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When internal communication teams notice a gradual decline in employee activity halfway through the year, it can only mean one thing: summer has arrived! Colleagues take turns going on vacation, we work according to changed schedules, and, of course, there is the heat, which immediately puts most people into vacation mode. However, there is no reason for concern - the situation simply calls for a little fine-tuning of communication.
Nothing has gone wrong; this is simply the nature of the season. Fewer people follow internal news, whether they are on vacation or covering for a colleague, and participation in campaigns also declines. It is simply more difficult to maintain the usual rhythm of internal communication during the summer.
What is needed during this period is not more communication, but simpler content. Easy-to-digest messages that focus on one topic at a time, along with short and straightforward news updates, work better.
Simple topics and lighter news should take priority during the summer not only because colleagues are more willing to dedicate time to them. Longer, more serious messages - even when they are essential - are very difficult to communicate effectively during this period. We are more distracted and less focused, and we work according to different schedules than usual. It is not realistic to expect these messages to reach colleagues effectively during such a fragmented period.
Important organizational changes and other serious or extensive topics should be scheduled for a time when normal working routines have resumed.
Messages targeted according to groups, shifts and other standard categories are unfortunately not as effective during the summer as they are throughout the rest of the year. Employees on vacation need to be covered, colleagues may be assigned to different shifts, and workloads generally increase as a result. This may seem like a minor detail, but it is often only at the end of the summer that organizations realize the problem may have been related to message targeting. Information may have reached the wrong people, while employee activity and attention to internal communication content may have declined.
During this period, it may be more effective to target messages based on current work schedules and substitutions rather than the usual audience groups: personalizing communication where necessary and possible.
Summer may not be the best time to launch major HR campaigns, but it is important to maintain opportunities for the community to remain active. Even one small activity per week can help prevent colleagues from feeling disconnected from the workplace community due to frequent substitutions or time spent on vacation.
A summer photo competition, a few quizzes and polls, or some sports-related and other playful challenges require little organization but can help employees remain active.
Reaching and engaging non-desk employees is always more difficult, and even more so amid the disruption of the summer period. Employees working in shifts, at different locations, in production facilities or on the frontline are particularly vulnerable to being left out of the internal communication flow during vacations, shift changes and substitutions.
Internal communication platforms that are also accessible on mobile devices bridge the gap between desk-based and non-desk employees. They support employee involvement and enable everyone to participate in community activities. During the summer period, the advantages of mobile app accessibility become even more significant.
Blue Colibri provides a platform that helps internal communication remain continuous and effective, even during the slower summer period. Since everyone receives information through the same platform, and non-desk employees can also be reached easily through their mobile devices, there is no need to worry about colleagues becoming isolated between June and September. In the Blue Colibri App, employees can complete quick quizzes and polls, participate in entertaining activities and follow company news. Employees affected by new work schedules can also receive information directly.
Workplaces always operate a little differently during vacation season: employees are not continuously present, but connections can still be maintained. With flexible and targeted communication, employees can remain active participants in everyday company life throughout the summer.
