10 ways to produce more effective employee communications

Organizations often overlook communication with their most important constituency— employees. High-performing organizations make employee communications a priority. They recognize that an engaged workforce is essential for their success, and they prioritize clear, consistent communication.

Here are 10 tips for effective communication with employees:

Be clear and concise.

Overwriting and using technical jargon will lead to confusion and misunderstandings.

Set the tone at the top.

CEOs and senior leaders should lead by example. They should be visible and accessible, and understand the correlation between strategic employee communication and the achievement of organizational goals.

Understand your employees.

It’s important to communicate differently with different audiences. Consider surveying them regularly and asking whether they are getting the information they need.

Use many channels.

Most people need to hear or see a message multiple times, in multiple ways, to understand it completely. Distribute your messages electronically, in writing, face to face and at meetings. Your message should be consistent across all these channels.

Notify employees first.