7 min read
Getting internal communications down pat can be extremely difficult, especially when a lot of communications tools simply don’t meet the needs of organizations, or align with how their people prefer to digest content. Internal communication hits a massive roadblock when people aren’t interested in or can’t find the content you want them to see.
But there are companies who do internal communications well. It might be the tools they use, it might be the communications strategy they employ, or it might be the engaged employees who are enlisted to amplify updates and news. Perhaps it’s all of these. So who are these organizations and how do they do internal communications so well?
As it turns out, some of them happen to be Jostle customers!
We always love hearing from our customers, especially when they’re doing great things with their intranets to facilitate internal communication. Here’s what five of our customers had to say about how they’ve improved their internal communications.
Bentley’s Pet Stuff is a retailer of natural food, treats, toys, and accessories for dogs and cats. We spoke with Kate Maney, Human Resources Director, to find out how they’ve streamlined their internal communications.
Q: What kind of internal communications do you publish, and where do your people go to find them?
A: We share all processes and procedures, industry related news, updates on our product, fun pet related information, and training on Bark About It, our intranet’s news feed. We also like to post articles that are fun, educational, or of-the-moment regarding promotions, company-wide events, recognition, and weekly news.
Q: What do you think is the secret to ensuring your people read your newsfeed? How is it working out?
A: We’ve created a 'one-stop shop’ of communication for all teams, from social interaction to policies and procedures to education. The biggest change we’ve seen is our teams interacting with each other daily to share ideas. It’s definitely building relationships with people outside of wherever they may work. Teams now relate to and interact with other teams that work outside of their market.
Q: How do you make sure your internal comms strategy is always improving?
A: We’re able to get fast feedback from all on what's working or not working. And our intranet is proving to be a fantastic training tool for not only new hires but all of our people, regardless of whether they've been with us for 10 days or 10 years.
Bentley’s Pet Stuff managed to consolidate its internal communication by creating a “one-stop shop” with their Jostle newsfeed. Once everyone was on the same platform, important updates and announcements became easier to find and discuss across the company.
District of Lake Country is a municipality located in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. We spoke with Holly Flinkman, Manager of HR and Health Sustainability, to learn about how their internal communications makes their organization more connected.
Q: What kind of internal communications do you publish on Jostle?
A: We use our intranet for important safety bulletins, and other important information about emergencies. These are signed off through the intranet so it can be tracked. We also use staff polls to plan events, get feedback, and plan options for the wellness committee activities.
Q: How has Jostle changed the way your organization communicates?
A: Our communication is now much more interactive than it was with SharePoint. Prior to Jostle, our intranet was a one way tool for communication.
Q: How do you reach remote workers or people dispersed across multiple locations?
A: Mobile use has enhanced the depth of users. Now, our outside team and management teams use Jostle to respond to internal communications.
District of Lake Country uses Jostle to promote important safety bulletins and information about emergencies that can be signed off to ensure they’re read by all employees. By transforming the way they do internal communications, they’ve been able to create a more positive interaction between management and staff across their whole organization. They’ve also provided their people with accurate and consistent information, which prepares their staff to communicate externally with the public.
Founded in 1995, BTI Studios operates in 24 local facilities across the globe, offering dubbing and subtitling services into 80+ language combinations. We asked Sophia Klippvik, Marketing Assistant, how they’ve improved their internal communications using their intranet.
Q: Your company has offices around the world. How do you ensure that each of these locations stays up to date on news and internal communications?
A: We have 24 offices spread around the world, and Jostle plays a key role in helping all of our employees share activities and news from their office with their fellow colleagues. This helps everyone at BTI Studios feel part of one team despite being in different geographical locations. This brings them closer together and in turn, helps the workflow and communication between them so that they can more effectively work together on projects.
Q: What does Jostle do to make communication easier for your management and employees?
A: Jostle helps senior management share news and updates happening internally at our company in one place where everyone can read the news and be on the same page. This creates open communication and transparency which is also very important in our BTI Studios family!
