Posted by Megan Trippi
Have you ever had a miscommunication? Whether it be a misunderstanding with a supervisor, colleague or in your personal life, it can lead to confusion and misinterpretation when a thought is not clearly communicated.
Communication is extremely important, and when you successfully share your message, you will see a positive effect on your hires and staff. You may even see these benefits throughout your organization:
Employees feel they have a say
Do you have interviews or check in with employees regularly? If you do, be sure they are aware so every employee knows they have a chance to share their opinion and provide feedback.
If there isn’t an employee interview program in place, you can suggest or create one. It can begin with checking in with new hires during their training and onboarding to learn about that process and how they are adjusting to it. From there, you can set scheduled meetings to hear how everything is going for your employees.
Communicate these opportunities in advance so the staff can prepare any questions they may have and feel comfortable sharing their thoughts about the organization and their role within it. This will also encourage open communication between you and your hires.
They feel heard
It’s one thing to meet with employees and staff and allow them to share their opinions, but it’s another thing entirely to listen to what they say. If you ask for feedback, but do not communicate it to leadership and those who can make changes, the comments are just that - comments.
When you share what you’ve heard and help execute improvements based on the suggestions, employees will know you listened. However, just moving their feedback up the chain isn’t enough. Now, not all feedback will be applicable, but it’s still an opportunity to hear it, acknowledge it and potentially help identify how localized or widespread some issues are.
If you don’t follow up and communicate what is being done to address their comments, they will not understand how their suggestions are being taken into consideration, so communicate and overcommunicate what you are doing to address their feedback.
They feel valued
When you provide a way for employees to give their input and truly listen to them, they feel they matter to both you and the organization - and they will want to stay where they feel wanted.
Communicating with your employees not only gives them a sense of value, but it also builds trust. When your staff trusts you and has faith in the organization, they will contribute to a positive work environment and be more fulfilled in their role.