MODULE 5--The Communication Process (Steps 5-6) Flashcards
(26 cards)
What are the three broad-Based Categories for Communication Channel
Prior to making any decisions on how to deliver the communication, it is important to understand the different types of communication channels available. For purposes of this course, the three broadbased categories that will be discussed include:
■ Face-to-face — Provides a person-to-person verbal connection and often allows for
instant feedback
■ Document-based — Provides a document to be delivered in electronic or physical form for
audiences to read and review
■ Technology-based — Utilizes some form of technology to deliver the message
What are some example of the Face-to-Face Communication Channel
Face-to-Face Communication Channel
■ Meetings
* Large group — such as all-employee meetings
* Small group — such as staff meetings
* One-on-one — such as performance reviews
■ Presentations — such as benefits presentations
■ Social gatherings — such as company outings, water cooler talk and lunch talk
■ Workshops — such as educational brown-bag lunches
Why use the Face-to Face Communication Channel
Face-to-face communication has several characteristics, which make it a preferred method of communication by many employees. It allows for:
■ Real-time interaction and feedback — This type of interaction and instant feedback may not be available through other channels. Employees like to have their questions answered and their complaints heard.
■ Verbal and nonverbal information — Both verbal and nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions, body movement and vocal qualities, can be observed.
■ Delivery of information from a trusted source — Employees are most likely to change their behavior when someone they know and trust encourages them to do so or shows them by example.
■ Empathy — is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Effective communication can create a “we’re all in this together” attitude in the listeners.
■ Conversation and dialogue vs. information sharing
What are some things you should consider?
■ Speaker trust — The more trusted your source, the more likely employees will listen to the information, understand what is being asked of them, and be open to supporting change.
■ Speaker presentation skills — The speaker should be a skilled presenter, particularly when presenting to a large audience. Facilitation skills are also important when guiding discussions about controversial messages or fielding questions from a difficult audience.
■ Multiple locations and/or audiences — Significant cost, time and travel hurdles may be present when a message must be delivered across locations, shifts, time zones, various languages or multiple employee groups.
■ Cultural diversity and other forms of diversity — The speaker must adjust the communication for the audience, being sensitive to cultural and other forms of diversity.
■ Consistency of information — If multiple presenters or multiple meetings are required, the message will most likely vary from presenter to presenter and meeting to meeting. While a scripted presentation helps keep messages consistent, questions and answers, as well as ad-libs from presenters, will inevitably cause variance.
■ Documentation — How do people unable to attend the session get the information? Is the session recorded for review later?
■ Travel expenses
What are some Document Based Communication Channels?
Document-based communication may be delivered using the following:
■ Brochures/booklets
■ Newsletters
■ Letters and memos
■ Payroll inserts/notifications
■ Posters
■ Postcards
■ Table tents
■ Infographics
■ Wallet cards
■ Calendars
What are some benefits of the Document Based Communication Channel?
Document-based communication allows for:
■ Reading at one’s own pace — An advantage of paper-based communication is that the audience can read at their own pace.
■ Sharing large amounts of information
■ Personalized and targeted
■ Push vs. pull communication
■ Later reference — The employee can review a piece initially and refer back to it at a later date. In addition, paper works well for pieces with a shelf life which you want employees to hold on to for
later reference.
■ Sharing with others — Paper-based communication can be shared with others, such as a spouse, domestic partner, dependents or other decision maker(s).
■ Consistency — In printed form, the message is consistent across your employee groups. This medium requires a skilled writer to convey the message which may later be used as the basis for
face-to-face or technology-based communications.
■ Visually appealing format
■ Satisfying legal requirements
What are some Considerations for Document-Based Communication?
■ Lack of interaction and feedback — Unlike face-to-face communication, you have no immediate verbal and nonverbal cues to see whether your audience understands the information or has a strong reaction to it.
■ Information may be misinterpreted — Information may be misinterpreted, and because paperbased communication does not allow for immediate feedback, misunderstandings and/or bad feelings may fester among employees.
■ Reading and language barriers — Paper may be an ineffective choice if your audience has poor reading skills or difficulty understanding the language in which the pieces are written.
■ Can be impersonal — While face-to-face can bring a personal touch to your communication, written text can be perceived as cold and impersonal. As such, it is not recommended for use of an initial announcement of negative or controversial information.
■ Version tracking — To ensure that accurate and timely information is distributed, paper documents require version tracking.
■ Cost — The cost can vary substantially depending on options such as quality of paper, size and form of communication, and print color. Distribution costs should might include the cost of postage.
■ Environmental concerns — Many companies are “going green” to leave a smaller footprint on the environment.
What are some Technology-Based Communication Channels
Technology-based tools include:
■ Online media — Podcasts, webcasts, prerecorded video and other electronic files can be viewed and/or downloaded for employees to listen or view at their convenience.
■ Mobile devices/apps — Smartphones and tablets enable the use of applications.
