Many organizations have long understood the importance of effective internal and external communication processes to drive their business strategies. Improving communication within the organization helps staff to share information, work towards common organizational goals, and strengthen staff relationships to create a cohesive organizational identity and company culture. With advances in technology, many businesses now have the ability to expand into global markets and they are often faced with rapid changes which they must respond to quickly, irrespective of time zone. Having solid information and communication technologies established within a business is vital to enable a business to meet these new demands.
Human Resource departments are aware of the importance of effective internal communications to help strengthen relationships between departments, support problem solving, transition processes, and to ensure the survival of the business. Communication technologies enable information to be shared between staff in a more efficient and effective manner. These technologies can also provide a platform through which HR managers can measure performance across a wide variety of areas within the business, such as receiving real time data regarding staff performance and providing immediate feedback. The effectiveness of these technologies allows senior management to become more visible and enable managers to provide regular communication to their employees. This is particularly important during company transitions and changes, providing a way to reduce misinformation from being spread.
These technologies also communicate to staff their value to their company, such as the use of two-way communication methods in which employees are invited to give their feedback and suggestions about their workplace. When used to connect with customers, social media platforms provide a wealth of real time information not previously accessible by HR, connecting managers directly with customer feedback, providing two-way conversation, and serving as a vital method to engage customers and public audiences.
When implementing or changing information and communication technologies within an HR department, HR managers should carefully analyze their needs alongside their future goals. There can be a range of software solutions to choose from, with a variety of media and high-speed communication methods. A good internal information and communication strategy can have a huge impact on staff satisfaction, with many staff citing poor communication as a reason for leaving an organization. When well established, good employee communications can improve staff retention, improve morale, productivity, employee commitment, and engagement.
