You are currently in the starting blocks : your annual seminar takes place in three weeks, and you have planned a dynamic program which, you hope, will create emulation in your teams.
But here it is: at present, very few of your collaborators have responded to the invitation email you sent them. And, with teleworking becoming more democratic, it is not very efficient to go physically to each division of the company to remind everyone to send you their RSVP. Check out the interesting topic tender oglasi.
Do not question your communication skills: your strategy probably simply lacks a few internal communication trends to boost your actions .
By the end of reading this article, this will no longer be the case! You will have in your hands concrete trends to adapt to your company, to generate the commitment of your collaborators and to promote your corporate culture as it should be.
Internal communication trend #1: Overhaul your corporate culture in the face of remote work
Did you know that 78% of French people want to continue teleworking, even occasionally, after the health crisis? It’s a fact: remote work is becoming more democratic, and is no longer just a passing trend. This is why, in this remote world, your internal communication plan must succeed in adapting to these new working methods.
Many of your employees, managers and leaders now only interact through a screen with the business world. Hence the growing importance of your profession, in charge of internal communication! You are more than ever a crucial element in developing the culture of your company .
So how can we embrace this culture of distancing?
- Bet on internal communication tools such as instant messaging , such as Slack or Microsoft Teams. Make them spaces where your employees can share the values of the company, but also more informal exchanges. For example, segment conversations into different channels, where they can share in real time their music they are working on, or their tips for being more productive while working remotely.
- Install remote communication routines . Friday morning breakfasts or quarterly conferences are not dead. Digitize them, by equipping yourself with suitable videoconferencing tools, which promote interactions.
Internal communication trend #2: Highlight your employees in your content
The employee experience is not just a buzz word . It is a concept which, if well mastered, allows you to retain your talents and attract new ones, reduce turnover , and optimize everyone’s productivity.
And who says employee experience, says knowledge of your employees. Current internal communication trends all revolve around the same idea: that your strategy must above all adapt to the expectations of your colleagues .
The objective: to make them feel listened to, recognized and valued by their company. In short, that they feel a strong sense of belonging to your organization.
So how do you put your employees at the center of your corporate communication?
- Send them regular surveys to collect their vision of your corporate culture, collaborative work, or your brand values, and draw inspiration from their responses to create your content.
- Create content where your employees speak for themselves . These can be video portraits of new recruits, or interviews in which employees describe the last project they completed with flying colors, in the form of podcasts for example.
- Celebrate everyone’s accomplishments in your content . Dedicate part of your internal newsletter to the signing of a new fine contract by the sales team, or publish a publication on your Intranet for each innovative project finalized.
Internal communication trend #3: Think “visual” by integrating video into your media
Your employees have very full schedules, and have less and less time to consult a long-format corporate article, which details all the company’s objectives for the next quarter. What’s more, their personal consumption of digital content has accustomed them to dynamic formats, consumable on the go, at their own pace.
Hence the interest of opting for internal communication based on the visual, and in particular on video. 67% of employees also declare that they are better able to complete a task that they have learned to do via a video, or a combination of text and images.
So how do you embrace visual communication?
- Create an editorial plan with a variety of formats . Alternate between blog articles and comprehensive guides, long formats suitable for dense content, and infographics or videos, which allow you to condense your key messages in an effective way.
- Take inspiration from the codes of social networks . Bet on very dynamic formats such as computer graphics, the “Top 5” video, or the Fast & Curious interview. These formats are likely to generate engagement with your targets.
- Apply video creation best practices . Designinginternal communication videos not enough: you also need to make them dynamic and accessible to everyone. For this, you must make use of transitions, overlays, or even subtitles, in a clever way. To really succeed with your content,check out the ultimate guide to video creation.
Internal communication trend #4: Make your communication resolutely mobile
Millennials and Generation Z already represent more than a third of the payroll today; and, very soon, they will be the majority in our companies. However, these populations are accustomed to having rapid and resolutely mobile access to information.
Enough to motivate you to opt for communication formats that are truly adapted to their mobile use.
So how do you think mobile-first in your internal communication?
- Choose mobility-oriented tools . It is out of the question today to choose an Intranet, a corporate social network or a corporate messaging service that does not have a dedicated mobile application!
- Adapt your communication media to mobile . Don’t forget, for example, to subtitle your videos: these will have a better chance of being viewed, as a good part of your employees only watch this type of format without sound, especially on their mobile.
Internal communication trend #5: Use data to optimize your communication actions
You know it well: your colleagues in the external communication and marketing departments use data to measure the performance of each of their actions. What if you did the same, to really optimize your internal communication strategy?
