Technological advancements in IT and social media have fostered easy and hassle-free internal communication among employees.

‘Internal’affairs

Technological advancements in IT and social media have fostered easy and hassle-free internal communication among employees.

    The mechanism of internal communication of an organisation is a vital component of its everyday functioning. A smooth system for internal communication not only keeps employees abreast of the latest developments in the company, but also enables them to work in sync with each other across different departments. In this sphere, social media and IT have truly revolutionised the present systems used by organisations. They provide innovative and cost-effective solutions for internal communication while being highly efficient and productive.
    Zarir Batliwala, HR head,TeamLease IIJT, tells us why a good system for internal communication of employees is necessary in an organisation,“In today’s high-context work environment, the role of effective internal communications takes on great significance. Happy employees make for a happy organisation. How employees perceive the organisation is crucial for its success. Internal communication helps to build a positive corporate culture, which acts as a catalyst to enhance employee morale and productivity.Workplaces today witness a rapid change of business focus from time to time and often, the speed of change causes a lack of clarity among the employees. In the absence of an effective internal communication process, an organisation will have to depend on lesser reliable channels to disseminate crucial information to its employees.” Social media and IT play major roles in developing an effective system for employees’ internal communication today. Shourya Chakravarty, sr.VP & head – HR, Aptech Ltd, elaborates, “Today’s employee communication mechanisms have to be in the digitised format because that is where today’s generation spends most of their time daily! Employees across agegroups prefer the digitised space more as compared to the printed space.The role of IT is critical here as it has to build effective and interactive tools, which can further the purpose of employee alignment with the organisation.There must be an online grievance redressal mechanism, so that employees can feel that their issues are heard.Webcasts are another way for the organisational leadership to stay in touch with employees and connect with geographically-spread employees. Social media usage has picked up phenomenally fast, especially with mobile apps.” Keyuri Singh, vice president – HR, Blue Star Infotech, explains through the example of their company’s system,“In Blue Star Infotech, we have tools such as: >> Ozone: A community-driven corporate intranet that connects all our employees together and hosts discussion forums and blogs on various subjects of interest; >> Yammer: A social network service that allows the management and employees to tweet within the organisation to post information and updates; >> Open Minds: An online ideation platform for employees to post queries and ideas, which are discussed by all employees for new business ideas or innovation; >> Video conferencing, Microsoft Communicator and Skype: These are tools to communicate even when remotely located; >> Facebook presence: To connect friends (ex-employees, employees and other interested parties) together and share updates and get a feedback.” Technology has thus, revolutionised teamwork and workplace atmospheres. Mathew Job, MD, Racold Thermo Pvt. Ltd., elaborates, “Technology has made teamwork and workplace atmospheres more effective. It enables employees to know the significant and relevant company developments, which consequently helps in raising the morale and motivation of employees, and thus increases productivity.The much-needed feedback from employees to top management and vice versa creates a transparent and smooth working environment.” Thus, IT and social media can play an invaluable role in strengthening the internal communication system of a company.
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