The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Town Halls

Remember hosting town hall or all-staff meetings in-person? You could limit distractions and almost guarantee that everyone would be paying attention. Ah, the good ol’ days. Unfortunately, they’re long gone. Now, employees are distributed and distracted, grappling with general uncertainty, work/home life balance, and current events. And to make it even more difficult, communications professionals are busier than ever and have to present more information than ever before. So how do you communicate effectively and keep everyone engaged during your virtual town halls?

What is a town hall?

Town halls have a very long history. Before we were using them in corporate settings, they were used to open dialogue between citizens and government officials. Both officials and citizens would communicate about important issues, with the opportunity for questions and debate. Typically, a town hall was a rare opportunity for the average citizen to have a voice and speak directly to decision-makers about policy. Employee Town Hall meetings are an excellent way to engage employees and get everyone on the same page.

How Staffbase runs engaging virtual town halls

At Staffbase, our core belief is: Communication moves people, and people move companies. With 100% of our team working from home, communicating internally was a bit challenging. It was challenging not only to get on the same page in terms of company and product direction, but also to make sure the incredible culture we’d built stayed strong. Like most organizations, organic, casual, face-to-face communication was a big driver of alignment and connection for us.

One of the biggest drivers of success has been our ability to pull off all-hand events like town halls, without losing the engagement or connection we had in-person. We decided to share what we’ve learned and the tools we use to create these awesome virtual events—so that you can help get your employees on the same page too.

How to Create a Great Virtual Town Hall

So how do you make sure employees are paying attention, getting the information they need to do their jobs well, and feel connected to their colleagues and the organization? The first step is having a great Town Hall presentation design. How you present important information is one of the key components in making sure employees pay attention and get the message. Our employees demand (and deserve) the very best, so you should follow these best practices:

• Create eye-catching, compelling slides that keep employees engaged
• Structure your presentation agenda to avoid information overload
• Pick content that inspires, connects, and aligns employees
• Present with purpose and confidence

Core Capabilities for Success

To ensure your virtual town halls and internal communications are effective, you should leverage the following capabilities:

• Multichannel Publishing: Reach everyone where they are.
• Analytics & Insights: Know if your town hall was successful.
• Security & Compliance: Ensure your enterprise communications are safe.
• Integrations & APIs: Connect your existing tools.

Historical Context

For those interested in the origins of this format, here is a quick fact:

• 1633: The first town hall was held in Dorchester, Massachusetts.