| The people that most speak about your company, and | | | | Communicating with your employees. |
| have the most opinions, are the people that work there | | | | To communicate with your employees to ensure a |
| - the employees. They go home from work and | | | | good reputation an organisation has many options. |
| discuss their day with their partners and families, they | | | | Newsletters, memo boards, the intranet, presentations |
| talk about their workplace over Friday night drinks or | | | | and events are all popular. These days companies |
| Twitter and the new people that they meet about | | | | may be tempted to use 'trendy' new media outlets, |
| what they do for work and who they do it for. | | | | however research by Sison, M (2006) shows that the |
| Great internal communications, therefore, is the first | | | | most effective way to communicate with employees |
| step to effective reputation management. The PR | | | | is face-to-face. Furthermore, employees have a |
| professional is responsible for both employee | | | | preference as to who that information comes from. |
| communications and reputation management. To | | | | Gray (2005) found that employees want to hear about |
| ensure a good reputation in the market place, the PR | | | | 'big picture' issues from the chief executive, important |
| professional must first make sure all employees know | | | | news from senior and middle management and lots of |
| and understand company objectives, values, | | | | discussion with their immediate supervisors on |
| behaviours and position. Harnessing your employees | | | | everyday and local matters. |
| as your reputation base will see that your reputation in | | | | Face-to-face communications with employees can be |
| the wider community will be favourable, having the | | | | conducted in a variety of ways. Interpersonal |
| best impact on your bottom line. | | | | discussions, staff meetings, Skype, presentations, focus |
| Importance of the organisation - employee relationship. | | | | groups and special events are good examples. The |
| Much discussion has taken place over the last decade | | | | benefits of face-to-face communications include |
| or so, highlighting the importance of what employees' | | | | immediacy, a vehicle for feedback, effective two-way |
| think and feel about an organisation. Additionally, | | | | communication and the creation of open and honest |
| bottom-line benefits are directly generated from good | | | | relationships. |
| reputations. As company reputations are increasingly | | | | Great Internal Communications encourages employee |
| relevant to an organisation's success, employee | | | | satisfaction and motivation. |
| communications are to be part of management | | | | Satisfied employees see the organisation in a positive |
| strategy planning. | | | | light and play a key role in developing the organisation's |
| Pat Jackson's (1998) Total Relationship Model indicates | | | | reputation and how they present the organisation to |
| that employee communications are the first vital step in | | | | others. Reputations are essentially multiplied opinions, |
| achieving positive relationships with key stakeholders. | | | | and PR professionals must be aware that strategic |
| Gummerson (2002) reiterates the importance of the | | | | success with internal communications leads to how an |
| PR professional to evaluate messages from | | | | employee thinks and feels about their organisation. If |
| management level and ensure all employees, right | | | | you can't convince the employees of your greatness, |
| down to entry-level, have the same perceptions of the | | | | who can you convince? |
| business. | | | | |