Knowing your audience is key for any public affairs or communications campaign. But when it comes to communicating with and engaging your employees, how well do you really know them?New GSG Employee Communications research shows that the attitudes and communications preferences of employees vary greatly based on demographics and factors like where they work or what kind of work they do. This report explores our findings and provides concrete recommen-dations on how to understand and engage your team.

Employee Communications

Customizing Communications for Your Unique Workforce

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Understand what drives differences in your employees’ attitudes and preferences.

It may not be just the obvious demographic differences. For example, where employees are based is more important than age in how they view their employer.

Compared to those working outside of headquarters, employees who work in headquarters are far more likely to:

Trust their employerBelieve their employer cares about communicating more

Understand how their role connects to their employer’s strategy and direction

42%

27%

39%

25%

39%

27%

Headquarters Outside of Headquarters

39%

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Millennials are more interested in hearing about advancement opportunities and job openings.

Boomers are much more interested in information about benefits.

59%75% 49%62%

Tailor content based on employee interests.

Most organizations customize their external communications by audience, and a similar approach can help increase engagement and enhance the effectiveness of internal communications. Consider using different email subject lines, or ordering content based on employee preferences to increase open rates and engagement.

When it comes to information from Human Resources:

Employees have differing priorities and interests in what they want to hear about from their employer.

Millennials Boomers

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Many organizations segment how they reach external audiences through a mix of communications channels, so why not apply that same strategy to your internal audiences?

Leverage different channels to optimize communications with different groups of employees.

The top two communications channels favored by every audience we looked at were email and in-person communication. However, the best additional channels vary by audience.

Text message Employer-specific app

White Collar Employees Blue Collar Employees

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4Email In-person Internal

websiteText

messageIn-person Email Text

messageEmployer-

specific app

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Offer different ways for employees to provide input and engage with leadership.

Text message Employer-specific app

Different groups of employees have different ideas about how their organization could improve communications.

For example, millennials are very interested in having a direct channel to the head of their organization while boomers prioritize more passive and anonymous ways to provide feedback.

Definitions of communications channels:

One-on-one meetings with CEOGive employees the opportunity to have a one-on-one meeting with the head of the organization.

Ask the CEOGive employees the ability to submit and vote on questions that the head of your organization responds to.

CEO site visitsHave the head of the organization regularly visit different offices/locations in person.

Regular meetings with CEOHave the head of the organization hold regular, organization-wide meetings in person and virtually.

SurveysGive employees the ability to take regular short surveys asking for feedback.

IntranetCreate space on an internal employer website where employees can publicly or privately post comments and questions.

Millennials Gen X Boomers

1One-on-

one meetings with CEO

2Ask the CEO

3CEO site visits

4Regular meetings

with CEO

1Regular meetings

with CEO

2CEO site visits

3Surveys

4Intranet

1CEO site visits

2Intranet

3Regular meetings

with CEO

4Surveys

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Understand how different employees view their role within the organization.

Millennials are also much more likely to believe employees can drive change at their organization. Older employees believe leadership drives change.

Who do you think is most likely to drive change at the organization you are employed by?

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

All Employees

Head of Organization Employees

71%54%

61%66%

72%55%

78%40%

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Headquarters28%72%

Non-Headquarters45%55%

All Employees36%64%

Millennials34%66%

Boomers41%59%

Gen X37%63%

Target highly engaged groups for employee activation.

2-in-3 employees say they would be willing to share something positive about their employer if asked.

Give employees content to share that works for the channels where they are most likely to be following their employer – LinkedIn and Facebook. While you may think of LinkedIn as the place for employee-centric content, more employees – especially blue collar workers – are following their employer on Facebook than LinkedIn.

But among that group, millennials and employees based in headquarters are most willing to share positive news. When considering an employee ambassador program, start with these most-willing groups.

Would you be willing to share something positive about your employer if asked (i.e. on social media)?

Yes No

37%25%

Yes, my employer has this type of social media and I follow them on it

Headquarters Non-Headquarters

28%16%

23%7%

18%10%

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Global Strategy Group is the go-to public affairs, communications, and research partner for companies, causes, and campaigns. We work with our clients to build their reputations, tackle big challenges, and win. GSG Employee Communications is managed by a multidisciplinary team of reputation experts, employee engage-ment specialists, and research analysts, all of whom bring deep experience leading data-driven communications strategies for Fortune 50 companies, national political leaders, major foundations, and trade associations. Learn more about how we help companies and organizations understand and engage their employees to drive their business goals, further their missions, and increase their corporate impact at globalstrategygroup.com/thought-leadership/employee.

Conduct research among your employ-ees to understand what’s driving their attitudes and perceptions.

Develop a segmented employee com-munications strategy to leverage the right messages via the right channels.

Test different approaches and measure what works.

Identify and enlist ambassadors to help strengthen your efforts.

Solicit and integrate employee feedback as you go.

The bottom line? Increase the effectiveness of your employee communications with a more customized approach.

Global Strategy Group conducted an online survey of 1,006 employed full-time adults nationwide between April 11 and April 15, 2019. We did not include people who are employed in the public sector (government, public school system, etc.) or partners/members of company leadership.