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The nature of communication within businesses has seen great changes in recent years. Through the internet and other digital connections, you can pass information to your employees within seconds. However, fast communication is not a guarantee that your workers will see or respond to the communication. The best way to communicate with your staff depends on your resources, employee location, and privacy concerns.

Consider Cost

Depending on the number of remote employees you have, the least expensive form of communication may be a face-to-face meeting. Many businesses start the day with a daily briefing of different departments or staff groups. These types of meetings can be helpful in ensuring people have received important information for the day. However, once the workday begins, there may be other communication needs. Email is still a low-end expense, but it is often so frequently used that important communication may never be seen. Shortly after your email arrives, it is pushed down by other pressing messages. Saving money does not matter when your messages get lost in employee inboxes. If you want communication that is more direct or more private, you will have to invest more in your systems. A virtual private network can enhance security, but working with one is an added cost. A third-party communication system can help establish message priority, but it is also a financial investment.

Where Are My Employees?

While the daily meeting can still be helpful, it is a product of a different era when employees were all onsite. Nearly 3 billion people worldwide are deskless workers, making communication via email less optimal for disseminating information. Remote workers may need company-issued phones for receiving information through text or instant message. You also need to consider how remote employees can participate in meetings. This could involve a simple remote connection or a virtual meeting room.

How Important is the Information?

Another important consideration is the value of the information that is being sent back and forth. Sending out a set of weekly goals is most likely an operation with low-security needs. However, if sensitive content is routinely part of communications, you need to think about data safety. In this case, you want to create connections that have higher security protocols like password protection and encryption.

Poor communication costs businesses a great deal of money every year in both time and profit. Companies of every size need to have a communication plan in place. When you think intentionally about how to share information, you will improve the performance of your business.

Here’s another article you might find helpful: How Can Business Leaders Build Positive Company Culture?