There are many purposes that a staff newsletter can serve. These purposes can be broken down into two general categories: communication and organizational development.
Communication objectives of a staff newsletter can include providing updates on staff activities, sharing knowledge and resources, and building relationships with colleagues. Organization development objectives of a staff newsletter can include increasing communication and cooperation within the staff, developing leadership skills, and improving staff morale.
While the specific objectives of a staff newsletter may vary depending on the organization, there are some general objectives that are common to all newsletters. These objectives include providing information that is important to the employees who read the newsletter, providing timely updates on important organizational events, and building relationships with colleagues.
Some factors that should be considered when designing a staff newsletter include the audience that the newsletter is intended for, the frequency of updates, and the format of the updates. The audience for a staff newsletter may be limited to only those who work in the specific department or area of the organization that the newsletter is published in. Updates may be released more frequently if the audience for the newsletter is wider-ranging, but this increases the workload for those responsible for creating and releasing updates.
The format of each update should be tailored to match the specific audience that it is intended for. For example, if an update is intended only for employees in a specific department, then it may be best to release it as an email update rather than as a full-fledged magazine article.
Ultimately, designing a successful staff newsletter depends on several factors including understanding what objectives are important to your organization, determining how often updates should be released, and tailoring each update to fit its specific audience. By taking these steps, you can create an effective means of communication and organizational development that will benefit your employees.