The State of Internal Communications for Frontline Employees

Communication is the cornerstone of all relationships, both personal and professional, and having effective internal communication — no matter what industry you're in, is important. It's especially true for the retail industry where sudden changes in 2020, had a major effect on these businesses and the state of internal communications; especially for frontline employees. Poor workplace communication, not only during a crisis but at anytime, greatly affects employee morale, employee retention, and employee performance. This will ultimately lead to a decline in customer loyalty, risks to a company's reputation, and a decrease in revenue. Employee engagement is the key to a company's health and profits. There is often a gap in internal communications and many times frontline employees don't know enough about future plans, business achievements, or major changes. We've come a long way in modernizing workplace communication, but how exactly has this communication changed? With that in mind, this e-book takes a look at the history of employee communication and the needs of today's frontline employees in an ever-changing world so you'll have a solid baseline when researching communications systems. This guide wraps up with a checklist for building an effective frontline communications plan.

The History of Internal Communication

What is Internal Communication? Internal communication is consistently communicating with employees, and includes both top-down communication and bottom-up communication across different levels inside an organization. When these two areas of communication meet and flow seamlessly together, this builds an engaged and productive wokforce. It also promotes trust, confidence, and cooperation.

How and Why Was Info Shared in the Past? Did you know that the history of modern internal communication traces back to the nineteenth century? In the1890s, British soap manufacturer Lever Brothers introduced a monthly journal that was for employees and by employees. These monthly publications included an array of articles about the company leaders, business activities, and employees. The Lever Brothers stated that their goal was "to promote cohesion through communication of information", and in today's terms, they wanted to provide more transparency through collaboration and clear communication. Unilever is an organization that still supports transparency and has a commitment to promoting good communications.

The Evolution of Internal Communication

Communication Tools Through the Years

How to solve the Needs of Frontline Employees For Efficient Internal Communication

Frontline Communication Challenges Let's take a look at some gaps found in internal communications today.

Frontline Employees Are Not Receiving the Information They Need, Resulting in a Disengaged and Disconnected Workforce

Businesses Forget to Use Frontline Employees as Valuable Resources, Decreasing Productivity

Lack of Formal Communication Causes "Fake News" and Rumors to Circulate, Leading to Employee Turnover

Clear Communication Creates Stability So many things have changed in 2020, and there is now an added importance for rapid and instant communication; , especially for frontline employees. With the COVID-19 Pandemic, for example, large companies such as Amazon, Walmart, Costco, and Target had to figure out how to create a more agile business quickly, and they realized how crucial internal communication is. These companies are doing relatively well in this turbulent time and will come out ahead in the industry. This is due to these organizations having quick and effective internal communication, and clear plans that provide stability for their employees. In 1993, however, this wasn't the case. Harvard Business Review investigated the CEOs of 531 U.S. organizations that were undergoing major restructuring back then, and this was another chaotic time in history for many companies. This major restructuring was necessary because the business world was changing rapidly (the internet), and these changes also affected their frontline employees. Many of these CEOs didn't place internal communication as a top priority and employees were not happy.

"If you could go back and change one thing, what would it be?"

"The way I communicated with my employees."

- Most frequent answer by CEOs from a Harvard Business Review interview

Instead of communicating facts about this restructuring, some CEOs just talked about company values and mission statements; and instead of communicating face-to-face, they relied upon videos, publications, or large meetings to introduce these changes. This type of communication was so impersonal and vague, with many employees not knowing how this would affect them. This is when frustration and mistrust set in. That approach didn't go very well back then and it won't work well today.

Gallup took a poll and their research shows that only 22% of the employees they questioned strongly agree that the leaders in their organization have a clear direction for the organization -- and that was before the COVID-19 outbreak. Employees need security and stability, because that's when they do their best work.

Frontline employees are so important to businesses and are the walking, talking advertisements for your brand. They influence brand reputation by engaging with customers, sharing your messages on social media, and helping your business grow. Having excellence in your internal communications requires clear communication and a thorough understanding of these employees. Who are your frontline employees and what are their needs?

