Why Communicating Regularly With Staff Is So Important In Business

The last three months has been one huge change. But I must admit, part of me has relished it. It has pushed me hard and there has been a buzz about being in the cut and thrust of it all.
Despite operating in a constantly changing business landscape with an ever-shifting number of priorities, there’s one task that’s stayed firmly at the top of my list: regular communication with the team.
I’ve always been a huge advocate for the power of effective communication, and the last few months have really driven home just how important it really is. Since early March, I’ve sent almost 40 company-wide emails to the team updating them on everything happening in the business. Those emails have been entirely transparent about what was happening in the business to make sure the team stayed updated, and I’ve openly explained my own need to seek some help through counselling when things were at their toughest. I’ve also picked up the phone regularly to members of the team to catch up, chat things through and generally work stuff out.
Here’s why I believe communicating regularly with staff is so important in business:

It improves staff engagement

This is probably the number one reason for effective communication with your team. By communicating with them often, you are including them in what is going on. This reduces the chance of them feeling out of the loop and ensures they have a clear picture of what’s happening now and what’s coming next. In turn, this creates support, buy-in and – most importantly – engagement,  giving you a much easier job of ensuring everyone is working towards the same goal.
There is research showing leadership communication is the top internal communication factor that statistically correlates to how engaged employees are – so get communicating!

It helps you manage remote workers

This one will be important as more people start working remotely or from home after the crisis. Planning regular communication through different channels including video calls, phone calls and emails means you always know when you’re next in touch with team members working remotely. It also gives them a structured catch-up time they can plan for, allowing them to prepare any questions or queries they need to discuss. It also means that people working remotely don’t feel distanced from the rest of the team, which will help increase their productivity and engagement.

It keeps your staff turnover low

Let’s face it, recruiting a member of staff only for them to leave six months later is both time consuming and costly to any business. By ensuring you communicate regularly, you can avoid this type of situation. Generally, companies with more engaged employees enjoy much lower staff turnover rates, and they key to engagement is communication.
Make sure you mix up your communication methods though; not everyone likes the same thing. While some people might be happy with a video call to talk through a piece of work, others might prefer an email setting out what you need them to do in writing.

It increases employee advocacy

Most employers would be happy for their employees to promote how great their company is. By increasing employee advocacy through effective communication, your staff will start to become your brand ambassadors, at the same time supporting to increase brand awareness, boost marketing efforts and support the bottom line.
Figure out the right way to develop your employee advocacy and you can create a marketing channel that can really reap the rewards.

It helps you keep (and attract) more customers

If your employees are not in the loop with what’s happening in the business, then it makes their job harder when it comes to manging the expectations of clients and customers. Ensuring you communicate all the information they need clearly and at the right time will empower them to deliver a better service and great client or customer experience.
Think about a time you’ve not been given the proper information about something, only to be made to feel daft or misinformed in front of someone else. This situation can be avoided through the planning of effective communication.
To find out how Howarths can support your business with effective staff communication, engagement and team building, click here.