Let's Get Oldham Talking
Year on year, employers report that communication is the skill that is most frequently lacking in new recruits to the workplace, school leavers and graduates.
Let’s Get Oldham Talking wants to work with educators and employers to ensure children and young people are prepared for the world of work and adulthood, how businesses are supporting the transition and how young people themselves can make a difference.
When young people are taught skills with an emphasis on communication, Let’s Get Oldham Talking believes they will find the transition into the workplace easier.
A strong foundation of speech, language and communication underpins the skills employers need.
Improving communication skills in the workplace
- Ensure all employees are aware of key strategies contained within a communication policy that supports and encourages communication skills in the workplace.
- Provide Information that is available to employees in different formats. These could include posters to support memory, by providing visual and written reminders of workplace instructions.
- Engage with your Human Resources representative to consider how information about a young person’s communication skills is shared sensitively and effectively to team members.
- Consider displaying photos and names of the organisation’s staff (such as via ID badges) are displayed to support greater interaction and name recall between employees.
- When offering work experience/employment opportunities actively seek information about the young person’s communication skills from schools / parents / carers prior to ensure appropriate support is in place.
- Provide work documents that are written at an accessible level for new and existing employees who may have communication skills challenges.
- Ensure that the rules and expectations of the organisation are clearly described, including in visual formats, so that employees with communication challenges are aware of them.
- Create a workplace setting that is an open and asking friendly environment, so that employees – such as young school leavers- know that it’s OK to ask for help, clarification, and repetition.
- Encourage the creation of a ‘communications champion’ within the workplace that new employees (such as recent school leavers) can take concerns to – and ensure HR guidelines are clear about when and how this should be arranged.
- Provide opportunities for new and existing employees to give feedback about how the workplace supports them and use this information to improve future practice.
- During any employee induction provide a specific focus on the communication skills needed for the role and offer training/support where appropriate.
- Establish regular and planned supervision times to discuss, feedback and set achievable development targets around communication skills that are necessary for an employee to develop the role.