Improve Business Performance with Effective Internal Communications
A growing number of organizations recognize that effective internal communications can impact their
bottom line.
Watson Wyatt’s worldwide study 2007/2008 quotes:
“Companies with effective internal communications have a 15.7 % higher
market value and deliver 29 % higher shareholder return”
The Snap Communications channels have been developed to meet the internal communications needs of leading
international organizations. By working in partnership with its customer base, Snap Communications have
developed an ever evolving range of internal communications channels to help maximize the effectiveness
and value of internal communications. Here’s how:
Increase Operational Effectiveness
Reduce Email Overload
Research shows that it
takes 64 seconds for staff to refocus and get back into the work they were doing before an email interruption.
Randomly sending out ‘All Staff’ group emails (IT outages, general news and administration,
marketing and HR updates etc) can detrimentally impact staff workloads and stress levels.
It is possible to completely eliminate the need for ‘All Staff’ emails by directing all
these messages into an automatically generated staff
E-Mag. Reading the E-Mag consumes 80% less
time than reading the equivalent ‘All Staff’ emails.
E-Mag contributors, which can be staff and communications team alike, can still quickly and easily
write their own messages which are then automatically populated into an engaging
E magazine format with centralized editorial controls.
Key tool: Snap Mag.
Improve Penetration, Understanding and Ownership of Key Business Strategy
It is possible to increase cut-through, understanding and acceptance of important messages as follows:
Maximize the Value of Existing Information Resources (e.g. Intranet)
It is possible to leverage the power of existing information sources, such as the intranet, by signposting
new or relevant content to specific target audiences. Updates can be pushed out to targeted staff groups
as scrolling news feeds,
desktop alerts, electronic magazines and/or
sequencing screensavers.
Embedded hyperlinks serve to direct staff to the specific information sources they require.
Key tools: Scrolling News Tickers (plus
Desktop Alerts, Snap Mag and
Screensaver Messaging ).
Ensure Compliance with Company Regulations and Standards
Important compliance information can be overtly pushed out to targeted staff groups as
desktop alerts or scrolling ticker feeds (and/or other
Snap channels formats). The desktop alert and
ticker formats can be configured to continue repeating until a staff member has opened, read or
acknowledged the full message. Reporting tools allow the administrator to see which messages have not
be opened / acknowledged.
NB) All of the Snap channels have click-through capability with full reporting on links followed by
each staff member.
Key tools: Desktop Alerts and Scrolling
News Tickers (plus other SnapComms channels).
Increase Call Center Productivity
Call center staff, who may not have regular email access, can be kept informed in a dynamic yet non-intrusive
way via scrolling news feeds on their computer screens. Time spent in team meetings (non call time)
can be reduced by providing news and information updates via the news
ticker channel or via an electronic staff magazine
that aggregates messages from all over the business.
NB) Email is not required to deliver any of the Snap channels.
Key tools: Scrolling News Ticker,
Snap Mag.
Integrate a Disparate Workforce
The Snap channels are not limited by geographic location. As long as staff have intermittent internet
access and a computer, messages can be easily targeted to a geographically dispersed workforce. The
Snap channels can help ensure message consistency and give every employee a ‘voice’ regardless
of their physical location.
Key Tools: None of the SnapComms channels are limited by geographic location.
Increase Staff Retention Levels
The Snap channels provide an effective means to ‘listen’ to staff, to involve them (an important
driver of engagement) and to gather their feedback:
Snap Poll is a survey
format that staff find quick and easy to use. Surveys
and polls can cover everything from the effectiveness of
business operations and processes, to capturing employee’s views and customer perceptions. Very
high participation can be ensured when uncompleted survey recurrence options are enabled.
Snap Forum can provide a virtual meeting place where people
can share their ideas, opinions, and feedback. Snap Forum
allows people to post ideas anonymously, which, in some circumstances, can provide a means of finding
out what staff really think.
Snap Mag can provide an effective medium for
advising staff of the actions being taken in response to their feedback. A section in
Snap Mag titled ‘Acting on Your Feedback’ can contain short features over viewing the
measures that are being taken based upon staff feedback. Closing the loop on staff feed back can really
help build employee commitment and engagement.
Key Tools: Pop-up Staff Surveys,
Employee Discussion Forums, Snap Mag.
Measure Operational Effectiveness and Gather Valuable Feedback
Snap Poll pushes staff
surveys and opinion polls directly to employee computer
screens. The level of persistence for uncompleted surveys can be specified thereby ensuring maximum
staff participation.
