Research

• A key driver for employee engagement and an indicator of financial performance was effective communication.
• Companies that communicate more effectively are 4.5 times more likely to retain the best employees.
• Workplace communication statistics show that 86% of employees and executives cite the lack of effective collaboration and communication as the leading causes for workplace failures.
• According to a McKinsey report, well-connected teams see a productivity increase of 20-25%.
• As showcased by Lexicon, a high percentage of more than 80% of Americans believe employee communication is crucial for developing trust with employers.

Statement

Enhancers of this driver

• Employees need to feel comfortable voicing their opinions, offering ideas, reporting issues, asking questions, and sharing criticism.
• Effective communication in the workplace should come through consistent channels, vehicles and people. Don’t keep people guessing, and don’t overwhelm them with too many channels. Employees should be able to expect when changes or big announcements are coming and know the go-to source for getting updates.
• Healthy feedback practices which enable healthy debate and conflict and build trust.
• Good workplace communication needs to be a two-way street if you want engaged employees who feel valued and motivated.
• Conducting employee engagement surveys can be a valuable practice for encouraging feedback. Leadership can collect feedback and drill down into the data needed to monitor issues, improve workplace culture, and boost employee engagement by regularly surveying employees.
• Evaluating and sharing best practices around communication vectors is increasingly critical. Email and other platforms can be overwhelming, and shared approaches and etiquette assist in minimising misunderstandings and communications overwhelm. Simply assuming that employees will read and comply with important emails can put your business at risk.

Detractors of this driver

• Silos exist in many organizations, even small businesses. When employees only focus on their own roles, departments, or objectives, they’re not collaborating with others. It is crucial to break down silos.
• A Lack of psychological safety. For direct reports, they need to feel comfortable bringing issues to you, knowing they’re in a safe space when communicating within the set standards.
• Lack of predictable and reliable practices for communicating effectively and often. If employees hear from leadership only when a significant problem or change crops up, they will begin to fear communication from those leaders.

Individual

• Ensure your message is clear and accessible to your intended audience. To do this, it is essential that you speak plainly and politely – getting your message across clearly without causing confusion or offence.

Leaders

• Managers need to deliver clear, achievable goals to both teams and individuals, outlining exactly what is required on any given project. They need to ensure that all staff are aware of the project's objectives, the department and the organisation as a whole.
• Leverage technology the right way. Just because you send an email doesn’t mean all recipients comprehend the contents or can adjust their day-to-day jobs in the way you want.

Organisation

• Be strategic, data-driven and fair. Consider how your communications will be perceived. The hybrid work environment can drive all types of bias, from determining who can access the office to how you onboard or manage performance in a remote setting.
• Update policies across the board, using data to support your decisions.

• Once you’ve created your message, you need to ensure it is delivered in the best possible format. While face-to-face communication is by far the best way to build trust with employees, it is not always an option. Take time to decide which communication vehicle best suits the purpose, intention and impact of your message.

• Ensure that lines of communication are kept open at all times. Actively seek and encourage progress reports and project updates. This is particularly important when dealing with remote staff.
• Provide an online platform for knowledge sharing. Employees are likely reading about industry news and trends regularly, so offer them a place to share this information. By having an opportunity to show what they know, employees will be eager to stay involved in this endeavour. Not only will this create more energy and purpose behind communication, but the sharing of valuable insights will be helpful to business.

• Organisations should expect to drive communications practice through pilots and prototype activities while collecting data on what does and doesn’t work.
• Investigate and implement suitable online Project Management tools. Many online tools facilitate communication and keep track of a project’s progress, enabling everyone to be on the same page. While face-to-face communication is always important, online tools can aid in this process by saving time and helping to document the work.

• Communication is a two-way process, and no company or individual will survive long if it doesn’t listen and encourage dialogue with the other party. Listening shows respect and allows you to learn about any outstanding issues you may need to address with your employer or your colleagues.

• It would help if you felt comfortable approaching both individuals and the team with workplace challenges or other issues.
• If you sense a lack of safety, endeavour to uncover the reasons why it isn’t a safe space for broaching problems.
• Ask what is needed to remedy the problem and discuss with them.

• Create opportunities for employees to meet outside of the office. Nothing hinders communication more than when there are employees who haven’t truly met one another. Plan a holiday party or a happy hour after work. By doing this, employees have something to look forward to, facilitating improved engagement and more robust communication.

• Listen without judgement. If you start reacting emotionally to what’s being said, then it can get in the way of listening to what is said next. Try to focus on listening. Equally, don’t assume that you know what’s going to be said next.
• Paraphrase and summarise. Sometimes called reflecting, this is repeating what has been said to show that you understand it. This may seem awkward at first, but really shows you’ve been paying attention, and allows the speaker to correct you if you haven’t understood correctly. If you’re not sure how to do this, try starting a sentence with: "Sounds like you are saying…”

• Communication between team members who work together and between employees and their managers should be improved. Make sure to address this during management training programs.
• Managers who take the time to get to know their employees and listen to them will find it easier to communicate and keep direct reports on task. When employees feel that managers can address their concerns, they are more likely to feel connected.

• Make “Sticky” Information Accessible. Every organisation has its own set of internal knowledge or “sticky” information that all employees come to understand. It can take time to learn how the company does things, from preparing client-facing documents to other types of best practices.
• Help employees learn essential information faster by including it as a part of training or onboarding and by creating internal documents for reference.