Effective Employee Communication
It is very important where there is a hierarchy of employees, managers etc. that information is allowed to flow in both directions for successful communication. Employee Communication is based on guidelines established from those in managerial positions. Most companies have no problems with managerial communication on down to employees, but employee communication upward can be challenging to say the least.
Some of the main problems with employee communication with managers and bosses are the intimidation factors. Many employees feel if they speak with their employers candidly that they will loose their positions or jobs. Thus a communication gap ensues where the employees are on one side and the bosses are on the other. The first thing to narrow the gap is for the managers to work with the employees. In addition to managers communicating what their needs and requirements are; it is up to employees to reciprocate with what their expectations are. Employers need to listen to their employees. There should also be specific times set up when employees can come and communicate with the managing team or the boss. This reinforces each other’s expectation of duties so there are no miscommunications.
Another idea that is being incorporated into the workplace is the managers coming to the employees and asking them to be proactive in their employee communication. If there is a problem or they are struggling with something to come to the management team with it so it can be handled to avoid a problem between the employee and management. With employee communication the employer and management can reinforce the goals set by the workplace as well as the company’s vision. Employee participation also lays the foundation for input to make the company’s vision a reality.
When considering employee communication the boss needs to try and set aside some regular schedule time maybe once every month to talk to employees including management about what is going on at the workplace for better or worse. In this situation the employer can ask specifically what duties does the employee have and how does he execute them. Maybe together both, employer, managers and employees can come up with better solutions of efficiency and strategies of improvement to make things better for the employee as well. If there are any major workplace changes that affect the employees now is the time to talk about them.
Let the employees that are most affected by workplace changes know so they are not shocked or surprised by the changes. Also don’t wait for an annual employee evaluation to lace into an employee’s performance; it should be a continuing communication process. Reinforce the standards of visions in the workplace so it is instilled in the employee. This way they will understand what is required of them and try to meet those standards.
Finally if there are any issues that are sensitive they should be discussed face to face with the employee. It is an essential thing if you have a serious problem to communicate with the employee directly. Hiding behind an e-mail or correspondence is not the way to handle that type of employee communication. It is not right to fire or lay someone off by email. It is better to tell the employee in their face why so maybe they will have another chance to find work again without repeating their mistakes.
