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Creative Solutions to help HR Managers and Internal Communications Managers engage and connect with employees
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  • Monthly Archives: September 2016

    • 8 ways to use video to improve employee communications and engagement.

      Posted at 5:15 pm by Bill Shirk, on September 27, 2016

      8-ways-to-use-video

      Engaging employees is no easy task. People don’t want to read communications. Printed materials can be expensive and not accessible 24/7. And some traditional employee communication tactics leave employees confused and disengaged.

      That’s why it has become increasingly important for today’s businesses to adopt the use of videos into their employee communications programs.

      Videos are entertaining, engaging and reach everyone in the multi-generational workforce. With videos, you can make difficult messages easy to understand, share the company brand messaging and create a recruiting tool.

      So here are 8 ways to use video to engage your workforce and improve communications.

      Leadership Messaging. Various studies have shown that the more company leadership communicates with their employees the more connected and engaged the employees will feel. Leadership messaging can be about company or industry news, the launch of a new product or service, a client win, benefits or wellness news, a holiday message or even a state-of-the-business message.

      Benefits, Open Enrollment and Wellness Communications. Most employees become disengaged with benefits communications. They find them confusing and just too much to read. Communicating benefits with videos can be entertaining, memorable and engaging while delivering the details that will help employees to make important decisions regarding their benefits and health coverage. Create various versions of your benefits, open enrollment or wellness videos – a longer, all- inclusive version, plus shorter versions, each with specific details. Post the videos on the company Intranet, benefits microsite or on video boards so all employees may access 24/7.

      Demonstrations, Tutorials and Sales Training Tools. Videos can help improve productivity, sales, and customer satisfaction. Almost anyone can capture a live demonstration, sales training, or a one-on-one tutorial on a smartphone to post online.

      Company or Industry Events. Communicate the company’s latest news, office events or industry news through videos. Recruiting events, volunteerism events, promotions or even a company outing are a few ways to use videos to keep the employees connected and engaged.

      Associate Profile Stories. Storytelling is one of the most engaging uses for video. An employee can share his or her perspective on everything from open enrollment experiences to their advancements and career story. Turn your employees into storytellers and communications ambassadors.

      Recruiting. Every business should have a recruiting video. What better way to showcase the opportunities your company has to offer? An exciting and entertaining video does a lot more to engage and intrigue new recruits than a brochure or flyer.

      Onboarding. For new employees, this is their first exposure to internal communications. These videos can include leadership and manager welcome messages, overviews of company culture, brand values, the company’s mission statement and/or core values, company handbook polices and benefits.

      Video Conferencing. This works great for companies that have mobile employees or multiple office locations. And are much more engaging than a conference call.

      Videos captivate almost every employee across the office from Boomers to Millennials and can be the best communications tactic for nearly any subject.

      So consider adding videos to your communications strategy and improve your employee communications and engagement.

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      Posted in HR Employee Communication Tips | 0 Comments
    • How to communicate benefits information and engage the multi-generational workforce.

      Posted at 4:40 pm by Bill Shirk, on September 7, 2016

      mulit-generational-workers

      As HR managers are well aware, today’s workforce has four distinct generations of employees. From those that are delaying their retirements, the Silent Generation, to the newest employees joining the workforce, the Millennials.

      Understanding the priorities of each generation

      Here’s a breakdown of each generation:
      The Silent Generation, born 1925 to 1945
      – The eldest group of employees
      – Prefer written communications
      – Shaped by WWII and the Great Depression
      – Uses technology
      – Slower to adapt to new things

      The Baby Boomers, born 1946 to 1964
      – Want to know the big picture
      – Like to try new things
      – Want multiple choices
      – Workaholics – they live to work
      – Spend the most on technology products
      – Use smart phones and tablets

      Generation X, born 1965 to 1980
      – Skeptical of the status quo
      – View everyone as being the same
      – Like hearing feedback
      – You must earn their respect
      – Make decisions at their own pace
      – Prefer images and graphics to written words

      The Millennials, born 1981 to 2000
      – Entrepreneurial and goals oriented
      – Multi-taskers
      – Communicate electronically
      – Like lots of feedback and constructive criticism
      – Appreciate quick-witted humor
      – Not face-to-face communicators
      – Involved into charitable giving and volunteerism
      – Available 24/7

      Each generation has a distinct communication style, from one-on-one meetings to instant messaging. So how do you communicate benefits information that will engage your entire workforce?

      With such a diverse workforce, there is no one-size-fits-all method for communicating benefits information. The most effective solution is to develop a communications plan that uses multiple communication channels.

      A multi-channel strategy allows employees to choose how to receive their information, creates more awareness of your benefits programs and ultimately helps employees make better decisions about their benefits.

      Your multi-channel benefits communication plan should include some of the following:
      – Town hall meetings
      – One-on-one meetings
      – Company intranet posts
      – In-home mailings
      – Webinars
      – Benefits micro-sites
      – Instant messaging
      – Text messaging
      – Emails
      – Video conferencing- Blogs
      – Social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram
      – Internet bulletin boards
      – Video presentations
      – Brochures
      – Newsletters
      – Infographics

      By acknowledging the generational differences and eliminating the communication barriers, you’ll engage your workforce to learn more about their benefits in a way that they prefer.

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    • Recent Posts

      • Why employee engagement is crucial to a company’s success?
      • 3 tips to help your internal communications connect and engage with the multi-generational workforce.
      • Why leadership messaging should be a crucial employee engagement tool in your internal communications plan.
      • Why employee profile stories should be part of your next communications program.
      • 4 things you can do to connect and engage the non-desk workforce.
    • Archives

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      • November 2016
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    • The Author

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      When he’s not creating employee engagement programs or blogging on brain-xchange, Bill likes to golf, garden, and play fetch with his cat, Pepper. His all-time favorite pastime: ice cream.

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