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In this deck I share my views on Internal Communications for a presentation at the 2014 NCHRA Young Professionals Summit Title: The Internal Marketer Topic: The Art and Science of Internal Communications Description: Have a big initiative coming up? Implementing a new system or program that you need your stakeholders to buy into? But you are HR! How does that work? Internal marketing is inward facing marketing. Internal marketing is used by marketers to motivate all functions to satisfy customers. Yes, this includes employees! What you get out of this: Discover the art and science in internal marketing and communications Learn internal marketing strategies and techniques that will help gain buy-in at any level in the organization Learn what foundational channels you must cultivate and develop to ensure you get as much bang as possible in your employee communications
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THE INTERNAL MARKETER
Art & Science of Internal Communications@ItsAJThomas #YPSummitHR
AJ ThomasHead of Employee Engagement & Development, Nimble StorageFounder & Executive Director, Infuse Program Foundation
@ItsAJThomasMom, foodie, passionate about education and technology.
Employee morale is affected by how much we know about the company’s plans.
“98% of employees agree.
Why are they communicating?Where does it fit within an organization’s strategic plans?Who should do it -- marketing, HR, public relations?What can these organizations learn from each other?
4Key Questions Regarding Internal Marketing
Selling the company to its employees (Grönroos, 1981) The process of attracting, developing, motivating, and retaining qualified employees through
job-products that satisfy their needs (Berry & Parasuraman 1991) Building customer orientation among employees by training and motivating both customer
contact and support staff to work as a team (Kotler & Armstrong 1991) A process by which employee satisfaction is leveraged to positively impact the bottom line.
Satisfied employees strengthen relationships among all critical stakeholders. (Williams, Business & Economic Review, 1997)
How is Internal Marketing Defined?
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Effective internal marketing responds to employee needs as it advances the organization’s mission and goals.
“The application of marketing, human resources management, and allied theories, techniques, and principles to motivate, mobilize, co-opt and manage employees at all levels of the organization to continuously improve the way they serve external customers and each other.
(Joseph W.B. 1996 Cleveland State University )
ɪ �ntə�rnəl markətɪŋ (n.)
Customer- and employee-focused It demands an integrative approach Internal customers -- the idea that organizational departments serve each other It encompasses all employees
What Does It Need to Succeed
ɪ �ntə�rnəl markətɪŋ (n.)
Influencing Employees
lookacttalkinteract with each other
The Art & Science
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Recruiting the right people Training them Motivating them Communicating with them Co-opting them (getting them to buy into the organization and its plans)
Changing Workforce
Employees viewed as assets, not costs
People will have 4-6 careers in lifetime
More than half of women with babies are working
More women are starting and running their own businesses
Where Internal Communications Fail
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Few companies develop a strategy Failure in over 80% of cases involving announced change Biggest symptom of failure - lots of inaccurate, negative rumors Second symptom - learning about change from press
How It Affects Employee Engagement
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Employees are insulted when a less ‘rich’ channel is used Management does not adapt message to different groups Employees react negatively to use of buzzwords Great differences between literal meaning, intention and effect of
overly positive messages
Implications of Not Doing Enough
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Employees don’t believe what management says. Are not sufficiently informed. Change not communicated well. Management does a bad job of explaining reasons behind decisions. Communication is not timely.
Don’t have timeHaven’t gotten information selfFear reactions, leaks, uproarWon’t give away powerNot evaluated on their communication Get no rewards for communicatingDon’t see how it is usefulUnder-evaluate employee’s information needs
What Employees Want Leaders to Do
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Inform them ahead of time Care about how they really feel Give their managers enough authority to get job done Make a strong commitment to serve the customer Have the ability to solve major organization problems Run a socially responsible organization Provide new products and services to meet competition Place more emphasis on quality than quantity
Communication Obligations
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Speak at meetings Negotiate Give feedback, criticism and praise Speak personally with staff Solve conflicts Set demands Explain and defend unpopular decisions Carry out periodic evaluations of
employees
Carry information from Sr. Management Explain Listen Get feedback from employees Take information from‘down’to ‘up’ Active role in spreading information Sell ideas Motivate, inspire and encourage personal
development
INSTRUCTIVE
INFORMATIVE
ADVISING
CONTRIBUTIVE
PARTICIPATIVE
What is size and nature of company?What do employees think of organization?How satisfied are employees?What employee communications exist?How effective are communications tools?Are there special employee relationship
programs?
Assess the Organizational Landscape
Communication Objectives
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Increase employees’ knowledge Enhance favorable attitudes toward employer Get more adoption by employees of behavior desired by management Make employees spokespersons for organization in community Receive more employee feedback
Prescriptions for The Internal Marketer
• Face-to-face: non-routine and difficult communications• Memos: routine, simple communications• Discussion & Meetings: make presence felt• Rich media: Implement a strategy for these types of communications• Multiple media: critical issues and need to get message heard• Evaluate appropriate technology and tools
Manager’s Communication Obligation
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Speak at meetings Negotiate Give feedback, criticism and praise Speak personally with staff Solve conflicts Set demands Explain and defend unpopular decisions Carry out periodic evaluations of
employees
Carry information from Sr. Management Explain Listen Get feedback from employees Take information from‘down’to ‘up’ Active role in spreading information Sell ideas Motivate, inspire and encourage personal
development
How to Measure Impact
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Communication, Retention, Acceptance of Messages Employee Surveys Focus Groups Talk to your employees and managers 1:1- extensive use of network
analysis and interviews Automation and tool metrics
What Great Companies Do
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Share responsibility Bad news/good news ratio Knowing customers, clients, audiences Employee communication strategy
Chief executive as communication champion
Match between words and actions Commitment to 2-way communication Emphasis on face-to-face
Information/Lead Generation: Gathering Information
Lead Nurturing:MailChimp, Constant Contact, Emma
Initiatives:HR Programs
Follow Up Corporate
Newsletter
Drip Campaignswith Collateral and Event Offers
1:1 Meetings
Focus Groups
Employee Surveys
Reward & Recognition Programs
IntranetActivity
Communications
Email Communications
Stakeholder Campaigns
Internal Advertising
Newsletters
Awareness:Generating Buzz
Strategic Internal Communications Campaigns Help Drive Employee Engagement
The Internal Marketer’s Roadmap
An internal marketer can develop a really hot system to market their product, but if they have not taken time to
build in an employee communications plan, the marketing effort is dead in the water.
Gegenheimer, C. L., “Include employees in marketing”, Advertising Age’s Business Marketing, July 1998.
“@ItsAJThomas #YPSummitHR
La Fin
@ItsAJThomaswww.linkedin.com/angelejeanthomas
