Employees flock to Royal Bank of Canada’s INsite

Communicators at the banking giant get employees excited about the online publication, INsite, through ads, polls, e-mail reminders, blogs and the intranet

It was a slight mishap that led to increased readership of Royal Bank of Canada’s monthly online newsletter, INsite. Communicators at the banking giant usually sent INsite to employees in the morning.

On one particular morning INsite was running late and it didn’t hit employees’ inboxes until just before noon (read: lunchtime). Though hours late from its usual arrival time, INsite readership spiked.

“People are at their desks at lunchtime and looking for something to read,” explained Edith Galinaitis, RBC’s former manager of employee communications and now head of change communications. When the communications department learned they had backed into success, the practice stuck: They would now send the newsletter just before noon.

As many communicators understand, creating top-notch content is only part of the challenge. Getting employees to read the communications vehicle is of equal importance.

Here’s how communicators at RBC ensure employees read their online content.

The great migration