HCW Benefits Blog

Contributor:
Vicki Norris, Director of Marketing & Communications
Hill, Chesson & Woody

As we wrap up our six-part series on developing an employee benefits communication strategy, let’s take a look at some key points from each installment:

1. Set clearly-defined communication goals – know where you’re going before you take off
2. Identify and get to know your audience – analyze who will receive your message
3. Create strong, clear messages – use simple, persuasive language to accomplish your goal
4. Use high-impact communication vehicles – ensure your audience uses the channel you use
5. Plan a communications schedule – avoid your message being lost in the mix

Now, how can you measure communication effectiveness? As a final step, measuring your results is the only way you’ll know if you have met your objectives that were defined in step 1.

Measuring results will also ensure that you have:

• Continuous evolution and improvement
• Better accountability from all your resources – internal and external
• Ability to communicate success to leadership and get the credit that your communications campaign deserves.

In setting up your evaluations, use SMART goals …

Specific – Precisely describe what a successful outcome would look like
Measurable – Determine how success will be measured
Aligned – Consider wider team/unit/company goals
Realistic – Remain aware of existing resources
Time bound – Specify a target or timescale

You can even create a measurements dashboard like the one below to help you track the effectiveness of your communications:

As a final checklist:

1. Set communication objectives that are clearly defined
2. Profile your audience so you know who you are talking to
3. Create messages for the appropriate audiences that clearly and effectively drive a specific action or behavior
4. Use the right high-impact communication vehicles that are already at your disposal to deliver the right messages to the right audience
5. Important to have a clear communication schedule so your messages are received
6. Must evaluate your efforts and define success

Continue to review benchmarks so everyone has a clear idea of what constitutes desirable performance. As you go through the process of creating communications programs, make sure that you not only meet the basic criteria but, more importantly, see the positives in what has been created and build on them. Be open-minded with a collaborative approach throughout the process. Notice the positives and add to them.

Creating and sustaining an effective internal communications strategy is integral for employee engagement. Employee engagement creates greater motivation within employees for the work they do and increases their commitment to the organization. It is about creating an enthusiasm for their roles, their work and the organization, and ensuring that they are aligned with the values of the organization so that they are well informed and well integrated with their colleagues and the fabric or culture of the organization.

An organization with high levels of employee engagement enjoys increased worker retention and gains enthusiastic advocates for its products and services. By implementing a carefully planned internal communications strategy, organizations leverage their benefits to their maximum advantage. Employee engagement can be the catalyst that leads a company to increased levels of productivity, creativity and bottom-line results.

For more information or if you have questions about your specific communications plan, feel free to email us.