Your HR Pro

Occasionally, your company may issue significant revisions to the employee handbook, which need to be handled differently than minor edits. Developing a communication strategy and accompanying plan will help you foresee pitfalls and successfully navigate challenges.

Any suitable communications plan follows the RPIE format:

• Research,
• Planning,
• Implementation, and
• Evaluation.

Here is how you can apply each step to create an effective communication strategy:

• Research. Before rolling out the new employee handbook, it’s important to understand the potential impact of the changes on your employees.
  • Audiences. Your primary audience is all employees, but your secondary audience is supervisors and leadership. Another audience will be vendors that need the new handbook to implement the policies, such as your payroll provider for HRIS provider.
  • Messages. Each of your audiences will need a different message. As part of your research, you’ll want to remember the different messages each of your audiences will receive and how you can look to perfect those messages and their delivery.
  • History. Start by reviewing the history of your employee handbook. Identify key learnings from previous handbook rollouts.
  • Survey. If you survey employees about their perceptions before the rollout, then you can measure their perceptions after the rollout and see if your rollout had an impact. You may want to keep your survey simple and anonymous to collect the most useful feedback.
• Plan. Based on your research, you can develop a communication plan that outlines the key messages, channels, and timing for communicating the changes to employees. The plan should include:
  • Key messages. Develop a set of key messages that clearly explain why the changes are necessary, what they will mean for employees, and how they will benefit the company and its employees.
  • Communication channels. Determine the most effective communication channels to reach your employees, such as email, company intranet, town hall meetings, or one-on-one meetings with managers.
  • Timing. Set a timeline for when and how often you will communicate the changes to employees, and make sure to factor in enough time for employees to ask questions and provide feedback.
• Implement. Once you have a plan, it’s time to implement it. Here are some key steps to follow:
  • Communicate early and often. Start communicating the changes as soon as possible and continue regularly throughout the rollout process.
  • Be transparent. Be open and honest about why the changes are necessary and how they will impact employees.
  • Use clear language. Avoid using technical jargon or complex language that may confuse employees. Use clear, simple language that everyone can understand.
  • Address concerns and questions. Be prepared to address employees’ concerns or questions and provide clear, concise answers.
• Evaluate. After the rollout is complete, it’s important to evaluate the effectiveness of your communication strategy. Here are some key metrics to consider:
  • Employee feedback. Gather employee feedback to see how well the communication strategy worked and identify areas for improvement.
  • Employee engagement. Track employee engagement levels to see if the changes had a positive or negative impact.
  • Compliance. Monitor compliance with the new handbook policies to ensure employees understand and follow them.

You don’t need to feel like your handbook rollout is haphazard. You can develop a communication strategy that effectively prepares employees for the changes in the new handbook, addresses their concerns and questions, and ultimately leads to a successful rollout.