Inform and consult your employees

Why good communications are important

Communicating with your employees is central to managing your workforce. Introducing proper procedures for communicating and consulting with your employees can take time and money, but you should benefit from improved products, productivity and competitiveness.

Other benefits of effective communication include:

• improved employee commitment and job satisfaction , particularly if employees understand what the business is trying to achieve and the effect of their contribution
• increased morale leading to lower turnover of employees and reduced recruitment and training costs
• better employee performance , if they understand targets and deadlines and receive proper feedback
• provision of  accurate information or guidance, which helps avoid misunderstandings, eg on health and safety policies, business performance, staff changes and job structures
• improved management decision making , due in part to feedback from employees
• improved management/employee relations and employee acceptance and support of management decisions or changes in working practices and procedures because they feel they have contributed to the discussions
• improved exchange of ideas
• consistent approach and strategy across the business

Research from Acas summarises the benefits of effective and genuine communication and information-sharing.  Read information about consultation with employees at the Acas website .

Poor communications can result in misunderstandings and mistrust. Not having feedback can lead to low morale and substandard employee performance. Employees whose instructions are inadequate or unclear can act in breach of regulations without meaning to. Lack of basic information can, in some cases, be a breach of workers' rights.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• Why good communications are important
• Legal requirements for communications
• Consulting your employees
• Communicating and consulting - ways and means
• The art of good communication
• Examples of good practice
• The role of training
• Here's how asking employees for ideas improved our business

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