Chapter 10 Seitel Pr11e

7/29/2019 Chapter 10 Seitel Pr11e

1/26

10-1Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall


2/26


In the early 21st century,

American workers grew

increasingly unhappy with

their jobs.

Major corporations laid off

thousands of workers asthe U.S. economy

sputtered.


3/26


Public relations practitioners working in employee

relations face tough communications challenges.

Consider a recent survey:

Less than 50% of employees said they were satisfiedwith their jobs.

The least satisfied were the newest entrants to theworkforce.

Less than 39% of workers under age 25 said they

were satisfied with their jobs.


4/26


Employee communications must be candid,clear and credible.

In these uncertain times, public relationsprofessionals must create communicationsthat are:

effective

believable

persuasive


5/26


In the 21st century, 60% ofcorporate CEOs spend more timecommunicating with employees.

Companies that communicateeffectively with workersfinancially outperform those thatdont by up to 57%.

The value of intellectual capitalhas increased. Employees are themost important assets in the

organization.


6/26


There is no single employee public.

An employee public comprises numeroussubgroups, each with different interests and

concerns.

Smart organizations tailor messages and media toreach each specific subgroup.


7/26


In general, todays employees are:

Younger

Increasingly female

More diverse More ambitious and career-oriented

Less complacent Less loyal to the company

What does this demand in terms of communication?


8/2610-8Copyright 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

Management must ask hard questions about how it

communicates with staff:

1. Is management able to communicate effectivelywith employees?

2. Is communication trusted, and does it relay

appropriate information to employees?

3. Has management communicated its commitmentto its employees and to fostering a rewarding work

environment?



Any organization concerned about gettingthrough to employees must offer them:

Respect Honest feedback Recognition A voice Encouragement



An organization also must offer employees:

A willingness to express dissent Visibility and proximity of upper management Priority of internal to external communication Attention to clarity A friendly tone A sense of humor



For employees, it all comes down to one simple word:

Credibility.

Employees want: managers to level with them.

facts, not wishful thinking. the truth, especially in person. to know how theyre doing.



Q: How can management build trust whenemployee morale is so brittle?

A: By creating communications that are:

StrategicHonestOpenConsistent



Internal communication auditsThis is one of the best forms of research to lay groundwork for

employee communications. Ask:

1. How do internal communications support the mission of theorganization?2. Do internal communications have managements support?3. Do internal communications justify the expense?4. How responsive to employee needs and concerns are

internal communications?

Audits help determine staff attitudes about their jobs, theorganization and its mission.



Online communications These are more immediate than earlier print versions; they

reach employees at their desks and are more likely to beread and acted upon.

Examples include blogs, podcasts and wikis.

To be effective, social media must:1. have a business purpose.2. be entertaining and informative3. be composed of riveting content.



The IntranetThis is like a specialized Internet just for employees.

When designing a site, remember: to consider the culture. to set clear objectives and then let it evolve. to treat it as a journalistic enterprise. to market, market, market.

to link to outside lives. that senior management must commit to it.



Print publications The advent of online internal communications has been hard

on print publications. Yet, print defenders argue that print

still plays a key role.

Desktop publishing gives internal editors greater control ofdesign, layout and illustrations.

Many entry-level public relations practitioners work onwriting and editing employee newsletters.



Bulletin boards Are of the most ancient of tactics. They have made a

comeback in recent years.

Boards are now being used to improve productivity, cutwaste and reduce accidents on the job.

They are repackaged into a more lively and visual medium.

Be sure to keep your bulletin boards current. One personshould be assigned this task.



The suggestion box:These can still work well. Make sure

that managers will read the

suggestions and act on them.

Town hall meetings:Large gatherings of employees and

top management, where nosubject is off limits. Opendialogue is the goal.



Internal video This can be highly effective. Consider the impact of a 10-

minute video of an executive announcing a new corporate

policy compared to print or audio.

Burger King, Miller Brewing Co., Ford and Southwest Airlineshave all used internal video successfully.

Examine internal needs and plan thoughtfully. Finally,produce the best quality video possible.



Face-to-face communications Despite the social media revolution, the best employee

communications vehicle is face-to-face, preferably with a

supervisor.

The majority of employees list supervisors as their preferredsource of information.

The value of supervisor meetings lies in their substance,regularity and candor.



In many organizations, the grapevine dominates

employee communications.

Public relations professionals must work to dispelrumors quickly and frankly.

Management can often use the grapevine to its

advantage as an internal communications vehicle.



What type of employee communications areyou familiar with?

What do you think the intent of thepublication and/or communication was?

In your estimation, was it successful?Why or why not?



In the 21st century, organizations have no choice:

They must build rapport with and morale among

employees.

The best defense against the grapevine is a strongand candid employee communications system.

Effective employee communications requires

openness and honesty from senior management.



We can afford to lose money even a lot of

money. We cannot afford to lose reputation even a shred of reputation.

Warren Buffett

CEO, Berkshire Hathaway


26/26

Meet the New BossReview this case on p. 203. As a class, discuss:

What do you think of Zells new handbook, and

might there be legal problems with it? What do you think of the CEOs response to the

photographer, in terms of employee relations and

the ethics of journalism?

For more information on this case, go to:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/business/medi

a/17paper.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/business/media/17paper.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/business/media/17paper.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/business/media/17paper.htmlhttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/17/business/media/17paper.html

Documents

Chapter 10 Seitel Pr11e