 ounding energetically in the isolated glory of their techno-shrines, cubicled glazed-eyed geeks living in the virtual world barely have adequate time to interact meaningfully with the real one. The sequestered existence is at odds and in contradiction with the new economy work culture of ICE age companies, where communication, teamwork and openness are critical nerve centers of the workplace. To resolve this paradoxical value conundrum and build a sustained culture of communication within the company, HR departments of companies are reinventing the conventional, dull official communiqué written in ponderously formal legalese, which found itself in the employees' trash can no sooner had it reached them. Dialogue and interaction are upstaging the earlier HR-management reticence. Official communication is being given an image makeover from run of the mill, tedious one-sided memorandums to smart, glossy in-house newsletters written in informal, racy prose designed to rivet attention of the glazed-eyed geek and perk interest in the company beyond immediate project deadlines.
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Content is dictated by the specific needs the newsletter serves to address but most organisational newsletters are packed with company grapevine, folklore, personalities, and departmental profiles to bring employees into closer contact with each other and the company's decision-makers. For example at 24/7 customer.com where employees work in different shifts, the newsletter serves as a social adhesive between fragmented departments. "The in-house newsletter is a mode of communication across the company. Our employees are divided across different accounts and work in shifts. The newsletter (24/7 Pulse) keeps employees updated on company happenings. Every newsletter contains a mandatory address by the CEO to all employees in the organisation informing them of current developments.
This emphasis on communication and sharing information helps employees identify with processes beyond their immediate work profile and inculcate a sense of belongingness for the company. "In large organisations, with offices spread across multiple locations, it's impossible to interact orally with employees," says Angelie HR Manager at Texas Networks. Attractively written newsletters replete with company information and events can bridge geographical and emotional distance and help build a strong, motivated collective to the eventual benefit of the organisation. Newsletters have proved to be an inexpensive mode to disseminate information down the hierarchy and build corporate loyalty. At Insight, HR Manager Radhika M says, the newsletter has helped root employees to the company. "There are so many details of a company business which every employee must be aware of. Besides, we have an office in the US and CEO and other employees stationed there need to get to know employees working in India. Our fortnightly newsletter Antara has a column Close Encounter which profiles an engineer's work, personality and interests. A Company's newsletter that features the CEO and profiles a software engineer with one year experience obviously helps boost employee morale."
Direct communication through newsletters has also helped HR departments to personalise relationship with employees. Many company newsletters have sections such as "All about you" containing information on employee birthdays, anniversaries etc. For instance, Synergy, the in-house magazine of Pentamedia Graphics contains sections such as Happy Birthday and Just Married apart from regular features such as HR Hub, News Flash, Media Tracks, Tech Talk, Mind Teasers, Puzzles and Quiz. The newsletter has won tremendous response , according to Raj, HR Executive Pentamedia Graphics.
Although the company newsletter is a creative vehicle to enhance firm's image and brand equity among employees, its potential as a strong communication network between scattered departments has remained untapped. "The intranet newsletter is important but not critical, " says V Giridhar 24/7 customer.com. In a large number of software companies rather than a critical communication tool, the newsletter has been reduced to an infotainment magazine. Moreover, in most companies editorial strategy is solely determined by the HR department, thus making it one-sided form of communication. Newsletters have bettered better relations but so far have failed create stickiness for the company - the essence of which makes employees feel they are on the same rather than the opposite side of the table as the management.
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