Effective communication at work is essential for the success of any company or team. Without clear and precise communication, misunderstandings that affect productivity and the work environment may arise. Conveying ideas in a clear way and being willing to actively listen to colleagues are key skills in any professional setting.
The implementation of methodologies and new technological channels to improve team management and workflow highlights the importance of open and effective communication among team members. Moreover, nowadays there are online collaboration platforms, project management software, and messaging applications that make communication and collaboration easier among geographically distributed teams.
Below, we’ll look at the most effective and commonly used communication channels for companies that help achieve employee cohesion through continuous communication flow.
Team collaboration platforms (such as Slack): these platforms offer instant messaging, organization of channels by teams or projects, integration with other tools, and file-sharing capabilities. They help facilitate communication quickly, enable real-time collaboration, and ensure efficient project management by centralizing conversations and documents.
Project management tools (such as Asana or Trello): these tools allow teams to plan, assign tasks, track progress, and collaborate on projects. They facilitate communication by visualizing task status, deadlines, and the distribution of responsibilities.
Video conferencing platforms (such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams): these platforms make it possible to hold virtual meetings, video conferences, and webinars. They are useful for face-to-face communication with geographically dispersed teams, conducting presentations, screen sharing, and collaborating in real time.
Corporate social networks (such as Workplace by Facebook or Yammer): these networks provide a space for internal communication, allowing employees to share company news, updates, collaborate in thematic groups, and connect across different departments and hierarchical levels.
Knowledge management platforms (such as Confluence or SharePoint): these platforms allow the creation, storage, and sharing of company information, documents, manuals, and policies. They promote collaboration by offering a centralized knowledge repository accessible to all employees.
If your company uses any type of instant messaging channel, you’ve probably wondered to what extent your superiors can read your messages. Well, according to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), in relation to employees using company communication channels, these are the key points that determine the limits of communication monitoring:
Consent: if a company wants to use WhatsApp or any other communication channel to interact with employees, it must obtain their explicit consent. This means that employees must clearly and specifically give their permission.
Use of personal data: when using WhatsApp, the company gains access to employees’ mobile phone numbers and usernames. Therefore, it is important that employees are aware of what personal data is being used and for what purpose.
Risks: if a company uses WhatsApp without employee authorization, it can be reported to the AEPD (Spanish Data Protection Agency), which could result in sanctions. Similarly, monitoring employee communications without their consent can also lead to complaints to the AEPD and potential penalties.
AEPD Guide: the Spanish Data Protection Agency has published a guide on data protection and labor relations to help organizations comply with the legislation.
Employee rights: employees have the right to be informed about how their personal data is used, and they also have the right to request that their data be deleted.
Specific cases: in some situations, managers may have access to employees’ conversations. For example, in Slack, managers can read private messages and conversations if certain conditions are met, such as employee consent and the company having a “Plus” or “Enterprise” plan. In Teams, managers can view all circulating messages, monitor meetings and calls, and see changes in shared folders.
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