It’s pleasing to see how many companies are striving to be a great place to work.
Many things need to happen to achieve that status. Many of which are far beyond the remit of a copywriter like myself. However, there is a way your copywriter (or me if you don’t have one) can help you move closer to that goal.
Clear communication
All companies need two-way communication.
The days of the C-Suite dictating what should be done without consulting their workforce is (or at least should be) a thing of the past.
Of course, I’m not suggesting that every strategic decision has to be put to your staff – if you did, nothing would get done. But, if you want to become a great place to work, you have to listen to what your people want.
So, where do you start?
- Survey
The only way you’ll find out what you need to do to make your business a great place to work is to ask your staff what’s important to them.
Then you need to act on their feedback.
- Communication
Once you’ve decided which suggestions have ‘legs’, it’s time to let people know what you’re going to do.
Clear communication is needed here – which means content – and that’s where your copywriter comes in.
Internal communications are just as important as your external content. They are a way of ‘selling’ your ideas and values to your staff. If they aren’t engaging, your people won’t be on board, so it’s vital you get them right.
Regular internal newsletters are a great way to encourage engagement and to keep staff up to date with what’s going on. Celebrate your people’s individual achievements, shout out when someone does a great job, and share best practices.
Talking and listening are what it comes down to.
- Sharing values
Your business should feel more like a family than a corporate treadmill. Making sure all your staff understand and align with your values goes a long way to create that sense of belonging, especially if your values are built in conjunction with your people.
Engagement videos are a great way to communicate this.
- Having the courage of your convictions
If you decide to go down this route and involve your people in the development of your business, make sure you listen to them.
All too often, you see companies ostensibly valuing their staffs’ input only to decide they don’t like what they hear so they go and do what they want and ignore the feedback. That creates a bad feeling.
Your people are what makes your business great. They are on the front line, dealing with your customers so they probably have a better idea about what customers want that you do. Their ideas about how to improve service should and must be listened to. In the same way, they’ll have a better understanding of how your company’s current voice and appearance impacts customer choice.
Winning internal communications
As I’ve already said, internal communications are just as relevant as your external content. Tapping out a quick email now and then isn’t good enough.
Regular newsletters, intranet content, engagement videos, and two-way communication all begin to create an environment in which your people are listened to and feel valued. And that’s a big step towards your company becoming a great place to work.
All of this takes the human touch, and I know just the copywriter to help you achieve this.
Sally Ormondis a freelance copywriter with the human touch. Become a great place to work by calling her on +44(0)1449 779605.