In autumn, simply returning to work is not enough: a fresh sense of momentum is also needed. The organization slowed down during the summer, with different work schedules and ongoing vacations while operations still had to continue. Getting back into the usual rhythm does not happen overnight, while attention already needs to shift toward new tasks.
This is a good time to review the challenges and adapt internal communication accordingly. When a company communicates in a timely, clear and targeted way, it becomes easier to re-engage employees and make the transition at the end of summer smoother.
Dozens of emails in the inbox, new documents, unfinished and newly launched projects, and countless questions - this is the typical situation employees face when returning from vacation. If they do not know exactly what happened while they were away, getting back into the everyday rhythm of work becomes more difficult.
It is not enough to simply assign new tasks. Leaders also need to make time to ensure that every member of the team is up to date. If a project was completed during the summer, an important change took place within the organization or its processes, or something new was being prepared, returning employees need to be informed.
• It is easier to pick up where they left off when employees have a clear understanding of the current situation.
Companies typically enter the autumn period with new goals and campaigns, which can also create a new order of priorities for employees compared to the summer months. Alongside the questions of “what has changed” and “what has stayed the same,” the most important question becomes: what should we focus on now?
The uncertainty that often comes with the end of summer can be easily reduced if the organization communicates its priorities in a timely and understandable way. Make it clear what each person should focus on most and how individual responsibilities contribute to shared goals.
• A clear order of priorities can become the driving force behind the autumn restart and help everyone approach new tasks with the same focus.
Vacations now extend into autumn at many workplaces, as plenty of employees choose to travel after the traditional peak season. By mid-August, most of the team is typically back working at full capacity, but some colleagues may only return in the second or third week of September.
Keep in mind that moving into the autumn months does not necessarily mean that the vacation period is over. This is why sending a single comprehensive announcement to everyone may not be enough. Scheduled and segmented communication can be especially useful in this situation.
• It is equally important to keep employees informed who worked throughout the summer and only take their vacation in autumn.
Of course, an autumn restart is not only about sharing information. Internal communication also needs to support community building. As interest visibly declines during the summer months and workplace community life becomes quieter, autumn is a good opportunity to restart engagement with light and easy activities.
• After the quieter vacation period, an autumn quiz, poll or playful challenge can help the team find its rhythm again and successfully re-engage returning employees.
For non-desk employees, the summer period can differ even more from their usual routines. Shift schedules often change and substitutions can reshape working patterns. If these employees cannot be reached directly, helping them get back into the rhythm in autumn will not be any easier either. When internal communication operates on a mobile-friendly platform, frontline and operational employees do not have to miss important information.
• When the organization restarts in autumn and a large amount of new information also needs to reach non-desk employees, the benefits of app-based communication become even more valuable.
After the summer vacation period, most employees want to quickly understand what has changed and what they should focus on first. Blue Colibri's mobile-friendly platform supports this with a range of useful features. Instead of searching for information across scattered messages and different channels, employees can find everything in one shared space.
In the Blue Colibri App, information can be scheduled and sent in a segmented way only to employees who are affected by a particular topic. There is no need to organize separate meetings just to communicate deadlines and priorities: employees can be kept regularly and directly informed, while push notifications ensure that no one misses information relevant to them. All important company news remains searchable in the Blue Colibri News Feed. Light community activities such as quizzes, polls and playful challenges can also help employees reconnect with both the everyday life of the organization and their workplace community through the internal communication platform.
