Sometimes managing change in a younger workforce comes down to the corporate communication tools you have in place.
According to the Pew Research Center, “About a third of workers (35%) say they do not currently have the education and training they need to get ahead. Yet many are trying to do something about it: 45% of employed adults report they have pursued extra training to maintain or improve their job skills in the past year.” When the workforce is constantly changing and new policies or corporate communication tools are put into place, workers may have a difficult time keeping up. Whether it’s a change in management, clients, current employees or workplace rules, these are some alterations that may put your employees in a stressful situation. Millennials are one of those generations that are more accustomed to change and accept it for what it is because it is all we know. We are used to things evolving in an instantaneous way. Therefore, changes within the corporate culture are the norm. Just because we are adapted to this, however, it does not mean it is, by any means, easy. So how can higher-ups and internal communications professionals manage change and shift corporate communication tools in the workplace with their millennial employees in mind? Simply by listening to the following tips:
Keep Us in The Loop
Millennials like to always be in the know. If there are changes in the workplace we want to know about it with transparency and honesty. Invite all your employees to a meeting where you can inform them of the changes and hear their feedback and questions. When you can discuss these things with everyone in your office, it allows open communication and might alleviate the stress of changes coming. Explain the main points of who, what, where, why and how. This is a great way to answer all the questions employees may have. There are many ways to accomplish this with the right corporate communication tools. You can use mass email communication, for example, to spread the news. In the Flimp 2017 Communications Report, there is a 76% engagement average rate for digital postcard views and 139% average video view.
Offer Training Needed to Implement This Change
Is your company rolling out a new service or idea that may require your employees to learn new skills? Offer the proper training that explains everything in-depth. This not only will help your business in the long run, but your employees will see that you value personal growth. Allow your workers to collaborate to help each other learn and build stronger relationships. Millennials love collaboration, so when we get the opportunity, we will band together to conquer those given tasks. Training in how to use new corporate communication tools will help. With this training, offer flexible times and all-access so employees can complete these tasks on their own time if necessary. When we aren’t rushed and able to take our time to understand the content, it gives us peace of mind.
Give Reviews and Feedback
Nothing says change management like new hires, retirements, resignations and layoffs! These are some of the scariest and sometimes the most exciting times in the workplace. Millennials like to know how they are performing according to management especially when they know there are big changes happening. Make sure you are always doing quarterly and yearly reviews as well as recognition for those who having been working hard. This is so important not only for the employees but for the company as a whole. This allows change to be put into place. In conclusion, every office experiences change but it doesn’t have to be an obstacle. It is up to management to develop a plan, sometimes with new corporate communication tools, that makes these instances easier. If your company is downsizing, prepare all employees for this event by training the remaining individuals to take over certain tasks that a previous employee used to work on. Hiring new employees or developing an entirely new department? Specify their tasks and what they will be focusing on and work alongside current employees to make sure everything works in harmony. The younger generations are used to constant change so if they are aware, educated and evaluated, they will have no issue with any company adjustments. We must work together to overcome challenges and embrace positive change!
