Employee Experience Roundup: 6 lessons from Children’s Stories to Help Leaders Become Powerful Storytellers + Top EX Trends and Predictions for 2019

Welcome to our weekly hand-curated roundup of articles and resources, guidance, and inspiration for those who have a role and responsibility in shaping the employee experience. We include a variety of sources and topics ranging from Employer Branding, Content, Employee Communications & Campaigns, Recruitment Marketing, and workplace culture.

In this week’s Employee Experience Roundup, in honor of #NationalStorytellingWeek, read about 6 lessons from Children’s Stories to Help Leaders Become Powerful Storytellers, check out The 13 Best Internal Communications Blogs (we’re honored to be included in this list), and find out The 7 Best Internal Communications Podcasts to listen to, plus more.

6 lessons from Children’s Stories to Help Leaders Become Powerful Storytellers — H&H, By Saskia Jones @handhagency @saskiahjones1
“When leaders tell stories, they can capture our hearts, inspire our minds, and ignite the potential to create positive and sustained change for all. Communications extraordinaire Saskia Jones dives into the most timeless genre of storytelling – children’s fiction – and picks out 6 eye-opening lessons it can teach us about shaping stories that last a lifetime.”

2019 Employee Experience Trends and Predictions: What is on the Radar of EX Professionals This Year? — Vignette, By Mike Lepis @vignetteagency
With the new year already in full swing, we have tapped some great thinkers in the world of Employee Experience (EX) to discuss the trends to keep an eye on in 2019. There is no doubt EX is on the map–companies across all sectors are realizing the urgency and competitive advantage of investing in their people. It is rewarding to observe this sea change. We are seeing companies of all sizes reach out and share that EX is a priority coming from the executive floor.

To mix up our 2019 trends post, we reached out to our colleagues, peers, and top thought leaders to hear what trends and predictions are on their radar for 2019.

The 13 Best Internal Communications Blogs — Bananatag, By Kyla Sims @bananatag
“I have read nearly every internal communications blog out there. The good. And the bad. All so I can learn as much as I can about internal communications and how to help communicators kick butt. And I am consistently blown away by how many people and organizations are contributing to the conversation.

The amount of time and the depth of thought that some internal communication blogs are putting into their articles and resources is truly impressive.”

The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer — Edelman @EdelmanPR
“The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that trust has changed profoundly in the past year—people have shifted their trust to the relationships within their control, most notably their employers. Globally, 75 percent of people trust “my employer” to do what is right, significantly more than NGOs (57 percent), business (56 percent) and media (47 percent).

Despite a high lack of faith in the system, there is one relationship that remains strong: “my employer.” Fifty-eight percent of general population employees say they look to their employer to be a trustworthy source of information about contentious societal issues.”

Employee Experience Books & Articles for 2019 — Bonfyre, By Matt Stolpe @BonfyreApp
“No matter the time of year, it’s never too late to start thinking about how to improve employee experience. That’s why we here at Bonfyre have assembled a handy reading list of employee experience books & articles to help out.

Below you’ll find a list of the best employee experience books, articles, and miscellanea that should be on your radar as you build out your strategy for 2019 and beyond.”

Do These Things to Create an Engaging Employee Experience from Start to Finish — Fast Company, By Rob De Luca—GlassDoor
“Engagement is a good thing. It’s been a metric for success and a driving force behind content marketing for years; organizations know the more engaged a customer becomes, the more likely they’ll be to purchase or recommend a product or service.

The same link between customer engagement and positive outcomes holds true for employees: Research indicates a correlation between engagement and almost any positive outcome you can think of. And a lack of engagement is linked to any number of negative outcomes, including billions of dollars in lost revenue.”

Top 13 hopes and trends for Internal Communications in 2019 — Poppulo, By Tim Vaughan @PoppuloSays
“What’s in store for internal communications in 2019?  How is the role of IC going to evolve in the digital workplace? Are too many communicators still going to stay content as internal PR practitioners rather than being valued as strategic advisors and key drivers of organizational objectives and business goals, adding (and proving) value instead of being seen as cost centers? So, to get a sense of what might lie ahead for IC in 2019 we sought the views of several communication leaders.”

The 7 Best Internal Communications Podcasts  — Bananatag, By Kyla Sims @bananatag
“If you’re looking for the best internal communication podcasts, look no further. And if you’re not looking for internal communication podcasts, then let me enlighten you my friend. Here’s the thing: Podcasts are quickly becoming one of the most valuable sources of information and insight for internal communicators.

They are like a window into the minds of the best practitioners and consultants in the industry. And they are just sitting there, waiting for you to climb through and soak up all of their knowledge.”

The Best Internal Communications Conferences You Must Attend in 2019 — ContactMonkey, By Filza Naveed @contactmonkey
“Here are the best internal communications conferences happening in 2019. Learn the latest communication best practices from some of the biggest influencers and changemakers within the internal comms field. Save the date and book your flights for the top 7 internal communications conferences for 2019!”