September 12, 2005

Using HR Communication Vehicles For What They Do Best

How can human resources professionals ensure that employees will open and access the communication provided to them? In today’s information-overloaded world, even important HR material may get lost in the shuffle: buried in a blizzard of e-mails, misplaced in a crowded intranet and tossed aside with the day’s junk mail. The first step to solving this problem is to truly understand your employees’ communication preferences. Here’s how:

The right tools to meet employees’ needs
To effectively reach and engage employees you must treat them as consumers of your communication and consider their needs. While many human resources professionals say they understand how employees want to receive information, it’s easy to get sidetracked and lose perspective.

The only way to accurately determine employees’ communication preferences is by going directly to the source—ask employees how they want to receive information. Whether through focus groups, a simple print questionnaire or an interactive online survey, employees will inevitably tell you which vehicles work best for them.

One vehicle doesn’t fit all
Each vehicle—print, electronic, face-to-face, etc.—has its place in HR communication. Problems arise when we rely too heavily on one vehicle or try to use a vehicle for a job it wasn’t designed to do. Use the chart below to consider common HR communication needs and leverage the right tool for the job: