Do we like going to work? Do we feel good at work? Are we well-informed, do we know where the company is heading, what its goals are, and how it intends to achieve them? Do our bosses listen to us? Does the work atmosphere foster the effective performance of duties, are we motivated to work and not complaining? When we do complain, is there someone to talk to about our problems? Does the employer listen to us carefully and not dismiss us?
The above questions are just some of the questions a boss might ask themselves regarding their employees, as well as questions that every employee might ask themselves. The answers to these and many other questions regarding our work, our duties, our company, and our commitment are crucial for defining the role of internal PR in a company.
Internal PR is primarily communication. A well-informed employee is an employee who is confident about the future, is not afraid, and is willing to cooperate and engage – sometimes even engaging beyond the scope of their duties. However, internal PR is not just communication itself – it is a kind of climate that an employer creates in the company using PR techniques and the ways in which they influence the employee.
“Internal public relations are actions taken by an enterprise towards its employees. They usually refer to currently employed persons, but it often happens that they also cover retired or potential employees (for example, students). Because internal public relations consists mainly of a properly conducted information policy, it is often also called internal communications, or human communications. Sometimes internal public relations is also referred to as human relations“.
Functions of internal PR
<\/strong>The most important functions of internal PR include:
-
managing internal communication,<\/div>
<\/li>shaping attitudes of loyalty and trust towards the company,<\/div>
<\/li>creating a favorable atmosphere in the company,<\/div>
<\/li>motivating employees and inspiring activity,<\/div>
<\/li>creating an external image,<\/div>
<\/li>strengthening the sense of unity among employee groups.<\/div>
<\/li>
<\/ul>The above functions are general and can be successfully broken down into subcategories.
Every employee should have clearly defined tasks that the company sets for them. However, the employee should also know what the company’s mission is, what values the entire organization, led by the management, follows, and where the enterprise is heading. These are very important functions that directly affect the quality of work performed.
An important approach in internal PR is the influence that the center of the organization has on the external image. This is particularly important in all service industries and customer contacts. An employee who is satisfied with their work, well-informed, and motivated is the company’s business card, which translates into customer satisfaction and, ultimately, the company’s reputation. This is a very important aspect of internal PR.Basic tools of internal communication
The report from the GFMP Management Consultants study on trends and challenges in the area of management, HR, and internal communication from October 2009 contains data regarding both the internal PR tools used and the scale of their use by enterprises.
According to the authors of the report, the most frequently used tools in internal communication include the Internet, events and integration parties, meetings and presentations by managers for teams, information boards, and internal publications. The report contains a whole range of tools that managers use in internal communication, but the above definitely dominate. The report studied two categories of enterprises: small and large. It is characteristic that in large organizations, the Internet is by far the most frequently used tool for communicating with employees.
It is interesting that, according to the data from the report, Polish enterprises most often focused on the following in communication with employees: communicating changes in the company; improving existing communication tools; communicating a specific project; communicating strategy / vision / mission; organizing company events and meetings; and improving top-down communication. Unfortunately, the report shows that an element such as improving bottom-up communication is ranked significantly lower than the mentioned aspects. This shows that this area is still underestimated in Polish enterprises.The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 5/2010.