Internal Communications in Manufacturing: The Complete Guide

Manufacturing companies rely heavily on their frontline employees. Unfortunately, a Gallup poll revealed that only 25% of these workers are actively engaged at work – significantly lower than the national average. This means that many businesses may be missing out on the potential of their teams and could benefit from better engaging their staff to improve productivity and efficiency.

As a manufacturing business, it’s vital to engage with your frontline staff in order to get the best out of them. Sadly, according to a Gallup poll, only 25% of these employees are actively engaged at work – far below the national average. This means that many businesses could be missing out on the valuable potential of their teams and may need better ways to communicate with them. Showing appreciation for their hard work and connecting with them on an emotional level can help boost morale and encourage them to give their all. Clear and concise communication is essential so that everyone can easily understand your company policies, safety procedures, and values. Involving them in decision-making and giving them a chance to share their knowledge, ideas, and insights can further create a smoother and more profitable operation.

What exactly is internal employee communication?

The term “employee internal communications” refers to all of the methods in which a company with its workforce. Traditional top-down communications, such as company newsletters or emails, are included, as are more advanced, worker-focused tactics, such as employee engagement, feedback systems, and peer-to-peer recognition.

What is the value of internal communications in today’s workplace?

As a manufacturing business, it’s key to communicate effectively with your frontline staff in order to make the most of them. Unfortunately, only 25% of these employees feel actively engaged at work – much lower than the national average. This means that many companies could be missing out on their team’s potential and may need better ways to get in touch with them. Showing gratitude for their hard work and connecting with them emotionally can improve morale and help motivate them to give their best. It is essential to use clear and simple language so everyone can understand your company policies, safety protocols, and values easily.

Involving them in decision-making and giving them a chance to express their knowledge, ideas, and opinions can further streamline operations and increase profits. Get in touch with your staff today and unleash their true potential!

A well-planned, focused internal communications strategy can:

• Increase employees’ performance:

Employees feel valued and motivated when they know their voice is heard, which makes them more likely to do their best work. When everyone works together towards a common goal, it creates a strong sense of connection and collaboration that can boost engagement. By sharing opinions openly, employees are able to contribute in meaningful ways and have a greater impact on the organization’s success.

• Increase employee retention by improving the employee experience:

Employees who are actively involved in the workplace are far less likely to hunt for another job. According to Gallup research, productive employees were 24% to 59% less likely to leave.

• Improve efficiency and solve problems faster:

Do you want your employees to be on their own when a major problem arises? Or to have access to a variety of resources and team members who may be able to assist them? A successful communication plan connects your staff so that they can solve problems faster and work more efficiently.

• Save the company money:

Employees deserve to be appreciated and heard in the workplace. When we all work together, it builds trust, encourages collaboration, and strengthens engagement. By creating a safe and open environment for employees to communicate freely, meaningful contributions can be made that will help your company succeed. Let’s make sure everyone feels valued and their opinions are taken into consideration – this is the key to achieving success!

Internal Communication Challenges for Manufacturers

Effective communication with manufacturing employees is a challenge. Many organizations rely on messages being sent through regional management, which can lead to them becoming diluted or outdated by the time they reach staff in the factory. This could be why turnover is higher than in other industries – 43% of manufacturing managers reported an average annual turnover rate of 20% or more. Additionally, engagement levels among manufacturing workers are low, indicating that improved communications could help improve their workplace experience.

Here are some of the specific challenges that communications professionals confront when attempting to connect with manufacturing employees:

• Safety issues:

Communication between managers and manufacturing employees is a major challenge. Without effective communication, staff in the factory may not receive up-to-date or accurate information about safety policies, leading to higher turnover rates and decreased engagement levels. It’s essential for organizations to find ways to keep their messages clear and consistent so that workers can stay informed and safe. By creating better channels of communication, manufacturers will be able to reduce risk and ensure their employees are properly informed.

• Transforming workforce:

Effective communication between managers and employees in the manufacturing industry is essential for a successful and safe workplace. Organizations must strive to keep their messages clear, consistent, and easy to understand so that workers can stay informed of important updates. By investing in channels such as digital connectivity, mobile-first communications, and regular feedback from management, manufacturers will be able to reduce risk and create an engaging environment that appeals to younger generations entering the workforce.

• Outdated technology:

Manufacturing companies must update their communications strategy to keep up with the changing workforce. It’s not enough to rely on public-access computer kiosks or terminals for important information—employees need to be able to access it wherever, whenever. Instant and mass communication are also essential for safety concerns. This new system should help employers make sure their employees have the necessary information they need, no matter where they are.

7 strategies for connecting with manufacturing workers via your internal communications plan

Employees on the factory floor are notoriously hard to reach with internal communications. This is especially true in large organizations with multiple locations, which may span different countries and include employees who don’t all speak the same language.

But engaging your manufacturing employees with a well-thought-out and targeted communications strategy can have big results for your organization. When your employees have all the information they need to do their jobs effectively, you can increase operational efficiency, improve workplace safety, and boost engagement among those hard-to-reach employees – which can help with retention too.

Here are seven ways to optimize your communications so that they not only reach employees on the frontline but inspire them and bring them together as well:-

• Using a company intranet, you may establish a single source of information.

