Keeping employees informed is essential for a successful business. Good communication practices help keep everyone on the same page and give employees the information they need to do their job better. There are many ways to keep your staff up to date: regular meetings, department newsletters, emails and even text messages can be excellent methods of maintaining open lines of communication. 

Effective communication should be tailored to each team's unique needs and specific projects or initiatives, making sure that everyone knows the details they need in order to succeed. Establishing strong channels of communication can take a bit of effort but it pays off in increased productivity, efficiency, and morale; an informed employee is happier, more engaged, and more productive for you and your business. 

Being open and honest with others can be challenging, especially in a fast-paced work environment. When workers are in the dark about what's happening, they can contaminate the office environment with negative emotions like stress, perplexity, agitation, and anxiety. They risk becoming disengaged from their work and lacking ambition. Work stops being done, and productivity drops over time.

The inability to communicate is not the responsibility of the staff. Being an efficient employer involves regularly informing and updating workers on all matters pertaining to their jobs. 

However, what steps can you take to ensure that your employees remain informed? 

Read on to find out.

Why are employees increasingly seeking value and purpose at Work?

With the ever-changing job market and the influx of new technologies, employees are recognizing that their workplace environment needs to offer them not only financial stability but also a sense of worth. People want more than just a paycheck; they want their work to matter and be driven by something greater. This is why employees are increasingly seeking purpose and value in their work. 

They are drawn to organizations that promote meaningfulness in their day-to-day tasks, provide opportunities for professional growth, and have aligned values with their own beliefs. 

Social responsibility is another key factor motivating workers who want to know that their employer is committed to making an impact in society and providing a greater benefit than itself. As such, it's no surprise that companies that invest in these aspects attract high-quality candidates eager for impactful employment experiences. 

There are a few reasons why employees may be seeking more value and purpose in their work:

1. Changing values: Many people today place a greater emphasis on finding meaning and purpose in their work, rather than just focusing on financial success.
2. Greater work-life balance: As the boundaries between work and personal life have become increasingly blurred, people are seeking work that aligns with their personal values and helps them lead a fulfilling life.
3. Increased transparency: With the rise of social media and other forms of online communication, it's easier for people to learn about companies and their practices. As a result, employees may be more likely to seek out organizations that align with their values.
4. Talent retention: Companies that offer a sense of purpose and meaning to their employees may be more successful at retaining top talent, as employees are more likely to stay with an organization that they feel is making a positive impact.
5. Employee satisfaction: When employees find value and purpose in their work, they are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and motivated to do their best work. This can lead to increased productivity and a positive work environment.

Experts say businesses need to urgently address the 'disconnect' culture and set boundaries to ensure a healthy work-life balance

by Caitlin Powell​

What are the consequences of not informing employees?

A lack of effective communication and engagement with employees can lead to disengagement, low morale, and eventual attrition. With the cost of recruiting and onboarding new staff being so high, it is critical for organizations to invest in initiatives that not only keep their employees informed, but also engaged in the latest developments within the organization. 

Without clear communication and a sense of ownership, it becomes increasingly difficult for employees to remain excited about their work or even knowledgeable about their roles. 

Organizations should take stock of their current strategies around employee communication and engagement, and strive to make improvements that will create an environment where all stakeholders feel valued and prepared to meet organizational goals.

If employees are not informed and engaged in the workplace, it can have negative consequences for the organization. Some of the potential negative outcomes include:

1. Decreased productivity: When employees are not informed about what is happening within the organization, they may struggle to do their job effectively, which can lead to decreased productivity.
2. Decreased morale: If employees feel left out of the loop or that their contributions are not valued, they may become disengaged and less motivated to do their best work.
3. Increased turnover: When employees are not engaged and feel disconnected from the organization, they may be more likely to leave the company, which can lead to increased turnover and the costs associated with training new employees.
4. Decreased customer satisfaction: If employees are not informed about the organization's products, services, or policies, they may be less able to effectively serve customers, which can lead to decreased customer satisfaction.
5. Negative impact on the organization's reputation: When employees are not engaged and feel disconnected from the organization, it can lead to negative word-of-mouth and a poor reputation, which can damage the organization's brand and bottom line.

