'The future of work isn't about doing everything at the office that you did at home'
As George Bernard Shore once said, the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it’s taken place. If the past 12 months taught us anything, it’s the importance of communication in organizational strategy. The pandemic hit all employers hard – however, companies that already had a strong internal comms process in place fared dramatically better than those which did not. In an effort to futureproof your communication strategy for 2022, HRD spoke with Meghan Stettler, director of the O.C Tanner Institute – sponsor of our upcoming Employee Engagement Summit - who shared some sure-fire ways to up your game.
Read more: Saskatchewan's digital proof of vaccination launches ahead of October requirement
“We learned during the pandemic how important communication can be to culture and employee wellbeing,” Stettler told HRD. “It impacts everything from burnout to fear to trust. To supercharge communications, I recommend three opportunities.”
1. Be transparent
“Organizations that increased transparency during COVID crisis saw an 85% increase in engagement and 72% increase in employee satisfaction, while those who reduced transparency saw an 87% increase in their employee’s intent to leave,” Stettler told HRD. “Now that we’re steeped in the Great Resignation, we’re seeing these, and other sentiments, playing out in real time. Transparency can’t be revoked now that the COVID clouds are clearing; the best organizations will continue in this light because they saw how it elevated trust and commitment.”
2. Refine frequency and modalities
“Across the last year and a half, organizations have been able to refine their remote channels, and frequency of messages, to the right balance,” explained Stettler. “Understanding how, where and when employees prefer to communicate and connect is key to a successful hybrid model moving forward. The future of work isn’t about doing everything at the office that you did at home; it’s about communicating and connecting in a way that maximizes the best of both worlds in the goal of achieving employee, culture, and business outcomes.”
3. Talk about the great work happening
“In the middle of change, leaders can easily find themselves dealing with a heap of challenges,” Stettler continued. “Putting a spotlight on the great work happening, by recognizing the unique perspectives and actions that lead to progress, intentionally shifts the focal point from negative to positive, and creates greater connections to what matters most - employees’ sense of purpose, accomplishment, and one another.”
To hear more from Stettler and other industry leaders, register for our upcoming Employee Engagement Summit here.
