5 steps to improve enterprise peer-to-peer communication in post-pandemic reality 

What is a peer-to-peer communication? 

Enterprise peer-to-peer communication is formal and informal information exchange between employees. It includes the daily exchange of courtesies and meetings over coffee (even the virtual one) or going out to lunch together. However, it is primarily the distribution of corporate knowledge, cooperation, and support that employees provide to each other within their teams or interdepartmental and multi-team cooperation. The quality of this communication is considered a key aspect of good quality work and maintaining the continuity of internal processes. It is not worth leaving it alone, especially in a post-pandemic reality with distributed hybrid teams. Enterprise peer-to-peer communication can be encouraged and is worth doing. Why?  

What does peer-to-peer communication affect?  

The quality of communication between employees affects many aspects related to the proper functioning of any company. One study clearly showed that the level of employee engagement is most influenced by co-workers. This was claimed by as many as 42% of those surveyed. Only 21% pointed to their immediate superiors, and 7% pointed to senior managers.  

This is a simple dependency. Enterprise peer-to-peer communication shapes relationships between employees. If they are good, the information necessary to perform duties flows smoothly and quickly. This reflects on the quality of work, which in turn improves customers’ perception of the company and its services or products. Employee motivation increases and with-it employee engagement. This translates into better competitiveness.  

How to make enterprise peer-to-peer communication more effective? 

Brain Tracy says communication is a skill that you can learn. Even if communicational skills are high on the list of leading corporate competencies, it’s worth spreading awareness of communication styles and the diversity of communication needs. However, employee training may not be enough. For enterprise peer-to-peer communication to work flawlessly, 5 aspects are worth taking care of. 

1. Multichannel communication

Internal communication in the post-pandemic reality is based on a variety of channels of communication with employees. It is necessary to take care of all groups of employees, including non-desk ones. To this end, we provide access to tools and applications that allow employees to keep in touch with colleagues in different situations: professional, semi-private and private. This is supported, for example, by internal social media, which accelerates contact by allowing the quick publication of content and interactions.  

2. Promote a culture of celebrating successes

Recognizing employees and celebrating successes together integrates and provides opportunities for closer relationships. Those larger successes are worth celebrating in the public of the whole organization (e.g., during townhalls). Smaller ones – among project teams or departments. It is also worth allowing employees to reward each other, for example, with kudos (words of appreciation) published on social networks or sent directly to the person being praised. Such enterprise peer-to-peer communication takes on a different dimension, as it gives employees a sense of influence and appreciation on a larger scale than usual.  

3. Take care of remote employees

Communication with team members working remotely is harder. Pandemic-era studies have indicated fewer interactions between online employees than offline employees. A clear and consistent online meeting policy and proactive leadership can help offset the negative effects of this trend. It is worthwhile to ensure extensive onboarding, turning on the webcams during meetings, and their integrative elements: encouraging conversation, addressing topics important to all participants, or elements of shared fun. 

4. Be open to feedback

If you want peer-to-peer communication to be effective, take care of feedback culture. Above all, it requires an openness on the part of the employer to accept feedback from employees and provide them with opportunities to give it. Feedback helps streamline communication processes, but it also works the other way around – it gives the green light for mutual feedback between employees.

5. Give a good example

Good enterprise peer-to-peer communication is a product of all organizational cultures and the individual efforts of every employee. Kindness, authenticity, enthusiasm, and engagement are contagious. So is openness to cooperation or reliability, manifested in meeting deadlines or keeping one’s word. Shaping such a work environment together builds strong relationships and mutual trust. Both are very much needed in a post-pandemic reality. 

Companies, that put innovations and development first, have discovered or are slowly discovering that developing horizontal communication is more important than management and hierarchical communication. In an environment focused on quality and speed, it is the employee-employee atmosphere that prevails for success. So don’t ignore enterprise peer-to-peer communication – support employees in nurturing its effectiveness. 

How does Workai support enterprise peer-to-peer communication?

Workai is a solution that supports employee interaction. Employees can freely respond to publications on the intranet, add comments or react with an emoji, but also hold discussions, publish posts and leave feedback via the internal social network. An intelligent knowledge base also supports their collaboration. An address book, as well as user cards, facilitate direct contact so they can exchange knowledge, ask questions or establish friendly relationships.