With the increasing adoption of social media by organisations especially in relation to brand engagement with customers and clients, we are now starting to see some case studies for how social media can be used to enhance employee engagement through internal communications.

The recent announcement by the company I was on the board of before establishing my own brand engagement and social media practice about the impending significant organisational change they are about to go through made me think back to my time as HR Director where I also had responsibility for internal communications.

At a time of significant change, one of the key challenges was always to ensure that we had pathways for communication open. We were always keen to understand how effectively our line managers had been in translating and engaging their people in the key messages and making sure the communication was relevant for their teams.

We also wanted to respond quickly and effectively to questions raised from our employees as a result of the organisation announcements. No matter how our extensive lists of frequently asked questions were that we created to support all major communications, you could be sure that some questions were never addressed so we needed to respond to these queries quickly.

If only I had had at my disposal the social media platforms now easily available which would have enabled us to add additional platforms that we could have used to support our communications plan.

But where can you turn if you are a leader with responsibility for Internal Communications and employee engagement and want to learn about what your peers are implementing and current best practice?

A conference I will be attending which will showcase some leading case studies in intenal communications in the next few weeks is the International Employee Communications Summit co-hosted by Ragan and Simply Communicate.

Some of the company’s presenting include IBM, Ebay, BT and Microsoft. The agenda for the International Employee Communications Summit includes:

• Building your brand and values through collaboration and content
• Social media inside the enterprise
• Video Podcasting: How to stream key messages to a mobile audience
• How to beat the policymakers, lawyers and IT to get your social media channel up and running 
• How to use social media to energise and motivate the work force.

You can book online to attend the conference which is taking place on the 5 and 6 June 2008 in London (there is also a pre conference workshop).

I’ll be attending with my notebook and recorder in hand and hope that I’ll get the chance to capture some great insights to share with you. and if you are considering attending, let me know as it will be great to connect with you at the International Employee Communications Summit.

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If you are an HR professional, talent manager or business coach, you night be interested in joining us for the next Association for Coaching in Ireland masterclass, ‘The Benefits Of Developing A Coaching Culture‘.

The event will tak place on Tuesday 20 May, 2008 in Dublin and on Wednesday 21 May 2008 in Belfast.

It will feature a case study of how Irish call centre Gem is using coaching to enhance organisational performance and is being led by Andrea Close Quality Manager for Gem, and Carole Pemberton, of Coaching to Solutions.

At this event we will explore a case study of how Gem is creating a coaching culture. Gem was established in 2000 and is a privately owned outsource contact centre based in Belfast delivering innovative services for market leading organisations across a wide range of geographic regions, sectors and channels.

Employing over 1000 people, Gem is dedicated to delivering outstanding results for our clients and our performance has been recognised through the many industry awards for recruitment, training, innovative use of technology and business development. 

Gem faces the challenges of every call centre - how to engage, motivate and retain a young, educated and mobile workforce, so that its level of service delivery meets client needs.  Their answer has been to develop an approach to coaching that aligns with their culture and values, an approach that makes coaching a part of how people work together.

Details of how to book to attend the Association for Coaching in Ireland masterclass can be found online.

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So with just a week until Christmas, have you remembered to buy gifts for your colleagues and business partners? And what about your team?
A recent survey by Morgan McKinley of secretarial and support staff working in London’s financial services industry has found that a 71 percent of bosses have either never, or only occasionally, shown their appreciation for their hard work.

77 percent of the respondents to the survey said that they would be more enthusiastic about their work if their boss showed their appreciation more often - and I am guessing less likely to resign as research into retention consistently show that people leave jobs not usually because of financial reward or career progression, but because of the relationships - or should I say poor relationships with their boss.

And when it comes to Christmas gifts, 56 percent of the respondents either didn’t like the gift they received from their bosses last Christmas or didn’t receive one at all.

So what do you buy your administration assistant? Well the respondents to the survey indicated that the most wanted gifts were:

• Dinner for two at a top restaurant
• Luxury accessories or gift ‘experience’ vouchers
• Pampering/grooming products.

And the three Christmas gifts to avoid were:

• Chocolates
• Designer stationery
• Flowers/plants.

Taking a little time and thinking through what would really inspire your people and connect to their interests and passions as a Christmas gift takes little time and perhaps a little more effort than a job lot of hampers or buying a case of wine. However it will mean that your team realise that they are valued as individuals.

I always find that selecting a gift that is something that I know a member of my team would really enjoy and perhaps is something that they would not indulge or invest in themselves goes down a treat.

So if you haven’t finished your Christmas shopping you have just about enough time to find a gift that will inspire and excite your team.

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In today’s work place how do you ensure that your people are connected and engaged with your business goals?

What actions can you take as an HR professional to ensure that your business leaders connect and inspire your people so that you deliver great performance?

We have all heard that we must communicate, communicate, communicate. But how do you avoid misunderstandings, different messages being delivered and at the same time unlock the hidden knowledge in your organisation that will lead to competitive advantage and business success?

These are just a few of the questions we will cover in a workshop I am leading at the forthcoming HR Ireland “HR Driving Performance Conference” taking place in Dublin on the 19 and 20 February 2008. Book your place today.

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While it is wonderful to host podcasts, it’s also lovely to be invited to be a guest on podcasts. I recently had the opportunity to be a guest on my great friend and business colleague Anna Farmery’s podcast.

Anna asked me a question I am rarely asked - “how to ensure that development is at the core of your business and why development is so key to business success”.

I share my thoughts and experience on these questions also how by investing in your people development strategy (remember development does not necessarily mean attending training courses - far from it) can support you buildng a compelling and magnetic employer brand.

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