Keep communicating

As an employer do you find yourself thinking "My employees are lucky to have a job ..." especially when they ask for a raise or maybe even just for a day off? I've heard this type of rhetoric a lot over the past several months, and while it may be true, I caution you don't kid yourself into thinking this mentality will serve you well when the economy turns around and the competitive job market returns. And rest assured it will. Maybe not today or even this year, but it will. And when it does, employee loyalty can boil down to whether or not you've engaged your team in conversation during these tough times.

Internal communications is more than just sending your employees email updates or telling them about changes in a staff meeting. Your employees are your ambassadors and their job satisfaction is directly linked to their job performance and ultimately your profitability. Make your employees feel a part of the team, seek their opinions in finding smart solutions and for new ways to work more efficiently. After all, they are actually performing the day-to-day tasks that you are looking at from an entirely different perspective. You would be amazed at the mileage you get from just asking for input not promising anything, but letting your employees know that what they have to say matters.

And keeping your team informed on how the business is doing is incredibly important. We recently asked our team to assist us in meeting a business goal. We didn't offer money or new job titles as incentives, simply some extra time off over the summer. Don't ever underestimate the power of flexibility! This reward was their collective idea at a company retreat and it worked! The goal was met and the reward was given and, it didn't cost us much, just some shifting of responsibilities, and the team was more than willing to ensure everything was covered. Take the time to ask what makes your team tick. Ask your employees what motivates them, what matters the most. And try to be transparent in your communications.

If you have taken a pay cut, let it be known. It's easy to think that those at the helm are sitting pretty as they are lowering the ax. If you just fired a dozen people and then bring in photos of your two-week vacation to the Bahamas, that's probably not sending a great message nor will it do anything for office morale. And word travels fast! How you manage communications during this economic downturn affects your brand and how your ambassadors your employees talk about you in public. And, once again how you manage during these times will have a direct impact on your future success.

Let your team become a part of the process. Give them goals, and enlist their help. How can an employee possibly know that his job is on the line if you don't tell him? If he needs to sell three cars this week, five by month's end, give him the opportunity to step up and ask how the team can support him in this goal. At the very least when the end of the month comes, he sees the writing on the wall. Now I realize it is not always this easy, but neither is firing a person who has worked for you for 20 years, and never thought that he'd be the one.

Be creative, and keep rewarding (or start). Times are tough but it's more important than ever to reward employees in whatever way you can. A simple "thank you" or "great job" can go a long way. Give the gift of positive reinforcement. One local business owner I met recently asks employees at his staff meeting about personal and professional successes for the week. Their employee retention rate is unbelievable and feedback is simply that their employer cares and that the team building as a result of this simple "sharing" technique makes them feel a part of something bigger.

The days of fancy company retreats and office parties are gone, but employee outings are essential especially given the stress we are all feeling, and in some cases the added responsibilities we are placing upon our employees. Consider a trip to a local sporting event, maybe even a trip to the bowling alley or a picnic lunch to enjoy music in the park or to support an ARTown event. If that's not possible, consider bringing in a cake to celebrate a birthday or just to say thanks for everyone's hard work. At a recent social held at my business partner's home, our team caught an episode of a popular TV show relevant to our industry, and simply enjoyed some popcorn. We had fun, bonded and it cost next to nothing.

And while a trip to mini golf or the movie theater is not exactly analogous to a weekend retreat in Tahiti, it just makes sense. The silver lining in all this is that families, friends, businesses we're all getting back to the basics, so take advantage and maybe you'll find that when things do turn around you may want to keep these simple outings on the calendar. Your employees will appreciate the effort and the ability to let off some steam.

In my nearly two decades of assisting companies with internal communications, I've found that employers who have taken a proactive approach to internal communications have motivated their workforce, and have discovered some unlikely superstars in the process. When you give an employee that chance to step up they may surprise you. Someone that you may have believed to be "on the chopping block" or perhaps brought little value to your bottom line can emerge as a future leader. Bottom line be present, be engaged and engage those around you-and most importantly make sure the people who choose to spend their days working for you understand their value and that they are appreciated even at a time when they truly are lucky to have a job.

Julie Rowe is a partner in Reno with MassMedia Corporate Communications. Contact her at 322-0755 or julie@massmediacc.com.