11 ways to keep employees in the loop​

#1. Let employees know how your organization is doing

 Whether the news is good or bad, it's crucial to share it. Being honest about your struggles can silence critics and send a powerful statement about how you plan to move forward. It also creates an environment where staff members feel comfortable offering input.

Celebrate your achievements in sales and less obvious areas, such as project milestones, customer feedback, and the impact your organization has made (an especially important metric for nonprofits). Employees can be inspired and equipped to convey your company's worth to consumers and the public with the help of this data.

#2. Remind your employees about the organizational benefits

Make sure your staff is aware of and able to take advantage of any unique health, retirement, or other financial benefits you may provide regularly. More and more workers care about the administration of their investments, deductions, and other personal finances; educate your staff on the methods you use to track and manage these matters.

Educate your employees on the options available, such as internal training, conferences, workshops, and reimbursement policies, to further their careers and advance in their current positions. Remind people regularly if you provide unusual opportunities, such as time off to volunteer in the community. 

#3.Talk about your culture 

Having a murky company culture is a surefire way to turn off your staff. Do you appreciate new ideas, even if they pose an extra danger? Do you believe that the best ideas should rise to the top regardless of where they came from? How do you define success, and what do you give people who achieve it?

The policies you've implemented to uphold your culture are just as crucial. Ensure your staff is aware of the opportunities to share their ideas, work together across departments, and be recognized for their efforts. In addition, if you want to be taken seriously as an employer who values diversity and inclusion, you should promote your anti-discrimination rules and the channels via which violations may be reported and dealt with. 

#4.Recognize the achievements to inspire the employees 

 While it's great to recognize the corporation as a whole, it's also vital to highlight the contributions of specific individuals or teams. Recognize personnel who have made exceptional achievements or been promoted by giving them public recognition.

Remember that communication aims to motivate action, so explain to employees what they can do to earn similar praise for themselves. This could be a more general commitment to better performance or completing a specific task.

#5. Focus on potential employees

One area where many organizations fall short is in communicating with prospective employees. Even the best outreach attempts might fail regarding the interview and onboarding processes. Always ensure your automated application procedure runs smoothly and straightforwardly enough for most people. Qualified applicants may be put off by a procedure that is too impersonal or too convoluted.

It's also important to reevaluate the hiring process to ensure that candidates hear directly from the people who know the most about the position. Mismatches or expensive delays in hiring might come from an advertisement's lack of accurate or up-to-date information regarding the position being filled. 

#6. Use different communication channels   

If you want to keep communication exciting and ensure it reaches the correct people, using a range of channels, including email, newsletters, team chat apps, and social media, is a good idea. Keep messages succinct and to the point to avoid overwhelming recipients.

The presentation of your message is just as crucial as the message itself. When information is presented well, with appropriate visual aids, it is more likely to be retained by the audience.

#7. Review the internal communication plan regularly  

Reviewing your internal communications regularly can shed light on how and what you're communicating and reveal underlying problems you may have been unaware of. 

To whom exactly are you addressing this message? How well do you encourage and motivate your employees? Which people are celebrated, and which are ignored? This can be useful for fostering better dialogue within the company.

#8. Use modern technology ​ 

You may not always be able to meet with employees since you are too busy or out of the office. Technology is a terrific method to keep in touch when you can't get together in person. 

Keeping in touch with people, fielding queries, and disseminating information swiftly can all be facilitated by electronic mail and other forms of private communication. AgilityPortal and Slack are just two examples of the many private social networking applications available to assist you and your staff in remaining in touch.

