Municipalities rely on a diverse workforce, from office staff to field employees, making effective communication essential to engagement.
As an internal comms professional, your challenge is to connect these varied teams with clear, relevant messages that drive alignment and productivity.
Why Does Municipal Employee Engagement Matter?
Engaging municipal workers boosts service quality, employee morale, and retention. With siloed departments, different communication preferences, and a mix of on-site and field employees, a tailored approach is crucial.
Six Effective Strategies from Real Municipalities
1. Centralize Communication:
Create a unified platform for updates and information sharing across departments.
Example: One municipality we worked with launched an omnichannel communications hub with an intranet for office workers and a mobile app for field employees. Both groups accessed real-time updates, HR forms, and department news from a single source, reducing the confusion caused by siloed communication channels.
2. Segment Your Audience: Tailor messages to each employee group—field staff may prefer mobile updates, while office workers might engage more with emails or intranet posts.
Example: A mid-sized city’s internal comms team noticed that their field crews often missed important safety updates sent via email. They shifted these communications to a mobile alert system, ensuring that field workers received the information instantly, while office staff continued to use email for more detailed updates. This reduced missed messages and improved safety compliance.
3. Leverage Mobile Tech: Use mobile-friendly apps to ensure all employees, especially field workers, receive timely information.
Example: A public works department we spoke to rolled out a mobile app that allowed field workers to report incidents, check schedules, and access key announcements on the go. This was especially valuable during snowstorms, where immediate updates on routes and conditions were critical. The app saw high adoption rates among their field staff, who previously struggled to stay connected.
4. Involve Leadership: Encourage leaders to engage through visible, transparent communication like video updates and town hall meetings.
Example: The communications team in a large municipality worked closely with their mayor and city managers to create monthly video updates. These videos, shared via email and their mobile app, covered progress on city projects, financial updates, and employee recognitions. Employees mentioned in post-surveys that seeing leadership address them directly made them feel more connected and valued.
5. Celebrate Wins: Acknowledge department achievements and individual efforts regularly to boost morale.
Example: In one city, the internal comms team created a “Municipal Spotlight” feature on their intranet, showcasing a different department each month. One month they highlighted the Parks and Recreation team’s success in launching a new community garden program, and the next, they recognized the Finance Department for streamlining the budgeting process. Employees reported feeling proud to see their work publicly recognized by leadership.
6. Gather Feedback: Use surveys and open forums to solicit employee input and adjust communication strategies accordingly.
Example: After running an employee engagement survey, a small town’s internal communications team learned that field workers felt left out of important decisions. In response, they introduced bi-annual open forums where all employees could voice their concerns and suggest improvements directly to leadership. This feedback loop not only improved communication strategies but also helped boost employee morale by giving them a platform to be heard.
By focusing on these key strategies, internal comms pros can help municipal employees stay informed, connected, and motivated, ultimately improving the service they provide to the community.
Want to improve communication across your municipality’s diverse workforce? Book a free consultation with Sparrow Connected to discover how our platform can help you engage both office staff and field workers, ensuring every team stays informed and aligned.
What’s Next?
