The employee election comms tactics to use ahead of November

The presidential election this November, whether you’re looking forward to it or dreading it, is something that all organizations need to pay attention to. Employers need to recognize that their employees are citizens and members of communities outside of working hours, holding personal beliefs and values that don’t always completely align with those of the organization.

While there’s not one right approach to communicating with employees about election-related issues, there are some basic lessons you can apply for a smoother transition into election season and the weeks and months ahead.

For more election comms insights, register for our webinar, Navigating the Crossroads: How to Steer Comms Through Political Waters  on Wednesday, August 14 at 2 PM ET.

Using templated language

One of the more prominent issues organizations can run into with election comms is accusations of saying too much or too little. Creating messaging templates can help communicators stay on track and avoid potential pitfalls.

1. Get out the vote.

Simple and concise, a ”get out the vote” campaign encourages people in your organization to participate in the democratic process without endorsing any one candidate or viewpoint.

“When supporting a workforce that is responding to everything from presidential candidates and state senators to school board members and union representatives, creating meaningful messaging can be challenging,” said Christina Frantom, internal communications lead at Mercedes-Benz.

“Throughout the years and through each of these elections, I have found that the simplest message is the most effective,” she added, noting that she’s worked in comms through seven national election cycles and many more local ones.

2. Tailor each message to your audience.

Just because your language is templated, doesn’t mean it has to be staid.

Given the contentious nature of the election, comms pros should take care to ensure that their messaging caters to the people it’s intended for and not just pinned to the intranet.

“These are hot-button situations that can cause some internal office strife, so you want to make sure that your message is getting across,” said Vince Sallan, senior attorney at Clark Hill Law.  “If you use templated language in the wrong way, you have run the risk of employees just ignoring it.”

3. Focus on respect.

Elections can be contentious, and some of that animosity can leak out of the political process and into day-to-day interactions. Comms can help foster constructive discussions by putting respect at the top of the conversation.

Judy Rader, senior vice president of corporate affairs and chief communications officer at Constellation Energy Corporation, takes a three-pronged approach that includes:

• Acknowledging that everyone is worthy of respect and not everyone will find common ground.
• Recognizing that conversations are opportunities for understanding, not chances to change someone’s mind.
• Keeping the focus on a respectful workplace environment. “We are focused on facilitating respectful conversations around the election, and we want to continue to foster a safe and inclusive workplace that is welcoming to all,” she said.

Working with a timetable 

Election season can sneak up on you if you’re busy with work or other responsibilities. With the right timing, election communications can have an outsized impact.

4. Communicate early.

Get your messages out months and weeks ahead of Election Day.

Constellation developed a regular cadence for election comms well ahead of the big day in November.  “We also are issuing communications around key milestones such as security around the RNC and DNC,” added Rader, “encouraging employees to vote before election day, and safety messages for election day and inauguration day.”

5. Provide periodic reminders.

 Consider using major American holidays like Independence Day or Labor Day as opportunities to share more about the democratic process.

“This could include simple messaging around voter registration, or more detailed messaging about absentee ballots, understanding voter ID requirements, or making sure that other barriers to voting are eliminated,” Frantom said. “You can fold this type of messaging into your annual comms calendar and point employees to local, state, and national resources so they have the information and support they need to participate in the elections that matter most to them as individuals.”

6. Remember that less is more.

Pick your spots wisely — you risk alienating people if you communicate too much about the election.

“You don’t want to overdo it and signal that there is some sort of a problem in the workplace that requires constant messaging or that you are over-policing your employees,” Sallan said.

Soliciting feedback effectively and increasing engagement

The best way to know if your election comms approach is working is to ask the people you’re communicating with.

7. Source feedback from your intranet.

Your internal comms platform can be a great place to get the feedback you need.

“We regularly solicit and encourage employee feedback through our Compass intranet and via our dedicated Communication email inbox,” Rader said.

8. Treat managers as a resource.

Managers are one of the best touchpoints you’ve got in terms of employee outreach. They’re also a great resource when you want to elicit feedback on your election comms work.

“Make sure you’re communicating with your managers and boots on the ground about these issues to see what they’re hearing,” Sallan said. “Keep an open-door policy and solicit and welcome feedback from your employees so that they feel heard.”

9. Make room for employees to engage.

Consider providing extra space for your employees to participate in the election.

“One of my favorite recent examples was a request to limit the number of meetings and in-office events scheduled on Election Day,” Frantom said.

“We shared this request and pushed it down through the management team so department schedules could be adjusted as needed. It takes some of the stress out of waiting in long lines at polling places, and allows employees to manage their workload so they can more easily participate in the election process. It also gave employees the power and space to participate in the ways that mattered to them like voting, poll watching, and campaigning.”

Election comms aren’t a one-size-fits-all effort — they’ll vary widely from organization to organization. But if you keep the user experience of your employees as a top priority, you’ll be on the path to success.

“The content of individual elections can be divisive, but participating in the election process is something that brings us together as a nation,” Frantom said. “It is exciting to play such an important role as communicators during this time.”

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and hosting trivia.