Rethinking remote working for internal communications
Before COVID-19, remote and flexible working arrangements were largely optional for many companies. But as the impact of the pandemic became clear, businesses rushed to outfit their employees for remote working. Internal communications teams had to scramble to adapt. The question now, as some economies slowly begin to emerge from lockdown, is what the new world of remote working means for internal communications strategies.
Is a full-blown reset needed in how internal communications is done? Or will older ways of doing things return, making remote working arrangements more of an emergency strategy? We’ve compiled some considerations for internal communications professionals to reflect on as you prepare for the post-COVID world.
Internal communications strategies
The first step is to think through and update your internal communications strategy to reflect your new business culture. This may represent a big shift from what it was before the pandemic. While what has been dubbed the world’s largest work-from-home experiment was not a voluntary one for most companies, it does mean that now is a fertile time for internal communications teams to reflect on how to organise their work going forward.
For example, should your business adopt a remote or flexible-first communications strategy? Given how sweeping the adoption of video conferencing and other remote communication and collaboration software has been, there are compelling reasons to think so.
One such reason is that the current working-from-home arrangements have lasted long enough that most people are used to them. They have formed new working habits and adapted to remote technologies. Employees are familiar with video conferencing, cloud storage, team messaging and other software, and now expect to use these tools in their daily workflow.
Another reason is that the trend of digitalisation has accelerated to such a degree that it has made remote and flexible working tools the default way for many employees to communicate and collaborate. It therefore makes sense to harness these tools – especially if they can keep employees engaged.
From strategy to implementation
The next step for internal communications teams is to plan out the implementation of your new or refreshed strategy. What should you consider? And what are the implications?
Technology - The role of technology is central to a remote or flexible working arrangement. But it's not simply a matter of having a Zoom subscription. In the near term, you need a plan to keep your workforce flexible too. For example, countries like Singapore that were once emerging from the crisis have suddenly gone back into lockdown. A good post-COVID communications strategy will therefore set out concrete steps for adapting to sudden changes without missing a beat.
Over the longer term, it's about finding the right rhythm and patterns of communication. With colleagues often no longer in the office, do they require more flexibility over when and how they receive internal communications? Can you ensure briefings are recorded and archived for ongoing reference? Which channels best suit a more asynchronous type of communication (where not everyone is online at the same time)? And who is best placed to disseminate these internal messages?
Training - As internal communications strategies evolve, so too must training and development programmes, to ensure communications remain effective. For example, how can you establish feedback lines to keep in touch with employees who may be on more remote or flexible arrangements? Doing so is crucial to successful team collaboration.
Feedback lines are also critical for identifying learning and development opportunities – around the usage of tools or remote communications etiquette, say – and for understanding the effectiveness of such arrangements in your company.
Performance reviews - Another important issue for communications professionals to think through in the current context is performance reviews and feedback. Because these are personal and potentially sensitive areas, they may be better communicated in person. While video conferencing tools can make it easier or more efficient to conduct reviews remotely, a lot of nuance can be lost in translation.
Employee engagement is a key role for internal communicators. Holding appraisals in person communicates care and concern, and can build trust in a way that virtual meetings just can't. So even if your company is fully set up for digital communications, there are times when face-to-face meetings are still best.
Project management - Poor communication is and has always been one of the leading causes of project failure. And although many projects were managed remotely before COVID-19, it's wise to think through the implications of this happening at scale in your organisation. By establishing norms regarding daily check-ins, progress updates, reporting lines and the structure and management of virtual meetings, communicators can help to maintain meaningful interaction among remote teams and increase the likelihood of success.
Flexibility - An essential value of any post-COVID communications strategy is flexibility. As has been seen in the emergence of second and third waves of COVID-19 cases in markets once thought to be free and clear, the risk of economies going back into lockdown is real. An approach to communications that is agile enough to adapt to such rapid changes can mean less time in transition and more time focusing on client and customer work.
As companies begin to shake off the initial shock of large-scale work-from-home arrangements, internal communications teams face a new challenge in keeping staff involved and engaged. But by taking the time to assess how far your company should commit to virtual and remote communications, and to consider which aspects of in-person communication are most vital to your business, you can develop an internal comms strategy that puts the interests of your employees and your business first.
In doing so, you'll not only provide your staff with much-needed flexibility, but will also ensure your business is better prepared for the post-COVID environment – whenever that may arrive.