The workforce is much more than just a company’s source of labor; the employees are also its operational essence, the literal eyes and ears of any organization. Connecting with employees at all levels through effective internal communication (IC) matters: it’s a general rule that where IC is effective, employees are more engaged. But the value of establishing and maintaining open, omnidirectional IC strategies goes far beyond keeping in touch with employees.
What Does Improving IC Look Like?
Improving IC conceptually means leveraging the amazing innovations in modern communications technology. Upgrading IC simplifies the means of workplace communication and integrates them so as to streamline access and enhance efficiency. For many companies, improving IC operationally means shifting from unfocused or irregular communication via traditional analog and outdated digital platforms (e.g., desktop email, office-hosted intranet, printed newsletters) to brand-strategic, consistent message rollouts via mobile-first, cloud-based systems all accessible remotely on one employee-held device.
How Does Better IC Increase Revenue?
Opening up IC to seamlessly interconnect management, administration, and operations saves money and increases revenue because better IC saves time—and time is money. For one, up to 19 percent of the average worker’s day is consumed with the search for and consolidation of information, according to a customer analysis survey by intranet developer, Interact. When multiplied by the number of employees, even in a small organization the work hours lost annually to inefficient modes of research and consultation can rob a company of substantial potential profit.
Additionally, the more centralized the IC tool(s) a workgroup uses, the easier it is for the users to access knowledge and resources across and beyond the usual networks of nearby or familiar colleagues. Effective digital IC allows management to communicate current information directly to the field. It links remote colleagues and off-site technicians in real time, when they most need to connect directly to solve problems. It also gives both customers and employees an open, neutral vehicle for feeding experiential data back to supervisors and decision-makers.
Management can make proactive choices based on the feedback employees volunteer about customer experience. Invested employees want to contribute to the success of an organization whose goals they understand. Through regular, transparent communication with the workforce, management makes them feel involved and valued. Employees who are engaged also tend to deliver better and faster customer service. This circle of omnidirectional IC not only gives management an active look at policy and strategy implementations, but it also contributes to both employee and customer satisfaction because it saves valuable time for all three publics. Increased satisfaction correlates with greater customer and employee retention—three metrics that can then be tracked against revenue to measure the effectiveness of improved IC tools and strategies.
Improve IC To Work Better And Earn More
Time savings is just one of many areas in which improved IC positively affects an organization’s bottom line. At Susco Solutions, our process can show you even more ways to make work better for you. We implement a six-step solution in the development of our customers’ applications—analysis, designing, development, testing, training, and implementation. To start a conversation about how we can help streamline your business via internal business communications, mobile workforce apps, salesforce development, and many other methods, contact us today.