Employers can improve the quality of their communication by being aware of trends that affect the way employees give and receive information, and by using some proven communication strategies.

The workplace is becoming more stressful. Possible causes include layoffs and job uncertainty, lack of salary growth, more on-the-job demands and even a communication gap between older and younger employees. At the same time, most CEOs - who forget that disgruntled employees do not provide the best customer service - continue to list quality customer service as key to survival.

Ask most CEOs how they plan to improve customer service or increase productivity and the first thing you'll hear is "We're going to commit more resources to communication." Unfortunately, they're only partly right.

What most companies need is not simply more communication but more dialogue - whether it is face-to-face interaction between managers and their staffs or interaction through the written word.

What follows is a discussion of trends shaping communication today. An understanding of these trends will help employers meet the communication challenges of the 1990s.

TREND #1 SKEPTICAL YOUNGER WORKERS

Everyone talks about "Generation X" - individuals in their 20s and early 30s - but what many people miss is this generation's growing influence on every segment of the workforce. In many companies, Generation X employees have been given significant responsibility early in their careers and they tend to use the Internet and online tools to get information more frequently than other workers.

In focus groups and face-to-face meetings, researchers find that Generation X workers have attitudes that are very different from their older counterparts. They are motivated in different ways, have a "prove it" attitude, expect less from the companies they work for, and are less loyal to their employers. They want to be listened to and don't hesitate to question decisions. They consistently request more "why" and less "what" and ask to be spared the corporate rah-rah.

Generation X workers have a much greater influence on the opinions of their older counterparts than was the case even two years ago, according to research from employee focus groups. These younger workers are quick to challenge the actions of management and, increasingly, are persuading other workers to accept their point of view.

TREND #2 INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Workers of all ages are increasingly tuning out corporate messages as they struggle to keep up with the volume of information.

Thanks to desktop publishing, e-mail, voice mail and the Internet, employees are being besieged by more information than ever. Information overload has been cited as a major problem in almost every corporate employee survey conducted this past year by Vander Houwen Public Relations. When employees are facing a blizzard of print and e-mail material, they end up ignoring much of what the company sends them. Even younger workers - who have embraced technology - are overwhelmed.

TREND #3 EXCLUDED EMPLOYEES

In the rush to deliver communication through e-mail, voice mail and video, some companies forget that many workers still don't have access to those tools. The lack of such technology can create a communication vacuum and foster resentment.

In addition, corporate downsizing and restructuring have left many companies with new and often confusing reporting relationships. More and more employees say they don't know where to go for information.

TREND #4 INFORMATION ON DEMAND

Because younger employees are accustomed to using, computers to get information when they need it, they aren't content waiting for companies to draft a message, review it, and distribute it through traditional channels.

Employees with access to voice mail, e-mail and Internet sources can get information at breakneck speed. Companies that want to tell their story have to find creative ways of using those resources to get information to employees quickly.

TREND #5 DECREASED CREDIBILITY

In growing numbers, employees believe corporate management doesn't understand what they are thinking or why. This is a serious gap. When managers show they don't understand critical employee issues, they lose a great deal of credibility.

SIX ACTIONS EMPLOYERS CAN TAKE

Frontline employees are key to conveying your story to customers and prospects, especially during mergers, acquisitions or downsizings. Failure to take the time to get employees on board during a change will cause big problems and immediately affect customer service.

Employers can help and guide workers in sorting out the information vital to their career and business success. Employees look to management to filter information and help them understand what it means. Here are six steps employers can take to deal with the communication trends and open the lines of communication.

1. Listen. What you don't know can hurt you. And you may be surprised at what you don't know. Effective companies solicit and track employee concerns and attitudes by asking questions and listening to the answers.

Evaluating your company's communication program is critical. Senior management often has a different view from workers of how well a company is communicating. Without an accurate understanding of what is currently working, companies may make changes or add communication tools that fail to address the real problems.

Using an outside consultant to do a communication audit is one option. Both Starbucks Coffee Co. and Kinko's Inc. had an outside consultant conduct employee communication audits to find out what was working and to identify problems. Both companies used extensive questionnaires to learn more about what employees thought about communication and to test possible solutions. Kinko's also used in-person interviews and video conferencing facilities to conduct focus groups with employees in every region of the country.

