As an employer, it is your duty to ensure that you practice clear and consistent communication with your staff.. This is important when it comes to all relevant workplace issues, but can be especially vital when talking about pension schemes and auto enrolment.
It is compulsory for all employers and management teams to convey all of the details about workplace pensions and worker entitlements in a timely manner – don’t get caught out!
Your workplace communications should be clear, concise and thorough, and worded in a way that all employees can understand easily. Not sure if your communication style is up to the right standard? Read ahead for our top tips on how to clearly connect to all members of your staff.
· Ask for feedback – and then take it into consideration
While many managers will ask their employees for their feedback, a lot of times this information does not get actioned upon. Conduct employee engagement surveys, ask questions in an non-judgemental way, and provide opportunities for anonymous comments (online or in a comment box). Remember – act on these responses as soon as possible. This shows that you are taking the feedback seriously. You could find out how much your staff know about auto enrolment and workplace pensions, and how much information they want.
· When difficulties arise, respond with communication
It is human nature to want to stay silent when problems arise in the workplace. Reacting to problematic issues and difficult scenarios by hoping that they blow over may be your first instinct, but as a manager you need to step in and issue a clear missive that addresses the matter at hand. This is precisely the time that you need to be at your most vocal! When things are going poorly, your silence will be met with gossip, speculation and inevitably more issues. No matter how uncomfortable, address the matter head on. Use auto-enrolment as a positive benefit for your staff, answering their questions before they even think of them.
· Be open and consistent with all written communication
Your staff should never have to feel that they need to ‘read between the lines’ of one of your emails or memos. It is always a good idea to be clear about the matter – leave no grey areas in your communication. Not only will this prevent miscommunication (that can potentially lead to problems and resentment in the workplace). While you should remain polite, you need to bypass the passive aggressive tone and set out clear rules, timelines and consequences if these conditions are not met. It is important that all staff understand what auto-enrolment means to them and the decision they themselves have to make for themselves.
· Communicate your long term goals and plans
In order to truly feel motivated and get on board with your business and plans moving forward, your team should be kept in the loop about your long term goals and plans. By learning more about this part of the business, your staff will feel like they are part of your long term vision; this should help them stay content in their role and driven to succeed, even in cases when things are difficult. Workplace pensions must now be part of all companies strategy and long term plans so it is important that this is built into any communication strategy to the staff.
Keeping your lines of communication open will make conveying information about workplace pensions clear, smooth and efficient. Try these tips above in order to ensure that you meet this vital management requirement.
Any questions?
We are here to help:
Email us: autoenrolment@careypensions.co.uk
Telephone: 0330 124 1510