No matter what size your business is, internal communication is crucial. Even a modest operation needs a streamlined information exchange between departments and co-workers. Internal communications impact every tier of a business, from upper management, right down to the most junior members of an organization.
While most businesses strive for better internal comms, many fall flat. Why?
They’re not using the right tools to foster corporate communication and encourage team collaboration.
The Importance of Effective Internal Communication
Robust internal communications ensure your employees are engaged, which in turn results in increased productivity. As well as employee engagement, internal comms ensure everyone receives the information they actually need to complete their jobs, without wasting endless hours in irrelevant meetings.
It also encourages a culture of knowledge sharing.
Nowadays, there’s absolutely no reason for anyone to be out of the loop, even if your business depends on remote teams. With the right internal communications tools, everyone benefits from receiving up-to-the-minute information.
What’s more, it allows businesses to share corporate goals and long-term objectives. This not only promotes a culture of togetherness, but also encourages individual employees to make more confident and strategic decisions independently. This can ease the burden on those in project management roles.
Since the advent of remote working, more businesses than ever are working across time zones. Even small organizations can now employ teams based in many different countries. However, to capitalize on this global network, effective internal employee communication is a must.
If your internal channels are lacking, it’s time to take a step back and consider the communication management tools that you’re using. If standard email chains and conferencing solutions like Microsoft Teams aren’t cutting it, think about using Gloww instead. This browser-based platform takes the effort of hosting interactive live video events.
You can use it to schedule and stream webinars, oversee virtual employee training, host all hands meetings, and much more. Find our extensive template gallery here.
Common Internal Communication Challenges
Information Overload and Fragmentation
This is a particularly common internal comms problem. It’s a significant issue for companies that rely on email chains to get important company news and information across. In certain sectors, employees can spend more than a quarter of their working day reading and replying to email correspondence.
Naturally, this steals attention away from other responsibilities and puts a significant dent in productivity levels.
However, it’s not just the amount of information that’s being delivered that can lead to overload. If information is too complex, employees are going to have to spend far longer deciphering it. What’s more, some information simply isn’t relevant.
Fragmented internal communication is another concern that many larger businesses face. Even if internal comms were once tight and to the point, it’s easy for things to get out of hand as a company grows and new teams and departments are brought into the fold. Using the interactive video presentation template can be of great help here.
Difficulty in Engaging Remote or Dispersed Teams
Is your company one of the many that have embraced remote working over the past few years? While a great deal of organizations have reported significant productivity gains, it’s not always easy to engage remote employees.
Flexible working hours might result in better output from individual employees, but it can wreak havoc on communication. A failure to engage remote teams can ruin any chance of creating a culture of trust and transparency. Remote workers and dispersed teams are also less likely to deliver feedback on everyday issues like technical and accessibility problems.
Team Collaboration Tools: Our Top Picks
If your internal comms need fine-tuning, it’s time to think seriously about the collaboration tools you’re using. Need some pointers? Read on for some of the most useful tools you can add to your arsenal today.
Gloww
Many video conferencing platforms promise to deliver an all-in-one experience. However, most of them fall far short of expectations. This isn’t the case with Gloww.
As well as offering the perfect platform to create engaging live video sessions, you can incorporate all manner of interactive elements. Take team-building exercises to the next level with collaboration tools like digital whiteboards, sticky notes, and file sharing. Looking for virtual icebreakers? You’ll find an impressive range of games to spice up your sessions here.
Only used basic video communication software before?
With Gloww, you’ll be amazed at just how much you can customize your sessions. Take your pick from a huge range of existing templates or start from scratch. You can incorporate HD audio and video by uploading your own content, or delve into an extensive archive of existing assets. What’s more, this browser-based solution is one of the most accessible around. Even those using a mobile phone don’t have to miss out on the action.
Internal Newsletters
Internal newsletters are one of the oldest and most effective internal communication tools around. If you’re delivering internal newsletters via email, there’s no reason why you can’t commit to one every week.
An internal newsletter should include things like project updates, major company news, upcoming social and corporate events, and significant milestones. You can encourage your employees by shining a spotlight on positive feedback from clients, as well as use them to promote job vacancies and career development opportunities.
Blogs
Internal blogs are another tool you should be seriously thinking about using. If you want to facilitate a knowledge-sharing culture, an internal blog is an invaluable asset.
As well as serving as a stage for high-value, authoritative content, an internal blog allows everyone to engage in the discussion. What’s more, an ever-expanding internal blog becomes a rich archive that new and existing employees can return to, time and again.
Corporate Social Media
Some companies might wince at the idea of leveraging social networks to improve internal communications and collaboration. However, social media can actually prove incredibly effective. Closed employee social networks are perfect for maintaining transparent lines of communication.
You can adopt existing platforms like LinkedIn for this purpose or embrace an intranet-based one instead. Closed networks are ideal for sharing information across entire departments or among dispersed teams. If you’ve enabled instant messaging functionality, feedback is also instantaneous, encouraging a culture of collaboration.
Video Chat
You’ve probably used video conferencing tools before. It’s one of the most effective ways to drive internal communication and is even more valuable for businesses that employ lots of remote employees. Unlike email correspondence, video chat allows people to talk face-to-face. The best solutions also allow for screen sharing, making it simple for participants to access and collaborate on key data. Try the Gloww hippie green template, or online team activity template to take it to the next level!
Surveys
Looking for a quick way to engage your employees? Surveys are the way to go.
You can use surveys to gather a huge range of metrics. Got a problem with staff retention? Use them to gather insights into employee satisfaction. If you want to go deeper, switch top open-ended questions.
Virtual Events
Virtual events have become increasingly common in the past couple of years.
Now that many businesses have at least adopted a hybrid model, they’re the standard within many organizations. While they can be used for socializing, they’re a practical tool for employee training and development. With the right platform, you can interact with attendees in real-time.
The best virtual meeting solutions should allow you to include live polls and surveys, add rich content like video and audio, and even introduce games into the mix.
How Can I Improve Internal Communications with Gloww?
Create Stunning Visual Experiences
With Gloww, you can take internal communications to the next level. Rather than upload lackluster webinars and training videos, create stunning virtual events with maximum reach.
Create your session from scratch, or use one of the many readymade templates if you need some pointers. You can play around with animated backgrounds, animations, live apps, and more.
Build an On-Brand Communication Experience
Just because you’re using a third-party solution, doesn’t mean you have to cut any corners when it comes to customizing your internal communications. With Gloww, you can adjust template themes to your liking. Upload your own videos, audio, and imagery.
Want to add your company colors and corporate logos? You can.
Drive Action and Collaboration
It’s not easy to keep everyone engaged when you’re dealing with them virtually. However, Gloww offers many exciting tools that will promote collaboration. Digital whiteboards are perfect for brainstorming sessions, while you can allow everyone to add virtual sticky notes. File sharing is also supported.
Ready to Improve Internal Comms and Collaboration?
If your internal comms are falling short, now’s the time to take an honest look at your corporate culture. There’s plenty you can do to improve communication, with tried and tested methods like internal newsletters and blogs proving particularly effective. Video conferencing, virtual events, and surveys are also invaluable tools.
However, you’ll need a platform that can deliver if you’re serious about ironing out those internal communication kinks.
With Gloww, you have a browser-based platform that can be used to host immersive video sessions that won’t disappoint when it comes to interactivity. Whether it’s monthly all hands meetings or weekly department get-togethers, Gloww allows you to create engaging video sessions that are unique to you and your business.
Why not get started today?
