Municipalities are the heartbeat of our communities, providing essential services that ensure our towns and cities run smoothly.
Yet, for the internal communications professionals working in municipal settings, reaching and engaging staff can be uniquely challenging. With diverse roles spanning from deskless field workers to administrative teams, crafting an effective communication strategy requires a people-first approach that considers the unique needs of each group.
Here’s how municipalities can reimagine their internal communications to better engage employees and improve operations.
Understand Your Audience: Beyond the Job Title
Municipal workforces are often diverse, including desk-based employees in administrative roles, first responders, and field teams such as sanitation or parks and recreation workers. Each group faces distinct challenges:
Desk-Based Staff: Administrative employees often face email overload, making it difficult to prioritize important messages.
Deskless Staff: Field workers frequently lack access to traditional communication tools like email or intranet portals, creating a disconnect from leadership and organizational updates.
The first step to crafting an impactful IC strategy is to segment your audience and tailor messages to their specific needs and challenges.
Adopt an Omnichannel Approach
Relying on a single communication channel limits your reach and impact. Instead, an omnichannel approach ensures that every employee, regardless of their role or location, stays informed and connected.
Consider these tools:
SMS and Push Notifications: Ideal for urgent updates or connecting with deskless staff who might not check emails regularly.
Employee Apps: Mobile apps with multilingual support can bridge the gap, offering updates, schedules, and opportunities for two-way communication.
Digital Signage: Use screens in breakrooms, municipal buildings, or garages to broadcast important updates to employees during downtime.
Emails and Intranet: For desk-based employees, refine email content with clear subject lines and prioritization to ensure the most important messages stand out.
Foster Engagement, Not Just Communication
Engagement is more than distributing information—it’s about creating meaningful connections. Use communication channels to:
Recognize Achievements: Celebrate milestones and success stories of individuals and teams. For example, highlight the sanitation department's efforts after a citywide event.
Encourage Feedback: Make it easy for employees to share their thoughts, whether through anonymous surveys, town halls, or app-based feedback tools.
Promote Wellness Initiatives: Share resources and programs that support employee mental health and overall well-being. Municipal work can be stressful, and an open line of communication shows that leadership cares.
Use Data to Continuously Improve
Measure the effectiveness of your internal communication efforts to identify gaps and refine your approach.
Track Engagement Metrics: Analyze open rates, response times, and feedback participation across different channels.
Survey Staff Regularly: Ask employees how they prefer to receive updates and adjust accordingly.
Experiment and Optimize: Test new tools or tactics, such as video messages from leadership, and see how employees respond.
Spotlight: Successful Strategies in Municipal IC
Real-world examples show the power of effective internal communications:
City of Toronto: Implemented a mobile app for their field teams, enabling instant access to updates and policies, significantly improving engagement.
Austin, Texas: Created an employee recognition program shared via newsletters and social media, fostering pride and connection among staff.
Smaller Municipalities: Many have adopted SMS alerts to reach remote staff, ensuring critical updates are received promptly.
The Bottom Line
Internal communications in municipalities isn’t just about keeping employees informed—it’s about empowering them. By embracing a people-first, omnichannel approach, IC professionals can connect with every employee, regardless of their role, and foster a more engaged, motivated, and efficient workforce.
Are you ready to develop an effective municipal internal comms strategy that engages staff? Book a free consult with Sparrow Connected today!
What’s Next?
