Presenting the 54th edition of Intraskope’s Spotlight on Internal Communication Series featuring Rajita Kumar of Alfa Laval. Rajita has over 15 years of experience In Corporate and Marketing Communications. She currently serves as the Head of Brand Communications & PR, Market Communications & Digital Marketing Specialist for South Asia, Middle East and Africa. She has deep experience with brand communication, corporate reputation, advertising, Public Relations and Events. Rajita also has experience with digital marketing, media relations and CSR communications.
In this interview, Rajita discusses the value of internal communications in building a culture of engagement and getting employees to present a strong external image on behalf of the company. She believes that new media and technology will play a key role as the current pandemic evolves and remote working becomes even more mainstay.
Watch the complete video interview on YouTube or read the transcript below.
1. What does internal communication mean to you?
Producing and delivering unique and effective stories and messages of the company to all internal stakeholders using different channels. Key element in internal communications is to represent, include and engage employees and the management.
2. How is it practiced in your organization?
We practice internal communications by upholding the culture and DNA of the organization in all messages. Engaging, employees in dialogue on prioritized topics and delivering important organization stories via examples. Also by creating synergy between management and employees.
3. Please share an example/campaign that you are personally proud of working on and that made a significant impact to an organization in the recent past
Recently, as the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, during the remote working period we ran campaigns on Safety and Business Continuity and served as the fulcrum of communication and information sharing across regions which kept employees motivated and threaded together. It was an example of participation from all employees.
4. What is the biggest challenge you face while going about managing internal communication?
Getting quicker and proactive engagement from our busy and mobile salesforce to gather powerful sales stories. We have improved a lot over years and still strive to make this more effective.
5. What according to you is the biggest opportunity that internal communicators have?
To leverage positively on employer brand perception among employees.
6. How can internal communicators add more value to the business?
Internal communicators have tremendous potential and influence to engage people and break silos inside organizations. My recommendation is to motivate and manage employees’ perceptions about the company’s initiatives to add business value and strengthen the culture
7. What skills must they have or develop?
Interpersonal skill, strategic understanding of high-level management thinking, content development, creativity to manage information, tactical tool skill, speed and networking.
8. What is your advice for people who are keen to join internal communication and make a career?
Learn skills on creativity to engage employees on one hand and competence to translate Management message into effective buy-ins
9. What is your advice for women who want to make a mark in this domain and what must they do differently?
Leveraging on skills on creativity, networking and proactive inclusion of stakeholders.
10. With COVID-19 and other crises, how must internal communications engage? What has changed or will change? Examples of how your organization has helped reassure employees and navigate the crisis as it unfolds.
IC is most important function to positively manage the perception around uncertainty that employees may feel around business and safety. Consistency and creativity of delivering important management messages to all stakeholders, business continuity and safety. Including and representing employees in important dialogues.
11. Can you share one trend that you spot with internal communications?
With business being more digital and remotely managed today, there is increasing trend of new technology usage to engage employees and disseminate information
12. If there is one aspect of internal communications you would like to change, what would that be?
Nothing to change per se, but progress with new ways to share ideas, create open dialogue, make the company’s mission and vision clear. Be consistent with relevant stakeholders and personalize the way you engage creating success stories.
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Keen to contribute and participate in the ongoing series on Intraskope where we put the spotlight on thought leadership, great ideas, and practical solutions?
Look up the previous stories from organizations featured on the Intraskope’s Spotlight on Internal Communication Series  here – Northern Trust, AXA Business Services, Subex,  global insurer, Standard Chartered Bank, BASF, Applied Materials India,  Microsoft UK, Times Group, Samsung, Falabella, Cisco, Brillio, UAE Exchange, Apeland, M.H. Alshaya Co, Proctor & Gamble, Infosys, SOBHA Ltd., ICICI Securities, First Advantage, CK Birla Group, TVS Motors, GE,  Suzlon, Tata Sons, Percept, Knight Frank, TCS Europe, Vedanta, Oxfam, Danske Bank, Diageo, Pandora, Symantec, ISS Global Services, Telia, Thomson Reuters, IBM, General Motors, Intelligence India Software Solutions, Philips, Refinitiv, Mastercard, VFS Global, Ittiam Systems, Bridgestone India, Indian automotive company, Uber, L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited, Microsoft India, Hitachi Rail and OYO.
Intraskope (www.aniisu.com) is the first blog on internal communications in India and among the earliest around the globe. Begun in 2006, the blog has over 1000 posts on topics such as employee engagement, leadership communication and employee branding and receives thousands of visits from across the world. The blog, receives over 1,50,000 visits every month from over 50 countries globally, offers learning resources for practitioners, academicians, and students including industry workshops, research reports, and checklists.
Intraskope has been featured on leading global internal communication forums like Simply-Communicate, IC Kollectif and International Association of Business Communicators. It is hosted by Aniisu K Verghese, author of Internal Communications – Insights, Practices & Models (Sage, 2012).
If you are an internal communication leader working in a firm or a not-for-profit anywhere in the world and have an internal communication case study, campaign, research insight or a guest blog post to share please contact me on [email protected]
Here are Internal Communications resources you can use:
- Learn: Internal Communications Fundamentals Course on Thinkific
- Internal Communications Series: https://forms.gle/KcqmPzLwq7NQi5Km6
- Chat with Aniisu – Internal Communications: https://www.instamojo.com/intraskope/connect-with-aniisu-60-minute-personalized-d/?ref=store
- Internal Communications workshops: https://bit.ly/2zdBRl1
You can also visit my website www.intraskope.com and You Tube channel to know more about my work.
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