Lack of employee satisfaction survey, informal conversations, team meetings and other venues of communication is a big concern in most companies, especially the larger ones.
Most companies appear to be faceless and soulless organizations due to this problem, which is even heightened with the high-tech communication systems used by both managers and employees.
Top managers often isolate themselves physically and psychologically from other employees, endangering effective employee communication.
Effective communication with employees begins with the manner by which managers interact with other employees every day.
It should always come naturally and not regarded as an additional burden to their daily tasks.
While informal conversations between managers or supervisors and employees are a good place to start, there are vital communication activities that draw employee responses and observations that would help your company understand more its management styles, areas of employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and communication concerns.
However, these activities are often overlooked and even avoided by many companies.
Communication audit does not only support money-saving efforts and reorganizations, but, more importantly, upholds positive change if you are working towards having a new culture of open communication and integrity.
The audit involves review of the policies, publications and other communication materials and media currently used by the company.
Interviews of top and middle managers also need to be done to probe into all the current communication issues and conditions.
Supervisor and employee feedback through survey, whether print or online, consumes most of the audit time and usually delivers the most revelations and realizations.
Focus groups and other structured research procedures may also be done.
All these are aiming at helping promote effective communication in the company.
Supervisor or manager evaluation does not only help improve the supervisor or the manager, but also elevates the level of the company's management.
Many companies shy away from this response process, because it often becomes a way of retaliation for disgruntled employees or does not elicit honest answers, since the employees feel or scared to voice out negative comments about their superior.
But, if conducted properly, this tool is a good way for individual and corporate continuous improvement process.
The key in conducting this type of evaluation is ensuring the way questions in the employee feedback survey or interview would draw constructive criticisms and specific ideas.
The exit interview is used by HR to get information about how the company can improve working conditions and other factors significant for employee retention.
Experts say that, while this time would be too late for you to make things up for an employee who's leaving, this is also the only time that you will most probably get the most honest answers from an employee.
An ideal exit interview starts with a light discussion about the employee's reason for leaving the company and may go on with clarification of some details.
It should end with assuring the employee that the information gathered in the interview would be used for further improvement of the company.
Getting employee feedback through survey, interview, focus group, e-mail and other vehicles of communication is something no company should neglect.
It is key to improving not just communication or one aspect of your company, but the whole organization.