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The folks in marketing have long sought to define the typical customer journey, detailing key ‘touch points’ where content, advertising and other activities impact the sales process – either for good or bad. This practice has become more sophisticated, and useful, as social media and mobile technology has dramatically altered how consumers make their purchasing decisions. In this infographic I tried to demonstrate a similar construct for workers in the typical employee journey. This example is generic, but I believe it can be serve as a useful foundation for strategic planning.
I tried to highlight a few key points in this visual:
A wide range of factors influence employees on their work journey: workplace programs and policies, company vision and strategy, corporate reputation, internal communications, external influencers, peers, management style, workplace environment to name a few. Needless to say, the formal communication process is only one part of the equation, albeit an important one.
There are several key players in the employee journey beyond the internal communication team, notably core functions like HR, IT, Marketing and the C-Suite. Too often companies fail to integrate and coordinate the efforts of these teams to execute a holistic and strategic engagement strategy. For example, many companies struggle to present a consistent, compelling message (and image) from recruitment through the interview process to the first day on the job.
Much like in marketing, there are usually a few ‘moments of truth’ for employees that will help determine whether they are/remain engaged fans of the company or become disenchanted and critical, becoming either dead weight or leaving altogether. These inflection points include obvious landmarks in the employment journey (e.g. orientation, annual performance reviews, compensation changes) but also important announcements and multi-audience events, such as mergers or major change efforts.
I didn’t try to detail specific communication tactics for each stage of this employee journey, but clearly an important objective is to match the right content and channel for each of the key ‘touch points’ in this journey. There are some helpful best practices for developing a cogent communication program that targets key situations (for example, boosting face-to-face outreach during difficult or complex change efforts) but I would argue each company needs to define its own roadmap based on their employee preferences, workplace culture and other variables.
What is the typical employee journey for workers in your company? Perhaps there are several distinct paths based on different roles and profiles. Whatever the case it is useful to understand this path from the employee perspective, which will help those managing the process – be it HR executives or communication professionals – to be more responsive, relevant and effective. Ultimately, the lesson here is parallel to the marketing model – to truly be effective we need to put ourselves in our employees’ shoes.
Every year Mary Meeker from Kleiner Perkins shares her comprehensive report on internet trends. The report not only provides a great snapshot of technology trends and developments, but also a useful backdrop to compare how the communication profession is tracking on these changes. In this post I’ve selected a few highlights from the report that have particular (or potential) relevance to communicators, with a focus on internal communications. I’ve included questions (in italics) that should provide fodder for discussion among communication professionals.
- The internet has become increasingly mobile. Devices have made access possible from anywhere anytime, and content has shifted from text to photos to video. Will PR and internal communications follow this trend of rapid evolution to multi-media mobile outreach? (Many companies are still trying to adopt responsive design.) Can “buy buttons” be replaced with other relevant alternatives?
- Meeker presents a great example of innovative IC – an employee manual from Guidespark that is entirely digital and accessible via mobile. How many companies are still using paper-based files or outdated CMS programs?
- Consumers can choose from a plethora of messaging apps to communicate with peers and companies; Meeker lists the top ten globally. What is the status, and future, of messaging apps in most corporations? Can employees get 24/7 mobile access to peers without a firewall.
- Meeker uses one excellent slide depicting the wide-ranging benefits of mobile messaging (e.g. casual yet fast, real-time yet replayable, instant yet secure.) How many of these messaging benefits are available inside corporate firewalls?
- There is strong evidence in the report that what workers (in this case millenials) want/expect from an employer goes well beyond pay and benefits. For example, millenials expect flexibility at work, as well as a tech-savvy environment that features social capabilities (ideally BYOD) they are used to. They also value training and development and flexible work more than other common workplace perks and benefits. How many companies are focusing their efforts on their training and development programs, flexible hours and other millennial priorities?
- Consumer expectations for accessing information have changed dramatically in the digital age: consumers want to be able to get what they want when they want it. In other words, the consumer is in the driver seat. How many companies are actively trying to deliver on this mantra with their employees?
- User-generated content is powerful and prominent in the digital age. As Meeker puts it, content is increasing user-generated, curated and surprising. Are companies encouraging and curating the content and stories generated by their employees? Are employers leveraging their employee stories through advocacy programs?
- The modern workplace has evolved in several important ways: jobs have changed, technology has changed, worker expectations are shifting with each generation, and the business context has changed, among others. How many of these trends are really being considered and addressed by employers and communicators?
- Consumers are using social platforms like Snapshat and Periscope to create and share video stories – many in real-time. Are employers providing the tools to allow employees to generate and curate similar video stories – both inside and outside the firewall?
