When it comes to establishing a positive working environment and a healthy working culture, collaboration and teamwork are fundamental. In order to foster them within a company, internal communication plays an essential role.
Effective internal communication is the foundation of organizational success. Companies are increasingly recognizing the need to establish effective channels of internal communication, in order to ensure better performance. In this article we explore what internal communication is, why it is essential and how the right tools can help you enhance it.
What is internal communication and why is it so important?
Internal communication is all the exchange of information, messages, ideas or knowledge between members of an organization, including informal conversations and official and strategic communications. It can take via content that is disseminated through internal channels, either to educate, inform or motivate, and covers all forms of communication that can occur within a company: either vertical (from top to bottom or vice versa) or horizontal (between colleagues of the same hierarchical level).
Internal communication comes with all kinds of benefits, from improving collaboration between departments, to increasing morale and developing a transparent company culture. But the internal communication of a company can fail quickly if it is not given the proper attention, leading to misunderstandings, misinformation and lack of cohesion, which has knock-on effects for productivity.
Key internal communication tools
Digital internal communication has been a big step forward for many organizations. Taking communication tools online means team members can work together no matter where they work from. A study by McKinsey also states that improving communication and collaboration through technology could increase worker productivity by 20 to 25%. With that in mind, here are some of the most important internal communication tools:
Intranet
An intranet is an internal online platform where employees can access documents, resources, and more. An intranet is similar to a web page, which can only be accessed by employees of the organization, and often provides information on campaigns, events, notices, and training.
It has become a popular tool in many organizations over the last few years, particularly those with large numbers of employees as it keeps all of their corporate communication in one place.
Despite being a more traditional form of communication, email is still used in most organizations. Through emails, companies can send important information, internal communications, motivational messages and invitations to events in a variety of formats, from a simple text, to images, infographics or documents.
Videoconferencing
Almost all companies also use some form of video conferencing tool such as Zoom or Google Meet. These tools allow you to hold face-to-face meetings with employees and external stakeholders who don’t work in the office, establishing a more personal approach to internal communication.
Internal chats
Chat channels streamline real-time communication and are especially useful for quick inquiries and informal conversations. Like video conferencing platforms, they overcome the challenge of distance making them ideal for inter-departmental communication.
Collaborative platforms or project management tools
While project management tools are primarily designs for organization, many also work well as internal communication tools thanks to their focus on collaboration. Examples of popular project management tools are Asana, Trello, or Microsoft Teams. They are ideal for keeping teams informed and updated on progress or changes to a collaborative project.
Internal social networks
An internal social network operates in much the same way as a normal social network, and, in fact, takes advantage of the boom in interaction generated by the latter. They are spaces where communities are created, in this case, between groups of employees. Through internal social networks it is possible to share important information and encourage participation. The chances are most of your employees already use social networks which also means they’re more likely to try a similar platform at work.
Apps
A survey on the state of internal communication in 2022 revealed that companies with better communication performance have incorporated new channels that overcome the limitations of email, such as mobile applications already used by 16% of organizations.
Business apps are a great way to keep your team members connected, communicated, and in sync. They also offer much more than communication. Training, task management and feedback are some of the other possibilities offered by employee apps.
Apps for companies allow you to keep employees aligned and committed to the company, especially frontline workers or remote workers since they allow them to consult doubts, clarify procedures and learn wherever they work from
Discover isEazy Engage, the app for internal communication
Now that we have explored the importance of internal communication, it’s time to address how you can improve it within your organization. isEazy Engage is a mobile app that keeps your employees aligned and engaged with the company, all through a simple and informal internal communication channel.
Your employees will find all the notifications, news, communications and information they need for their day to day, along with social and collaborative features just like their favorite social networks. Discover knowledge, training, communication and task management in one unique app. Try it for free.
