Internal Communication Videos And Employees' Work
Have you ever felt mad when a worker approached you and said, “I feel like all this work is going nowhere?” As a manager, despite spending hours wordsmithing the company's vision and mission, you’ll probably be shocked when hearing this hurtful complaint from your workers. Not gonna lie, it’s like a thousand cuts, right? If your answer is yes, then you are doing your internal communication (IC) the wrong way. Its true purpose is to provide a smooth flow of information between divisions and colleagues within an organization. This is why miscommunication or nontransparency in the company has really negative impacts on the employees. To tackle the problem, you should try different ways to deliver your messages to the employees.
Why Is Internal Communication So Vital To Improve Employee Performance?
Before discussing the importance of internal communication in enhancing employee performance further, let’s have a brief look at the definition. Internal communication is a function that disseminates firm information so that workers are kept connected and may do their tasks effectively. It’s more than announcements and updates being sent to employees via emails. Internal communication's ultimate goal is to provide a smooth flow of information between departments and coworkers inside a company, therefore boosting productivity. That said, there are clearly substantial factors that make it so important in improving employees performance at work:
1. Give A North Star For The Work
The north star is the fundamental tool of navigation, and in this case, it represents the motivation that guides workers to work seamlessly from the start to the end without frequent moments of “Why do I need to do this job?” Having a vision is critical for a team to determine and deliver results. As a result, leaders need internal communication strategies to give workers a clear understanding of their tasks and compliance. When every member in the team is aware of end goals and learns to trust the process, they are capable of meeting the KPIs without getting lost in tasks.
2. Make The Work Meaningful
Feeling a sense of anonymity is one of the key drivers to quitting the job among workers. Obviously, besides workers who work solely for money, people who work hard for a company want to know how their efforts are helping the business to succeed. Accordingly, they're more willing to go above and beyond to assist in achieving the aim if they understand it. What can leaders do to tell their workers about the impact of their work? Some simple acts can be, firstly, to pay attention, acknowledge, and reward good effort; secondly, link everyday work to a larger aim; and thirdly, to assist individuals in understanding the influence of their work on their customers.
Here is an example of the benefit that effective internal communication can bring: this is what Pfizer did to remind its employees that their work matters in saving people’s lives. To drive the message home to its executives and 79,000 staff, Pfizer's leaders hung images of patients on the walls of its company offices around the world.
Employees’ Well-Being And Happiness Are Associated With Higher Productivity
Employee-satisfaction-driven companies regularly outperform their peers in terms of long-term returns. "Improved employee welfare is related with higher productivity and company success," economists concluded in global research. "Across all industries and geographies," they discovered "correlations between employee well-being, staff productivity, and company performance." This relationship is also strengthened by a study in 2015 which found that people who are happy are more productive [1]. Oswald, Proto, and Sgroi from the University of Warwick made randomly selected individuals happier (more content) in a laboratory setting, and as a result, the participants were 12% more productive. Other people's lower pleasure levels resulted in reduced production when they described real-world shocks they had encountered (bereavement and family sickness).
The Coming Of Gen Z Workers In The Workplace: Effective Communication Will Blow Away Managers’ Fears
At the moment, the next generation that is about to dominate the workplace is Gen Z. The eldest Gen Zs have devoted their work full time to their companies for at least four years if they chose to go to work right after graduation. The specialties of this generation include their uniqueness, creativity, identity, social media addiction, to name a few qualities. Why do we mention Gen Z out of the blue? Because we have to admit that Gen Z’s positive and negative attributes can have a great influence on future business.
Back to internal communication, will all of the principles mentioned relating to core purposes of IC make sense when we talk about Gen Z? Is it true when lots of managers say that Gen Z is hard to please and easily switches jobs? Let’s break down the myths and unfold the truth together!
The Myths And The Truths
Gen Z is ready to join the workforce. However, managers' reaction to that news is quite negative. Many bosses are not happy when recruiting Gen Z for their businesses. The reasons may lie in the assumptions that the media use in trying to illustrate this generation: a list of demanding requirements, including that their firms support Black Lives Matter, that they grant paid time off for "anxiety", or even push the tasks back to leaders.
