The start of the new decade has been anything but smooth, and we’ve all faced curveball after curveball. Everything from how we live our day-to-day lives to how we work has changed. The sudden shift from face-to-face interactions to overwhelmingly virtual interactions has taken a heavy toll on individuals and businesses alike.

As we have grappled with the impacts of a pandemic, our workplaces have also undergone massive changes. A key area of change: communication.

Whether it’s talking, messaging, or emailing, communication is the backbone of every business. Workplace communications systems are not only crucial to saving time and money but also to increasing employee productivity. The evolution of workplace communication has seen rapid adaptations of industry best-practice technology and a clear shift in how satisfied employees are in their jobs.

It’s a whole new digital world

It’s no longer a message bank or answering machine; it’s a collection of notifications from apps, platforms, and devices that didn’t exist at the turn of the century. Over time, we’ve become increasingly reliant on digital platforms for our communication needs. Software like Zoom and Teams became essential in 2020, and now businesses of all shapes and sizes depend on cloud-based systems to operate.

The future of how we work is here. 90 per cent of office-based workforces in the Asia-Pacific region prefer to work flexibly. The ‘hybrid’ working model – which mixes in-office and remote work to offer flexibility and support to employees – means staff typically enjoy more autonomy and better work-life balance and are consequently more engaged. As such, businesses need to be prepared for hybrid working models to become a permanent fixture of the workplace.

Digital transformation shouldn’t be approached as a one-size-fits-all endeavour, but instead, from an understanding that it greatly depends on the operating constraints of the business and the technological skills of employees.

Poor communication or miscommunication can cost businesses millions every year in lost productivity, revenue, skills, and talent. To avoid this, businesses need to ensure systems and other essential infrastructures are continually optimised to maintain effective communication and empower workers to be productive from anywhere.

Whether your workforce is remote, hybrid, or location-based, there are always ways to improve the way you communicate. From readily refining the way you reward and recognise staff to collecting and following through on their feedback, here we share our tips:

1. Active listening and undivided attention

Make sure your employees know you are listening to not only their input but their feedback as well. Following through on decisions is key and will send a message to your staff that you actively listen, and they have your undivided attention.

2. Don’t just inform; inspire action and get straight to the point

Whether you’re communicating about a current project or providing feedback on team performance, don’t just talk to your employees; engage with them, and include them in the conversations that you believe will have a positive impact on their roles and their professional development. The last thing you would want is for your employees to feel as though they’re just being spoken to. Use communication techniques that start a two-way conversation and helps your team to feel inspired and act positivity with the information they’re receiving.

3. Rewards, recognition, and feedback

Showing appreciation to your employees takes a few minutes out of your day, and the impact this small action has can radiate around the workplace. Whether it’s providing opportunities for training and development to grow skills or encouragement to take on more responsibilities, your staff will feel like they matter, their efforts are noticed, and they’re valued. Acknowledging the hard work of staff has a profound impact not just on the overall well-being of employees but also on productivity levels and retention rates.

An excellent start is by digitising all aspects of HR – forms, policies, procedures, data storage, communications, and employee self-service.

This is where enableHR can help. Whether you manage one or one thousand employees, organisations should ensure they’re effectively communicating and empowering workers. Having a powerful HRIS platform such as enableHR can make all the difference, helping you save time on your HR so you can focus on creating higher-value initiatives like culture and communication. With a platform housing hundreds of ready-to-use workflows, checklists, guides, policies, and letters created and regularly checked by employment law experts, it’s never been easier to stay on top of your HR compliance.

Great digital communication translates into efficient and happy employees. This is then mirrored in the business being efficient and happy.

Looking to take your HR to the next level? Our team is happy to answer all your questions. Call us on our toll-free number 1300 120 469 or fill out this form for a prompt call-back.