The Snap Poll channel makes it is easy to track the performance
of different operational areas within the business. (For example: internal communications effectiveness
or the perceived performance of other departments or support services).
Feedback can easily be obtained from staff, and often the ideas and suggestions received can have a
dramatic and positive impact on the business.
Snap Interactive is a suite of online forum tools which
allow secure discussions to be set up for targeted groups of employees.
Discussion forums of this nature can be an excellent way to gauge staff sentiment around specific
issues (i.e. qualitative feedback) and to gather business improvement ideas and suggestions
Key tools: Pop-up Staff Surveys and
Employee Discussion Forums .
Grow Market Share
Speed up the Time-to-market and Increase the Uptake of New Products
The Snap Quiz and Snap Shots (screensaver
channel) make it possible to increase staff knowledge and build enthusiasm during new product launches.
Screensavers can initially be used to generate
excitement and interest prior to the product launch. During the launch, sales teams can be educated
using the Snap Quiz channel as part of the training program.
Following the product launch, up-to-the-minute customer feedback regarding the new product(s) can be
obtained using the Snap Poll and
Snap Interactive channel. Immediate product and staff support can be provided via the Snap
Interactive Helpdesk channel.
Key tools: Screensaver Messaging,
Pop-up Staff Quiz & Survey, and
Employee Discussion Forums .
Increase Sales and Improve Customer Retention
The Snap Quiz channel serves to improve and benchmark staff
product and process knowledge. Increased employee knowledge is an important aspect in increasing sales
effectiveness. It can also improve existing customer service and support capability leading to higher
customer retention levels.
Key tools: Pop-up Staff Quiz.
Increase Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Via a More Engaged Workforce
There is little doubt that happy, satisfied employees translates to happy, satisfied customers.
The Snap channels provide an engaging way to raise staff awareness of the benefits of working for an
organization. They also serve to promote fun events and initiatives which can help staff feel valued
and motivated.
Key tools: Scrolling News Ticker,
Screensaver Messaging and Pop-up Staff Quiz.
Revitalize the Organization
Implement Change Successfully
During periods of change, Snap Poll provides the means to
regularly ‘temperature check’ and measure staff understanding around the need for change.
Staff can find it easier to accept change when they understand the reasons for the change and have a
belief in the need for the change.
Desktop Alerts can provide immediate (or pre-scheduled)
updates to targeted staff groups to coincide with important announcements. This prevents staff hearing
about changes to the business from rumors or outside sources first (which can detrimentally affect engagement
levels and limit the ability of staff to respond to customer questions).
Snap Interactive allows staff to provide confidential feedback
and participate anonymously in discussion groups in order to have their questions heard and answered,
which helps to eliminate their fears and misconceptions.
The Snap channels also provide a range of dynamic, interactive visual formats which can be used to create
and promote a vision of the future. Once staff begin to focus on and feel part of an organization’s
future, new business strategies can be implemented more successfully.
Key tools: Pop-up Staff Survey , Employee Discussion Forums and Screensaver Messaging .
Shift Culture
If low productivity, out-of-date attitudes and low enthusiasm persist within the work force of an organization,
the Snap channels can provide the means to broadcast inspirational messages in a highly
visible way (for example ‘A New Way to Work’ promoted on sequencing screensavers followed
up with fun and engaging staff quizzes).
The Snap Quiz and Snap
Poll channels allow regular measurement and benchmarking in order to ensure that the tactical implementation
of a new strategy is on track as well as signaling points at which course adjustments might be necessary.
Scenario based quizzes designed to shift attitudes (e.g. in this situation do you A, B or C?) can be
regularly undertaken where desirable prizes can be offered as incentives to drive participation.
Key tools: Screensaver Messaging ,
Pop-up Staff Surveys and Quizzes.
Increase Engagement
The Snap channels provide a means to communicate with staff in a dynamic, non intrusive and interactive
way. Offices become more vibrant and staff can quickly understand and embrace business strategies and
related initiatives.
Fun and engaging initiatives can be undertaken with high rates of participation and the advantages and
perks of working for the organization can be promoted to staff.
Staff can become more involved in business decisions and regularly participate in interactive forums
and discussion groups. Feedback can be easily gathered and employee engagement is likely to increase
due to increased employee involvement.
Key tools: Screensaver Messaging , Pop-up Staff Surveys & Quizzes,
Employee Discussion Forums
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