GLOBAL WORKFORCE

Many of our clients have global workforces, so that impacts how we approach their internal communications. Their employees have counterparts, team members and even managers living and working in different time zones. Our goal as internal communicators is to make the world a little smaller by connecting employees across geography. Here are five ways to help make that happen:

Unite employees in a common purpose

There’s power in diversity of thought and experience, and that’s one of the strengths of a global workforce. At the same time, we want to align employees across the world with a shared sense of purpose and help them understand how their individual roles support that purpose.

Build inclusivity into your content

In addition to showing diversity in the individuals you feature in your content, be sure to give visibility to your range of geographic locations. Beware of having your communications portray a US-centric view. Including that far-flung office in Sydney or Chennai means a lot.

Form a global editorial board

We often form editorial boards composed of employees from around the world to avoid a US-centric skew. We rely on them to suggest individuals in their locations to feature for various topics and themes. They know people, especially on the front line, that our clients may not.

Show faces to build human connections

Technology can help us bridge the gap left in the absence of face-to-face interaction. We often shoot remote videos of employees worldwide to represent the diverse geography of a global workforce. We also encourage clients to invest in candid employee photography in major locations.

Recognize that time zones are tough

The sun rises and sets on its own sweet time but do what you can to encourage a meeting culture that respects the working hours of a global workforce. For instance, employees in India might work US business hours, but they’d probably prefer a meeting at 9 pm their time than 2 am.