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An Rx for Successful Employee Communications
By Wendy Marx

 

Some organizations “talk the talk” when it comes to effective employee communications. Others “walk the walk.” Then there are those that do both. Take the case of Griffin Hospital, Derby, Conn., a 160-bed facility with 1,200 employees and a national reputation for “putting the patient first.” How does Griffin do it? Employee communication is the key, according to Bill Powanda, Griffin VP. 

How many organizational heads would risk jail time to uphold their commitment to keeping employees informed? You could probably count the number on a pinhead. That is exactly the situation Griffin CEO Patrick Charmel faced four years ago when a 94-year-old woman entered the hospital and was diagnosed with deadly inhalation anthrax. 

BILL POWANDA

Once the diagnosis was confirmed, the FBI quickly took charge declaring the facility a crime scene. Despite warnings by the FBI to remain mum, Charmel felt compelled to tell his employees of the situation.

“Charmel went into the employee meeting not knowing if he would be arrested,” recalls Powanda. “We knew we were walking a tightrope but we feared losing the credibility and trust we had built up over the years with both our employees and our community. The news would have dribbled out and the information might have been inaccurate potentially causing unnecessary fear and anxiety.”

For Griffin, it came down to being true to its core value of “honest and open communications.” 

Powanda says Griffin maintained credibility, gained the appreciation of its employees and avoided a community panic by immediately advising employees and the community that the disease was not communicable. Griffin also fiercely protected the privacy and confidentiality of the patient. Charmel and Griffin went on to receive accolades for their stance.

“We believe communication starts internally and spreads externally,” says Powanda. “As the community’s largest employer, our employees are our ambassadors and ombudsmen. If Griffin is to be portrayed accurately in the community, our employees must have accurate, up-to-date information as well as a clear understanding of our strategic direction.”

For Griffin, communication is a way of life. Here are some tactics it employs: 

  • Maintains 14 bulletin boards outside the employee dining room that communicates everything from recognizing employees to patient letters and information on new physicians.

  • Issues a daily electronic newsletter.

  • Produces a monthly Web-based newsletter to the community and employees.

  • Conducts monthly management meetings where talking points are provided to department heads for use with their employees.

  • Holds an annual or biannual state–of–the–hospital meeting for employees.

  • Sends letters to employees’ homes alerting them of new programs, events and other company matters; many of its employees are part-timers and might miss the other communications vehicles.

The proof of Griffin’s approach is in the outcome. For seven years in a row, Griffin has been designated one of the 100 best companies to work for by Fortune magazine and was ranked Number 4 in 2006. Griffin has been the smallest company on the list in terms of revenue, and ranked #1 among small companies this year.

* Recipient of Best Acute Care Hospitals Award” in 2005 from Total Benchmark Solution LLC (TBS), a leading provider of benchmarking, decision support, and consulting services for healthcare organizations throughout North America. 

 

Wendy Marx is president of Marx Communications, a public relations and marketing communications firm that helps companies and individuals build their brands. For more information, wendy@marxcommunications.com or (203) 445-2850.

 

 

Five Tips For Employers
By Martin Arnold


Employees are your ambassadors to your customers and the wider community. That’s why keeping employees informed is a Number One priority. Here are five tips to help you do just that:

  1. Know your legal responsibilities. Certain information must be posted in the workplace regarding wages, employment eligibility, benefits and other matters. Make sure you are in compliance by checking with HR, labor attorney or state employment department.

  2. Communications pays dividends. A Watson/Wyatt Study of US firms found that those with the most effective communication programs provided a 26% return to owners compared to an average of 15%. Turnover was lower by one-third.

  3. Communication happens even if you do nothing. Recognize that you have an employee communication program in place whether you know it or not! It is called the “grapevine” and it exists in every business. In some cases unions are directly communicating with your employees. You need to become more credible than either the “grapevine” or bargaining representatives. 

  4. Learn to listen to employees. You can pick up critical cues to how employees are treating customers by how they are treating one another. Don’t be afraid to use an occasional questionnaire so employees can feedback anonymously what is on their mind. You can also bring in an outside facilitator to hold focus group sessions.

  5. Make sure employees understand your business. They need to hear about how you want customers and suppliers to be treated and the importance of quality and safety and productivity on the job. If you are falling short in any of these areas it is probably because employees don’t understand their importance.

Look for five more helpful tips to more effective employee communication in the next issue of Marcom Minute.

 

Martin Arnold is principal of PR Services, a public relations and marketing communications firm located in Trumbull, Connecticut. For more information, mharnold@sbcglobal.net or (203) 452-7971.

 

 

Employee Exodus? Make them Stakeholders

By Melissa Wall

We are experiencing the first heated job market since the late 1990’s. Unemployment is low, more jobs are being created, and the risk of leaving a job is diminishing. For many employees, it’s time to shed that demanding boss, low pay and long hours for greener pastures. 

While no one knows how long this heated economy will continue, we should not forget that baby boomers turn 60 this year. Job market experts believe that this event alone will begin a 25–year talent shortage. While some jobs will be off–shored and technology will take up others, there is no question that many companies will struggle to find and retain people. 

What can employers do from a communications perspective to help retain key staff? 

  1. Research. Analyze the current and future demographics of your workforce and determine what is important to each group. Is it career growth? Flex time? More vacation days? 

  2. Reward. Make sure employees feel recognized, rewarded and challenged. Employees at all levels want information – real information – about how the company is doing. They want to know the goals, challenges, opportunities, and how they can contribute and be rewarded accordingly. Engaged employees don’t leave easily.

  3. Demonstrate Value. Communicate the value of everything the company offers from the discount theater tickets to the health insurance package. Put a dollar value on the tangibles so employees know what they would give up should they decide to leave.

Melissa Wall is a business consultant whose company focuses on B2B marketing strategy and executive search. For more information, melissa@distinctmarketing.com or (203) 888-9995.