Marcus Richards
The latest data on remote working shows that some 31% of the UK workforce no longer commute to a centralised place of work. Whilst this number has slipped back from half of all employees during the pandemic, it still marks a huge shift in the way in which many people are choosing to set-up to complete their 9-5.
The shift to flexible and remote working has delivered many benefits for both employee and employer. Businesses have been able to reduce overheads by giving up leases on expensive office space and seen improvements in their hiring and retention. For workers, more flexibility has allowed more time to follow hobbies, spend time with family, reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing too.
But flexible working isn’t without its challenges, and that’s something where the strength of an organiastion’s internal communications processes becomes so vital.
When most of us were office-based, it was far easier for leaders to check in on projects, provide task updates, monitor how their teams were getting on, understanding mood, and also sharing the organisation’s goals and visions – all critical to long-term engagement and success.
In a flexible working environment, those ‘easy’ opportunities for communication have become fewer and far between. In fact, some employees now say they don’t speak to a single colleague throughout an entire working week – something which is detrimental to both orgnisational performance and employee wellbeing.
If you’re wondering how to get started better talking to staff, then here’s a great list of internal communications examples to get you started. Ready to dive in? Then here’s a look at some of the reasons why internal comms are so critical to making a success of flexible working.
Values and goal alignment
It’s difficult enough to educate and embody the goals and values of an organiasiton when everyone is in the same workplace, let alone when teams are spread across the country (and sometimes, the world).
Internal comms are critical for continuing to share the key organiastional messages that help ensure all workers are aligned on their values – what it is to work for the organiastion – and their ‘why’. The goals of the business, and the vision that should be pulling all colleagues in the same direction.
Visible leadership
Invisible leadership in the old days used to mean a boss that went into their office, closed the door and you wouldn’t hear from them all day. In 2023, visible leadership is even harder to enact when there is limited physical proximity between staff and management.
Internal communications provide an ideal avenue by which leaders can share centralised messages to all employees – albeit in a top-down way. Regular leadership insights are key for goal alignment, but also to support in increasing transparency within the organiastiokn.
Employees like to know what’s going on, that their jobs are safe, and that things are moving in a positive direction that they want to continue contributing towards.
Employee engagement
Internal communications are so much more than talking at employees. Modern internal comms strategies focus more on talking to and listening to staff. What do they think and feel? Do they agree with current policy and direction? What improvements can be made? Are they happy?
These questions indicate whether or not an employee is content and engaged in their work – something which organiastions have always struggled to ensure, especially throughout remote working. High engagement means more creativity, loyalty and productivity. Widespread low engagement will start to drain on an organisation’s profitability.
Celebrating achievements
Those impromptu moments of celebration, appreciation and recognition don’t happen as often online as they do offline, but they’re so important to morale, staff connection and engagement.
Internal comms has a critical role to play in ensuring the individual and shared successes of an organisation are well known. It helps employees feel seen and their efforts appreciated, and should hopefully inspire others to see the great work of their peers and want to deliver the same.
There are lots of challenges associated with flexible and remote working, but by focusing on the human factor – including talking with and listening to your people through effective internal communications – will help ensure it’s a successful and meaningful venture for all involved.
