What are the most effective ways to communicate HR consulting recommendations?

1 Know your audience

Before you present your recommendations, you need to know who your audience is and what their expectations are. Are they senior executives, managers, or employees? Are they familiar with the HR issues you are addressing, or do they need more background information? Are they looking for data-driven insights, practical solutions, or strategic advice? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your communication style, tone, and content to suit their needs and preferences.

2 Use clear and concise language

When you communicate your recommendations, you want to avoid jargon, acronyms, and technical terms that might confuse or alienate your audience. Instead, use clear and concise language that explains your findings, logic, and rationale in a simple and understandable way. Use examples, stories, and analogies to illustrate your points and make them more memorable. Avoid long and complex sentences that might lose your audience's attention or interest. Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and numbers to organize your information and make it easy to scan and follow.

3 Choose the right format

Depending on the nature and scope of your recommendations, you might choose to communicate them in different formats, such as reports, presentations, emails, or meetings. Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you need to consider what works best for your audience, purpose, and context. For example, reports are useful for documenting and sharing detailed and comprehensive information, but they might not be very engaging or persuasive. Presentations are effective for delivering key messages and influencing decisions, but they might not cover all the nuances or details. Emails are convenient for sending quick updates or summaries, but they might not convey the tone or emotion of your recommendations. Meetings are interactive and collaborative, but they might not be very structured or focused.

4 Leverage technology

Technology can help you communicate your recommendations more effectively, by enhancing your visuals, audio, and interactivity. For example, you can use tools like PowerPoint, Prezi, or Canva to create engaging and professional slides that highlight your main points and data. You can use tools like Zoom, Skype, or Teams to conduct online meetings or webinars that allow you to share your screen, chat, and poll your audience. You can use tools like Google Docs, Dropbox, or SharePoint to share and edit your documents online and collaborate with your clients. You can also use tools like SurveyMonkey, Typeform, or Qualtrics to collect feedback and measure the impact of your recommendations.

5 Follow up and follow through

Finally, you need to follow up and follow through on your recommendations, to ensure that they are implemented and evaluated. You can follow up with your clients by sending them a thank-you note, a summary of your recommendations, or a reminder of the next steps. You can also offer them additional support, such as coaching, training, or troubleshooting, to help them with the transition or change. You can follow through by checking in with them regularly, monitoring their progress, and measuring their results. You can also ask them for testimonials, referrals, or reviews, to showcase your work and build your reputation.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?