#9. Show the results ​ 

Every person appreciates being told that their efforts have paid off. Feedback on performance, both individual and company-wide, is a must. Congratulations on their hard work paying off. To motivate your staff, you must let them realize the positive impact they have on the company's success. Turn down good jobs. Instead, point out the flaws and offer solutions to the problems.

#10. Cut the clutter ​ 

Most workers today don't have the luxury of delving deeply into hundreds of subjects. Communicators are checking to see that no more than three to five overarching themes, primarily about company strategy and must-know information, are present in every message. They send it out in bite-sized chunks via email, host it on internal networks and centralize it in resource repositories.

#11. Measure key performance indicators ​ 

Surveys are still a valuable tool for organizations to gain insight from their staff, whether it's through annual engagement studies or more frequent touchpoint polls. To get to know their employees more personally, some executives hold "Office Hours" and "Ask Me Anything" sessions. To supplement this information, communicators monitor important metrics to ensure their efforts raise consciousness, verify comprehension, and inspire action and advocacy within the staff.

Why is it important to keep your employees informed? ​ 

It might be challenging to keep track of all that needs to be done when you're running a business. One of the things that can slip between the cracks when business owners are busy is keeping personnel informed, yet having informed employees can really benefit your organization. You can boost productivity and morale in the workplace by keeping everyone in the loop about company happenings. 

There are several benefits to keeping your employees informed.

It Increases productivity

Productivity gains are one of the most tangible outcomes of an educated workforce. Constant changes in the workplace without adequate notice can be disorienting for workers. When workers are in the dark about what's happening in their organization, they are much less productive. Workers with access to more information are better equipped to zero in on their work and complete it efficiently.

For their safety ​ 

Being unaware can be dangerous in the workplace in a variety of situations. 

By arming workers with accurate information, employers can help keep them and their coworkers safe. Workers can be made aware of potential hazards in the workplace with the aid of a Safety Data Sheet. Risk and responsibility can be reduced by protecting workers from harm, which is in everyone's best interest. 

If you want a safe workplace free of hazards, you must ensure that your employees are well-informed and aware of how to do so at all times.

It Increase employee satisfaction ​ 

Workers don't like being kept in the dark, especially on matters that could jeopardize their jobs. When workers feel knowledgeable about their jobs and the company, they take pride in their work and are likelier to stay with the company for the long haul.

Your staff will feel more invested in their work and more motivated to improve continually if you provide them with the larger picture and assist them in realizing when something isn't working. It's important to be forthright with your staff regarding their performance, as it's tough to grow if you don't know where you're falling short.

How can the intranet help you to improve internal communication?

The intranet is a powerful tool for connecting people, allowing employees to interact more efficiently from any remote location. It can be used to distribute company-wide news and updates quickly and effectively, creating greater transparency and understanding about changes in the business. With built-in functionality such as chat rooms and discussion boards, it also enables team members to collaborate on projects more readily, minimizing time delays caused by miscommunication or misunderstanding. 

In addition, the intranet offers access to all approved documents at anytime, ensuring that everyone is kept abreast of new developments without having to constantly reference outdated sources of information. Overall, an effective intranet helps employees stay informed and connected in order to increase collaboration across teams and departments.

An intranet can improve workplace communication and boost employee engagement when designed with the user in mind. To get the most out of your intranet, you need to know (a) your goals and (b) how your intranet can help you get there. Finding these is a crucial step in building a successful intranet.

It can be a useful tool for improving internal communication in a number of ways:

1. Centralized information: An intranet can serve as a central repository for important information and documents, making it easier for employees to access the resources they need.
2. Improved collaboration: An intranet can include tools for collaboration, such as file sharing and real-time chat, which can make it easier for employees to work together and stay up-to-date.
3. Enhanced communication: An intranet can provide a platform for employees to communicate with one another, including through forums and discussion groups. This can improve the flow of information within the organization and help to foster a sense of community.
4. Greater accessibility: An intranet can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, which makes it easier for employees to stay connected and informed, even when they are working remotely.
5. Enhanced security: An intranet can provide an additional layer of security for sensitive information, as it is only accessible to authorized employees within the organization.

