171 | How to Build Trust & Get Buy-In Through Brilliant Employee Communication (with Nik Nawaaz)

You can design the best HR strategy, introduce brilliant benefits, or roll out an important change - but if people do not understand it, engage with it, or take action, none of it matters.

That is why employee communication sits right at the heart of your impact in HR.

In this episode of HR Coffee Time, Fay is joined by Nik Nawaaz, Head of Employee Communications at Barnett Waddingham (now part of Howden) to unpack exactly how HR professionals can communicate in a way that builds trust, gets buy-in, and encourages people to take action - whether that is using their benefits, completing an engagement survey, preparing for a performance review, or navigating organisational change.

With over 20 years of experience in employee communications, Nik shares practical, immediately actionable advice — no jargon, no fluff.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why employee communication is the “connective tissue” of an organisation
• Why HR can sometimes feel like a faceless department - and how to change that
• The common mistake HR professionals make when writing employee communications
• Why your message needs to answer “So what?” within the first few seconds
• How to shift from explaining features to showing benefits
• Why phrases like “HR is pleased to announce” or “Please be advised” can stop people engaging
• How to make your communication feel more human, conversational and direct
• Why reading your message aloud can help you spot corporate language
• How to use Microsoft Word’s read-aloud feature to improve scripts and written communication
• Why a one-size-fits-all approach rarely works for benefits communication
• How to tailor messages for different groups and generations in your workforce
• Why line managers are so important when you want messages to land
• How a simple manager toolkit can make communication more effective
• Why listening for the first five minutes of a meeting can help build trust
• How to communicate during times of fear, uncertainty and change
• Why silence can lead people to create their own “horror story”
• How to be honest when you do not yet have all the answers
• Why storytelling and real-world proof can be more persuasive than project updates
• Why employee communication needs support from across the organisation - not just HR

Chapters

00:00 - When great HR work goes unnoticed

03:24 - What employee comms really means

04:20 - Why HR can feel "faceless" — and how to fix it

06:19 - The #1 mistake: writing for yourself, not your audience

08:49 - Quick win: delete your opening line

09:49 - Drop the corporate speak — write like a human

11:35 - The Word trick that makes your writing sound natural

13:04 - How to get people to actually use their benefits

17:30 - Tailoring messages for different generations

20:58 - Line managers as your communication allies

22:59 - The "First Five" technique

24:01 - Communicating through change and uncertainty

25:58 - Use storytelling, not project updates

28:06 - Resource recommendation: Simon Sinek's Golden Circle

Useful Links

• Connect with Fay on LinkedIn
• Learn about Fay’s Essential HR Planner
• Learn about Fay’s Inspiring HR Leadership Programme
• Take Fay’s freeHR Leadership Impact Assessment.
• Connect with Nik (Nikolas) Nawaaz on LinkedIn
• Find out more about Barnett Waddingham’s employee communications work
• Watch Simon Sinek’s TED Talk:How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Helpful Episode to Listen to Next

If you enjoyed this episode and would like more support with writing clear, effective communication at work, listen to:

Ep 32: How to write work emails that get results, with Kim Arnold

Kim shares brilliant advice that complements Nik’s tips in this episode, especially if you want to make your emails clearer, more persuasive and easier for people to act on.

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