How do we expect to retain staff when we don’t value them? Internal Communications listens to employees and their stories, asking what can we do for you not what can you do for us.

This is Georgia Cooke’s view. She is Internal Communications & Culture Apprentice at Warner Bros. and is here to reveal her thoughts on all things internal comms and culture related.

If you are new to the wonderful world of internal communication, there is a lot of support available to help you including the Institute of Internal Communication’s FutureNet Network for IC newcomers and CIPR Inside’s Stepping Up sessions.

I run Internal Communication Masterclasses for practitioners who are new to the wonderful world of IC or a couple of years in. The next Masterclass is on 1 October 2019 and there are a handful of places left, I hope you can join me.

I’ll hand you over…

Diary of an IC Apprentice at Warner Bros.

Before I joined Warner Bros. I had little idea of what internal communications was, and why it was necessary. I believed that the company’s culture was very much shaped by HR and wondered how internal communications may fit into this. Before working in a corporate environment, I thought that people stayed in jobs because they enjoyed their role, it was as simple as that (if only!).

Since joining, I have seen that my role is integral to the business as it is the role that listens to what employees want and is able to create strategies to support this.

Internal communications is a great mix of both HR and marketing, it allows you to look-on and see what people want in the workplace rather than just what they need. Internal communications solidify teamwork within the company, pulling in different teams to work together on projects or in our case here at Warner Bros., bringing people together through their love of entertainment with our new release internal events.

Working at Warner Bros. we have access to memorable and iconic content that we are proud of, we are also proud of our employees and we want to show this. With access to such amazing content it allows us to truly engage our employees and make them feel proud to be an integral part of the company.

During my three months at Warner Bros. I have learnt a lot in such a short amount of time.  However, the biggest thing that I have learnt is that collaboration is key in the work environment, and people need to speak to each other.

It’s crucial for growth and development that you communicate with each other to ensure that your actions are in the best interest of the company and have the greatest chance of achieving your goals.

Creative flair
Internal communications is extremely varied, with our tasks changing daily. What I have enjoyed the most so far is working on our internal events, using a creative flair to engage employees and creating a fun work environment. Despite only being in the role for three months, I have seen how much of a difference our role has made to the employees work experiences.

We have noticed how people have engaged with the different employee activities and communications we’ve shared through incredible feedback which shows our work doesn’t go unnoticed.

Internal communications is rewarding as you can see the real impact it has on employees and how it can improve their work life further in the future.

In the next 15 months I am looking forward to the difference that my role can make to Warner Bros. UK. I am eager to learn more about the company and the different divisions which I will be able to do within my role as it’s at the centre of the company.

It feels like internal communications is only just taking off and it’s essential for employee’s happiness and wellbeing that they feel fulfilled, not only with their role but also from the work environment and company culture.

If you asked me now, why do companies lose high-quality staff, I would answer… because the internal communication and culture isn’t effective enough to retain staff so they feel the need to seek external opportunities.

We should be supporting employee development and make the workplace somewhere that you look forward to coming to, not somewhere that you dread. Work is not solely about the money or the role that you’re in, it’s about the overall fulfilment in your job- you need to do a job that you love, not just one that passes the time or pays the bills.

Post author: Georgia Cooke.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts Georgia, it sounds like you’ve learnt a lot in your role so far and I’m sure you’ll continue to do well in the rest of your placement.

What do you think about what you’ve read? As ever, you’re welcome to comment below or you can find me on Twitter @AllthingsIC. You can also find Georgia via LinkedIn.

Thank you for stopping by,

Rachel.

First published on the All Things IC blog 28 June 2019