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Do you really need an all-users email?

“Can you please send an all-staff / all-users email?”

This is, by far, the most popular request received by the internal communications team.

Email continues to popular here at the council and preferred by some as their channel of choice. While it can be useful way to reach some colleagues, if you’re looking to inform or change behaviours across our organisation, and include all staff, it’s likely you’ll need a whole lot more.

Table of contents

The communication illusion

The biggest misconception about communication is the illusion that it’s taken place and been effective. You may have sent an email about a programme, policy, or procedure, and the same can be said for any communication – posters, video, web, and intranet articles – but the message hasn’t been received or understood and people just aren’t doing what you asked them to.

So, how can you change that?

Achieving your objectives

With a strategic view across the organisation, the internal communications team specialises in helping you reach your audience at the right time with clear messages that are relatable, meaningful and engaging.

Speak to us early and if you focus on the who and why (which colleagues you need to reach and why) we can help shape the what, how, where and when to help you achieve your objectives.

Internal communication channels

There are a range of channels to help tell your story or share information with colleagues. For example, while the all-staff email or poster can raise awareness with specific groups, if you are looking to change opinions or behaviours then we should use channels that allow more two-way and tailored communications.

The channel(s) we recommend will be determined by:

  • your target audience
  • the outcome you are looking for, i.e., what you want your target audience to think, feel or do as a result of your message
  • time – the earlier you involve us, the greater impact we can have.

Here’s a brief overview of our main channels.

Staff Info webpages on Renfrewshire.gov.uk

An online hub on our public facing Renfrewshire Council website with the latest news, updates, messages, and blogs from colleagues across the council. Accessible by anyone on any device at any time. Best for reaching all employees and a single source of truth.

Take 5 email roundup

Weekly headlines email to colleagues using the Gov Delivery platform. This signposts to latest staff news, stories, updates, and insights on Staff Info section of website.

Chief Executive’s blog

Update from Alan Russell sharing news and insight about his role, council priorities and future ways of working. Published online in Staff Stories, emailed to corporate network and shared with schools via Glow.

Manager briefings

Ad hoc emails to our line manager audience across the corporate and school networks. Great for advance notice of changes, updates and new initiatives with a proposed new format in development.

Glow

A platform used by Children’s Services to share information, emails, access systems, websites and other third-party platforms.

iText (SMS) messages

SMS delivery tool for issuing short, succinct messages to colleagues in Building Services, Care @ Home and Soft Facilities Management, on either their personal or work mobiles – usually signposting to a webpage with more information.

RenTalks

Series of virtual learning sessions and an opportunity to share key insights and council objectives/priorities with colleagues from across the council. Recorded, so colleagues who can’t make the live session can catch up on what they missed later.

Microsoft 365: Outlook, Teams & Communities (formerly known as Yammer)

Microsoft Teams allows you to choose who, why and when to collaborate with colleagues on the platform. Great for video calls, video presentations, webinars, project groups and much more. Communities enables co-workers to follow and link in with each other, sharing their ideas and achievements and useful for two-way communications, feedback and discussion.

LinkedIn

A public facing platform connecting peers and colleagues from across the council, the public sector and beyond. Showcasing our employer brand, the work of our colleagues and our values in action. Best for blogs, thought leadership and building strong communities.

Printed materials

Our in-house design team can produce posters and printed collateral to support campaigns – particularly useful in depots and areas with limited council access to digital networks.

YouTube

We publish most of our videos to YouTube and can make them viewable by the public, by a specific distribution list or by those with access to an unlisted link. Short, clear messaging delivered by well-known colleagues and local people are by far the most popular.

Intranet

The Intranet will be closed down as part of our project to develop a new Renfrewshire.gov.uk. All colleagues will be able to find the information they need straight from their own device and using popular search engines like Google. Our staff info pages are a move in that direction.

Need our help? Get in touch early…

Here’s some examples of our work:

Find out more about the internal comms team, our news cycle and how to contact us for advice.