Picture this: You’re in an office where messages fly faster than you can blink, where virtual reality meetings are the new coffee breaks, and feedback feels more like a friendly chat than a daunting form.
This is the new pace of office communication: swift and seamless.
Tools and platforms are evolving, making it easier for teams to connect and collaborate.
Curious to know what’s making headlines? Let’s dive in!
The Role of HR in Shaping Digital Communication Dynamics
HR departments are taking on more than just their traditional roles.
Along with internal communicators and with input from the IT team, they are the ones picking the right communication tools for everyone at work. They must make sure these tools fit well with how the company likes to do things.
Here’s what HR is doing:
Training and Onboarding
Whenever there’s a new communication tool at work, HR ensures that everyone is trained on how to use it. This enables better conversation and information sharing.
Internal communicators know that employees’ time is both short and valuable.
Creating bite-sized training modules helps teams learn to use new software efficiently, reinforcing the value of ongoing digital skill development. Incorporating automation into this process ensures that the new employee is getting the proper training at a pace that will guarantee success as they move through their job roles.
Having measurement in place is crucial for understanding how long employees are willing to spend on communications, what inspires them to click call to action buttons, and when they are most likely to open and read messages.
Encouraging Clear Communication
The way we communicate digitally at work is crucial. HR lays down clear guidelines for this communication, ensuring everyone understands the standards for emails, messaging, and video calls.
For example, drafting clear communication policies helps everyone know how to craft emails and behave in virtual meetings.
Listening to Employees
HR keeps track of how well communication tools are performing by regularly seeking out what employees think and feel about them.
For example, quick online feedback forms let employees share their thoughts on the effectiveness of communication tools.
There are other ways to get employee feedback that don’t involve surveys and may be both more effective and less invasive. Voice of the Employee (VoE) measurement has risen in recent years and provides a more holistic view how employees are feeling and engaging with company culture, work, and satisfaction.
Building Team Spirit Online
HR works to maintain a strong team dynamic, even when everyone is connecting online. They facilitate activities and opportunities for team members to interact in relaxed, informal ways.
For example, arranging online team activities like virtual escape rooms or casual coffee chats helps employees bond as they would in a physical office setting.
Beyond Chat Rooms: The Evolution of Unified Communication Platforms
Gone are the days of simple chat rooms. People now rely on tools and software such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and even Zoom for more than just video calls, and they’ve transformed how we approach work-related communication.
- Real-time Collaboration
Teams are no longer just chatting; they’re co-authoring presentations, brainstorming on digital whiteboards, and even integrating third-party apps to automate tasks.
This hybrid workspace ensures that information sharing is quick and seamless, reducing the cognitive load of switching between tools.
- Audience Engagement
Size does matter, and smaller is better.
Micro-channels or focused group discussions encourage active participation. The reduced ‘noise’ in these channels fosters a more intimate setting, leading to productive exchanges.
- Feedback and Iteration
Receiving feedback and iterating on projects or tasks is a crucial part of the communication process. Modern tools make this step more dynamic and interactive, ensuring everyone’s on the same page. Working with HR, internal communicators are at the forefront in communicating how feedback is being implemented throughout the company. Integrating this feedback shows trust amongst your employee base.
- Integrating AI and Automation
Manual repetitive tasks have become a thing of the past in many workplaces. Communication tools now have built-in AI that can schedule meetings, send reminders, and even draft replies based on your previous interactions.
How to Know if Your Internal Communications Efforts Are Working
After using new communication tools and strategies, it’s essential to know if they’re working. One way to do this is to use tools like PoliteMail to measure your internal email communications.
PoliteMail works with Outlook and offers several features for internal email communication, such as open rates, reading rates, engagement measurement, audience segmentation, and benchmarking, so you measure how your campaigns are performing over a set period of time.
Effective communication is crucial in today’s work environment. It’s not just about using the right tools but also making sure those tools are working well. With tools like PoliteMail, you can get a clear picture of how well your email communications are doing and where you might need to make changes.