How can you ensure that you take this internal communication trend into account in your habits?
- Equip yourself with tools that allow you to measure the performance of each of your actions . Your e-mailing tool should allow you to analyze the opening and click rate in your internal newsletters, and your corporate social network the engagement rate of your employees with regard to your publications.
- Collect data on your employees . Make it part of your monthly routine to send internal polls and surveys: what type of content do your targets need? What themes would they like to see more developed in your means of communication? So many questions that your employees can answer themselves!
- Test new communication actions based on these figures . Do you see an average view rate on your videos? Test a new, more dynamic intro format that adds value from the first 5 seconds. The click rate of your newsletters leaves something to be desired? Change the color of your call-to-action buttons.
Internal communication trend #6: Focus on Quality of Life at Work
With the Covid-19 crisis, and the economic crisis that is setting in, your employees have just experienced two particularly stressful years. As head of internal communication, it is therefore crucial that you take a close look at how you can promote the Quality of Working Life in your company.
Good news ! You already have everything you need to do this. All you have to do is reorient your content schedule to include themes around mental health, well-being, and the prevention of psychosocial risks at work.
How to promote well-being at work in your communication?
- Design content oriented “good QVT practices” . For example, why not create a guide bringing together all the techniques to set up a healthy work environment? Or launch a webinar on the theme of breathing or mindfulness meditation?
- Create channels dedicated to the subject on your internal communication messaging . Your employees will be able to share the resources they find on the subject, or even suggest improvements in terms of the work environment.
- Communicate just what is needed . Faced with the increased risk ofburnout, too intense communication can add to the infobesity and stress that your employees experience. Why not reduce the frequency of sending your internal newsletters to just one per month, if this is not already the case? By condensing information with real added value, you will reduce the risk of boring, or even over-addressing, your targets.
Internal communication trend #7: Share content on demand
In a business world that is often moving at a fast pace, your employees probably often find it difficult to set aside time to develop their skills. And yet, it is a crucial axis to retain your talents, and make them follow the career plan of their dreams.
Your teams are hungry for new learning, but want access to on-demand training content. The solution ? On-demand, off-the-shelf content, like Netflix offers in terms of entertainment.
How to embrace this communication trend?
- Get closer to your HR department to identify with them the needs for skills upgrading . You will probably be able to co-create educational content together, to distribute or promote in your communication plan throughout the year.
- Foster internal mentoring . Each employee has something to bring to their peers: so don’t hesitate to rely on everyone to design educational content! This can simply involve creating a channel dedicated to the exchange of information, where each employee can come and offer their skills to their peers.
Internal communication trend #8: Use the power of your internal influencers
Your company already necessarily has internal influencers, who actively promote and participate in your corporate culture. These collaborators, managers or executives are your best allies to create emulation around your internal communication actions .
How to identify these influencers, and make them useful to your strategy?
- Identify the most proactive collaborators in your communications . Which ones are the most likely to share your company’s news on LinkedIn? To be proactive in terms of content? To volunteer to organize an event? Here they are, your influencers!
- Co-construct your communication content with these influencers . Why not, for example, ask one of them to host the next conference you are organizing? Or have him create an internal micro-podcast or a series of videos, where he shares his vision of the company’s missions? Or have him interview your employees, to collect their vision of your values?
- Leave room for authenticity in these contents . The more your internal influencers are free to express themselves in their own name, the more your content will have an impact on your targets.
Internal communication trend #9: Involve Top Management in your actions
Does your Top Management often express its vision and opinions on LinkedIn, or at external events? It’s time to involve them more in your corporate communication! These senior executives indeed have a strong power: that of inspiring your employees, and of being living examples of your corporate culture.
But beware: there is no question of opting for purely top-down communication. The idea is to bring each employee, regardless of their hierarchical level in the company, closer to the human behind the suit and tie.
So how do you encourage the involvement of Top Management in your internal communication strategy?
- Humanize your senior executives , by featuring them in content where they speak the same language as your employees. Why not, for example, create a series of video interviewspresenting each of the division directors? Or dedicate part of your monthly newsletter to a quote from one of them?
- Brief your leaders before asking them to speak . Whether they are comfortable communicating with employees or not, they must learn to position themselves as their peer. For example, be sure to coach them on the speeches they have planned as an introduction to your business seminar, by explaining to them which issues have interested employees the most in recent months.
Thanks to these internal communication trends, you are ready to encourage the commitment of your employees, around content that develops the culture of your company and focuses on well-being at work.
