Internal communication has a deep effect on employee retention. The ability of managers, executives, and the employees themselves to get their information across prevents frustration on the part of workers on all levels of an organization and makes company goals, as well as individual employee goals, crystal clear.
We all know that employee retention is extremely important, not only because it saves many business countless hours in recruiting and onboarding new employees constantly. Internal communications comes in many effective forms, from well-written memos to engaging video content. All the fancy gadgets and awesome communication tools at your disposal aren’t doing their jobs if you’re not retaining your best employees. How exactly can internal communication help with employee retention?
Induction Process and the Employee Value Proposition
Getting employees onboarded quickly into your organization is the first step in making sure they stick around. No one wants to feel like they’re lost when they come into work. Even during their first week, employees have to know exactly why they’re there and what’s expected of them. Onboarding videos are great, because you can design them to exactly fit with your company’s language, mission statement, and goals, but if these (sometimes) goofy videos are supplemented with direct communication with managers, employees can get lost in the shuffle. A large part of internal communication and employee retention is the Employee Value Proposition (EVP), which lays out the expectations your organization has of the employee, and what the employee can expect in return. In essence, smart employees can use this to advance in the company and give your organization exactly what it needs to succeed. Senior leaders and managers, as well as your Human Resources department, have to be involved in drafting this document for the best effect.
Management Should Be Trustworthy
Employees need to know that if they work hard and follow the company’s goals as laid out in their EVP, they will be rewarded. Managers have to be clued in on this and reward the hard work of employees who exceed company expectations. Going deeper than that, employees have to trust their managers to properly motivate them and guide them in their dynamic, fast-paced business environment. Managers have to be reliable. Use your internal communication systems to lay out messaging goals for your managers in which they are expected to check up on employees and communicate the goals of the organization and their expectations of those working under them. Your managers are on the front lines of your company internal communications message.
Above All, the Best Employees Want to Work for the Best Executives and Managers
The bottom line in employee retention is of course to retain the best employees, who have been carefully recruited and screened for the jobs they enter. And employees want to work for managers and executives who know what they’re doing and are clear about what their organizational goals are. Start by being open, honest, and accessible in your internal messaging to retain your employees.