2. Let people know you're listening. One-way communication with employees is a good start, but employers also need to let workers know they have a voice. Employees universally complain that attending focus groups or filling out surveys never Brings change. Follow-up information that says "we hear you" and "we've changed" is critical.

For example, Medalia HealthCare of Seattle conducted an extensive communications audit of its professional medical staff. The audit included face-to-face meetings, physician group meetings and an all-staff print survey that had a very high response rate.

Within two months of the audit, participants received a report outlining their responses to each question and explaining what changes would be made because of issues raised by the audit.

Microsoft is another example of a company that communicates frequently with its employees. E-mail is a key communication vehicle at the company, but Microsoft also produces a weekly newspaper, Microsoft News, which is delivered throughout the United States to each employee's desk. Frequent reader surveys get a high level of response, and content of the paper has changed frequently based on reader comments. There is ongoing debate, and letters are encouraged. Readers know that their opinions about the publication are valued.

For its part, Starbucks conducts an online suggestion and idea program, and employees are encouraged to e-mail ideas to managers.

3. Increase face-to-face communication. Senior managers who think voice or e-mail messages alone can do the job are not in touch with their audience. Employees at most companies want more regular face-to-face contact with senior management.

Starbucks uses a very successful Open Forum program to keep its employees up to date on what's happening. Held quarterly at 14 sites around the country, the three-hour sessions include a presentation by senior management, an update on important issues, a short videotape and lots of time for questions. The sessions are always well-attended, even though employees go on their own time.

4. Be proactive and innovative. Employees should hear corporate news from the corporation first - not from radio or television reports or newspaper accounts. With today's technology, there's no excuse for not communicating quickly with workers. Employees who are kept in the dark will feel unimportant and excluded - and will convey that feeling to customers.

Alaska Airlines uses a two-way telephone news line to keep its 9,000 far-flung employees (including pilots and flight attendants) up to date on critical company issues. Messages are updated twice weekly and as needed. When major announcements are made about labor issues or management changes, for example, as many as 30 percent of employees will call the line in a one- or two-day period. The news line challenges the rumor mill as a source of information. Many offices delegate someone to check the news line and pass on messages.

AT&T Wireless in Seattle sends a seven-minute monthly corporate message to all employees in their voicemail box. To keep their message from getting lost in the crush, the company hires a local radio comedian to put a special humorous spin on the company news.

5. Build two-way communication. Trust develops when employees know they can get information and share ideas. To encourage trust, companies should give employees a place they can turn to get information, ask questions, make comments, and find out what has been done with their comments.

Kinko's, to keep in touch with the employees in its 850 branches (which operate 24 hours a day), established a system with three elements:

* A two-way telephone news line that can be accessed from work or home.

* A broadcast fax to get news to all branches within two hours.

* A newsletter that publishes answers to frequently asked questions.

The system was given an early test when Kinko's took on a financial partner and began converting 125 partnerships into one company and making many staffing changes. The system was used extensively to let people know what was happening. An announcement that an employee stock ownership program was being started generated more than 3,000 calls in a two-day period.

At Alaska Airlines, CEO John Kelly sets aside two half days a month for closed-door meetings with 12 to 14 randomly selected employees who are flown in from the company's 46 locations. Groups include customer service representatives, flight attendants, mechanics and pilots. The sessions last about four hours and include a brief presentation followed by intense discussion.

6. Hold managers accountable. In focus groups and print surveys, managers are increasingly criticized for failing to encourage two-way communication or keep employees informed. Many managers, however, have never been given any formal training or help in handling their communication roles.

Tools such as two-way news lines and fax bulletins take some of the burden of day-to-day communication off busy managers. Managers can be trained to play a much greater role in helping employees understand why decisions are made, seeking employees support, and encouraging them to share their ideas and suggestions. When those skills are assessed on the performance appraisal, everyone will know the company is committed.

Boyd A. Vander Houwen is president of Vander Houwen Public Relations in Bellevue, Wash. He has received numerous employee communications awards and was recently honored by the International Association of Business Communicators and the Washington Press Association.