unnecessary repetition. If you want your colleagues to perceive your ideas, don’t get carried away with verbiage. Tell your colleagues briefly and specifically what you want them to understand, and ask if everything is clear to them.

Interesting facts about communication that can be useful for you:

  • We process visual images faster than words (and also remember better).
  • We think much faster than we can hear – we can listen to 100-125 words per minute, while our brains can think up to 3000 words per minute.
  • Employees spend an average of 2 hours a day worrying and gossiping.
  • People’s emotions can be expressed in at least 21 different facial expressions – they play an important role in communicating with others.
  • Employees who believe that managers are really listening to them are almost 5 times more likely to be enthusiastic and 21 times more likely to feel loyal to their company.

Remember! All communication is based on your mood. If you are in a bad mood before starting communication, then do not be surprised that communication may fail. Have a positive mindset before you start communicating! Read more: The Importance of Social Engagement at Workplace.

Here are 10 key reasons that highlight the importance of internal communication:

1. Boosts employee engagement and productivity

Start the right conversations across your organization and bring leaders, partners, and employees together to focus on internal strategies that boost engagement and productivity. Employees should be encouraged to submit their ideas and opinions. This makes them feel valued and listened to, which leads to engagement. When employees are actively engaged, they are motivated to work harder and do better quality work on the job.

These types of conversations can be set up easily through internal communication platforms. There’s no need for long time-wasting meetings.

2. Promotes the supply of information

Another of the benefits of internal communication is that it delivers the right message to the relevant people. Modern technology means most of us connect at some point during the day, particularly at work. Many employees have access to a company intranet, which they can connect to when it suits them and keep up to date with relevant communications.

Effective internal communication also ensures employees don't suffer from information overload. It avoids the need to spend hours sending and reading emails, messages, and comments.

Why is it essential for organizations to communicate the nature and value of benefits to their employees?

Leadership Corner – LumApps

3. Improves employee experience

Organizations can use internal communication to improve the employee experience This helps maintain employee retention, as working for a company that cares about its people sends out a positive message. Internal communication can be used to advertise:

  • company events
  • sports club membership
  • free healthy drinks and snacks
  • free cab service for employees that work late
  • the introduction of a chill-out area

Unless everyone knows about these benefits they won't be able to take advantage of them. This is why the internal communication role is important for both business and leisure time.

4. Sharing goals and objectives

One of the best ways to communicate the roadmap of your business is by leveraging your internal communication platform. Giving an overview and explaining your goals through a consistent information flow helps employees feel well-informed and capable of taking actions.

A clear roadmap also emphasizes company strategy so everyone in a team or department has a defined view of where the organization is heading. It gives a single, clear reference point that summarizes the overall objectives. This clarity can promote confidence in making decisions and carrying out roles.

Why is it essential for organizations to communicate the nature and value of benefits to their employees?

LumApps Platform with LumApps Play

5. Provides focus points

Internal communication can be used to align and guide teams on how to prioritize and distribute effort. Clear internal communication in the work environment ensures employees are aware of deadlines and can set time schedules to achieve them. This focus also emphasizes how a smaller project fits into the overall picture and why a specific deadline is important. For example, the installation of new software for the HR department may need to be implemented to capture a seasonal trend.

6. Drives action

Internal communication promotes both internal and external action. For example, it can authorize people to go ahead with a task, ask them to communicate with suppliers or collect opinions via the number of likes for a new product on an intranet page. It can take seconds to communicate a piece of information clearly and effectively.

People are more inclined to respond if they just have to press a button, rather than write a long response. This especially applies to the younger generations, who’ve grown up in the digital era.

7. Brings people together in difficult situations

In times of crisis, internal communication is a valuable tool. Being able to communicate fast and easily with the right people in the organization can reduce stress and get things done.

Another of the advantages of internal communication in a crisis is that it can alleviate rumors. Nothing spreads faster than office gossip, and accurate communication from management can prevent negative situations. This can also feed through to external communication, as an organization’s reputation can easily be damaged by rumors that aren't true.

8. Allows for change

Technology is fast-moving. Competition is fierce and companies have to stay ahead of the competition to be successful. Why is internal communication important in this respect? Because it allows businesses to respond fast to climatic, environmental, and unexpected situations.

Strong internal communication can mean the difference between averting or suffering a crisis.

This could range from a retail store reducing the price of bread in every store in the state to match the competition, to warning staff in the travel industry of bad weather. Strong internal communication can mean the difference between averting or suffering a crisis.

9. Crosses borders

The importance of communication in international business can be seen in global organizations. Employees may be working in different time zones and only have a limited window to hold video meetings or telephone calls. Effective internal communication assists understanding, particularly if people speak different languages.

It’s also important to consider culture when communicating with colleagues in a different country. The tone of the communication should respect any cultural differences in terms of attitude to work, behavior, and customs.

10. Promotes the brand

According to Gartner Communications, “Employees who feel well-informed become a company’s most credible ambassadors externally, while they may become its fiercest critics if they do not.”

Positive external communication is the key to strengthening an organization’s reputation. When employees talk about the company and share information through social media they become advocates. This form of brand-building can impact an organization’s success and results from clear internal communication that encourages employees to share information.

LumApps, the Employee Experience Platform: