Many companies compete on more parameters than they are aware of

The major shifts in technology and social media have changed the way we communicate with each other privately. When it comes to the way we communicate with each other at work, there is a huge potential for companies to incorporate technology to a much greater extent in their internal communication. Social media must be conceived as central internal communication channels today in order to maximize this potential.

People do not by magic change preferences in the morning as they walk through the doors of their workplace, nor do they change their expectations to the communication, they receive from their co-workers, managers or the company that employ them. Of course, they expect it to be personal, relevant, fast and authentic. Just like on all the other media platforms they use privately.

Many companies today compete on far more parameters than they are aware of when it comes to attracting and retaining staff. Therefore, there is great potential in clarifying those parameters - of what is valued - and being able to communicate them externally and internally. I have always been driven by working with integrated solutions when it comes to internal and external communication and finding the communication solutions that create tangible value for the specific business.

The human corporate structure

One of the world's most widely used quotes on internal communications is Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

“Like a human being, a company has to have an internal communication mechanism, a “nervous system”, to coordinate its actions.”

You can say what you want about Bill Gates, but I believe he hits the nail on the head here. Businesses are made up of people, which is why the comparison to the body makes such good sense to me. And for that very reason, it is central that internal communication aligns with both the company's external communication and actions.

Therefore, when a company needs to communicate with its employees, it is important that there is a thorough plan for what is to be told and when. Exactly what you do with your external communication? It is of no use that we only speak to our employees when big things happen. Communication must be continuous and not only be put into use when we have good or bad news for employees. The rumor mill runs incredibly fast, and if you only communicate at the big events, you quickly end up running behind and telling news that has already been dissected at the coffee machine or in the canteen.

Good employee experiences lead to better customer experiences

In addition to the corporate communication being a continuous process, it is also important that your employees know the company key values. Don't be afraid to have opinions. Many leaders today are very frightened of opinions, but it is important to remember that your opinion provides edge and authenticity. Many - especially young employees - would prefer or maybe even only work for companies that are have opinions and standards. That feeling is not lessened by the fact that a director also dares to say something about the world and how we would like to change it for the better.

For me, good corporate communication is basically about strengthening both the employees' and the customer experiences of the company's product, service and business. My experience is that when we really succeed, it is in those situations where internal communication is able to show real value as a driving force for the company's growth. Today communicators are to a large extent able to find the interfaces that indicate and measure, how good employee experiences lead to better customer experiences and thus higher revenue.

One of the crucial parameters of success is to a large extent whether companies will be able to transfer the technological opportunities in particular to internal communication. Digital employee experience is not only the future but very much the present, and it is focused, personalized, easy to use, mobile, integrated, informative, engaging and productive.