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America Back to Work: Mike Klein, #WeLeadComms
The Scoop On the Internal Comms and HR Relationship
In this week’s episode of America Back to Work, host Arnette Heintze is joined by Mike Klein, an internal communication specialist and communications industry super connector.
Mike also is the author of From Lincoln to LinkedIn, the 55 Minute Guide to Social Communication.
Together, he and Arnette explore the vital role of internal communications in shaping company culture and enhancing employee engagement.
Mike shares his insights on the evolution of internal communications during the past 25 years, the differences between American and European employment mentalities, and the impact of AI on the workplace.
Key Topics Discussed
- The Importance of Internal Communications: The evolution and current state of internal communications in business.
- Cultural Differences: European vs. American employment mentalities and their influence on internal communication.
- Strategic Function of Internal Comms: The need to prioritize internal communications and its critical role within HR.
- Consistency in Messaging: Ensuring consistency in organizational messaging and the value of experienced communication managers.
- Relationship Between HR and Internal Comms: The importance of alignment between HR and internal communications functions.
- Data Collection and Measurement: Giving internal comms professionals the freedom to gather and measure their own data.
- Crisis Communication: How HR and internal comms should navigate newsmaking events like layoffs or going public.
- AI in the Workplace: The affect and implications of AI on internal communications and overall business processes.
- Key Recommendations for HR Professionals: Practical tips for HR in improving internal communications.
Noteworthy Quotes:
- Mike Klein: “Internal communication is a business function, not just an HR function.”
- Arnette Heintze: “Communications is one of the most critical elements of any business or organization.”
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S2Verify is one of the leading, privately held, pre-employment background screening companies in the United States.
Arnette Heintze is co-founder and chief strategy officer at S2Verify. Before establishing S2Verify, Arnette spent more than three decades working at the highest levels of federal, state, and local law enforcement.
He served more than 20 years in the United States Secret Service as a special agent and senior executive,—oØ where he planned, designed, and implemented security strategies to protect U.S. Presidents, world leaders, events of national significance, and our nation’s most sensitive assets, including financial infrastructure.
After retiring from the Secret Service, Arnette focused on building the growth and performance of innovative start-ups and SMBs. In 2004, he established Hillard Heintze, a globally recognized strategic security risk management and investigations firm.
In 2009, along with Bill Whitford and Jim Zimbardi, Arnette established S2 Verify with an approach and methodology that delivers fast, accurate, compliant, and affordable background screening insights crucial to better managing insider risks, threats, and vulnerabilities.