SAMPLE Metropolitan Subway Company Subway Corp Internal Communications
SAMPLE Metropolitan Subway Company (Subway. Corp) Internal Communications Strategy © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc.
Objectives Corporate Become an employer of choice to attract and retain the best talent. Internal Communications The following objectives are intended to guide internal communications at Subway. Corp for the next fiscal year: Strengthen the Subway. Corp team by fostering communication, connection and collaboration across the organization. Provide employees with the information and knowledge they require to fulfill their role to their full potential. Foster authentic, meaningful two‐way communication and cross‐functional collaboration. © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 2
Challenges Based on the research and the findings of the consultative process, the following emerge as core themes of challenges regarding internal communications: Change: Subway. Corp has undergone significant changes over the past three years. It has struggled with change fatigue and low staff engagement as a result of rapid CEO turnover, significant labour strife, and persistent challenges related to harassment and discrimination complaints. Morale: Employee surveys illustrate worrisome levels of staff morale. 87% of employees have reported “low” or “very low” morale in the most recent survey. In addition, 62% of operations staff and 74% of management employees indicate that they are actively looking for employment elsewhere. Executive interviews with the senior leadership team and Board of Directors uniformly highlight a high degree of concern about these factors in terms of business continuity and maintenance of service level standards. Internal Communications Infrastructure: The organizational changes and market expectations have far outpaced Subway. Corp’s internal communications infrastructure. There is a significant and noticeable gap in terms of a clear centre of leadership/accountability for employee communication, which has consistently been relegated to a lower level of priority relative to externally‐focused requirements. The internal communications channels such as the Intranet, newsletter and shared drive don’t meet the needs of the users, and appear in contrast to the culture of performance that Subway. Corp espouses. In addition, there is a chronic challenge in effectively communicating to operations staff who tend to be harder to reach given the challenge of shift work and a highly mobile workforce. © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 3
Challenges (cont’d) Internal Systems/Processes: Subway. Corp’s internal systems and processes for sharing information and collaborating among employees are generally weak. While some processes have been developed (e. g. project management protocols), they have not been adequately institutionalized into the organization through communications or training. This leads to frustration, duplication of effort and gaps in efficiency felt by employees at an individual and a functional level. Similar issues exist with respect to the establishment and communication of HR policies. Information Sharing: There is a pervasive sense among many employees that they are not empowered to contribute to their full potential because of the operational culture of the organization. Some staff members feel demoralized, under‐utilized and under‐valued because the conditions in which they operate do not enable them to work to the full scope of their competency or functional role. Specifically, several employees feel that their performance is significantly limited by a lack of access to the information they need to do their jobs which many interpret as a paternalistic approach to internal communications. Many observe a culture in which information is power, leading to concerns about “information hoarding” or being “blindsided” by issues or requirements. © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 4
Opportunities Against the backdrop of challenges in internal communications, the following represent key avenues of opportunity for Subway. Corp’s employee communications and engagement: ü Subway. Corp has a dedicated team of highly professional employees with a high level of commitment to their roles. Effective employee communication and engagement is likely the single most significant lever to maximizing the value of that talent to drive strong corporate performance and first‐rate customer service. ü Subway. Corp’s current focus on securing federal infrastructure funding holds promise as a rallying point for employees to collaborate toward a common objective. There is a strong level of engagement and enthusiasm for the initiative, which is seen as a potential watershed moment in the history of Subway. Corp. ü There is significant potential to build on existing success in employee communication and information sharing. Specifically, the newly‐established Project Management Office has already made significant strides in building internal discipline related to communication and information sharing. In addition, many functional groups currently have standing meetings that have proven to be very effective. These existing approaches hold promise as foundational elements of an expanded employee communication and engagement program. ü The Manager community has been very effective at fostering cross‐functional communication and collaboration. This group represents a significant opportunity for leveraging formal and informal mechanisms for sharing information and building a more corporate approach to staff communication. © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 5
Strategic Directions Leverage the campaign for federal infrastructure funding as a catalyst for employee communication and engagement Improve and standardize internal communications processes/tools Increase internal resources and capacity in communication and employee engagement Focus on the manager community in the design of communications programs and messages Integrate mobile forms of communication to reach the key audience of operational staff, and help solidify engagement © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 6
Key Audiences Primary • Administrative employees • Operations employees • Manager community Secondary • Board of Directors © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 7
Message Architecture Employee Value Proposition Subway. Corp is committed to fostering a collaborative and creative environment that promotes teamwork while recognizing the important contribution of individuals. We’re committed to providing an environment that stimulates innovation, encourages excellence and supports professional development and growth at all levels in the organization. Administrative Staff Operations Staff At the heart of Subway. Corp is our team. We are committed to being an employer of choice, offering our employees a dynamic working environment with opportunities to learn and to contribute to a world‐class leader in transit service. Our operations team keeps Subway. Corp moving for our customers every day. We are launching a communications campaign with new ways for your voices to be heard, and for you to be kept informed of up‐to‐the‐minute developments at Subway. Corp while you’re on the move. © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 8
Tactics The following tactics are recommended for Subway. Corp’s internal communications: • • • Intranet Newsletter Weekly email bulletin CEO blog CEO round tables with staff Manager Forum Staff events Employee recognition ceremonies Pilot program ‐ mobile devices for operations staff © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 9
Work Plan – Q 1 January to March January February March Intranet updates Newsletter Weekly email bulletin Manager Forum Employee Recognition Event © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 10
Work Plan – Q 2 April to June April May June Intranet updates Newsletter Weekly email bulletin Manager Forum CEO Round Table © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 11
Work Plan – Q 3 July to September July August September Intranet updates Newsletter Weekly email bulletin Manager Forum CEO Round Table CEO Blog Launch Employee Picnic Pilot launch – mobile campaign for Operations Staff © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 12
Work Plan – Q 4 October to December October November December Intranet updates Newsletter Weekly email bulletin Manager Forum CEO Round Table CEO Blog Launch Employee Christmas Event © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 13
Budget Financial Resources: Total budget (current fiscal year): $50, 000 Leveraged support from Communications Division (value of in‐house printing and distribution services): $20, 000 Human Resources: Staff: Internal Communications Officer ‐ 1 FTE Communications Manager ‐. 25 FTE © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 14
Evaluation Framework The following indicators and associated measurement tools are recommended: Performance Indicators Process Activity Relationship • Adherence to budget • Intranet hits • Adherence to production schedule • Click‐through rate from email bulletin • Blog traffic and comments • Participation rate in events • Level of engagement in Manager Forum • Level of engagement in CEO Round Tables Result • Staff morale • Retention • Level of engagement in staff events • Feedback from staff and managers Measurement Tools • • Project management analysis Content analysis Intranet analytics Event surveys • • Employee survey Mobile pilot project analysis Manager/Director/CEO Survey Exit Interviews © 2012 Ingenium Communications Inc. 15
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