1. Internal and External Communication
Employers’ Activities Programme Effective Employers´ and Business Organizations
Internal and External
Communication

2. Effective communications calls for a strategic approach
Establish what you want to achieve:
A communications strategy:
Correct misconceptions
Establish dialogue
Create alliances
Embark on joint projects
Widen your circle of advocates
How you are going to do this?
Who are the important people to address?
What are they saying/doing?
How can you get involved?

3. Preparation is key What do you want to say? – Messages
Who do you want to say it to? – Audiences
How are you going to do this? – Tactics
And how are you going to measure if it has worked – Evaluation – What will success look like?

4. 1. Building an Image / Managing a reputation
We need to accept that perceptions are reality
Don’t presume that people know the facts
If you do not take control of your image then it will be shaped by the perceptions and inaccuracies of others

5. 2. Carefully craft communications messages
List the advantages of the industries you represent
Chemical industry:
Large employer
Highly trained specialists
High level OSH standards
Career opportunities
Growing market
International networks
Staffing industry:
Flexibility
Choice
Work/life balance
Family friendly
Temp to Perm
Job creation
Follows the growth
sectors
Providing access to
the workplace

6. Address the perceptions
Listen
Recognise where the misunderstandings lie
Be ready with the facts
Have examples to support the facts
Use independent figures and studies to support your assertions
Challenge misconceptions with facts

7. Deal in facts, not rumour
COMEOS Retail sector, Belgium

8. 3. Rank your audiences – Taylor your messages
Members
Stakeholders:
Business community
Government
Consumers
Workers
Media, General public,
think tanks

10. Speaker platforms and case studies
4. Decide on tactics
Building relationships , Leveraging opportunities, taking initiatives yourself – but also being quick to seize the moment in the opportunities created by others
Meetings, lunches
Presentations
Industry for a
Speaker platforms and case studies
Research projects
Joint initiatives
Media engagement

11. Media actions Introduce yourself, background briefings
Press releases around actions – events, speeches, partnerships, statistics
Facts and figures
for topical news stories
for features
Letters to editor
Opinion pieces or articles
Good practices:
Have a series of statements and messages that you can quickly provide as quotes or change into a letter or opinion
Identify third parties who would support your opinion
Plan the timings where you can

12. Communications Tools: examples BusinessEurope

13. Communications Tools: examples BusinessEurope

14. Communications Tools: examples BusinessEurope

15. New website BusinessEurope

16. Communications tools – Examples CEPB – Bolivia
Press release
Publications

17. Communications tools – Examples CEPB – Bolivia
Meeting Executive Committee CEPB

18. REC Public Sector Campaign

19. IV. Austria

20. What will success look like?
Set tangible targets
Don’t be too ambitious – build relationships
Get involved
Be prepared to listen
Engage and your communications will evolve

21. Lessons learned from best practices
In-house communications and communications with members
Lessons learned from best practices

22. Key principle: what is said outside must be known inside
In-house communications is different from organizational communication
… But needs same professionalism
Communication with members also calls for a strategic approach
… And for the development of the right tools

23. In – house communications
Key for reputation / image building
At least one person should take responsibility for monitoring formal communications closely
By managing information sources (intranet, in-house newsletter, archives etc.)
By organizing team-building or other events for staff

24. In – house communications
Key for reputation / image building
At least one person should take responsibility for monitoring formal communications closely
NOT ENOUGH
By managing information sources (intranet, in-house newsletter, archives etc.)
By organizing team-building or other events for staff

25. In – house communications
20% formal
80% informal

26. In – house communications
The primary responsibility for informal in-house communications is the staff themselves, notably department heads, executives, the management.
Needs to be structured in a practical way
The objective is to be ensure efficiency in:
Access to information
Sharing information, views and opinions
Getting feedback

27. In – house communications: some tools
Access to information
Sharing information, views and opinions
Getting feedback
Intranet
Departments’ weekly meetings
Organizations’ monthly meetings
Monthly in-house newsletter
Sharing contacts, documents and sources of information
Seeking informal feedback

28. Communications with members
Communications with members calls for a strategic approach
What are your specific goals?
What are your resources?

29. Communications with members
Communications with members calls for a strategic approach
-Recruit new members?
-Win the loyalty of current
members?
-Boost the knowledge and
skills of members e.g through training?
-Mobilize members to deal
with a specific issue e.g.
lobbying?
What are your specific goals?

30. Communications with members
Communications with members calls for a strategic approach
-Financial resources may restrict
your chance of developing specific communication tools.
-Decide on your priorities
-Human resources: Do you have a communications manager within the staff?
What are your resources?

31. Communications with members
Communications with members calls for a strategic approach
What are your specific goals?
What are your resources?
At the core of organizational strategy

32. Communications with members: tools
HOW?
Top 1 tool: website: visibility, ‘low cost’ per contact
Special member section
Services, trainings, special events
Q&A
Surveys, polls
E-zine members
Monthly
Topics per specific department/ area of interest
Events
Evaluation of interest, feed-back (oral or with simple feed-back form)

33. Website CEPB

34. Communications with members: tools
HOW?
Road shows
Interesting to recruit new members
Decentralized (province, area, city)
Presentation of:
Specific actual topics in relation with members/future members
Your approach of these topics + benefit for members
Achievements
Membership program
Advertising
Increase visibility of organization
No real immediate return

35. Communication with members: tools
HOW?
Direct mailing (recruitment of new members)
Should be in relation with a specific event or activity with a certain benefit: for ex. Invitation to an event, a road show, a training
Return is low: 4% average
General Annual Meeting and annual report
Opportunity to take stock of your activities
Explanatory summary should be made for members
Add a specific topic each year?

36. Innovate!!
It can be applied to how the EO’s can communicate with member companies in a different and effective way

37. Members’ database
Members’ databases help to systematize the information on members
Useful for communications but also lobbying (record of priority areas etc.), services promostion (use of services, special requests etc.)
The design and use of databases requires IT skills and a good initial investment (time and financial resources) to properly design it.
Basic steps in designing a database are:
Determine the scope of your database - information you need to store about the members (address, , telephone, number of employees, etc.) and what facts you need to record (payments of fees, use of paying services, outstanding invoices, etc.)
Determine the tables you need, the fields you need in each table and the relationships between tables, to bring related information back together again in meaningful ways.
Enter data and create other database objects (queries, forms, reports, macros, modules, etc.)

38. CRM – ITCILO / ACTEMP

39. Checklist In – house communication
You have a person in charge of in-house communication?
You have a procedure for informing any new member of staff about all aspects of your business?
Departments organize a weekly update meeting?
Your organization holds a monthly general in-house briefing?
You have an intranet which staff can consult?
For big organizations: you have a monthly in-house newsletter?
You have a system of regular feedback that allows you to listen to your staff and meet their needs?

40. Checklist Communication with members Your database is complete?
You have a procedure for updating the database regularly, and a person in charge of doing so?
Your organization has a website?
Your website has a secure section for your members?
Developing specific sections for the members regarding services, documentation, events, courses and FAQs
Your organization sends an electronic newsletter (e-zine) regularly (at least once or twice a month) to your members?
Your website tracks what members search for on it (visitor profile)?
You hold local meetings (road shows) with your members and potential members once a year?
You analyse members' communication needs (survey, feedback at events) annually?

41. Persuasive
communication
policies for EOs

42. We are a solid and reliable partner in the delivery of training for Business Member Organizations and we look forward to assist you in the implementation of your training needs
For further information, please contact:
Programme for Employers’ Activities
Phone: