Valentina Drofa, Co-Founder and CEO at the PR firm for eminent finance and fintech brands Drofa Comms.
Nowadays, we increasingly hear talk of how transparent communication is a crucial aspect of workplace interactions, both with clients and among fellow employees. Studies indicate that organizational transparency is fundamental in influencing the satisfaction and stress levels of workers. In the U.S., over 80% of surveyed employees are interested in growing closer to their colleagues and being better informed about the decision-making processes in their companies.
Many companies these days publish information in the media about their corporate culture and how it is built on the principles of transparent communication. However, there still remains the question of whether these practices actually hold true or are simply stated as a tribute to the latest social trends.
But setting that aside, let us actually discuss why open and honest communication is important and how it can affect your employees.
Founders must be the driving force behind companywide transparency.
Each and every business has its own culture with unique and differing elements. What works for one company may not necessarily work for another. As such, I do not intend to proclaim that there is any singularly correct way to go about building your corporate communication. In this article, I simply wish to share some of my own thoughts and insights into this matter that are derived from personal experience.
And the very first of these insights is that the initiative for transparent communication must come from the company leadership and its founders. They are ultimately responsible for the course of their business and for ensuring that everyone is working in the same direction.
In any company, there are employees who operate on different levels: executive management, senior staff members, associate workers, etc. And all of them have their own tasks on which they spend most of their working hours. However, just because the scope of their work is different doesn’t change the fact that all of them are part of the same company. The way I see it, it is important to maintain that sense of unity and give everyone a clear understanding of where your company is going.
Make your employees feel heard.
I believe it is important to have a shared space where all company members can freely communicate to ensure everyone is on the same page. Workers at all levels have questions, concerns and things they want to share from time to time.
In my company, for example, we tend to address issues of such nature by conducting cross-department briefings and 1-on-1 meetings with founders. The first helps with giving our employees a broader picture of what different parts of the company are working on and how their own efforts fit in with everyone else. This tends to bolster motivation and productivity as workers get to see directly how their work impacts other team members.
Individual meetings with founders, on the other hand, are meant to give people a way to speak openly and get to know their leadership on a more personal level. It can also serve as a venue to address any worries or frustrations the worker might have. Having a way to bring such matters to company leaders directly goes a long way in helping people feel valued and heard in their workplace.
Make sure new hires understand what they’re signing up for.
Every company periodically finds itself hiring new personnel. This is a natural part of any highly functioning business. However, in an effort to appear more attractive, companies can at times give information that later gets disproven by reality. From career growth opportunities to free lunches, such companies strive to make a strong impression on potential hires by emphasizing employee benefits that might not even be there. But this is not a very viable plan in the long run. In fact, there are plenty of cases where doing so has caused workers to quit because their expectations did not match what they actually got.
This is why it is my opinion that HR managers should always clearly define expectations, responsibilities and work conditions when reaching out to potential new hires. Better yet, the founder can attend the interviews and talk to candidates directly. This way, both parties get a clearer idea of whether they would fit together.
Never promise something your business does not have and that you have no intention of implementing. If there are no signs of such promises becoming real at some point in the future, your hires will likely grow disillusioned and wonder what else about your company might not be “as advertised.”
Build internal communications based on your company’s culture.
To sum it up, transparent communication helps build trust and promotes a healthier work culture, as workers feel included and informed about important matters that affect their work and the overall direction of the company. It encourages commitment, as they feel more involved in the company’s success.
I have grown convinced that transparent communication with employees is one of the main driving forces behind the success of my business. And I believe that my company’s example of building a corporate culture on this premise can be a source of motivation for other business leaders to also implement transparency into their practices if it suits their goals.
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
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