"Know your audience" - Jennifer Davis Cain (Human Resources Communication Tips)

What's the best way for the Human Resources department to communicate to employees, email, meetings or something else?
In today's busy do more with less work environment. Companies should utilize every method of available communication. There is no one size fits all when it comes to communication. Studies show that based on the message being communicated, the message must be received more than once to have an impact.

Do you think that employees, generally speaking, feel that their HR department is accessible?
Employees do not, generally speaking feel that their HR department is accessible. Companies that have a corporate headquarter and satellite offices have a higher perception that their HR department is not only non-accessible but is also of touch with employees in general. Having an Open Door Policy that is practiced and not just a policy is one important measure HR departments can take to overcome this negative perception.

Have you got any general advice for HR practitioners related to communicating with employees?
The best advise I received as an HR practitioner is to know your audience. The culture of the institution will reflect not only communication styles but how messages are communicated. General company communications must be communicated often and through more than one method of communication. Depending on your workforce, you may be required to communicate messages in the primary language spoken by your employees.
As stated by Sydney J. Harris, information and communication are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out, communication is getting through. This is a good guideline for Human Resources practitioners to keep in mind.

If there any particular study or data point that you know of regarding HR communication then please answer...Interesting Fact about HR communication:
1. Good Communicators are good listeners.
2. Lack of communication is a common complaint employees share about their employers.
3. Communication is the hardest skill HR practitioners have to facilitate..
4 When done successfully, communication can be a rewarding experience.

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