Reduced advertising revenues as a result of global recession and increasing ... arriving separately was impacting produc
Internal Communications in a Downturn TVNZ’s Internal Communications Objectives: Reduced advertising revenues as a result of global recession and increasing competition from non traditional media sources forced TVNZ to look for ways to innovate, increase operational efficiency and reduce costs. Reduced resources meant that some of TVNZ’s staff faced increased work loads, hence the ‘bandwidth’ available for Internal Communications cut-though was reduced. Key Internal Communications objectives for TVNZ: Ensure important Internal Communications achieved cut-through in a climate of overload. In order to keep employees informed and operationally effective, TVNZ was looking for engaging ways to repeat important messages in order to ensure message cut-through was achieved. Reduce email overload. Prior to the use of the SnapComms Internal Communications channels, an average of 25 ‘mass email updates’ were being sent separately to staff each week. The interruption caused by these messages arriving separately was impacting productivity and causing email overload. Transform the intranet into an efficient business tool. TVNZ wanted to reduce the clutter on its intranet and reduce the resource required to manage it. The intranet needed to become a clean business tool, allowing staff to find what they needed quickly and easily. Co-ordinate internal and external communications. As the national broadcaster with well known presenters, TVNZ is sometimes critiqued by other media sources. To maintain employee engagement, it is important to demonstrate to staff how TVNZ has responded to media coverage. Emails suffered from low cut-through and were potentially easy to forward on to external parties. Alternative, more engaging and secure Internal Communications channels were required. Support the HR function with cost effective HR communications tools. TVNZ wanted to find cost effective replacements for HR communications systems including; employee induction programs, exit interviews, performance management frameworks and HR benchmarking tools. Explain the ‘why’ behind key decisions to help staff remain aligned to TVNZ. To help staff cope with change and remain aligned to TVNZ, it was important to provide staff with regular updates and feedback channels regarding the thinking behind key decisions that the business was making. Find appropriate ways to boost morale and engage staff. TVNZ wanted to boost morale and build engagement in ways that were authentic and sensitive to pressures it’s employees were facing. Monitor the effectiveness of Internal Communications via regular measurement. In a climate of cost reduction and information overload, it was important to be able to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of TVNZ’s Internal Communications.
Customer Profile TVNZ is New Zealand's largest free-to-air broadcaster and is also the nation's only public television broadcaster. It operates four channels; TV ONE and TV 2, and two digital- channels, TVNZ 6 and TVNZ 7. It also has an online presence and offers catch up TV on tvnz.co.nz Business Situation Increased competition from new media sources such as PC and mobile devices mean that it is important for TVNZ to increase business efficiencies and to drive business innovation. Internal Communications Situation Reduced resources and downsizing of the Internal Communications team meant that Internal Communications channels needed to be quick, and easy to use. Measuring the effectiveness of the channels was also important. Internal Communications Tools: • Screensaver Messages • Interactive Staff Magazines
As well as addressing the above issues, TVNZ was facing the following Internal Communications challenges: Diversity of staff. TVNZ employs a diverse range of staff types each with different Internal Communications requirements e.g. news room teams, sales teams, production teams etc. Remote locations. The Internal Communications team needed effective Internal Communications channels to reach all staff at any time regardless of their location. Shift workers. TVNZ employs shift workers and was looking for a way to expire out-of-date or time sensitive content to avoid overloading shift workers with irrelevant messages.
“It’s hard to focus on achievement and boost morale when budgets are being cut” Carly Orr, TVNZ Internal Communications Manager
The SnapComms Internal Communications tools have allowed TVNZ to meet it’s Internal Communications objectives using channels such as; interactive screensaver messages, user generated staff magazines and pop-up staff surveys and quizzes. Messages can be easily targeted to specified groups of staff which allows the TVNZ team to customize message to suit different types of staff in any location. The SnapComms Internal Communications System also allows the Internal Communications team to monitor readership, track trends and measure the effectiveness of TVNZ’s Internal Communications.
• Desktop Alert System • Pop up Staff Surveys • Pop up Staff Quizzes
Featuring: • Message targeting • Message recurrence • Easy to use templates • Message click-through • Content scheduling • Content expiry
“The PowerPoint option makes it easy to create engaging screensaver messages.” Carly Orr, TVNZ Internal Communications Manager
Real Solutions for Real Internal Communications Problems
Interactive Screensaver Messages. Screensaver messages are now used to build morale in appropriate ways, for example:
• • • • •
Profiling new TV shows and live events Promoting staff social functions Publicizing good news stories e.g. viewing figures versus competing programs Promotion of the staff Christmas party Publicizing initiatives that staff can participate in such as; Save the Kiwi (T-shirt design competition to win participation in a kiwi release program) and SPCA event (puppy and kitten visit to TVNZ and fundraising activity)
Screensaver messages are also used to increase message cut-though, for example: Screensaver promoting a themed TNVZ social function
• • • •
House keeping reminders – e.g. reminding staff to wear their security passes Renaming of a business unit Countdown reminders for performance reviews Encouraging staff to share ideas around specific initiatives
Pop up staff surveys pushed to the desktop The Snap Poll tool is used to support HR communications, for example :
• •
Staff survey to gather feedback and assess understanding of key CEO messages
• • • •
To measure and improve the effectiveness of a Business Leadership Program To measure the implementation of a new performance framework (by polling managers regarding their progress against milestones) To conduct confidential exit interviews To collect ideas and assess feelings prior to team planning sessions Measure and benchmark the performance of internal teams as perceived by staff Temperature checks to assess feelings and gather feedback on key issues
The Snap Poll tool is also used to measure Internal Communications:
• •
To measure effectiveness and gather feedback on Internal Communications events (e.g. road shows, breakfast meetings and departmental briefings) To measure understanding and attitudes and to keep lines of communications open following a communications initiative for example, ‘Response to Recession’ departmental briefings by the CEO.
User targeting and automated recurrence options allow TVNZ to ensure high survey participation rates and to sample staff to gather representative feedback. Snap Staff E-Mag – User generated electronic staff magazine TVNZ is able to aggregate many of it’s mass email updates into a single update using Snap Mag, thereby reducing email overload. The Snap Mag format allows any TVNZ employee to submit their own message or news item, which has also helped involve and engage staff. Other example Snap Mag content:
• • • • • Snap Mag - Staff Magazine featuring user generated content
Staff offers e.g. audience calls for new shows and special offers on merchandise Staff competitions, e.g. NZ music month Promoting external websites for new TV shows Articles explaining how TVNZ has responded to media coverage News items that would previously have been ‘cluttering up’ the intranet.
The HR team has also used the Snap Mag and Snap Staff Quiz tools to develop a TVNZ Induction Magazine with embedded quizzes for staff to complete. Snap Staff Quiz – Interactive staff quizzes pushed to the desktop TVNZ uses Snap Staff Quiz tool to reinforce training and build knowledge. Examples include:
• • • Health and safety quiz
Heath and Safety Quiz Security Quiz Induction Quizzes
“The Snap tools have made it possible for me to communicate with our staff in creative, engaging and energetic ways. It’s had a very positive impact on our culture.” Carly Orr, TVNZ Internal Communications Manager
Real Solutions for Real Internal Communications Problems
