One of the best ways to initiate employee communication is to compose an employee communication survey that can be filled out anonymously. This way, each worker can express their honest opinions about things that are going on in the office without feeling as though they are ‘telling’ on other employees. It may be best to send the employee communication survey via email, so that employees can type their answers and send the survey directly the HR head. You should include questions about how employees feel about their current position — ask about whether they feel appreciated, and inquire about whether they feel overwhelmed by the assignments that are given to them. You should also ask employees about how they feel about working with the other men and women in their department, and include questions that will let you know whether or not employees feel discriminated against due to race, gender, age, or skill level.

A variety of cutting-edge corporate communications is also a great way to improve internal communications. Composing an employee newsletter for your company is a great way to make sure that each department gets the opportunity to make announcements or ask for assistance from other departments to complete company projects. You can include things in the newsletter like birthdays of employees, or make announcements that will let the company know about employees that may be getting married or welcoming a new baby. An employee newsletter is a great way to make your workplace feel more like a team environment. You can distribute it to employees via email, or print it out monthly to hand out at company meetings.

Speaking of meetings, this is another great way to facilitate effective employee communication strategies. Making sure that your company meetings are a place where workers feel comfortable is another great method for making employee communication an important forum. Set aside a time in the meeting after you’ve made announcements or explained new company policies for employees to ask questions. Do your workers need to know about changes in company benefits? Are certain departments in your company concerned about finishing a big project on time? Do you have interns or entry level employees that are not sure about their duties? No matter what position employees hold in your company, everyone should have their voices heard. Keeping up a great email system to have online meetings, or establishing programs that will allow employees to log in and make internal announcements is also a great way to make sure the employee communication is positive in your company.

Of course, you can always ask your employees which methods would be best in the future; this direct approach may work best for some, and you can use your meetings or a short email message to get everyone’s opinion.