Skip to content
iQ 360
An integrated communications agency
360
  • Home
  • Our Work
  • Capabilities
  • About
  • Join Us
  • Blog
  • Contact
We build + protect reputations
Illustration of employees gathered at a table discussing an issue.

Why Internal Communication Should be Your Top Priority

04.15.20 | by iQ Staff
  • Share via
Crisis Communications, PR
  • Share via

For far too long, internal communications have been relegated to the back burner, falling behind obvious drivers of growth like sales and marketing activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed that. With an increase in remote workforces, a record number of layoffs and furloughs, and an air of uncertainty around the long-term effects of the coronavirus on the economy, there’s never been a more important time to prioritize internal communications.

Communicating difficult news, especially when that news negatively impacts employees’ lives, must be approached with genuine empathy, honesty and humanity. Consider all facets of breaking the news, including the timing, method of communication and tone, which are just as important as the message itself.

 

Employees should be the first to know

When an organization faces a crisis, employees should always find out from leadership or a manager before they have a chance to hear about it from someone else. If layoffs are imminent, the last thing you want is for an employee to find out at the water cooler, or worse, in conversation with a customer. You owe it to your employees to communicate bad news openly, honestly and in a timely manner so they can get their information from the source.

Don’t delay your message and risk it getting distorted by the rumor mill. A communication void can spawn destructive narratives that can cause more reputational damage than the truth. Avoid confusion among employees and other stakeholders by proactively addressing rumors and misinformation before they take hold.

 

Internal communications may turn into external communications

Employees can easily forward a company email to their contacts or share a video of a CEO addressing employees at a town hall. In fact, employers should always anticipate that updates sent to employees will be forwarded to others outside the company, including media.

That’s why it’s important to draft any internal communications with a broader audience in mind. Internal communications should mirror external communications even under the best of circumstances. Messaging should always be consistent across audiences so you’re not telling your employees one thing and your customers another.

Review your internal messages through an objective lens, considering what someone outside the company might think of it and how it might affect your brand’s reputation. This doesn’t mean you should be less transparent with your employees because you don’t want certain information to be shared — just make sure your policies and communications reflect your company’s values.

 

Honesty is the best policy

No one wants to ruin another person’s day, but in many cases, the information you have to share may be important, valuable or even lifesaving. Sugarcoating the message or withholding important information could come back to haunt you later if employees feel you haven’t been completely truthful. Be honest, even when it hurts. Candor creates an atmosphere of trust, which is vital to any organization trying to lead its employees through tough times.

However, honest communication about bad news does not have to be devoid of hope. Communicators should work with leadership on messaging that strikes the right balance of resolve and a forward look to better times ahead.

 

“Don’t be afraid to speak from the heart.”

 

Offer structure and consistency

Hearing from higher-ups at different levels of the company helps employees feel connected and valued. Once a regular cadence of communication is established, people will start to expect it and look forward to it. If it stops suddenly, people might wonder what happened and be concerned that something is wrong. Regular communication can be reassuring, especially in uncertain times.

Managers may want to set up times to communicate with their direct reports at regular intervals, on the same day and time each week, while leadership may want to speak with everyone in their department or in the company once a month. If you need to cancel a scheduled check-in, try to reschedule or put out an update by email to show people that communication is still on your mind. Don’t suddenly go dark and stop communicating without some kind of explanation.

 

Be human

Often, corporate communication leans heavily on the “corporate.” But when people’s lives and livelihoods are impacted, buzzwords and brand messages can feel hollow and empty. Don’t be afraid to speak from the heart. Demonstrate gratitude for employees’ efforts and hard work. Show solidarity with the larger team. Illustrate how important culture and teams are during challenging times. Leaders can offer a glimpse into how their families are impacted with personal anecdotes or even pictures and video.

If you can, present bad news within the context of the big picture; don’t silo the message according to audience or try to drip it out slowly, leaving people to wonder. If you are asking employees to take pay cuts or make other sacrifices, address how this can help protect the long-term health of the organization. Give employees broader context and help everyone connect the dots by mapping out how the organization plans to stay on the path to success.

Prioritizing internal communications during a crisis can help preserve relationships and trust in your organization’s leadership. It also encourages companies to do right by their employees during what may be one of the most challenging periods of their lives.

  • Share via

Top Picks for You


February 1, 2023

ESG in 2023: Part 3 →

January 18, 2023

ESG in 2023: Part 2 →

Post navigation

 Working remotely? Here’s how to keep your company culture alive
What Strong Brands Do During a Recession 

Categories

C-Suite
Tactics & Tips
Visual Communication
iQ Insights

Must Reads

March 11, 2020

Communicating During Times of Uncertainty →

April 15, 2020

Why Internal Communication Should be Your Top Priority →

October 9, 2019

The Real Value of Diversity in Marketing →

Stay in the know with our quarterly newsletter
Loading...
iQ 360

We believe in the power of communication to change the world

808.536.2729
Privacy Policy | ©2023 iQ 360 Inc. All rights reserved.
We are a certified minority- and woman-owned business.
iQ 360

We believe in the power of communication to change the world

808.536.2729
Privacy Policy
©2023 iQ 360 Inc. All rights reserved.

We are a certified minority- and woman-owned business.

Privacy Policy

Last updated on June 5, 2018.

 

This privacy policy explains our collection, use, disclosure, retention, and protection of personal information collected through our website, www.iq360inc.com (the “Website”).

 

  1. Information We Collect

We collect personally identifiable information about you, including your name, email address, and phone number, when you send an inquiry to us on the contact form on the Website.

 

  1. How We Use Your Information

We will use your information only to respond to you regarding the reason you contacted us. We will contact you by the means by that you have consented to us contacting you, as you indicate when you submit an inquiry to us via the Website.  We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization.  We do not send any promotional emails; however, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about changes to this privacy policy.

 

  1. Cookies

 

  1. Storage of Information

Personally identifiable information that you submit to us via the Website is processed and stored, if at all, in the United States.  We will not keep your personal data for longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.  We determine the retention period based on the purpose for which the information was obtained, our legal obligations, and our technical and business requirements. 

 

  1. Your Access to and Control Over Information

You have the right to opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. You may do the following at any time by contacting us via info@iq360.inc.com or 808-536-2729:

  • See what data we have about you, if any.
  • Change/correct any data we have about you.
  • Have us delete any data we have about you.
  • Express any concern you have about our use of your data or if you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy.

  

  1. Security

We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information via the Website, your information is protected both online and offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

 

  1. Updates to This Statement

This privacy policy may be subject to updates.  Any material future changes or additions to the processing of personal information as described in this privacy policy affecting you will be communicated to you through an appropriate channel.  For example, we may email you to let you know about updates to the privacy policy.

 

 

Subscribe

Emails collected through this form will be used for marketing and business updates. We are the sole owners of the information collected on this site. We only have access to information that you voluntarily give us. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone. You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website. Please see our privacy policy for full details.