The primary purpose of public relations is to build the image of the company. Often, this function overshadows the need for internal public relations. Sometimes, it is appropriated by the human resources department.
But no one should ever underestimate the importance of internal public relations. A company’s health and image is dependent upon the involvement and happiness of its employees. They must feel that they are part of the company. This can only happen if the top management builds strong communication lines with the employees, and this is where internal public relations kicks in.
The internal public relations involves:
1. Listening to what your co-workers say: It is like having your ear to the ground. You know what the company employees are talking about. You tune in to their frustrations, their fears, their hopes, and win their trust. You will pick up valuable tips that you can share with the top management. In the process, you will remove misgivings, and make the company a happier place.
2. Sharing company information: No company can function in a black hole. It is essential to share the company’s achievements, policies, plans, etc with the employees. They are equal stakeholders in the progress of the company. They will feel happy if they know what is happening within the organisation than learn about it from a third person.
The question is how do you achieve these goals. Practitioners of Internal public relations have over the years developed four important methods. These are:
1. Face to face: This is the most elementary, but the most important. It requires you to spend time with company employees on the shop floor, in the canteen, in the company lounge etc. These meetings must be informal and casual. You can also organise events or hold meetings, which are more formal but relaxed. At no point, the internal public relations team should try to throw its weight around. Instead, it should be receptive and open to any ideas or thoughts that the employees share.
2. Public display boards: There was a time when the best way to communicate with the employees was by putting up posters on notice boards. These posters informed the employees of the company policies, industry issues, meetings, events, functions planned, etc. The installation of LCD technology has made this communication faster, and better. You can set up large LCD screens on the shop floor, canteen, reception area, etc and keep running messages that are of interest to the employees.
3. House journals: House journals are another great way to carry out one-to-one internal public relations. Almost every good company brings out a house journal. Its frequency may be monthly, quarterly, half yearly or even once a year. The house journal carries a personal message from the Managing Director which is addressed to the employees. It has articles on the important activities undertaken by the company. Most important, it has articles about the employees and their family members, and is richly illustrated with photographs.
4. Electronic communication: The advent of computers has changed the dynamics of internal public relations. Communication has become more personal; its frequency also has gone up. The internal public relations team has several electronic tools at its command. These include Email, Intranet, Video, DVDs, Electronic newsletters, Podcasts, Blogs, Screensaver messaging and SMS text messaging among others. The skill lies in personalising the messages, and being topical and relevant. The employees should not be bombed by messages or spammed but should look forward to receiving the messages.
If the PR team carries out its internal public relations work with alacrity and sensitivity then it can become a trusted resource within the company. The knowledge that it will acquire will help it greatly in dealing with media and building the external image of the company. It can also play an invaluable role in assisting the HR in resolving internal company issues.
Related report: 9 responsibilities of modern day public relations officers
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