If you’ve ever worked for a manager who didn’t communicate with you, you know how frustrating it can be. When it comes to company news, you’ve likely had to rely on information you’ve sourced from the media or worse – the employee rumor mill. At Sirois, we know that communicating clear and concise company information with our employees is critical to our success.
That’s one of the reasons we began holding monthly employee luncheons. These in-house, catered events provide an opportunity to have an open dialog between our CEO and the entire workforce. Small groups of people are chosen each month to participate, with all employees attending at some point throughout the year. These groups can be by department or chosen across departments.
The luncheons provide the CEO with the opportunity to share the company’s objectives, and employees can ask questions and discuss whatever else they choose, knowing that their questions and concerns will be answered directly and honestly. “The company I worked for before never talked about company stuff,” Quality Assurance Inspector Chaz says. “It’s nice to hear how the business is doing.”
While it’s always gratifying to hear positive employee feedback like this, our small investment really goes much further.
Here are five common benefits of consistent communication:
Boosts Employee Engagement – When we share our company’s objectives, employees have a sense of purpose. They understand the role they play in achieving our goals, and they feel like their contributions matter. That sense of ownership and responsibility facilitates increased motivation and engagement, which can lead to higher performance.
Fosters Collaboration and Teamwork – When everyone understands and shares in the company’s objectives, it fosters a spirit of collaboration and teamwork. Everyone works together toward common goals.
Provides a Sense of Direction – Employees need a clear sense of direction to do their jobs most effectively. Communicating company objectives provides them with that. Knowing what’s important helps guide their decision making and daily activities.
Helps Prioritize Resources – When employees understand the company’s priorities, they’re better equipped to allocate resources that focus on what’s most important. This helps maximize efficiency and avoid waste.
Builds a Strong Company Culture – When everyone understands and accepts the same objectives, they feel like they’re working toward a common goal, and it unifies the organization. When employees and management communicate openly and honestly, it builds mutual trust and respect. This helps create a positive work environment, which reduces employee turnover.
On the flip side, failing to effectively communicate with employees can lead to rumors, confusion, misalignment, and missed opportunities. Sirois Tool CEO Alan Ortner says the company would not be where it is today without consistent communication between management and staff.
“Holding consistent, open dialogs with our employees is important,” Ortner says. “They spend most of their waking hours here, and they deserve to know how the company is doing and what our objectives are. And frankly, we rely on their input because some of our best ideas come from them.”
In short, Sirois Tool’s monthly luncheons demonstrate how a small investment has produced big benefits for everyone involved.
If you’d like to work for a company that values open communication, visit the Sirois Tool Careers page.