The Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment story underscores a question faced by many corporate communications and HR pros: What steps should be taken to prevent that kind of behavior among top executives? It starts with education and a culture of accountability, as well as instilling a reporting structure that ensures employees won’t fear retribution.
Internal Communication
Ask Your Boss Anything: How Bloomberg Connects Its Global Staff
September 26th, 2017 by Shaun RandolHow do you keep employees feeling like they’re part of the team when they’re spread out across nearly 200 offices in 73 countries? That was the internal communications issue in play for Bloomberg’s employee & communications team. Here’s how they solved it.
Toys ‘R’ Us Employee Messaging After Bankruptcy Filing Focuses on Holiday Smiles
September 19th, 2017 by Jerry AsciertoToys ‘R’ Us announced late Monday that it has filed for bankruptcy, as the retail chain struggles under the weight of nearly $5 billion in debt. While its finances present an existential threat, an equally sizable challenge comes from within: how to keep its nearly 64,000 employees informed while also calming fears.
Is Integrated Communications the Holy Grail or Just Cheap Talk?
September 17th, 2017 by Diane SchwartzGrowing up, most of us were encouraged by our parents and teachers to play well in the sandbox, to share our toys and pay attention in class. Fast forward to now, and imagine your boss… Continued
Pizza Hut’s Communications Team Gets a Taste of Irma’s Wrath
September 13th, 2017 by Sophie MaerowitzPizza Hut is facing heat on social media after an internal memo, posted at one of the chain’s Jacksonville, Florida locations before Hurricane Irma made landfall in the area, threatened to punish employees that evacuated more than 24 hours before the storm. But while social media’s ire is centered on the Jacksonville location’s apparent disregard for employee safety, one key phrase in the memo, the location’s “commitment to the community,” raises an important point.
5 Steps to Protect Brands From Employees’ Controversial Politics
September 12th, 2017 by Pia SinghWith employees taking stands on political issues and urging their companies to do the same, what contribution can communicators make to keeping a brand’s reputation unblemished by political turmoil? Our author provides 5 steps that communicators can take to put their company in a position to receive limited negative public attention, minimize business impact and reputation damage.
The CEO Is the Message on Trump and Charlottesville
August 16th, 2017 by Steve GoldsteinThere probably isn’t a single American CEO who’s not quivering right now, wondering if he or she is going to have to make some kind of statement about President Trump’s strongly expressed conviction that both… Continued
How a Healthcare Brand Crafted a Multifaceted Plan to Re-Engage Staff After Radical Changes
August 8th, 2017 by Ally BuninInternal communications is a pain point for brands and organizations large and small in normal times. When significant changes are occurring inside an organization it can make communications even more difficult. Ally Bunin, a VP for internal communications at Brighton Health Plan Solutions, explains how her brand communicated during a period of radical internal changes.
A Transit Authority Opens Its Playbook on Handling Employee Critics Online
August 8th, 2017 by BRAD ROSSWith all the good that comes from social media, there also are negatives. One is that employees can criticize their company online and make life even more anxious for communicators. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) encountered such an instance a few months ago when it introduced random drug and alcohol testing of employees. An outcry went up in some quarters over this policy. Here’s how TTC handled the situation.
Google’s New Diversity VP Tested by Internal Controversy
August 7th, 2017 by Ian James WrightA long “manifesto” decrying efforts at addressing diversity has been making the rounds inside Google via internal message boards and social networks. The author, a male software engineer, argues that there are inherent differences between men and women that account for perceived gender gaps. Thus Google’s Danielle Brown, who took up the mantle of vice president of diversity, integrity & governance at the end of June, already finds herself in a delicate internal communications test.