We all know that communication is key. However, revenue targets and limited resources can get in the way of all-important conversations slip through the cracks. Recruiters are always busy finding suitable candidates for roles, sourcing new clients and building relationships with your existing ones all at once. You’ve got a lot on your plate, and that’s why strong internal communication is so important. So how can recruitment agencies boost internal collaboration?
There’s nothing worse than realising that no one has managed to get in touch with the perfect candidate – or finding out that three people have messaged them at once! Get back in control of your output and make it easier to meet your KPIs and targets by boosting internal communication with some smart solutions.
Strategies for Boosting Internal Collaboration
You can’t just sit people down and tell them to talk to each other, you have to create a culture where the value of communication is celebrated. Here are some great ways to get going.
1. Set expectations for internal communication
Most people find it easier to open up the lines of communication when they know what is expected of them. Set out exactly what you’d like to see when it comes to collaboration and give people a framework to follow.
For example, when recruitment agencies prioritise collaboration above individual wins, employees can feel free to share the roles they’re trying to fill and the various candidates they have with the team. That gives everyone more opportunities to find the perfect fit and better results for the agency all around. If you’re able to find any common ground or knowledge about particular kinds of clients or candidates during regular check-ins, you can even make cold calling that bit more successful.
Set out the kind of collaboration you’re looking for from the onboarding process onwards and schedule regular check-ins to ensure everybody knows that teamwork is a priority.
2. Create a feeling of community and connection
It is much easier to work as a team and feel able to communicate freely when a workplace puts effort into creating a feeling of community. Co-workers might not always have to be best friends, but they do need to feel mutual respect and care.
You can improve feelings of community by making it clear that everyone’s opinion is valued. You might want to set up regular open meetings, like a morning huddle or an afternoon tea break. Feedback should be welcome and issues calmly discussed. Meetings are a good way to make sure you’re on track to meet targets or check in on any client issues early. They also let you get ahead of them before they have a chance to become a bigger problem.
Another thing to think about is how your diversity and inclusion strategies are looking. When employees know they are being treated fairly, they are much more likely to feel part of a community.
3. Reward internal communication
Sharing knowledge, insights and resources sounds like a no-brainer, but in competitive environments, some colleagues may be scared to put their hard-won assets on the table. Recruitment teams can benefit from knowledge sharing just as much as any other industry – as long as you make sure to reward altruism as well as more traditional incentives, like revenue-based targets.
It’s up to you to get across the fact that your agency sees a willingness to share as a positive. The best way to show this is through well-defined and communicated company values. After all, 76% of employees believe a well-defined culture helps create a positive experience at work, reports Forbes.
Creating that feeling of community is a good first step. If you want people to share you have to show them how much you will appreciate their contribution too.
4. Showcase and celebrate individual strengths
A great way to grow a strong team is to ensure you’re celebrating everyone’s unique qualities. It may seem counterintuitive, but no one likes to feel like they are just a cog in a machine.
By showing recognition for the talents and attitudes of your team members, you’re making sure that employees feel appreciated and building an atmosphere of trust. According to Gallup, 66% of those on adequately praised teams strongly agree with the statement: “I trust the colleagues with whom I work regularly.” Only about a quarter of those who don’t receive team-based recognition felt the same way.
It’s also smart to create a culture of peer-to-peer recognition with the help of a recognition platform that’s geared towards sharing successes, whether that’s managing to fill a particularly tricky role, winning an RFP or getting great feedback from a client.
5. Foster a psychologically safe working environment
Working in recruitment can be stressful. Employees are likely to be juggling multiple deadlines, clients and candidates at once and the pressure can sometimes pile up. Generating new clients and keeping existing ones happy means recruiters spend a lot of time thinking about other people’s feelings and may struggle to make time for their own.
It can be hard to talk about the positions that didn’t get filled or missing out on landing a client. If you can make a space for employees to communicate without judgment, they are much more likely to share ideas and solutions freely.
This can not only help boost individual employee wellbeing but also make communication more valuable for everyone. An agency with a focus on creating a psychologically safe environment will reap the rewards of clearer communication.
6. Encourage honesty and openness
To create that safe and welcoming environment, you need to also put time into building an open an honest communication style – and this has to come from the top down.
This means working on a leadership communication style that prioritises saying the things that need to be said, even if the conversations are difficult or time is short.
When leaders are open about their fears or make it clear they will have those tough conversations, it makes it easier for everyone else to share their challenges, worries or bright ideas.
7. Make internal communication easy
One of the biggest roadblocks to efficient communication is simply a lack of time. Often, colleagues want to check in on each other and share successes and issues – they just struggle to carve out a space to do it in.
Help them out by making it clear that all levels of communication are important, from chatting over a cup of tea to presenting in meetings or simply catching up over a digital platform. With 94% of recruiters using social media, we know that the majority are tech-savvy and open to using software to check in and make updates.
At Mo, we know the value of making those little moments of connection. That’s why our employee communication platform is super easy to use and perfect for integrating into your day.
8. Celebrate and reward teamwork
Another excellent way to ensure any new communication strategy sticks is to put plenty of effort into celebrating it.
Show your team that you’re paying attention to how they’re building bonds and sharing information by offering frequent recognition and investing in rewards – specifically focused on internal communication, as well as ones for filling roles or bringing in new clients.
Our rewards and recognition platform makes it easy to keep track of positive feedback and our extensive rewards catalogue makes it easy to reward your employees in a meaningful way, whether that’s with a gift card for their favourite brand or matching hoodies for teams that excel when it comes to communication.
Transform your culture with Mo
- Improve employee engagement scores
- Reduce employee churn
- Build a collaborative culture
Mo is an employee recognition and engagement platform that can help leaders improve collaboration and morale, reduce employee churn and drive change.
Our platform creates a vibrant culture by developing team habits, encouraging people to celebrate success, recognise results and appreciate colleagues. Your complete toolkit for connecting and motivating teams in the new world of work. Book a demo with our team today.
