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EMPLOYEE
RELATIONS
Chapter Eleven
Employee Communication
The most valuable and important resource within
an organization is its employees.
Employees are not one large homogenous group
but are made up of subgroups with different
interests, wants, issues and concerns.
In order to reach each subgroup, publics must be
targeted and content related to specific needs,
utilizing appropriate communication tools.

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Employee Communication Should
Aim To:




Be continuous, respectful, and candid to all
employees
Be developed within a planned framework and
encourage participation consistent with the
organization’s mission and philosophy
Inspire an open environment that is interactive,
promotes shared meaning, and encourages
diverse viewpoints
Reinforce the organization’s ethical stance
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Issues Facing Employees Today

Economy driven layoffs, corporate cuts,
technological changes, today’s labor
market, business environment, corporate
greed, and unethical actions which breed
mistrust, and the current climate that no
longer values longevity and loyalty.
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Workforce Changes
More Females
 Diverse workforce including

 Immigrants
and, for many, English is a second
language
Younger workforce
 Less well educated
 Virtual workspace
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Effective Communication is Needed!
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
 Honest Feedback
 Recognition
 A Voice
 Encouragement
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Employees want:
Truthful information, especially in person
 To know how they’re doing

 Trust
increases if management communicates
early and frequently
 Shares both good and bad news
 Involve employees actively, seeking opinions
and ideas
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Well informed employees are the
organization’s best goodwill
ambassadors.
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Benefits of Good Employee
Communication:
Value-added credibility
 Commitment is strengthened
 Can increase morale
 Increased understanding
 Improves quality of relationships
 Better informs
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Employee Communication
Strategies

Development of a plan to enhance
credibility, candor, and trust must be the
primary objective and should include the
following five elements:
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Strategic Communication Elements
1.
 2.
 3.
 4.
 5.

Survey employees attitudes regularly
Be consistent
Personalize communications
Be candid
Be innovative
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Employee Communication Tactics
Formal Communication Paths
Internal Communications Audits
 Online Communications
 Intranet
 Print Publications
 Desktop Publishing
 Employee Annual Reports
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Employee Communication Tactics
contd.
Bulletin Boards
 Suggestion Box/Town Hall Meetings
 Internal Video
 Face-to-Face Supervisory Meetings

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Employee Communication Tactics
contd.

Informal Communication Paths
 Grapevine
 Rumors
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Question

Does more communication mean better
communication with employees?

Hint: More is not always better

Why?
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Exercise
You are the are the assistant communication
manager of your organization. While on break,
you hear several employees complaining about
the newsletter. "All they ever put in there are
team bowling scores and a bunch of figures
about production—I know where my copy is
going, in the garbage!”
What would you do? How can this situation be
improved?
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What Skills are Necessary to Work
in Employee Relations?
Knowledge of Communication
 Technology Skills
 Writing and Speaking Skills
 Interpersonal Skills
 Understanding of Organizational Culture
 How to format, edit, and work within
deadlines

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Examples of Employee
Communications:
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Question
What type of employee communications
are you familiar with?
 What do you think the intent of the
publication and/or communication was?
 In your estimation, was it successful?
 Why?
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