INTERNAL PUBLIC RELATIONS
Internal PR is a form of relation
that exists between the owners of the organization, their management and the
employees. Employee relations deal with the communication and the programs that
are embarked upon by PR practitioners to ensure harmonious relationship between
management and employees of the organization.
Employees
are one of the most important audiences a company has, and an ongoing public
relations program is necessary to maintain employee good will as well as to
uphold the company's image and reputation among its employees. The essence of a
good employee relations program is keeping employees informed and providing
them with channels of communication to upper levels of management. Bechtel
Group, a privately held complex of operating companies, published an annual
report for its employees to keep them informed about the company's operations.
The company used surveys to determine what information employees considered
useful. A range of other communication devices were used, including a monthly
tabloid and magazine, a quarterly video magazine, local newsletters, bulletin
boards, a call-in telephone service, and "brown bag" lunches where
live presentations were made about the company. Suggestion systems are another
effective way to improve employee-management communications.
Other
public relations programs focusing on employees include training them as
company public relations representatives; explaining benefits programs to them;
offering them educational, volunteer, and citizenship opportunities; and
staging special events such as picnics or open houses for them. Other programs
can improve performance and increase employee pride and motivation. Public
relations can also play a role in recruiting new employees; handling
reorganizations, relocations, and mergers; and resolving labor disputes.
Media to reach Employees
The employees could be reached
through the notice board, internal memo in situations that are normal, staff
and management meetings, workers forum, news bulletins, news letters, journals,
internet, (intranet), and telephone, etc are tools of communication within an
organization.
Employee relations can also involve
putting programs in place to secure mutual relations, e.g. end of year party,
long service awards, and monthly awards, e.g. Best staff, staff bus, housing
estate, clinics, training/seminars and other incentives.
The PR man should always carryout
research to find out the level of understanding of the staff by management.
Some of the means of doing this research are:
Communication Audit – this is a kind
of tool that enables you to know how well and effective the management is able
to communicate with the employees.
The kind of message contained in the
communication between management and employees.
Whether the messages are understood.
The appropriateness of the media. i.e. where
the get information and where the will love to get it.
Prof. Sam Black once said
of Employee Communication:
“Internal public relations is an
extremely wide field. It embraces almost everything –other than pay- which
encourages employees to make their maximum contribution to productivity and the
prosperity of the company. The field is not sharply defined; it overlaps with
personnel welfare, labor relations and training, and must work in harmony with
these other equally important facets of industrial management. Public Relations
can contribute to the creation of an atmosphere in which people work more
effectively and willingly; and therefore produce better goods at lower costs.
It can initiate suggestion scheme and safety campaigns, lessen waste,
carelessness and absenteeism, as well as enable management to communicate more
effectively with employees at all levels for example through house journal and
joint consultation techniques.
The importance of employee communication lies in the fact
that employees play a vital role in creating the image of a company through
their contact with customers, their circle of family and friends and their
participation in community affairs and political life. Properly informed and
motivated, they can be one of the most powerful support groups in seeking to
achieve positive internal image for an organization.
Expectations of Both
Management & Employees in Employee Relations
(i)
Management
expects employees to meet certain standards of performance and behavior.
Behaviors such as Absenteeism, change in employee behavior, slow performance
and grievances are below what the management expects from employees.
(ii)
Similarly,
the employees also expects the management to provide them with safe-working
environment, fair treatment, good incentives, opportunities to participate in
decision making and job satisfaction.
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