The role an HR in combination with a management software plays for every employee in an organization is nothing short of a progress optimizer and it is called an HR lifecycle or an employee lifecycle. There are typically five to six stages of the employee or HR lifecycle and every stage requires effective communication between the concerned parties.

There are different strategies and mediums for communicating with employees, but you have to remember your audience. Today, the average person is more comfortable with SMS than they are with email, phone, or any other form of digital communication. As employees become more mobile, it’s high time employers acknowledged the speed, cut-through and convenience of SMS for internal communications.

Beginning with the recruitment process and concluding with the retirement, here are the most important stages of an employee lifecycle where you need to be crystal clear with your communication.

RECRUITMENT

All the processes from looking for the right set of skill sets to scheduling an interview to hire a new employee.

Talent acquisition software enables companies to design and automate every aspect of their hiring process including streamlining it and even attracting top talent. From contacting applicants to scheduling interviews to following up with candidates, each stage of the recruitment process requires direct communication between the HR and the candidate. And an SMS works as the perfect medium to contact as it is non-intrusive yet adds the exact needed personal touch.

| | | --- | | As a candidate looking for a job or even working at one, they wouldn’t be happy about taking multiple calls in between interviews or work, keeping them posted over email would also not suffice because they have to be around Wi-Fi or data to receive and send an email, an SMS, on the other hand, works perfectly well as it neither requires data nor it disturbs. An SMS quietly reaches the inbox within seconds of sending it and has a 98% open-rate. |

ONBOARDING

The candidates who are selected or who have accepted the job offer.

The onboarding process includes introducing the new employee to the company’s work culture providing them with the required information and tools and it again requires effective communication.

| | | --- | | The company’s policies, procedures, job responsibility, training sessions and more can be shared with the employee over an SMS that can contain relevant links. This way the employee can go through all the information even when they are not in the office premises. |

DEVELOPMENT

This stage is all about employee feedback that includes performance reviews, one-on-one discussions and more.

Regular feedback helps executives gain insights into employees motivational and work practices. It also helps employees understand how well they understand their goals.

| | | --- | | Send frequent employee feedback via SMS. Employees can access the feedback anytime anywhere to assess where they excel or where they are lacking. |

RETAIN

Retaining a good employee is also an important part an HR has to play.

Once an employee has a sound understanding of the role they play in a company, retaining them becomes a challenge as they become an asset for the company.

| | | --- | | Sustaining employee engagement requires continuous evaluation, recognition and training and it all again needs effective communication medium aka SMS. |

OFFBOARDING

The final stage of an employee lifecycle where the employee exit the company for good.

The reasons could be any –  a new job, layoff, termination of a contract, personal reason, retirement. At this stage, the HR department must follow the protocol that includes proper offboarding documentation process.

| | | --- | | Since the employee would not be a part of the organization anymore they will have limited or no access to internal emails or other communication tools again making SMS the best communication tool for informing the exiting employee about the final pay and benefits and gaining feedback from them. |

Recent technology has made SMS a viable internal communication tool, thanks to its simple and easy integration with business systems. Here are some added benefits SMS can bring to any organisation.

• Immediacy
• Cuts through the noise
• Reach anyone, anywhere

“Effective internal communication is a powerful force that not only helps organizations to be more successful but also helps enrich employees’ lives in meaningful ways.” Paul Barton, ABC

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