Every organization wants to have a good connection with its employees. But what does this connection mean?
Is it when there is good chemistry between leadership and their employees? Is it when teams can communicate appropriately with each other, or is it something completely different?
More importantly, why do companies want to improve this communication? Is it to help their managers coordinate and streamline better or add value to the company?
While all these points are valid, they are only a small part of improving employee communication. That is why in this post, we will take a closer look at what employee communication entails, how it ties to recognition and engagement in the workplace, and what companies can do to improve the overall communication experience for their employees.
Let’s dive in!
What Can Employee Communication Tools Do?
When companies have effective communication tools, it allows their employees to report problems, share ideas, and feel like they are being listened to and appreciated by the organization. As a result, not only can this better communication result in the employees feeling recognized by the organization, but it can also improve engagement.
In fact, according to studies that focused on workplace communication, the results showed that:
- Around 97% of employees believe communication impacts their ability to produce tasks
- Barriers in communications cost companies around $37 billion per year
- When supplied with better communication technology, productivity can improve by up to 30%
- When internal communications improve, organizational productivity can go up by 25%
- Around 28% of employees believe that poor communication is the cause of them not being able to deliver work on time
That is why proper employee communication can be critical to the company’s overall success, especially since it can improve productivity, increase team trust, and save the company money and time.
Is Employee Recognition Really Important?
Employee recognition refers to the open praise or acknowledgment of an employee’s behavior or achievements. Companies often use this type of recognition to express appreciation, reinforce desired behavior, and motivate employees.
When companies provide authentic and desired recognition, not only can it help motivate employees, but it can also assist in unlocking their full potential. What’s more, employee recognition programs can also help:
- Employees see that their contributions have helped the company’s overall mission and, as a result, can motivate them to continue making these contributions
- Employees feel happier at work and become more productive since this recognition helps them believe they are an excellent fit for their roles
- Enhance employee loyalty and promote collaboration
- Improve employee retention rates
- Provide opportunities for employees to learn and make themselves better at what they do
- Boost morale within the organization as employees begin to feel as if management is listening to them and wants to support them
However, employee recognition is more than just how it sounds. This recognition should also be personal and go beyond professional achievements.
For instance, company recognition can include birthdays, anniversaries, and personal accomplishments. Finally, it is not just the management team that should show employees appreciation. Rather, the company should also implement recognition techniques that allow other employees to acknowledge their peers.
What Does Non-Superficial Recognition Mean?
While receiving recognition from management can be great, not all the recognition perks end up working as they should. In fact, research has shown that employees do not want superficial recognition. Instead, these workers prefer non-superficial recognition, which usually involves improvements to their benefits programs, compensation packages, and core HR processes.
Some of the more common superficial recognition perks that companies tend to use that do not get the best reception from their employees include the following:
- Unlimited vacation days: Typically, employees will never be able to take as many vacations as they want. In truth, most employees will usually take their standard two to three weeks off. Otherwise, they often cannot manage their workload if they take more time off than that.
- Gym memberships: For some, getting a free gym membership is the ultimate prize. However, for others, it may be a worthless perk since not everyone in the office likes to work out or do it in a gym setting.
- Frequent outings: Getting to know your coworkers and employees is a great way to improve engagement and productivity in the workplace. However, creating outings too frequently can result in many unhappy workers. To implement team bonding activities, consider only having them once every quarter.
That is why before setting up a recognition system, you want to focus on creating recognitions that have meaning to all your employees and show them that management cares for them as employees and people. For instance, recognizing employees with a learning and development budget is a great way for them to feel that the company is investing in their future.
Better yet, for many companies, it is also a win since they can upskill their employees through these programs. Another way to recognize employees is by offering them student loan reimbursement. When employers help make payments on an employee’s student loans, it can ease some of the employee’s financial strain and help create a better connection with their workers.
Thinking outside of the box when it comes to employee recognition is a great way to make employees feel recognized. Just make sure these recognition perks will actually mean something to the employees.
How Do Communication Tools Tie Into Engagement?
When organizations figure out how to communicate appropriately with their employees, it can increase engagement, boost workplace productivity, and help drive business growth. Why?
Because employees tend to struggle with productivity when they do not have supportive managers or coworkers. They want to feel connections in the workplace and form meaningful relationships, especially since they spend most of their time there. However, when these connections don’t develop, employees tend to suffer from burnout, feel isolated, and ultimately do not feel inclined to work as hard or meet their goals and objectives.
That is why employers must focus on helping employees connect through proper employee communication tools to retain talent and improve engagement and productivity. While these tools typically depend on the company, they often include email, phone, and web conferencing.
However, companies should not be afraid to try tools that they may not have used in the past, such as:
- Video conferencing: This communication tool helps connect employees that do not see each other often, allowing them to see their coworkers and form better relationships with them.
- Intranet: The intranet is basically a centralized repository of information, news, documents, and updates that all employees can access.
- Instant messengers: Instant messaging is a great way for employees to communicate with each other immediately, whether sitting right next to each other or in a different part of the world.
- Internal newsletters: Newsletters allow companies to bring together content and deliver it to their workers regularly, keeping them updated with what is happening within the organization.
These communication tools can help employees communicate with each other, regardless of location. These tools can also break down barriers often associated with communication and create a feeling of community.
A Connected Team Is a Functioning Team
A well-connected work team can be the key to success for many companies. However, to obtain this solid connection, companies must understand that this is a continuous, ongoing process that needs personalization to each worksite.
Fortunately, when companies can figure out their communication strategy, they will be able to have a workplace that functions like a team and reap countless benefits from it, such as:
- More innovation within the organization
- Faster and more creative problem-solving
- Improved team coordination
- Less wasted time and effort
- Less burned-out team members
- Fewer turnovers and greater job satisfaction
- Increased productivity and engagement
If you are struggling with workplace communication or want additional tools to help improve employee engagement, contact Refresh today for further information. You can also request a free demo, where we will discuss how our platform works and what it can mean for your company and employees.