This helps all of our staff stay up to date on what’s happening directly. And if they have any concerns they can voice them on Jostle via a discussion or commentary, which helps us overcome any challenges that might come with being a large international company.
Q: What kind of news do you publish?
A: We post articles when we want to announce and bring across important information. Articles allow us to go into depth when we write about policies that are changing, updating or adding within the company.
BTI Studios has turned internal communications into a two-way street by giving employees a place to read them and a way to comment on and discuss what’s happening at their local office and across the entire company. Their intranet has given them a way to communicate and keep up to date on important company news.
CaptureRX is San Antonio, Texas-based healthcare technology company that serves more than 540 hospitals and health centers in 45 states via a pharmacy network of more than 3,500 contracted locations of independent, national and regional pharmacies. We asked Matt Luttrell, Marketing Specialist, how CaptureRX runs its internal communications.
Q: What are some problems your company is solving with Jostle?
A: A key business challenge we’re solving with Jostle is getting our employees aligned when it comes to internal communication, culture, and document sharing.
Q: What’re you doing to solve these issues?
A: Our CEO has started his own blog that he publishes every month to address any issues or concerns. A few other employees have followed suit and contribute their own blogs to address FAQs for their position or department.
Q: What kind of updates do you publish internally?
A: As you can imagine, HR has a lot of important company announcements, and they like using Jostle because it cuts down on emails and is in a permanent, central place.
We also post regular "Around Town" articles that include anything from the hottest lunch spots opening up around us to events that are happening for the upcoming month in our downtown area. We have a care committee that posts company events such as company retreats, company picnics, Christmas party details, and charity opportunities.
A variety of departments at CaptureRX have adopted Jostle as their go-to place for reading and creating internal communications. It’s helped facilitate sharing of all kinds of information about events and news, which has helped break down barriers between departments and create a more connected organization.
Per Scholas is an American not-for-profit that drives positive social change in communities across the country by preparing unemployed and underemployed adults for successful careers in IT. We spoke with Kenneth Walker, Senior VP, Core Mission Support, to find out how Per Scholas uses Jostle to make their internal communications open, informative, and transparent.
Q: What business challenges are you solving with your intranet?
A: The number one challenge Jostle solved since we launched in 2016, and continues to solve, is organizational-wide communication. Implementing Jostle has helped us literally and mentally become a national organization.
Q: How has your internal communications strategy changed since using Jostle?
A: Internal communication on our intranet happens almost organically; however, Per Scholas' marketing and communications team manages weekly updates and correspondence from team members at each of our six sites.
Jostle has strengthened the organization's internal and external communication strategies and Per Scholas has become one of the premier nonprofits within our sector, with a strong and positive organizational culture.
Q: You mentioned the role your marketing and communications teams play in your internal communications strategy. What about your leadership team?
A: Leadership's involvement around internal communication on our intranet is critical. In fact, Jostle is the only platform where staff receives updates from the Core Mission Support Team (National Staff Members and Leadership).
Q: How has Jostle helped your newest employees become acquainted with your organization?
A: Jostle is the number one and most utilized platform for new hires because it's an all-inclusive resource. The platform offers a comfortable place where Per Scholas staff can ask questions, highlight successes, and lean on each other for support or advice at work. All of which were non-existent for a national organization prior to launching Jostle.
Spearheaded by their marketing, communications, and leadership teams, Per Scholas’ internal communications strategy has proved an unprecedented success. By transforming the way communication happens, Per Scholas was able to scale their growth while strengthening their strong, positive organizational culture.
Our customers continue to impress us with the ways in which they use their intranets to transform their internal communications strategies. Each of the five customers listed here was able to create a more connected workplace by consolidating means of communication, creating a go-to place for their people to interact and learn what’s happening at their organization. If you’re a Jostle customer, or just someone who’s looking for a way to improve your internal communications game, we hope you’ve found this useful.
Read more by
Corey Moseley
Jostle’s employee success platform is where everyone connects, communicates, and celebrates at work. Find out more at jostle.me. © 2009–2024 Jostle Corporation. All rights reserved.