* Learning apps — can provide career development, training opportunities and information about how to use employee benefits
* Wellness apps — help employees track weight, exercise, nutrition and test results
* Gamification — refers to the use of game-like features in nongame situations to motivate a change in behavior
* Text messaging
* Web-based content — can provide access to information from desktop or mobile devices
■ Email — Used for notification of events, surveys and to relay other information to any size group
■ Kiosks — Available in a common location for all employees to access. They are still being used in some organizations, but not as commonly as in the past.
■ Video conferencing/web conferencing
■ Websites — Websites may be viewed either on the internet and/
or intranet depending on accessibility.
* The internet is generally accessible to the public. Human
resources may place limited compensation, benefits and
work experience information on the organization’s website
for job applicants and the general public.
* An intranet is a private computer network. Intranets utilize
security measures to prevent unauthorized access while
still allowing global access by authorized personnel.
■ Portals — Websites considered as entry points to other
websites, often by providing access to a search engine. Some
companies use the term to describe their intranet site that
brings information together from diverse sources and makes it
easily accessible.
■ Virtual environments — These sites take users to simulated,
interactive locations from which they can access HR
communications, virtual learning and social networking.
■ Social media — Social networking or social media refers
to a variety of technologies that support and/or mediate
communication among organizations, communities and
individuals.
* Social networking platforms, both external (e.g.,
Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter) and internal
(e.g., Yammer)
* Collaborative content management (e.g., enterprise wiki,
and intranet knowledge base)
* Blogs, podcasts, text messaging and RSS feeds (e.g.,
syndicated content, web feeds or channels)
Why Use Technology Based
Technology continues to provide ever-expanding ways of reaching employees. When used properly, it
can round out a communication strategy. Technology-based communication allows for:
■ Delivering messages quickly, conveniently and cost-effectively — Provides for a means of
quickly, conveniently and cost-effectively delivering messages and enabling employees to
take action
■ Communicating short, time-sensitive messages — Ideal for short, time-sensitive messages
which can be received and viewed by employees across sites, geographies and time zones. For
example, use email as a reminder about open enrollment. The expanding use of email through
home computers and portable devices makes this an effective channel for reaching employees,
even when they are away from the home office.
■ Employees to search and access information as needed — Use electronic communication for
reference information which employees can search and access as needed. For example, provide
an online list of eligible health care flexible spending account (FSA) expenses to allow employees
to reference it as needed throughout the year.
■ Use of verbal and/or video messages — Some electronic communication allows for verbal and/
or video messages. This can be effective for delivering a motivational message across many
audiences, consistently and simultaneously. The potential use of verbal and nonverbal elements
distinguish this medium from written communication.
■ Instant input and feedback — Websites bring an additional dimension
■ Meeting employees where they already are 24/7 — Online, on social media, on their smartphones
■ Explaining difficult concepts — Through the use of illustration, animation, and narration
■ Overcoming literacy challenges — Watching a video with graphics, animation and audio may
reach employees who have trouble with language or reading.
■ Measuring usage — Detailed analytics are possible with electronic communication.
What are some Technology-Based Consideration?
■ Organizational fit — Consider what is appropriate for your organization. Choose technology
based on your organization’s and employees’ needs, not based on the latest trends.
■ Access — Clearly, your audience must have access to and a comfort level with technology for this
means to be effective. Consider an alternative method of communication if you have employees,
or other audience segments, who do not have access to computers or other technology necessary
to view the information.
■ Training — Initial and ongoing training will be necessary with new technology, especially for selfservice
environments.
■ Information overload — With the abundance of email and websites, employees may suffer from
information overload. They may appreciate face-to-face or written communication even more
these days when so much information has been converted to online.
■ Security — There is a risk whenever a company intranet is accessed from an unsecure computer
or when employees visit sites that contain malware or viruses.
■ Privacy and confidentiality — It is especially important to maintain employees’ private and
confidential information since technology enables unlimited sharing of information.
■ Transparency — Management must decide upon the degree of openness used in employee
communications.
■ Public criticism — Making company communication available through technology may bring
criticism from those who disagree with the messages.
Whare are Multiple Modes of Communication?
The three broad-based communication channels and their tools have all been discussed individually.
However, in order to achieve the communication goals, a mix of channels and tools may be necessary.
■ A single communication most likely will not achieve results — Employees are dealing with an
enormous amount of information being sent to them on a daily basis. With the amount of email
that one receives every day, coupled with all other forms of communication, it is a mistake to
assume that a one-shot communication will reach everyone in the target audience. Removing
redundancy in communication ensures the main message is received and reinforced.
■ Organizations must rely on multiple sources to get the message across — Not only does the
message need to be repeated, but the types of channels and tools used to repeat the message
may need to be different. It is important, however, that the channels and tools selected be
deemed as credible by the audience.
What are some Selection Considerations?
Once the communication channel options are understood, it is necessary to think through several
considerations prior to selecting the channel(s). In addition to considering the advantages,
disadvantages and relevancy issues, items such as those listed below should also be reviewed.
Remember, the goal is to select the most appropriate communication channel based on how well it
will help achieve the communication objectives and best serve the organization’s needs.
