If your job is to keep employees informed and connected here’s a sobering stat: 85% of employees say they feel disengaged due to poor communication, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report.
As an internal comms pro, that statistic isn’t just frustrating — it’s a warning sign of lost productivity and impending turnover.
Because disengagement is more than a feel-good issue. Disengaged employees are less productive or innovative and more likely to leave.
So how did 85 percent of employees become so disengaged – despite all the email campaigns, monthly newsletters and corporate town halls aimed at getting their attention?
Often, it’s *how* those messages are delivered. Employers default toward treating communications like a one-way street.
When you deliver a message with a solely top-down approach, employees feel like passive recipients. You won’t get the engagement — or results — you want.
Employees don’t just want to hear about company priorities. They want to help shape them.
To make internal communications a true exchange, you need strategies that encourage employees to engage with your message versus just read it. (Or ignore it.)
They’re dealing with information overload – to the tune of hundreds of messages a day. You can add more communications, but they need to be better.
Her are some examples that may inspire you to turn your company’s monologue into a dialogue.
Share your message in ways that give your team the chance to respond.
If a key update is sent once through one channel – with limited opportunity for employee interaction – odds are, it won’t stick.
Take a healthcare organization rolling out a new safety protocol for medication storage. They send an email with instructions that seem clear. But weeks later, compliance is still low.
The problem? Some employees never saw the message. Others skimmed it and moved on. No one had the chance to ask questions.
But instead of re-sending the email (and another one, and another one), the organization reinforced communication across multiple channels:
- Quick shift huddles for in-person explanation and the chance to ask questions
- QR codes on equipment linking to a 60-second explainer video
- Feedback stations so employees could flag issues in real time
The result? Employees understood why the change mattered, not just what it was.
Show employees their concerns matter.
Sometimes feedback is tough to hear, especially if it clashes with leadership’s vision. But shutting it down completely? That’s a trust killer.
Picture this: Your manufacturing company rolled out a new scheduling system, and night shift employees were not happy. It was messing with their routines, and frustration was bubbling up fast.
Instead of just sending a memo and brushing the response off as resistance to change, you worked with a plant manager to host a town hall. You kicked things off with, “I hear you, and I get why this is frustrating.” Then, you followed up with a survey. You set up an employee task force to help tweak the system. Within a month, the company made adjustments that worked better for everyone.
In this scenario, employees felt heard, leadership was able to build trust and the company moved forward with a better solution. A win-win-win.
Invite conversation (literally).
Your company’s people leaders have an outsized influence on their teams. But maybe your managers aren’t getting much participation in their staff meetings. They want more engagement but need support to transform routine meetings into collaborative discussions.
You could advise them to:
- Bake feedback opportunities right into the meeting agenda. List contributors by name so they know they’re going to get an opportunity to share insights or feedback.
- Capture ideas from a larger group with interactive tools such as live polls or digital whiteboards.
- Use breakout groups or roundtable conversations so everyone has an opportunity to contribute.
- This approach makes sure individual employees feel heard and valued. Bonus: It often sparks creativity and provides a variety of viewpoints.
Two-way communication is an express lane to engagement.
When internal communications become a conversation, employees feel valued and engaged. They’re not just hearing about the organization’s vision — they’re helping to shape it.
And the result? Improved morale, higher retention and a more engaged workplace culture.
Want to keep your culture thriving? Reach out to us and we’ll help pave the way for your two-way street.
If your job is to keep employees informed and connected here’s a sobering stat: 85% of employees say they feel disengaged due to poor communication, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report.
As an internal comms pro, that statistic isn’t just frustrating — it’s a warning sign of lost productivity and impending turnover.
Because disengagement is more than a feel-good issue. Disengaged employees are less productive or innovative and more likely to leave.
So how did 85 percent of employees become so disengaged – despite all the email campaigns, monthly newsletters and corporate town halls aimed at getting their attention?
Often, it’s *how* those messages are delivered. Employers default toward treating communications like a one-way street.
When you deliver a message with a solely top-down approach, employees feel like passive recipients. You won’t get the engagement — or results — you want.
Employees don’t just want to hear about company priorities. They want to help shape them.
To make internal communications a true exchange, you need strategies that encourage employees to engage with your message versus just read it. (Or ignore it.)
They’re dealing with information overload – to the tune of hundreds of messages a day. You can add more communications, but they need to be better.
Her are some examples that may inspire you to turn your company’s monologue into a dialogue.
Share your message in ways that give your team the chance to respond.
If a key update is sent once through one channel – with limited opportunity for employee interaction – odds are, it won’t stick.
Take a healthcare organization rolling out a new safety protocol for medication storage. They send an email with instructions that seem clear. But weeks later, compliance is still low.
The problem? Some employees never saw the message. Others skimmed it and moved on. No one had the chance to ask questions.
But instead of re-sending the email (and another one, and another one), the organization reinforced communication across multiple channels:
- Quick shift huddles for in-person explanation and the chance to ask questions
- QR codes on equipment linking to a 60-second explainer video
- Feedback stations so employees could flag issues in real time
The result? Employees understood why the change mattered, not just what it was.
Show employees their concerns matter.
Sometimes feedback is tough to hear, especially if it clashes with leadership’s vision. But shutting it down completely? That’s a trust killer.
Picture this: Your manufacturing company rolled out a new scheduling system, and night shift employees were not happy. It was messing with their routines, and frustration was bubbling up fast.
Instead of just sending a memo and brushing the response off as resistance to change, you worked with a plant manager to host a town hall. You kicked things off with, “I hear you, and I get why this is frustrating.” Then, you followed up with a survey. You set up an employee task force to help tweak the system. Within a month, the company made adjustments that worked better for everyone.
In this scenario, employees felt heard, leadership was able to build trust and the company moved forward with a better solution. A win-win-win.
Invite conversation (literally).
Your company’s people leaders have an outsized influence on their teams. But maybe your managers aren’t getting much participation in their staff meetings. They want more engagement but need support to transform routine meetings into collaborative discussions.
You could advise them to:
- Bake feedback opportunities right into the meeting agenda. List contributors by name so they know they’re going to get an opportunity to share insights or feedback.
- Capture ideas from a larger group with interactive tools such as live polls or digital whiteboards.
- Use breakout groups or roundtable conversations so everyone has an opportunity to contribute.
- This approach makes sure individual employees feel heard and valued. Bonus: It often sparks creativity and provides a variety of viewpoints.
Two-way communication is an express lane to engagement.
When internal communications become a conversation, employees feel valued and engaged. They’re not just hearing about the organization’s vision — they’re helping to shape it.
And the result? Improved morale, higher retention and a more engaged workplace culture.
Want to keep your culture thriving? Reach out to us and we’ll help pave the way for your two-way street.
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