NCET Biz Tips: PEOs and Internal Communications Strategies
Have a business or technology question? Send it to ask@NCET.org and if selected, NCET’s panel of business and technology experts will answer it in our monthly column.
Can a PEO help my business?”
Chris Boline
With 2020 being one of the most uncertain years in recent history, the American workforce has bounced back stronger in 2021 but there are still some residual shockwaves being felt.
Many in our community are feeling the effects of a workforce shortage. Some of the main drivers for this shortage are effects we are now all familiar with: a prolonged period of unemployment benefits, a reshuffling of the workforce, a lower-than-normal workforce participation rate, a higher than usual number of workers retiring and an overall state of prolonged uncertainty.
With that in mind, companies have had to change their compensation and benefit strategies to attract and retain high-quality workers. This includes a review of internal culture, job offer packages, revamping existing internal processes and recruiting passive job seekers instead of waiting for people to apply.
So how can small to medium-sizes businesses make these changes quickly and effectively? Well hiring a PEO, as we will find out below, has been one of the best ways for companies to thrive during uncertainty.
In fact, according to a study conducted by the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO), companies using a PEO were able to operate more effectively given the uncertain circumstances brought on by the pandemic.
Specifically, PEO clients suffered a lower rate of job loss (almost four percentage points lower) during the first half of 2020 than did other comparable small businesses. In addition, PEO clients experienced a higher rate of job growth between July 2020 and June 2021, with the largest gains (relative to other small businesses) occurring in the first half of 2021, when employment growth among PEO clients outpaced that of small businesses overall by 2.5 percentage points. Combined, PEO clients and their employees experienced fewer job losses in the first months of the pandemic and larger job gains during the past year of the pandemic.
Chris Boline is a Business Development Partner at The Applied Companies (www.theappliedcompanies.com) which provide workforce solutions for today’s workplace. Celeste Johnson, The Applied Companies’ CEO, contributed to this answer.
Why does my company need an internal communications strategy?
Alana Ridge
Imagine you work for a company that does an incredible job with their branding. Everything from logos to news releases flow out seamlessly, and everyone on the outside knows what your company is up to.
Then, after a successful public announcement, another department comes up to your head of communications with the dreaded question: “Why didn’t we know about this?”
This is an example of a company that has little-to-no internal communications (IC) processes. Your employees are left in the lurch, wondering why they were the last to know about changes or milestones.
According to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., “60% of companies have no long term strategy in place for their internal communications.” Their thoughts likely range from “we can’t afford the time or resources” to “public perception of our brand is most important.”
And to that, I challenge: You can’t afford NOT to, and your employees ARE your brand - the beating heart of it.
Starting an IC strategy doesn’t have to be daunting. Here are three easy ways you can incorporate IC:
Sign your company up for an intranet, or start a recurring employee-only newsletter that gives staff the inside scoop of company announcements.
Host employee events to celebrate workplace achievements, such as a major project win or a new high-profile client.
Start a physical or virtual culture “suggestion box” that allows employees to express what could be improved in terms of your company’s internal happenings.
Need more convincing? Check out Jostle’s 7 reasons why internal communications is important.
Alana Ridge is the Marketing and Communications Manager for United Construction Company (www.unitedconstruction.com) and NCET’s VP of Public Relations.
NCET is Northern Nevada’s largest member-supported non-profit that produces educational and networking events to help people explore businesses and technology. (www.NCET.org)