The Shift | March 30th

Hello and welcome to this edition of The Shift — Blink’s fortnightly newsletter for frontline leaders. Q1 2023 is ending for most businesses this week, so what goals will you be setting for Q2? Let’s get some inspiration…

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Connection, truth, and transparency in internal communications

It’s been said that organizations are networks of conversation , and People leaders will know how important authenticity is for workplace communication.

It's also true that not all internal comms are made equal.

Some messages will be about critical need-to-knows: health and safety reminders, cybersecurity protocols, and operational updates. Others are more inspiring by default: celebrating landmark achievements or updates to employee benefits, for example. And yet, every internal message needs to be received — and to resonate.

That's why we couldn't agree more with the internal communications tips shared in this article .

• Remember the why. Why should staff care about your update? What does it mean for them? How will it impact their working day? Cut to the chase as quickly as you can to win their engagement
• Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. The idea that humans need to see the same message seven times before taking it in has become a bit cliche, but the core ethos still rings true. Make use of your various internal communications chats or feeds , as well as face-to-face interactions, to share your message
• One source of truth. While you may broadcast broadly, you also need a single source of truth where documents are stored. The more complex you make it for workers to complete the action, the less likely their behavior will change
• Don’t forget to listen. Internal comms is not a one-way dialogue. Can you bring top-down comms into the same platform as bottom-up comms and employee feedback?
• Be as transparent as possible. Silence can be unnerving for employees. Fight the urge to say nothing until you've got a neat response prepared and try saying ‘We’re working on it’ instead. This kind of candor will make employees feel included and psychologically safe

Psychological safety for frontline teams

New research from MIT Sloan Management Review has found that psychological safety can be boosted 12% by simply acknowledging that individual employees have individual needs.

Psychological safety has been known to improve team performance and financial results (by as much as 35% in some cases). It’s also necessary for a supportive and authentic workplace culture.

So how can we unlock that 12% increase?

First-line managers need to take the time to meet with team members and get to know who they really are. Personal development plans should be top of the agenda, and manager-employee relationships should be invested in. These aren't novel concepts in desk-based teams of course, but some frontline employees have been overlooked either as they're out in the field or harder to stay in touch with.

The research also found that there’s more to be gained in organizations where psychological safety is currently lacking. So if you’re feeling deflated because of where you are today, don't.

Engagement as a value driver — or a value drag

If you’re reading this, then you’re already an ally in building the business case for employee experience. Still, it never hurts to see new research that backs up our shared beliefs.

WTW took commercial performance data for 355 global organizations and layered it with employee feedback from 4 million staff members across the businesses. The results showed a quadrant of “distinct business states”, and the significant impact that employee engagement can have on business value and financial results.

• Value drive organizations have fully-connected employees creating "outsized value" for the business
• Value risk organizations are failing to capitalize on employee engagement — their staff are connected, but open to new opportunities, and will take their expertise with them if they churn
• Value potential organizations have teams that are less engaged but likely to stay with the business, representing unrealized potential
• Value drag organizations are under threat from both employee disengagement and the drag it's causing on company performance

Read the full report for a breakdown of each quadrant and to see the clear pattern that emerges in terms of predicted business value for organizations within them.

How well has your organization performed in Q1? Is there anything you can do to improve the employee experience in Q2 to achieve better results???

Swapping the boardroom for the coffee bar?

If you’re reading this, then you’re already an ally in building the business case for employee experience. Still, it never hurts to see new research that backs up our shared beliefs.

?? Q2 goal idea: How can you spend more time with your frontline?

In-app surveys the frontline will love

Blink Surveys launched on March 29! Frontline leaders can now use Blink’s in-app Pulse or Multi-question surveys to gain quick, actionable feedback from across the organization — and increase response rates by 300%.

Find out more about Blink Surveys here .

?? Q2 goal idea: Could you increase response rates to your employee surveys?

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