■ Audience
* Culture
* Language
* Location
* Education level
* Preferences — how the audience
prefers to receive messages
* Expectations — past practice and expectations of employees regarding source and style of
communication
* Accommodations — Disability regulations may require information to be available in both
written and verbal format for the visually or hearing impaired
* Size
■ Resources
* Costs/budget availability
* Amount of time and staff available for preparation and delivery
■ Message
* Urgency
* Privacy
* Sensitivity
* Simplicity/complexity
Developing the Communication Plan
If not done already, it is time to document all the data collected and decisions made up to this point in a project plan. The project plan is an important tool for effectively managing the communication plan.
■ Create a project plan
* Summarize/document findings up to this point — Document the situation analysis,
communication objectives, target audience, key messages, and communication channels
that will be used.
* Detail action times — Identify tasks/action items including who is responsible for these
items and time frames for completing them.
* Detail cost estimates — Estimate costs for creating and implementing the plan, detail
the budget and outline the approach to be used if outsourcing, including details for
accepting bids.
* Detail evaluation plan — The evaluation plan should include the steps to take to measure
whether the program has met its goals and objectives. (More details are provided in
Module 6.)
After the Project Plan is developed
Once the project plan is developed, additional items to think
through when developing the communication include:
■ Pre-introduction — Determine how to build interest and
gain support for the plan. Things to think about for the
pre-introduction include:
* Creating a teaser — part of the plan that builds excitement
and makes the audience want to learn more. The teaser
should align with any themes that may have been chosen.
– Place the teaser in the newsletter, memos, via
email, etc.
– Mail postcard teasers.
– Display posters.
* Determining who needs to know about the details of the
communication in advance
– Obtain senior management approval.
– Conduct executive briefings and obtain buy-in.
– Prepare Q&A for supervisors.
– Conduct train-the-trainer sessions — Train HR and line
management to be able to answer employee questions.
* Deciding how to obtain feedback from employees on
pre-introduction
■ Release — Decide specifically how the message will be
communicated and the objectives achieved. Think about the
following issues:
* The types of communication materials and the
communication channels that will be used (essentially, the
decisions made in Step 5.) Consider not only what but also
who will be developing these communication items.
* Key communicators who will help with the rollout
* Distribution
* Timelines/dates
* Quality control
* Obtaining feedback on initial reaction of employees
■ Reinforcement — Determine how the message will be clarified
and/or reinforced to the audience.
* Think about how to obtain feedback from employees.
What are some Key Considerations in the Development of the Communication Plan
Key Consideration
■ It is essential to brand the plan.
As one develops the communication plan, it is essential to brand the plan so that a brand image is created through the communications and you can elicit an action from a targeted audience.
Your communication plan should be designed to tell the story in ways that are unique, impactful and aligned. Use the theme and key messages developed in Module 4 to help with the branding of the plan.
■ It is essential to understand and take into account the organization’s corporate brand and HR brand.
You may choose to use your organization’s corporate brand or HR brand for your communication plan.
- What is one reason for using face-to-face communication?
A. Allows employees to access information when they need it
B. Allows the target audience to go at their own pace
C. Provides real-time interaction and feedback
D. Provides consistency
C. Provides real-time interaction and feedback
- Which of the following would be most effective for communicating a complicated new retirement plan design?
A. Group meeting
B. Plan document
C. Webcast
D. Email
B. Plan document
- What is a consideration when using more than one presenter to communicate a message in a face-to-face channel?
A. Messages are best communicated by a single presenter.
B. The last people to receive the message will get a shorter, less-detailed message.
C. Audiences will react more favorably to presenters with louder voices.
D. The message communicated is likely to vary, even if scripted.
D. The message communicated is likely to vary, even if scripted.
- If you need to convey negative or controversial information, which channel should you consider first?
A. Face-to-face
B. Paper-based
C. Technology-based
A. Face-to-face
- Which of the following should be focused on during Step 6, develop the communication plan?
A. Detailing the Total Rewards philosophy and strategy
B. Conducting audience research
C. Analyzing the target audience for the communication
D. Documenting a project plan
D. Documenting a project plan
What is Branding?
Branding is the proprietary visual, emotional, rational and cultural image that one associates with
a company or a product. It is how individuals feel about the company or product. While most people
are familiar with external branding from advertising plans such as Nike’s “Just do it,” the successful
communication of Total Rewards requires an equally provocative brand.
What is Organization/External Branding?
— How customers see the company; what makes the
organization recognizable around the world
* Examples: McDonald’s golden arches, Nike’s “swoosh”
What is Employer Branding
How the employer wants its employees and potential employees to see
them. What makes the company recognizable as an employer? What is the “attraction” to an organization? It is important to understand the overall company brand and philosophy so that you can establish or support an appropriate human resources brand within your organization.
* Employer of choice
– Cares about employees – Benefits
– Innovative workplace – Career opportunities
What is Human Resource Branding?
Packaging of all human resources programs and initiatives under a
specific, integrated set of symbols and key messages to communicate. What “retains” employees
in the organization? HR branding should:
* Link to business objectives
* Support organizational values and culture
* Align with organization’s Total Rewards philosophy
