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Employee Communication Preferences at CHS. Lisa Moorhouse Final Project University of St. Thomas Dec. 18, 2007. Who is CHS?. Fortune 200 company Provides essential energy, grains and foods resources to enrich lives More than 6,000 employees. The Challenge.
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Employee Communication Preferences at CHS Lisa Moorhouse Final Project University of St. Thomas Dec. 18, 2007
Who is CHS? • Fortune 200 company • Provides essential energy, grains and foods resources to enrich lives • More than 6,000 employees
The Challenge How to best use available resources to ensure that employees know what it is they need to know about the company to understand where they fit and help them do their jobs.
Research Question Do CHS employees have an identifiable method of preferred communication delivery for specific messages?
What We Wanted to Know • Gauge how well informed employees feel about CHS. • Determine how employees prefer to receive information about CHS. • Understand current technology use and accessibility among employees.
Methodology • 25-question, paper-based survey mailed to employee homes • Sent to 2,500 out of 6,000 employees • Conducted February-March 2007
Results • A total of 787 surveys were returned for a response rate of 31.5%. • Demographics of response group are representative of entire organization. • Business Unit: 59% classified as Ag Business • Job Function:42% operations/production
I feel that I understand the company’s vision and mission percent
How important is the intranet? percent
Employee Use of Technology • Most-used technologies • Computer • Cellular phone • E-mail • Web sites • Least-used technologies • iPod/MP3 • PDA/Blackberry
Methods of Internet Access • 73% of employees report using a cable, DSL or wired broadband connection. • 6% report having no access.
New Technologies • 29% of employees value being able to download audio files of company-related information. • 55% of respondents are not aware of blogs.
Research Question Do CHS employees have an identifiable method of preferred communication delivery for specific messages? Yes.
Key Findings • The majority feel fully to adequately informed by current communication efforts. • Employees prefer a mix of communication methods. • Employees prefer print and online equally. • Fewer than half of the respondents know new technologies.
Recommendations • Rely on mix of communication tools. • Explore newer technologies. • Help managers and supervisors convey business goals and strategies. • Regularly collect information about employee communication preferences.