The Frontline EMployee

All frontline employees are not similar and there are generational differences in how you should tailor your messaging to promote trust, confidence, and cooperation. There are sometimes 5 generations in the workplace now, with different expectations, communication styles, and perspectives. Let's take a close look at these different generations

Born 1928 - 1945

Traditionalists

Born 1946 -1964

Baby Boomers

Born 1965 - 1980

Gen X

Born 1981 - 1996

Millennials (Gen Y)

Born 1997 - Present

Centennials (Gen Z)

Millennials are a major part of the working population these days, and this new wave of Centennials also bring a lot to the table. Both Millennials and Centennials take multi-tasking to the next level; and If they're not multi-tasking, they feel as if they're not working efficiently. These younger generations are reshaping the workplace, and all businesses must be willing to adapt to a more digital workplace in order to retain them and grow. Having a mobile-based internal communication strategy is the best way for many organizations because these generations want clear and concise communications. They also want aggressive, time-efficient, and focused training. This builds loyalty and will help your business succeed. Also, remember that it's not only the new generations who expect information in real-time. Nearly everyone across every organization demands, and depends on, prompt and transparent communication. Once you have the workplace culture figured out, you can tailor communication to the person. Do they prefer meetings or a quick chat? Do they find group texts effective or annoying? A well-designed communication plan provides the efficiency you need to guide employees towards company-wide goals, and also helps solve the needs of your frontline employees by guiding them towards personal goals.

Assemble Your Team

Outline the Topics

Develop a calendar and set goals

Solicit feedback

Determine the best systems or mediums to deliver communication

Communication is the cornerstone of all relationships, both personal and professional, and how business leaders behave during critical moments leaves a lasting impression on corporate culture. Major changes have happened in 2020 and affected many businesses, especially in the retail industry, and have also affected the state of internal communications; especially for frontline employees. Being proactive and consistent in your messaging, with an internal communication plan, are the keys to giving employees the direction they need and confidence in the future of your organization. Breaking down silos so that the right information reaches the frontline is so critical because it improves the customer experience and helps your business grow. Frontline employees are the walking, talking advertisements for your brand, and employee engagement = customer satisfaction. Having an internal communication plan and creating a more agile business are at the forefront for many retailers these days, and when you offer tools that support collaboration, learning, and action planning, there is better communication across all levels of the organization. Your employees will feel valued and know that they are appreciated. Don't put internal communications with employees on the back burner — improvements in employee engagement and workplace cultural alignment will make your business shine. Every business needs an efficient communication plan, but building one may seem a bit daunting at first. Here's a checklist to help you get started today!

Conclusion

1964

Pagers The first successful consumer pager, PageBoy1, designed by Motorola. This was a game-changer for workplace communication.

Compatible Time-Sharing System Allowed users (employees from different businesses, students from universities, etc) to sit at terminals and share a large computer; but only for a certain amount of time. They could log in over phone lines and was how email started.

1960s

1970s

1988

Personal Computers and the Internet The first PCs and the internet were invented in the 1970s and in 1990, respectively. Companies were now designing software applications for email, word processing, and spreadsheets, allowing businesses with multiple offices to communicate better.

Cell Phones The first "brick" cell phones in 1988 only had calling capabilites. It was in the 1990s that they shrunk considerably in size and had some cutting-edge features, such as SMS messaging. It gave employers direct contact with employees, who needed to be on call or otherwise accessible on short notice.

Present

Modern Technology Communication tools in the modern workplace are instant, trackable and guarantee your messages reach the right individuals. They build strong two-way relationships between corporate and the frontline and engage employees with the technology they feel most comfortable using. In a world of constant change, rapid communication is essential to maintaining and pivoting businesses. Unfortunately, some businesses today haven't placed an emphasis on investing in more modern digital technology, and are lacking the tools that enable real-time communication with frontline employees.

In some industries such as retail and hospitality, a major part of these employees are not sitting at a desk; which means that many don't have the technological solutions for internal communications. These employees are the ones who perhaps, need the most engagement. This is because you rely on them for their service and expertise to deliver the perfect customer experience.

