How comms and HR can work together to help employees

When your organization doesn’t have a dedicated HR communications role, how can you bridge the gap?

Ragan Content Director Joyceann Garippa spoke with Matthew Owenby, chief human resources officer at Aflac, about how communicators and HR can work together to build a relationship that makes employees feel supported.

Owenby’s remarks were edited for length and clarity.

Ragan: What do HR departments need most from comms to nurture the partnership?

Matthew Owenby: An ongoing relationship and engagement. If I’m waiting till we NEED to communicate, it’s way too late. Get the flow, make sure broader perspectives are matching across the enterprise level, across all platforms. It requires a relationship before you need it.

Ragan: Aflac’s CEO is known to say, “If you treat employees right, they take care of the business.” What are some best practices that have emerged since the pandemic around treating employees right as it relates to hybrid, remote, in-office etc?