3 ways Internal Communications can reduce employee turnover

Employees leave their jobs for various reasons. Maybe they were offered a better salary, benefits or a shorter commute time by switching jobs. Or maybe it's because they felt disconnected from the company and the work they were doing there. We've all had that job that we were so excited to start, only to get six or eight months in and realize that we feel no passion for or no connection to the goals or culture of the company and sure enough, we end up leaving. There's a way to fix that. On the surface, internal communications are company announcements - ways to get the message out about annual enrollment, new hire announcements or updated policies. Truth is, that's only half of what internal comms can accomplish. Below are 3 ways internal communications can reduce employee turnover. 1. Establishes a sense of community Internal communications instills a sense of community amongst employees and increases employee engagement by spreading the company message. It drives the "we're all in this together, fighting for the same thing," feeling that people get when working towards a similar goal. No one wants to feel like they're alone or feel like the only one doing anything in the group project, they want to feel part of a team! Internal communications, when done properly and when done with employees' needs in-mind, will spread a positive company message and praise teams for the work they're doing and celebrate the accomplishments thus far. Communications shouldn't only be sent when something is wrong. They should also be a way to celebrate because when the company experiences a win and the employees are given a virtual high-five, everyone feels like part of the team. 2. Offers exposure to leadership Similarly to how employees need to feel like they're "fighting for the same thing," they also need to feel like they have leaders worth following. Leadership's best bet is to always lead with open and honest communication with their employees. Internal communications are always best when coming from a person in leadership, even if the communications professional is writing it. Internal communications offers so many opportunities for leadership to gain exposure to their employees and be seen as strong leaders that can be trusted with driving a company forward. If leadership can establish themselves as an open and honest source of information, they will be able to foster trust and growth in their employees. Internal communications is any good executive's secret weapon. 3. Keeps your employees in the loop Employees like to feel in-the-loop. Part of the reason why I love communications so much is because I always feel like I'm getting a peek behind the scenes before we send an announcement. I'm always part of early (often confidential) conversations on projects because it helps me communicate them to a broader audience later (when I'm allowed to, of course). Employees need to feel like they're part of the conversation. With internal communications, things like weekly updates or a newsletter can allow all employees to feel informed about decisions being made, projects being worked on and products launching. When individuals can see how their daily efforts are moving the needle, it keeps them inspired to keep going without burning out or throwing up their hands and wondering "what's the point, what's all this for?!" Take it from someone who likes being in the loop - keep your team members informed! It's important to remember that employees are the backbone of a company. A business can have an excellent product, branding and contacts, but without employees to handle all the details, a company falls apart. Take care of your people and they'll take care of your business... like you hired them to do.