Emails, or worse, paper bulletins have been the primary communication tool for many organizations, but often this isn't a practical solution; especially when you need quick response times and confirmation. Many frontline employees don't have a corporate email address, and with personal email accounts, they can overlook emails, or just don't receive them.

These sluggish response times make it a challenge for you to reach employees. Frontline employees need different channels for communication, for example, a mobile app, so you can instantly send out updates, announcements, and reminders and verify they were received.

Employee feedback is a powerful tool because your frontline employees are the ones who interact with customers daily. Companies will sometimes overlook them, and they forget that enabling these employees and allowing them to share their insights and suggestions is a winning situation for everyone.

In 2018, HR Technologist, the world-wide leading resource for HR Technology news and research, conducted a study on employees whose jobs don't involve sitting at a desk. Only 10 percent of these participants felt truly connected to their organizations, while 84 percent said they were not receiving enough information.

It's hard to be productive if a company doesn't take advantage of your strengths, nor do the things that make you feel engaged at work.

High employee turnover can harm a company financially and greatly affect company morale. Without a well-functioning internal communications system and an open-work environment, employees will spend time worrying and talking, which can lead to confusion, frustration, reduced productivity, and rumors.

Frustration is sometimes a factor in businesses losing key employees because of rumors and misunderstandings. These things are difficult to control after the fact. Effective internal communication plays a vital role in retaining skilled employees because, without constant feedback or engagement opportunities, some employees leave and do so for a better job.

Becoming scarce in the workforce Grew up with rotary phone, typewriters and letters Enjoy contibuting to company's vision Prefer face-to-face or voice comunication More communication, the better

Enjoy voice communications First generation to broadly experience the rise of electronic media Prefer a balance between email, voicemail, face-to-face communications, and meetings Values efficiency

Grew up around a lot of change in the world More cautious, conservative, and skeptical Believes in work-life balance and prefer work related calls only during work hours Prefer email as their go-to communication tool Values efficiency

Grew up with the internet and are nearly always connected Incredibly tech-savvy Prefers texting, social media, and modern office communication tools

New to the workforce Technology is second-nature and has always been in their life Some grew up learning using a tablet computer Loves receiving communication from everyone, especially from higher management

22%

1. The History of Internal Communication

3. How to solve the Needs of Frontline Employees For Efficient Internal Communication

5. Conclusion & Communication Plan Checklist

4. The Frontline Employee

2. The Evolution of Internal Communication

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INTERNAL COMMUNICATION PLAN Checklist

Assemble Your Team

Who's involved? If you create a cross-functional team and take a collaborative approach to internal communication, key stakeholders will help create this plan. With this approach, you'll likely have a more diverse team and more diverse perspectives.

Outline the Topics

What areas or topics do you need to focus on as a company? Do you want to focus on:

- COVID-19 training - Weekly or monthly company newsletters - Recognition for employee and team accomplishments

- Information about planned changes - Launching an internal social network - Starting an open door policy

Develop a Calendar and Set Goals

When will you send out messaging? A project calendar will give you a full view of when employees can expect information. Updates can go out when something occurs, other messaging could go out more regularly, and there are unplanned events that require specific communication. With a calendar, you can look at the year ahead and note which communications will be happening when. This helps ensure that you have consistency with the timing of communications, and this also contributes to a more informed and engaged workforce.

Solicit feedback

Surveys are a quick and easy way to assess the engagement and responsiveness of your workforce to this new communication plan, and as you gather feedback from your employees, you'll hear some good ideas. Surveys are quick wins and a way to involve employees in your corporate conversations. They make a big difference in improving communication

Determine the Best Systems or Mediums to Deliver Communication

When you're choosing how to share your information, remember to think about the different generations in your workplace and how you should tailor the messaging — email, SMS, video, social networks

If you follow this checklist, plan properly, and have regular reviews, your internal communication plan will support your mission, your goals, empower your employees, and continue to grow with your organization.

Thank you for reading:

The State of Internal Communications for Frontline Workers

Thank you for reading:

The State of Internal Communications for Frontline Workers

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