Employees at Franklin Bank are in the
know, thanks to The Inspire, a monthly newsletter posted on the company intranet. The six- to eight-page e-publication contains high-quality pictures, news
briefs on employee accomplishments,
kudos to top performers and information
on the bank’s new customers and latest
endeavors.
“The cornerstone of an internal newsletter is employee recognition,” says Craig
Johnson, president and CEO, Franklin
Bank, Southfield, Mich. “Second, a
newsletter should highlight company
news, whether financial information, mergers and acquisitions, initiatives — all those
things. An internal newsletter is an effective open forum.”
Customers also pick up printed copies of
The Inspire to learn more about Franklin
Bank’s company culture, Johnson adds.
Smart Business asked Johnson how an
internal newsletter can function, what content to include and how to get started.
How does an internal newsletter benefit the
company and its employees?
An internal newsletter can improve
employee morale and let staff know that
they are on ‘the inside.’ With this forum in
place, employees know they won’t have to
read about a significant company event in
their local newspaper first. Internal
newsletters encourage employees to participate in the process, to bring forward
their ideas, join committees and get
involved in initiatives. Over time, employees really take ownership of their publication. They get to know their co-workers
better and learn how different departments
in the company function. This communication format is one more way to strengthen
employees’ commitment to your company.
Also, in printed format, the tool is valuable
for recruitment.
What should the newsletter include?
Just because you produce an internal
newsletter does not mean employees will
read it. Your employees are not the captive
audience you may expect. You must
include compelling content that is relevant, interesting and written in a voice that
keeps people’s attention. In other words,
avoid dryly regurgitating last month’s numbers or plopping in overpolished material
from your PR or HR departments.
This newsletter should speak to employees in a casual tone, addressing milestones
and achievements of co-workers and also
sharing important company news. It’s
important to strike this balance. For
instance, you may print a list of top department performers, include an employee
profile in each issue, and list birthdays and
anniversaries — information employees
really look forward to reading. But your
staff also wants to know about benefit plan
changes, new customers, continuing education opportunities, new branches or
offices opened and the latest company initiatives. Mix ‘light’ announcements with
business news. And address subjects that
may be uncomfortable. Employees need to
know the bad news, too.
How should sensitive business information
be communicated in an internal newsletter?
Management must be willing to share the
good and the bad. This can be difficult, particularly for closely held companies, but communicating ups and downs helps build
employee trust. You want your staff to
know that they can depend on the internal
newsletter as a reliable source for company news — not just fluff. That said, you
should be careful how you couch unfavorable financial news or other sensitive topics. Communicate in clear language, avoid
clouding the message with marketing messages — remember, you’re talking to ‘your
team.’ Leave employees feeling secure
about their roles in the business and
informed about the reality. Also, you can
count on the fact that employees will share
their internal newsletter with outsiders.
Only print what you want others to know.
And don’t criticize your competition.
How do you manage the review process?
Managers need to commit to deadlines
and recognize that regular, predictable
publishing of the newsletter is critical. You
should include quality photographs, print it
on nice paper stock and take care to design
a visually appealing newsletter. How you
present the information is almost as important as what you say. If the publication is
written by your employees, be careful not
to police the content. You’ll want to review
it before publishing. Set aside the time to
do so, and show those who work hard on
your newsletter that their efforts are a priority to you.
When is it a good idea to hire an outside firm
to produce the newsletter?
Producing an internal newsletter is time-consuming and, depending on the frequency and sophistication of the articles and
design, you may wish to outsource the
project. You can hire writers/consultants to
produce the newsletter, but be sure to
appoint a person in-house who will serve
as the liaison. If you produce the newsletter in-house, give employees the freedom
to produce the publication and understand
that the responsibility is on top of their regular duties.
CRAIG JOHNSON is president and CEO of Franklin Bank in Southfield, Mich. Reach him at [email protected] or (248) 386-9860.