Why two-way employee communication during disruption is critical

Two-way dialogue is foundational to gain a real understanding of what’s happening with employees to focus on the needs that deliver impact.

Even if your organization isn't directly impacted by the current environment, these outside stressors can leave employees feeling vulnerable.

One of the key strategies that can help organizations navigate through uncertain times is effective two-way communication with employees. WTW’s recent Global Benefits Attitudes Survey highlights the significant role that transparent and open communication plays in addressing employee concerns and fostering a supportive work environment.

Using a communication platform that can reach every employee on a personalized level enables employers to address concerns of specific employee groups, locations or change agents so they can clearly see how the issues at hand are being resolved and how that relates to business performance. Transparent communication also helps to reduce employee anxiety and uncertainty, which can be particularly detrimental during economic downturns. But transparent communication can’t only be one way. To be truly effective, it requires a feedback mechanism to gather insights from your employees.

5 practical steps for effective employee communications

1. Gather ongoing and regular feedback. Use pulse surveys within key segments of your population to determine how employees are dealing with the current environment. Regular feedback is crucial, enabling you to stay attuned to the evolving needs and concerns of the workforce. Pulse surveys provide real-time insights into employee sentiments and experiences, which are essential for making informed decisions and adjustments to policies and programs. By continuously monitoring feedback, employers can identify emerging issues early, address them proactively and ensure that strategies remain relevant and effective. This ongoing dialogue is vital for maintaining high levels of engagement and morale, particularly during times of uncertainty and change.
2. Solicit opinions that support choice. When difficult decisions around cost reductions are necessary or even needed to optimize costs to maintain the performance of the organization, consider gathering employee preference insights through a total rewards optimization (TRO) survey. A TRO can significantly enhance the effectiveness of wellbeing, rewards and benefits programs. By thoroughly analyzing and optimizing total rewards, you can ensure that your compensation, benefits and other incentives are strategically aligned with the needs and preferences of the workforce. This helps attract and retain top talent and improves cost effectiveness by reallocating resources to high-impact areas employee value most.
3. Personalize the messaging. After analyzing employee perceptions and opinions, use a platform that can target and personalize messages by employee group and by the individual level. Personalized communication ensures that messages resonate with employees on a deeper, more meaningful level. By tailoring messages to address individual needs, preferences and roles, you can create a more engaging and relevant employee communication experience. Personalized messages can highlight specific wellbeing programs, resources, and support resources that are most pertinent to each employee's situation, whether they are dealing with financial stress, mental health challenges, or work-life balance issues. Personalized messaging enables you to ensure that you're getting the right messages to the right people at the right time to drive the business results you need.
4. Use AI to support your efforts: Employee listening platforms now use generative AI to give managers tools and resources that can support their change-management efforts based on their department’s overall survey insights. Additionally, personalized communication platforms use AI to simplify employee queries for information and to provide targeted nudges to promote utilization of key programs. The key word here is “support.” AI won't eliminate all your communication challenges, but when used effectively, it can simplify the employee experience.
5. Measure and adjust. Measuring and adjusting communication strategies are essential components of fostering effective two-way dialogue between employees and employers. Continuous assessment through surveys and feedback mechanisms helps organizations understand the evolving needs and concerns of their workforce. This iterative process ensures that communication remains relevant and impactful, addressing specific issues and adapting to changes in the organizational environment. By actively listening to employees and making informed adjustments through the right communication, you can demonstrate your organization’s commitment to supporting the workforce, enhancing trust and driving overall business performance.

Two-way dialogue is vital for organizations during uncertain economic times. By fostering a culture of transparency and trust, employers can help their employees navigate through challenging periods with greater resilience. As we move forward, it's essential for leaders to prioritize and invest in robust listening and communication strategies and support their workforce to deliver impact and drive business performance.

Authors

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Michael Tyukodi

Senior Director, Employee Experience

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Tiffany Shortridge, Ph.D.

North America Organizational Insights & Change Sales Leader

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