However, according to Robert Pearson, Ph.D., in "Gen Z: A Generation To Look Up To", Gen Z possesses a work ethic and dedication comparable to baby boomers, independence similar to Gen Xers, and the internet-savvy and flexible lifestyles akin to millennials [2]. They'll blend these characteristics to create a one-of-a-kind hybrid that propels them onward to their own brand of bliss. On that note, their high expectations for a perfect work environment are not nonsense requests, but the yearning for evolution at work. Based on research by McKinsey, the goal for Gen Zers is no longer to define themselves by a single stereotype but to explore multiple ways of expressing the self to shape their distinctive identities through time. And obviously, they will try to bring their true characteristics to the workplace and make them practical, instead of leaving them at home. Therefore, truly meaningful and relevant internal communication tactics will encourage Gen Z to devote themselves to their work. On the other hand, an internal communications strategy that smells like a cliche will just not work here.
The Importance Of Internal Communication Videos
Videos As The Right Instrument In Delivering The Company’s Messages
At this point, the necessity of internal communication is undeniable. Nevertheless, in many cases, it's possible staff won't understand everything verbally, so having it on paper or on video—or both—is a good idea. Repetition guarantees that newcomers hear and absorb what you're saying, and improves information recall. As for its advantages in delivering knowledge, video is a great solution with which to provide employees informative and yet engaging content when it comes to internal communication.
Moreover, videos are becoming more prevalent in daily life, which is the reason why they should be utilized in the workplace as well. In recent years, in the United States and all over the world, as an effect of the pandemic, there has been a growth in remote work. Consequently, eLearning is highly promoted for employee skill-building. Training videos are favored by many leaders thanks to their potential in making complicated terms simple, enabling emotional connections, changing management initiatives, and transforming the performance of employees.
The boom in the demand for videos also stems from the launch of new internal communication software solutions and platforms, and according to Staffbase one of the top picks is video communications. Internal communication videos, together with other channels, allow users to connect in a way in which workplace interactions become more enjoyable and lively.
The Rise Of Connecting Through A Screen And The Opportunities For Internal Communication Videos To Win Over Gen Z Workers
As mentioned earlier in this article, Gen Z is ready to join the workforce. Without a doubt, the growth of technology and the digital economy has been the most significant, life-defining event for Generation Z. Through a screen, this generation has been seeing, judging, and enjoying life. According to the data, Gen Z will prefer highly sensory communication, utilizing video technology wherever feasible [2]. That’s why we believe that it is the right time for firms to align to using videos for internal communication.
Application Of Internal Communication Videos With Examples/Case Study
Before going into detail with the case study, let’s review some quick tips on creating unique videos for internal communication. There is no right or wrong, but the following are some efficient methods:
- One video for microcontent
Produce one video with one specific topic cluster rather than trying to cram everything into it. This allows you to quickly track stats, such as how many people are watching and for how long. Thus, managers can easily understand the level of employee engagement and make necessary modifications. - Input the company’s personality
Put office allusions and internal jokes in the videos, so that employees find the content representative of their work life. - Ongoing feedback
Save time and budget for HR and the company by constantly reviewing the process of producing internal messages. - Focus on internal branding
Motivate your staff to eat, pray and love the brand and its values so that they can represent it effectively to the outside world.
How QBE Attracts 14,500 Employees Globally With Internal Communication Videos
QBE Insurance Group is among the top 20 general insurance and reinsurance firms in the world. As a worldwide company, QBE must establish a standardized internal training program that all its workers may access from multiple locations. So, after much thought, the corporation decided on an animated staff training film because of its adaptability.
Conclusion
It is just a matter of time before internal communications videos become ubiquitous, since today learners engage more with visual and animated content. A well-crafted communications strategy with the appropriate instrument will aid your business in all internal projects and educate you on how to keep employee communications constant. You'll get closer to a more collaborative and engaged workplace if you follow the steps above and appreciate the necessity of a successful internal communication plan.
References:
[1] Happiness and Productivity
[2] Gen Z: A Generation To Look Up To