Organizations should consider setting up an employee intranet to keep employees connected and informed. Intranets provide a central hub for communication, allowing employees in different locations to easily access important information like safety protocols, HR materials, monthly newsletters, schedules, reminders, and more. Plus, modern intranet solutions are designed with user-friendly features so they’re easy to use – no matter if you’re at a desk or on the factory floor. They make it simple to stay in touch and inspired!

• Replace the desktop kiosk with a mobile app.

To engage and satisfy your younger, Gen Z workforce in manufacturing, having a mobile app for them to access company intranet information is crucial. This gives employees on-demand access to critical messages anytime and anywhere, rather than relying solely on computer kiosks which can be restrictive. Smartphones have become almost universal among Americans, so it’s a great way to make sure workers are connected and informed – leading to increased job satisfaction over the coming years.

• Top-down communication should be decentralized.

When managing communications for a large company with multiple locations, any effort to decentralize information is a step in the right direction. Instead of having the communications department approve all content and function as a gatekeeper for information sharing, try sending it to regional managers so that they can adapt it for the personnel in their region.

They’ll then transmit it to sub-regions to be honed even further. In this manner, factory floor employees will receive highly tailored information that is genuinely relevant to them, resulting in higher engagement with your communications.

• Encourage bottom-up communication across locations.

Empowering manufacturing workers is essential for successful internal communications. Giving them the opportunity to communicate with colleagues at other locations, creates a better understanding of best practices across the organization and increases performance overall. It also helps keep employees engaged, as those who feel comfortable giving feedback are less likely to leave their jobs. Make sure to create plenty of avenues for communication between your frontline staff and all levels of the company. Doing so will help foster collaboration and lead to better results for everyone.

• Go digital with your safety protocols

Having a workplace where employees feel comfortable voicing their opinions and feedback is essential for businesses to stay competitive in today’s economy. When manufacturing workers are empowered, they can provide valuable insight into how operations should be improved or adjusted. This helps ensure that the best practices are being used across locations.

When it comes to building successful internal communications, empowering your manufacturing workers is key. Giving them a voice not only leads to better results but also encourages collaboration between different levels of the organization. By taking these steps, you’ll create an environment of trust and respect that will have lasting.

• Top performers should be rewarded and recognized.

Recognizing your employees for their hard work and achievements can have a big impact on employee engagement and productivity. Encouraging public recognition of your manufacturing staff is an effective way to show them that you value their efforts, which in turn can help with retention rates. One easy way to do this is by regularly sending out emails or posts through an employee app highlighting individual and team successes. To make it even easier, consider using an intranet or communications platform that has the recognition function built-in.

• To increase employee retention, prioritize the employee experience.

Employee communications should be about fostering a sense of team spirit and connection among workers. To make sure that manufacturing employees get something out of the message, it’s best to keep things short and sweet with formats like employee shout-outs, competitions, and interesting conversations that everyone can take part in. By creating engaging content tailored to the interests of the workforce, you’ll create an enjoyable atmosphere that helps bring people together.

5 must-have elements for an internal communications platform

A successful communication strategy should be based on strong, recognizable content and give everyone in the organization platform to join the conversation. To achieve this, you’ll need to select an appropriate platform that is tailored to the needs of your business. It must be easy to use for all levels of employees and provide features such as intuitive user interfaces and messaging tools.

However, there are some crucial characteristics on which you should not skimp. Here are some features to look for when selecting a platform:

• An easy-to-use and intuitive interface

If you want your staff to use the platform you chose, it must be easily accessible and inviting. That involves looking for solutions with a nice and simple-to-use interface. This is especially critical for factory employees, who often do not have the time to master the ins and outs of a new difficult application.

• Mobile Application

To engage factory workers, you must engage them where they are, which includes searching for solutions that can be accessed via a smartphone. Furthermore, the solution you select should be mobile-first, not merely a website that is technically accessible on a smartphone if you flip it to the side and wait for it to load.

• Notification

When it comes to keeping your manufacturing team informed, an app with push notifications is a great way to make sure everyone receives important messages. With this feature, you can ensure that any urgent safety announcements or updates about machinery are seen by the whole organization. Push notifications provide a convenient and reliable way to keep all of your employees in the know!

• Pulse surveys and polls

Pulse surveys are an invaluable way to stay on top of employee engagement in your organization. Polls provide a quick snapshot of your employee’s thoughts and opinions – especially important when you’re looking at introducing new policies. Factory workers have the insight that those in head office may not, so sending out surveys to them can help ensure any proposed changes will work well in practice. Make sure whatever communication platform you use makes it easy for your manufacturing staff to respond quickly and easily.

• Bottom-up and cross-functional communication opportunities

The most successful communication does not come from the top down. To truly empower your industrial workers, you need a system that allows them to communicate with one another regardless of location, discuss difficulties, and even connect on a social level. Bonus points if your platform includes social media-type features like comments and emoji reactions, which all contribute to making things more fun and engaging.

Creative Social Intranet

Creative Social Intranet is an amazing employee communication platform that can bring your organization closer together. No matter if you’re working from a desk or the factory floor, this tool helps everyone connect and understand more about what your company stands for. With it, employees can post updates, ask questions, and recognize each other’s hard work with real-time shout-outs – all of which will appear in a personalized news feed! Plus, polls and surveys are easy to send out so that everyone can share their thoughts. And the best part? The mobile app makes it simple for people in manufacturing roles to stay involved. To see how Creative Social Intranet can benefit your business, book a demo today and get ready to supercharge your communications!