Communication Is Key to Genuine Employee Engagement

What are the elements of effective employee communication?

Effective communication strategies have shifted over time as new communication technologies emerged. No matter your industry or preferred communication channels, the goal remains the same: a clear and concise transfer of information within the workplace. 

Keep the following fundamental aspects of clear communication in mind when shaping or improving your employee communication strategy.

• Accuracy is essential in communication. Accuracy in business communication means speaking or writing with no or minimal errors. Accurate messaging includes proofreading to eliminate grammatical errors and fact-checking to ensure correct information. Prioritizing accuracy in communication for managers and employees can streamline typical company processes as well as reduce misunderstandings. 
• Brevity is vital for business communication. Brevity is the ability to deliver information in as few words as possible while keeping the message clear. Concise messages are vital for modern-day businesses amid the many workplace distractions vying for an employee’s attention. Additionally, many employees don’t have time to read long emails or memos. Keep messages concise to help your team absorb information and give your words more impact. 
• Openness is crucial for two-way communication. Your organization’s poor communication track record may not be about substandard processes. It may stem from cultural issues. People are less likely to report problems if they expect to be reprimanded or hassled, so more mistakes slip through the cracks. Saying you value effective communication in your company culture won’t make it happen. You must demonstrate that everyone is welcome to speak their mind before employees feel safe taking the chance. You’ll see higher employee morale when you show your organization is dedicated to minimizing frustration. 

How can you improve communication with your employees?

Improving communication within your business is a straightforward – if time-consuming – process. Your organization’s leadership team must strengthen its communication skills first to see improvements in the larger workforce, making clear, respectful communication part of the fabric of your organization. 

Managers dictate workplace culture, playing a vital role as the messengers for leadership decisions. However, many managers may feel unprepared to communicate with their teams. Here are five tips for strengthening management communication skills in the workplace.

1. Engage with employees on a personal level.

Being friendlier is an easy way to change your communication strategy – and it’s one of the most effective. Showing genuine interest in your team’s personal lives and remembering what they’ve told you demonstrates that you care about what they say. This connection can encourage even your quietest team members to speak up because they don’t fear being reprimanded or ignored. 

Casual conversation is one of the best ways to build friendships with your team. If some employees find it challenging to loosen up in a work environment, consider spending time with your team outside of work. You’ll foster teamwork and workplace collaboration while improving communication.

2. Explain the reasoning behind a task.

Businesses are anything but static, and frequent shifts can add new responsibilities to your team’s to-do list. While responsibility shifts aren’t unusual, they can damage employee morale if they happen too often without explanation. 

Most professionals want to feel their hard work meaningfully contributes to the company’s success. However, their efforts can feel pointless if you add or change responsibilities without context. Explain how each task helps the company progress to keep motivation high while demonstrating your commitment to transparent two-way communication.

3. Set clear expectations for employees.

Setting clear expectations for employees is a communication cornerstone. In addition to setting clear and specific expectations about achievable business goals, duties or a project, managers should also set clear expectations about behavior, accountability, how employees treat other team members, and following policies. After communicating your expectations, it’s also crucial to manage expectations with regular meetings and opportunities for your team to ask questions and offer feedback. 

4. Prioritize constructive, positively framed feedback.

Workplace criticism is often vital for team members to improve within their roles. However, feedback can feel like a personal attack if you don’t have a proper communication strategy, resulting in unproductive conflict and poor engagement.

When done right, effective professional feedback can help team members understand areas where they can grow without being insulted. 

An employee performance review is an obvious opportunity to share feedback on an employee’s performance. To create an effective performance review process that fosters communication, be honest and use tangible, pertinent examples to highlight where the employee excels and where they need to improve. Stress mutual understanding and respect, and invite employee feedback to give the employee a chance to share their ideas and career goals. 

5. Use digital communication tools to stay connected.

While digital communication channels shouldn’t take the place of personal communication, they can serve as tools to enhance connections, particularly with remote employees. Live video calls, video conferencing, text chat and other channels can give offsite team members a direct line to business operations, reminding them they’re part of the team and its larger purpose. 

Here are some communication and collaboration tools to consider: 

• Fuze for online and live meetings
• Google Meet for easy team communication
• GoToMeeting for seamless web conferencing (Check out our full review of GoTo Connect to learn more.)
• Join.me for casual voice chats
• Microsoft Teams for a robust video chat platform
• Zoom for an all-in-one collaboration solution

Communication in the workplace is crucial

Poor communication can lead to tangible losses when costly errors occur. The intangible effects of poor communication can also be devastating, leading to the loss of top talent and a negative workplace culture. 

Your communication process underpins your organization’s operations at every level. Communication breakdowns leave employees rudderless and frustrated, lacking guidance on how to get back on track. But when you focus on creating a work environment that values communication, your team never has to feel lost.