Employee communication materials serve as effective tools for engaging employees in the company's financial success which, in turn, drives profits. Business experts have long agreed that when employees feel that management values their work, they strive harder to achieve maximum levels of customer satisfaction, thereby boosting brand awareness and loyalty. There's no better way to show employees they are valued than to arouse their interest and enhance their involvement in the company through employee communication materials.

These materials take many different forms, depending upon the unique needs of the company. For example, businesses striving to reach out to a more diverse employee population might consider publishing a staff magazine targeting a certain ethnic group as a way of letting employees in that group know that the company values their contributions. Popular solutions for learning about employee communication materials applications and uses include the following:

1. Learn how outsourcing business communication materials like polls and blogs help to arouse employees' interest in your company.

2. Find out why employee communications professionals are using staff magazines as a way of reaching out to all personnel.

3. Design a company intranet that serves as the main employee communication solutions tool for your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use employee communications to arouse interest in company events

Polls, blogs and social media forums have become popular uses for employee communications because. Not only will these strategies allow you to find out how your employees feel about the benefits the company offers, but you can also keep employees informed of significant events and facts about the company's financial performance that they may have no other way of learning.

I recommend: Subscribe to Ragan's website to learn how companies use online polls to generate employee interest in the company's enterprise goals. Blogs on Training Time show how internal communications with employees boost their morale and involvement. Management Issues explains how you can use these tools to create the "aha moment". Read Alpha Measure for ideas on how to use employee communication tools to seek feedback on company benefits.

Find out how staff magazines serve as key employee communication strategies

When it comes to employee communication materials applications and uses, few tools have been as successful in engaging employees than staff magazines. Usually produced by marketing or public affairs personnel, these magazines focus on topics they believe are of special interest to employees.

I recommend: Articles Base explains how to use staff magazines to measure the effectiveness of employee communication materials. Read Idea Marketers to find out the different forms these staff magazines can take. Marketing Services Talk describes how some companies use staff magazines to achieve their enterprise objectives.

Create a company Intranet as a more effective way of communicating with employees

A company intranet stands out as a highly effective employee communication strategy: it centralizes key information employees need in one location, thus cutting down on the time they used to spend trying to find the information, time they can now use in a more productive fashion.

I recommend: Read Tech Republic to learn about the benefits of a company intranet and how you can create one. Ennect Survey explains how one company found that it could use a well-designed intranet to boost its production. Access the Intranet Usability Guideline that the Nielsen Norman Group website makes available and learn about the different forms a company intranet can take.

Employee communication strategies are far more sophisticated than they used to be. Whereas a company newsletter or a glossy brochure describing employee benefits was once thought to suffice, current thinking on business strategy has done a "180" in this area. Modern business experts no longer believe that such basic and impersonal forms of company communication are enough to create and maintain a vibrant--and profitable--enterprise.

Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all employee communications materials. Customization is in. For many companies, outsourcing business communications has become the order of the day. The following are some benefits your company will enjoy once you've developed and implemented the right employee communication strategy:

1. Greater employee engagement and "ownership" of company objectives

2. Increased loyalty to the company

3. Higher productivity levels

4. Easier transition during periods of change

5. More profitable bottom line

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Understand what a good employee communications program can do for your company

Before you can implement an effective employee communications program, you must know exactly what such a program involves and how it can benefit your company's bottom line. Information on business communication material types and employee communication methods is widely available online.

I recommend: Employee Benefit News helps you measure the ROI (return on investment) you'll gain through your employee communication program.

Find companies that specialize in creating employee communications materials

Many companies offer tools and services to aid you in communicating with employees more effectively.

I recommend: Direct Data Communication and Cammack LaRhette Consulting offer a number of services which can help you develop the employee communication documents your business needs. HR Communications provides personalized content delivery, as well as DIY (do-it-yourself) employee communications materials for HR (Human Resources).

Get your employee communication material as part of a package of other business services

Outsourcing business communication functions can bring added benefits to your business. Many companies provide full-service employee communication solutions, complete with all necessary materials.

I recommend: Cassady Neeser & Brasseur offer employee benefits consulting and brokerage services, which include a number of custom communications options. HumaNext also offers a variety of employee communications services, materials and programs to keep your employees in the loop. Benefit Design Consultants helps you design and manage your entire employee benefits plan, providing all the forms and templates you need.

Use a consultant to help you customize your employee communication materials and program

Employee communications consultants have the skills to personalize your program, helping you create the business communication materials that are right for your company and your employees.

I recommend: Eloquor Consulting offers a number of different employee communication strategies. Emerge Communications also offers employee communications services, along with employee surveys and other employee communication materials to help facilitate understanding and feedback.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When engaging a company to create customized business communication materials, or when outsourcing your workplace communication functions, be sure the company you choose shares--or at least understands--your personal philosophy and can transfer that philosophy into the employee communications it creates for your business. If you aren't sure about this, ask for a sample communication. At the very least, be certain that you'll be directly involved in the development of your company's employee communications materials.