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Mobile app

The only way to access the workplace intranet was from a computer provided by the business itself. 

Of course, hardly everyone uses a desktop computer at work any longer. Employees working from home or on the go should have access to the company intranet via mobile devices.

As the importance of intranets as a source of employee self-service grows, so will the pressure on businesses to provide mobile help. Your company's intranet has to be modernized if it doesn't include secure mobile app support.

Live statistics

How are we doing? is the most crucial question for any company. This question is rarely answered more frequently than quarterly or once a year. Current business metrics, such as sales numbers and client comments, can be made readily available to employees thanks to the advent of the company intranet.

This can be done, for example, by including such information on a user dashboard so that workers can quickly assess the health of their division and the business as a whole.

Allow multi-directional communication

Traditionally, data has only ever trickled down an organizational structure. There has been a lot of wasted information because employees rarely get to talk to C-suite executives. However, this problem can be solved by encouraging employees to leave comments on the articles posted by their coworkers on the intranet, which is a sign of high user engagement. This is an excellent method of fostering open lines of communication and giving workers the sense that their opinions matter.

Knowledge sharing 

Knowledge sharing within an organization is another useful function the intranet may provide.

The most elementary is probably just using the staff directory to put people in touch with one another. Connectivity can be improved by using a staff directory that includes images, brief biographies, or summaries of employees' areas of expertise and ongoing initiatives. Employees will be able to connect with internal resources and subject matter experts. It would be helpful if there were two-way linkages from each employee's directory entry to the specific projects they work on.

Social features

The widespread adoption of social media platforms like Facebook is because they provide users with an easy and effective means of interacting with their peers. Many businesses today are tapping into the potential of social media by fostering an interactive and collaborative culture within their own internal network.

In the same way that Facebook facilitates communication between individuals, a social intranet facilitates communication among groups inside an organization. As a matter of fact, several companies have done away with internal email altogether in favor of a social, collaborative intranet.

Weekly stand-up meetings

A weekly stand-up is a short, focused meeting in which team members share updates on their current projects and any roadblocks they may be facing. It is an effective way to keep employees informed because it provides a regular opportunity for team members to share information and stay up-to-date on what is happening within the team.  

Working together to know the most up-to-date business news can be a great experience, especially if it enables employees and managers to spend more time with each other. 

Recent research shows that 70% of employees would like to share more time with their managers and the best way to foster this connection is for both parties to stay informed about current events in the workplace. 

With today's internal communication technology, easy access to important updates such as new policies or work strategies is only a few clicks away for both employees and managers alike. Making it part of the daily routine will not only help make sure everyone is on the same page, but it can also be a great opportunity to bond during those meaningful conversations about what matters.

AgilityPortal News Feed

An intranet news feed is an invaluable resource for keeping employees up-to-date with the latest information about their organization. By centralizing news and other important updates, employers can easily ensure that everyone is informed of any changes or developments that are relevant to their work. 

An intranet news feed also allows employers to customize content and tailor it to particular employees' needs – establishing clear channels for communication, collaboration and knowledge exchange across the entire organization. This approach enables connected employees to stay informed of new developments while continuing to focus on their day-to-day tasks, thus maximizing productivity and efficiency.

Company-wide information feeds like News Feed in AgilityPortal allow employees to access a constant stream of relevant company information. 

It can be an effective way to keep employees informed because it provides a central location for important updates and news to be shared.

Wrapping up 

When organizations fail to communicate effectively, the results can be disastrous. Productivity drops, disengagement rises, and project failure rates skyrocket when workers and managers cannot communicate effectively. 

Employee engagement and communication can both benefit from a well-designed intranet. Having your employees access the information they need when needed and in a format that best matches their needs will also boost organizational culture.