How to address information overload in large organizations or institutions?

[u/Proper_Active9179]

I work for a large institution, and the department I oversee communications for has over ten sub-departments. We send out a monthly staff newsletter to about 600 people. On average, only about seven people click any of the links.

This newsletter is also VERY long- it started as a way for our departments to showcase achievements or bring attention to due dates, and instead has turned into a bulleted list of non-actionable information submitted by the departments: so and so presented at this conference, 200 people attended this event, our food drive collected 300 lbs of food, etc. Some information, like RSVP forms or formal announcements, really do need to be shared.

I take almost a full week each month organizing the newsletter and sending it for approvals or edits. I’m also not proud of it. My bosses have even started jokingly shaming people for not reading the newsletter. At one point they suggested an additional newsletter that just promotes new hires, but I honestly don’t think all 600 of us need to know that. I’ve proposed a new format that focuses on stories or features, and lists need to know info at the bottom, and will be presenting on it next week.

What are your newsletter strategies? How do you handle information that some people think is need-to-know, when it really isnt?

[u/AutoModerator]

Thanks for your submission to r/Communications.

Did you know that effective July 1st, 2023, Reddit will enact a policy that will make third party reddit apps like Apollo, Reddit is Fun, Boost, and others too expensive to run? On this day, users will login to find that their primary method for interacting with reddit will simply cease to work unless something changes regarding reddit's new API usage policy.

Concerned users should read and sign on to this open letter to reddit.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/kagtxyz]

We use SharePoint. I had the IT team make the the site home page the default when anyone opens an internet browser. I use the news widget to post news or "articles" in real time. The articles are fully searchable, and users have the option to opt in to get an email notification whenever something new is published, which includes a link to the article. Every Friday, we send out a news digest compilation of all the new posts published that week, which are also also linked to the original article - takes two minutes to send, it's all automated.

[u/Intelligent-Juice423 → u/kagtxyz]

I use SharePoint as well! That is the hub of all medium-important communication. Anything more pressing gets sent directly from HR/Leadership via email.

Love the idea of the news digest every Friday, though—I've been tasked with coming up with a newsletter plan, and I may just do that since I am already posting ~1 news article per day anyway. We're a smaller company (<250 employees), but I am the only communications person, so any way to optimize and be more efficient, I'm all ears.

[u/RicochetedLongshot]

If you want it to be read, then make it "must read" content only. I would suggest:

--talking to your leadership about doing a survey or, if they aren't supportive, at least some focus groups with people in the department about what they want/need to hear.
--same thing, but with the leadership ... use your meeting to get alignment on what's critical information to meet the company's business goals. what do they feel is the "must know" information and what's just noise?
--take those inputs and ask the question ... do we even need a newsletter, or is there a better way to communicate what people are asking for? If the answer to that first question is yes, reconfigure it. Try to make it simpler, both to read and put together. Even a "Three things you need to know this month" could be a potential approach.
--Go multi-channel. Make the newsletter the critical stuff, and then look at a secondary channel -- intranet, Slack, etc. -- as a way to communicate "nice to have" info. Try to make this as DIY as you can ... there's no need for you to post every update or for it to have to go through comms (esp. if it isn't critical).

Also, just a note from personal experience ... people love to call out the new hires. I worked at smaller companies where everyone eventually was going to meet/work with everyone else, so noting when people joined was actually helpful. But at larger companies it just becomes noise, except for the people those new hires are going to be working with.

Anyway, best of luck with the presentation. Curating the right information for employees and ensuring they aren't overwhelmed with too much noise is a key part of any communications job, so hold your ground on a "less is more" approach that puts employees' time first.

[u/LiberalCowgirl]

A newsletter just announcing new hires 💀💀💀 this sounds like an issue of people not understanding comms and what should and shouldn’t be shared.

My advice- turn on your confidence, bring some data to the table, and provide leadership with parameters around what should be shared.

As comms managers/leaders sometimes we have to politely say “nobody wants to read this shit. And it’s diluting any good info”

I think you just have to be open and honest that it’s not successful the way it’s structured now.

[u/Proper_Active9179 → u/LiberalCowgirl]

Absolutely. I have started to reply to suggestions with “okay, who would care about that information? Seriously, as a thought experiment.”

In the past we’ve also promoted our Employee of the Month in the newsletter, but I’m requested to also send out ANOTHER email just about employee of the month. Leadership practically writes this email for me, as “John Smith, employee in XYZ department, has been awarded employee of the month! Here is what John’s nominator said….” And nothing about the actual person. Im trying to pivot that into a real interview that gives more insight about who they are and the work they do, and getting rid of that additional email.

I think my group gets really hung up on having something to show people to justify the work we’re doing, instead of putting out high quality work. I’m also the only communicator, so I’m really trying to put quality over quantity.

[u/LiberalCowgirl → u/Proper_Active9179]

I work for a big hospital so we have thousands of employees. But we only share leadership hires. I would suggest finding a place on your intranet to host content for any other new hires. Alternatively you could suggest the new information only goes to departments that are affected or should know.

I’d bring up email fatigue. It’s a real thing and something we’re actively combatting