A solid vision stemming from a sincere commitment is important in generating and sustaining employee engagement. But in my experience, the unsung hero in the operation is usually strong writing tailored to both the communication channel and the audience.

There’s no question that employee engagement is more important today than ever. We’re still haunted by economic uncertainty and businesses can’t afford to carry employees who are at best unmotivated and at worst quietly sapping goodwill and energy from their co-workers. A strong competitive position hinges on a strong team, one where everyone is doing their best.

While most businesses have had to grapple with employee dissatisfaction at one point or another, some studies show that nearly half of global businesses experienced a decline in employee engagement in the second quarter of last year (Hewitt Associates, July 29/10 – link to http://www2.hewittassociates.com/Intl/NA/en-US/AboutHewitt/Newsroom/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?cid=8775); other studies are indicating a high percentage of employees are planning to leave their current place of employment as soon as job prospects brighten.

Why is this important? Here are some thoughts:

1. Employees who are unhappy at work obviously can’t put forth their best efforts and this hampers the organization’s ability to compete. There are inevitable implications for overall employee morale, and the eventual departure of key people means spending more money to replace them. It’s a no-win situation and smart companies today are working to improve the situation.

Fundamental issues like trust, training, line of sight between employee performance and company performance and relationships with management all play into employee engagement; it’s challenging.

2. Simply making these changes won’t automatically create employee commitment: organizations need to communicate their efforts over time with energy and integrity. Traditional channels like newsletters, magazines and reports are still tried and true methods of strengthening inter-company bonds but businesses are increasingly venturing into the world of blogs, videos, podcasts and intranet programming as well. The goal isn’t just to stop the exodus of key employees – it’s also to create some excitement around the concept of being part of a great team – one that employees view with pride.

3. Writing is one of those skills that just isn’t going to go away – while it was important back in the day when print was king, it’s still the functional tool used to convey information – and motivate a desired response. Making it all come together to support management objectives involves a careful balance between genuine enthusiasm for the great work that’s being done and professional reporting of what’s really going on. Too much rah-rah and employees roll their eyes with cries of “here we go again.” Too little excitement and no-one will bother reading past the first line.

As a writer engaged in the corporate communications process, I find my role is not just to balance competing needs but also to function as an ambassador for the communications department that has hired me to do the job. Good relationships in all areas of the company are important in ensuring information and cooperation on future projects will be forthcoming. While good writing is important, trust is a key part of the package.

Many organizations hire freelance corporate communication copywriters like me to extend existing resources on an as-needed basis. It’s economical and – with the right writer – an efficient way to support the drive to keep employees engaged in their work. But the writer is still just one piece of the puzzle – no matter how pretty the words are, management vision and a sincere commitment to improve problem areas are needed. Nobody wants words without meaning.

Author Bio: Susan Crossman is a career writer who promotes excellence in communication through writing with clarity. Her freelance writing services include web content,newsletters,reports,speeches and other custom documentation. For more details, please visit her website at http://www.crossmancommunications.com

Category: Writing
Keywords: Toronto freelance copywriter,corporate communications,writing for corporate communications,marketing