Any company would have satisfied staff, as – you know – motivated people work harder and better. Beyond the positive impact on productivity and results, employees engagement is a priority for many organizations, and it is strongly related to internal communication. Some insights from Tempo delle Donne, last week in Milan.
We are well aware of how important employees engagement is for the success of a company. Engaged staff contribute to increasing sales and customer satisfaction, make processes more efficient, consolidate brand reputation and relations with key stakeholders, stimulate innovation, and even support crisis prevention.
A recente research by the Center for Employee Relations and Communication at IULM University unveiled that engagement is often misunderstood, defining it simply as the psychological and emotional connection to corporate mission and values. In this way we lose the most relevant component, which is behavioral engagement. Engaged people take part in business life not only by committing to assigned goals, but also expressing their own voice. This means people are encouraged to share suggestions and doubts with peers and managers, become brand ambassadors and defend corporate reputation whenever necessary.
An engaging corporate environment needs several strategic levers, starting from a meritocratic and far-sighted human resources management. Internal communication is a great ally, provided it is genuine and well orchestrated. What’s the relationship between communication, engagement and happyness? Companies interviewed by Valore D at Tempo delle Donne are clear about this. Effective communication is vital to stimulate participation of staff at all levels, build trust (background for any innovation), allow inclusion and talent growth.
But there is no unanimity about the best tools to be used to drive engagement. If technology might represent a solution to simplify information and knowledge sharing – think of collaboration platforms, wikis, messaging systems, etc., often implemented within smart working programs –, managers and employees have different perspectives.
According to IULM University, management is likely to stick to colder tools such as e-mails, newsletters, corporate blogs or portals. Employees first rank meetings and face-to-face conversations, preferrably informal, where interactions can be richer. It’s dialogue what they are seeking for – the same dialogue that comes out of engagement.