- The report features strong evidence employers are not in sync with the priorities of millennial workers. It’s about meaning and opportunity for younger employees, not money. How many companies are still basing their “employee value proposition” on outdated, incorrect assumptions?
How many of these trends are top of mind for you and your company?
In recent weeks I’ve witnessed several instances of public figures using talking points, or planned messages, in ways that should make every PR professional cringe.
Perhaps the most visible example was the brouhaha surrounding Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, when Governor Pence appeared on talk shows to defend the proposed legislation – which was widely criticized for allowing, perhaps even encouraging, discrimination against the LGBT community. In one widely publicized interview, Pence methodically repeated his key talking points – including the widely debunked argument the Indiana RFRA was identical to a law passed by other states – even as the host provided detailed evidence to the contrary. To make matters worse, Pence repeatedly avoided answering a direct question about whether the law allowed discrimination against LGBT consumers, reverting back to stock messages that were not relevant. By most assessments, Pence did not fare well in the interview, yet his discredited talking points lived on even as the legislation was amended (despite Pence’s earlier claims to the contrary) to reflect the widespread criticism.
In fairness, this stubborn adherence to irrelevant or misleading talking points isn’t limited to one side of the political spectrum. Last week US Senator Bob Menendez was indicted on criminal charges of bribery and corruption. The surprise wasn’t that Menendez pleaded not guilty, but that in his remarks he defiantly pronounced his innocence and defended his actions with arguments (and messages) that strained credulity given the scope and detail of the accusations. Undoubtedly, we will hear his script repeatedly as we wait for the legal process to unfold.
Like many communication professionals, I believe there is great value in proactively planning speaking points to position your argument (or product or policy) in the best possible light. I’ve trained my share of leaders on this practice. But there are several critical requirements to ensure this is done effectively, meaning the messages are relevant (in some way relate to the question and circumstance), supported by proof points and perceived as credible, or at least plausible and appropriate. It’s also important the messages be adaptable and evolve to reflect their resonance, or lack thereof, with observers. Worse case scenario, the audience or interviewer could disagree with your position, but not call into question your bona fides or integrity.
Unfortunately, the practice of talking points has become pervasive and perverted in recent years. Now it’s common practice for politicians, for example, to align on a set of partisan messages and repeat them with numbing frequency, notwithstanding the occasion or even the question. In the worse cases, these talking points are often misleading, if not outright fabrications; more slogans or aspirational headlines than information. What used to be shared as opinion or suggestion is now peddled as fact. The thinking appears to be that if you repeat something often enough – even if it’s not accurate or relevant – people will start to believe it.
Maybe the most surprising aspect of this is that the speakers appear oblivious to the fact their statements do not pass the sniff test. Witness the recent announcement by Senator Ted Cruz he was running for President. Cruz’ stump speech (ironically headlined with the theme of truth) is littered with sweeping, provocative claims that have been widely debunked, and not just by the obvious suspects on the other side of the partisan divide. Yet, Cruz appears happy to continue repeating his punch lines, presumably content that his target audience (conservative Republicans) is quite happy to believe in his worldview. My issue here isn’t with Cruz’s arguments or politics, but that he appears totally unconcerned about the widespread, repeated questions about the veracity of his statements. What me worry?
Like other industry observers, I suspect this neo-propaganda model of talking points owes something to the most infamous examples of intentional misinformation: the tobacco industry’s decades-long denial of health hazards from smoking. Other industries – notably the oil and gas sector – have followed a similar model of incessant lobbying fueled by massive advertising and marketing, all scripted by carefully written narratives and slogans with a tenuous relationship to truth or public interest. Now politics seems to have fully embraced this campaign model, designed more to shape public policy and sway voters than to educate or foster dialogue.
The problem with this paradigm, I would argue, is that the cumulative impact of this disputed, polarized messaging is the eroding credibility and relevance of the process and the messages themselves. Does anybody really believe what the politicians are saying? Or does having evidence to back your messages even matter anymore? A number of recent surveys on low levels of trust for a wide range of sources – notably politicians, journalists and corporate leaders – suggests there is a serious credibility gap in public discourse.
The result of all this, I fear, is collateral damage for the reputation of the PR profession, already struggling with accusations of spin and ethical lapses. All communication pros should carefully consider their own actions in these situations. What are the values and principles that guide our counsel and behavior? I believe our profession needs to take a stronger stand with our clients or company leaders, and promote a more authentic, relevant and cogent messaging strategy that can stand up to objective scrutiny. In short, stand up for the truth.