Remote and home working have been a rising trend for organizations in recent years. However, for the first time, many are now adjusting to an enforced company-wide home working policy as part of a global campaign to combat the coronavirus outbreak.

This means employees are currently facing the potential of working from home for an extended period, with minimal previous experience or time to prepare for the change.

As governments continue rolling out stronger measures to address the spread, this new way of working comes alongside broader isolation protocols preventing social contact with friends and extended family.

It’s a uniquely challenging set of circumstances and many of our traditional management strategies to combat remote worker loneliness — such as bringing staff into the office periodically, setting them up in a coworking space, or encouraging them to get out the house or engage in external social activities — are now redundant. This is new territory. …

Our senior leaders are the focal point during crisis or change, and a central influence on our company culture. However, they’re often invisible to those who need that direction most. How do we connect our leaders to remote staff?

Those charged with steering the organizational ship have a huge impact on its success.

From holding responsibility for its financial health to representing the brand and public image of the company, allocating resources, or setting out the organizational direction: the responsibilities are extensive.

They’re also a defining factor when it comes to company culture, and it’s our leaders that we immediately look to during times of crisis, change, or uncertainty.

It’s no wonder, then, that their presence and management during these times is directly related to how employees engage and respond: and how businesses fare long-term as a result. …

As organizations worldwide adapt to a fundamental shift in how and where we work, here’s a breakdown of the tools, apps, and functionality your business needs.

The last few weeks have seen our every day and working lives change at a rapid pace, in an unprecedented situation that sees new updates issued almost by the hour. With the latest guidance around social distancing and home working, our digital workplaces are being put to task. Is yours robust and agile enough to stand up to the challenge?

While the majority of organizations are likely to have a solid foundation in place, these unique circumstances can expose gaps we didn’t even know we had.

Employees are now needing to find new ways of connecting with information and each other, as concerns rise for well-being and mental health alongside business continuity and productivity. We’re building new environments and behaviors, which will potentially change the workplace forever. …

Worried new year’s resolutions may result in a mass exodus of your staff? It’s time to take action. Here’s how to halt post-festive turnover.

It’s the dawn of a new year, and your offices are looking a bit more empty than usual. Perhaps a number of your staff are still away for the holidays. Or, maybe you’ve simply fallen victim to post-festive staff turnover.

In fact, as we write this, the top three Twitter trends in the UK are currently, ‘#jobsearch’, ‘#newyearnewjob’ and ‘#firstdayback’ (many of which are, shall we say, less than positive). #Divorceday is also trending, but that’s a whole other kind of clean break.

Your business may be refreshed and ready to boom for a new and productive year, but it’s clear your employees are still reeling from the festivities. …

Trying to plan ahead for the next 12 months? Predicting the future is harder now than it’s ever been. If you’re struggling to get started, we’ve got the top trends and internal comms must-haves to include on your plan.

Are you ready for 2020?

If the past year — or, indeed, decade — has taught us anything, it’s that we can never truly predict what lies ahead. Terrifying as it is to accept (especially for those of us who love to plan things out in minute detail) it’s impossible to prepare for every eventuality.

But as we step into planning mode for 2020, it’s clear the coming twelve months are going to bring some BIG changes.

We’ve got the presidential elections in the US, against the background of an impeachment trial and wider societal issues around immigration, climate change, corporate misconduct, and more. …

Employee trust is one of those intangible elements in the workplace that can have a far-reaching impact on everything from staff turnover and productivity to financial performance and more. It’s also something that has to be earned: and when lost, it can be very difficult to recover.

For a staggering 93% of employees, trust in their direct boss is essential to staying satisfied at work ( Ultimate Software).

We now recognize that ruling through a culture of fear and tyranny is a recipe for disaster for organizations: to get the most out of our staff, trust and respect are paramount.

Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something.

However, it’s also one of those elements that can be difficult to establish and nurture in today’s workplace.

For starters, it’s not something you can get with a quick fix: trust has to be earned over time. It’s often dependent upon the actions of individuals — in particular, our middle and senior management — rather than the collective organization as a whole. …

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) continue to be both a priority and a challenge in today’s workplaces. But aside from being a legal and moral obligation, diversity actually makes for more successful, profitable organizations and happier employees: and communication has a critical role to play.

When we embrace and value different thoughts, ideas, experiences, and identities — and the ways in which those differences bring unique ways of working to our organizations — everyone stands to benefit.

Diversity and inclusion have been hot on the CSR agenda for many years, but truly cultivating an inclusive environment for our employees goes a great deal further than merely hiring more individuals from underrepresented groups. It requires a cultural shift, a commitment at every level of our organizations: and that’s something that isn’t always easy or attainable.

While we’re now the most diverse we’ve ever been, there is still some way to go. Many organizations still struggle to talk about and address issues around D&I: particularly as it inherently involves conversations about gender, race, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, and more. …

The education and research provider needed to shake up its communications offering to empower staff to better support students

With a website that was struggling to meet the demands of its two distinct audiences — its internal staff, and the external students it serves — Manchester Metropolitan University needed a fresh approach.

The University boasts over 5,300 to 5,700 staff, including sessional staff working within the University seasonally or for short periods of time. Dispersed across 5 faculties and 13 research centers, the staff is responsible for over 38,000 students at any time.

To provide students with the correct support, information and to signpost effectively, staff need the right tools, knowledge, and connections.

However, internal information and documents were static, growing around departmental structures and often ending up mixed in with student material. With everything living on its external WordPress site, staff faced challenges and frustrations finding what they needed. …