Communication is one of the most important functions in an organization. It is essential for smooth operations in any organization. While communication with customers needs to be crystal clear, internal communication is equally important. Organizations need to have an effective system for internal communication to communicate with their employees. Effective employee communication is the essence of ensuring the employees can work together as a team to achieve goals.

Five predictions for the year 2020 and beyond with regard to employee communication are shared below. These are the trends in vogue and would become a practice in most organizations soon.

1) Instant information is the need of the hour

We are living in the information age. Information is power. For work to be done effectively, employees need information. It could be information on customer requirements, processes, best practices, technical expertise, etc. This information must be available on the fingertips so that work is not held up and proceeds on schedule. To ensure this, organizations need to create a system that can provide information instantly. 

This can be in the form of a company intranet, where any employee can login and find the information he/she wants in an instant. Creating a knowledgebase with all technical information needed for work is a great way to provide instant information. Studies show that employees spend 2.5 hours daily searching for information. Making it available in an easy way helps in saving time and improves efficiency.

2) Need for operational communication

One of the key elements of communication is operational communication. This refers to communication between employees and teams involved in operations. As work is done, employees need to interact with each other. They may need to interact with people from other functions or offices. They also need to interact with superiors in the organization. A smooth and effective system for operational communication needs to be established.

The objective here is to ensure that work goes on smoothly. Whether in the form of emails, instant messaging, online chat, or any other method operational communication needs to be done in a timely way. An effective way of doing this is through company websites or through apps. These apps can be used on mobile apps for employee engagement to communicate effectively.

3) Mobile-First Strategy

There were times when organizations would restrict mobile phones at the work place. The feeling was that employees would be distracted by the mobile phone. Things have changed rapidly today. More than 55% of people browse the internet through their phones. They use mobile apps for a wide variety of functions. This makes a mobile-first strategy imperative for employee communication.

Mobile apps are the best way to improve communication. It is not just for employees to chat with each other but is a great way to get information. Latest news, information on customers, latest product details, upcoming events, and other such information can be shared through mobile apps. Important information which is shared in meetings can be provided through apps, which is time-saving and more effective. ‘

In fact, mobile apps can even be used to conduct virtual meetings. All the employee has to do is open the app, which can record video and share it with others. The entire meeting can be done through the app, irrespective of where the employee is. Such meetings avoid time-wastage and ensure convenience, especially for employees who are travelling or have to attend to customers at their desk.

4) Customized communication

Intranets were very popular some years back. The problem with the intranet is that it is a good mode of communication but can be overwhelming. The intranet would have everything. It would include things the employeedoesn’t need or doesn’t understand. The employee may find it difficult to manage this information overload. Communication need not be a generic one like sending a mass mail to everyone. It is effective when it addresses individual employee needs.

Customized communication is the way forward. With the advent of technology, it is possible to customize communication so an employee can get the information/content that he needs. It ensures there is no waste of time in searching through a lot of information to find what is needed. It also offers a personal touch and makes the employee feel that he is getting what he needs.

5) The power of visual communication

Content is King has been a popular concept in practice from many years. In the years to come, it is visual content that would be king. People no longer wish to see dull and boring text. They want to see visuals in the form of pictures, infographics, charts, and videos. This makes the process of communication interesting. Any visual media is more effective than other forms. Using visual communication ensures the communication process is more effective.

Instead of boring notes and circulars, visual information makes a stronger impact. Instead of a text message from management, a video message helps to convey the information clearly. Even training can be imparted along with communication. Instead of sending pages and pages of text with technical information, the same thing can be presented in visual form, as a video. This video can be viewed by employees who would find it more effective than a book or notes.

Training is being revolutionized thanks to visual communication. The process of onboarding an employee or training employees on specific skills has now moved online and is delivered through mobile apps. Training is more effective when done this way. The visual content is easy to understand and most importantly can be viewed at the employee’s convenience. It saves time and allows companies to communicate with employees across the globe easily and effectively.

The above five predictions are things that would soon be a reality and would make employee communication apps more effective. We can look forward to these new trends becoming popular in most organizations. Companies worldwide are giving more importance to having robust communication systems in place. They have realized that employee communication needs to be strengthened to ensure harmonious working in the organization.

Author Bio: The article has been written by Marilou Alcaide, Content Coordinator at Ezzely an employee engagement app. Creating appealing contents to engage the readers all around the world is the author’s keen desire. Get connected using the following details