The Inside Voice

How WIIFM Can Boost Your Employee Response

The most important part of any communication is making sure that you have a clearly written message that includes the WIIFM targeted directly to your audience. What’s "WIIFM"? It’s the core message that you need to send to employees – it's simply what we're all looking for: “What’s In It For Me.”

Many internal communicators are focused on getting out their message and as a result, they focus primarily on the basics:

• Who needs to receive the message
• What you want to tell them
• When they need to respond
• Where they can find information
• Why they need to take action
• How to take the next step

But the other “W” – WIIFM – is the most important “W” you can use to help you get a response from your employees.  The WIIFM helps your employees understand the value of each message you send. The value that you, as an employer, place on having them as an employee. The value that you, the employer, want to add to their lives or their – through the benefit, service or whatever you are discussing in this communication.

By consistently adding the WIIFM in your employee communications and speaking to what’s important to them, you will encourage your employees to:

• Open more of your communications - you're talking to them, not at them.
• Understand your true message - they'll understand why this is important to them.
• Respond and take action - why wouldn't they? You've told them why they should care.

What are some examples of the WIIFM you've added to your employee communications? How was your response? We’d love to hear how this has worked for you. Click on the comment link below and tell us what's worked for you.

Getting Employees to Participate in the Conversation

In Marketing 101, every marketer learns the four “Ps”:  Product, Price, Place and Promotion. And they learn how putting together the right combination of these can yield optimum sales results. Recently, I read an article about how marketers can better engage customers using a fifth “P”:  Participation. The idea is that customers who participate in dialog with a company have more trust, better engagement, preference, word of mouth and brand loyalty to that company.

Can this same principle be applied to HR communications? Absolutely! This is about getting your employees engaged and interacting with the company to benefit BOTH the employee and the company.

Companies that get their employees to participate in “corporate conversations” are going to be more likely to have happier, more engaged and more productive employees than those who are not. There is a wide range of vehicles that allow for two-way conversation, including social media, meetings, events and other two-way communications.

Consider the possibilities:

• A benefits manager is frustrated by low response to a new healthcare alternative that the company thought would be popular. When the manager is researching options for the following year’s benefits, he brings together a small, inter-departmental focus group to help him understand why the employees didn’t enroll for the new benefit. With their input, the benefit is changed. The employees in the focus group spread the word on how this new addition will benefit employees. As a result, the enrollment for the newly-changed benefit is widely embraced and used by employees.

• A company lost a major account. Rumors are circulating. Employees are worried that layoffs are eminent. Productivity declines. Employees are spending increasing amounts of time speculating what could happen to their jobs and the company. To counteract this, the management team takes two steps: Senior management attends department meetings and apprises them of the situation – a need for increased productivity and cost cutting measures, and asks employees to submit ideas. The company starts an internal blog, giving updates on key successes and progress against goals. Suggestions are submitted and the company adopts the ones that make sense. Productivity returns. Hallway conversations are now generating new ideas.

Introducing a "conversation" with your employees can bring some welcome results. What have you tried to get your employees to participate in the conversation? What were your results? Share some ideas that have worked for you.

Engaging Employees in a Slow Economy

Most companies have been hit by the economy, causing employee downsizing, making many employees worry about job security. Morale sinks as a result. Companies need to keep employees focused on their day jobs instead of the effect on the economy on workforce. Workforce.com did an insightful article recently dedicated to ways that companies can help keep morale during these times.

Here are suggested communication tips and tools to help boost morale during these times:

-          Manage the message. Employees will be asking questions, so let them know what’s going on with the company. Address the questions.

o   Be clear. Be straightforward and clear in what you say.

o   Tell both sides of the story. Communicate good news with the not-so-good news. Make announcements when sales, launches and customer retention are going better than expected in addition to when things aren’t going as well.

o   Provide opportunities to help. Every communication should tell employees how they can do their part, whether it is cutting expenses, increased attention to quality control, talking up the product, etc. Let them be a part of the solution.

-          Be visible. This is not the time to have your leadership team tied up in long, closed-door meetings. They should walk the halls, interact with the employees and attend as many of the usual meetings as possible.

-          Choose the right tools. Tool selection is key  for communicating with your employees during these times:

o   Email. This is a great communication vehicle, but don’t overuse it. This is good for periodic updates from your CEO, but too many of these will dilute the message you are trying to send.

o   Online tools. A blog or intranet posting on a regular basis is a good way to let people know what’s happening. And if it’s updated on a regular basis, employees will know it’s a good source of information, and will look for the news.

o   Meetings. Having conversations with your employees is crucial. Depending on your situation, occasional hands-on all-staff meetings may be appropriate. Or for larger companies, attending department meetings or holding brown bag lunches may be more feasible.

Communication with your employees is crucial during these times. Make sure your message and tools are the most effective they can be to help boost your employees’ morale.

What tools have you tried to boost morale recently? Which ones have worked best for you?