Angelina Julie in affair with Company Chairman - how to get your corporate communications read.

Be honest, unless the latest corporate communication was titled 'Angelina Jolie in affair with Company Chairman' your little finger is likely to have made an unconscious move towards the delete button before you have read past the headline. Yet, you are probably planning to use e-mail communications as a key part of your HR Transformation. How do you ensure your corporate e-mails are read and do not become a casualties of the quivering little finger?

You need to think like the editor of the Sun and follow these rules:

1. Think like a 'headline writer'

For example, say as a result of the new outsourced payroll, payslips are now going to be sent to home addresses. The subject can be as short as 'PAYSLIPS SENT HOME'

2. KISS Keep it simple stupid - one idea per mail

You may employ NASA scientists but they have the attention span of a Sun reader when looking at a corporate e-mail. Where possible put the key points in a bullet pointed summary at the top and add in more detail below for those who are interested. Keep mails short and one subject per mail, it is better to send out more mails than a few longer mails with mixed subjects.

3. Make it pretty

A Sun editor knows you are more likely to read an article accompanied by a picture of buxom blond than one without. This is not an excuse for circulating pictures of the office party rather use simple low bite pictures to accompany the mail. For example, if you want people to update their home address details on line when they move house, place a picture of a little house in the reminder e-mail. You may have to send this mail out 3-4 times a year to catch everyone who moves but even if people don't read the mail, they will notice the house icon.

4. Make it fun

OK not every corporate e-mail is a barrel of laughs but if you want people to check they are registered in the Private Health Scheme, send out a mail during the skiing season with a cartoon character with a broken leg. 'Wishing you a safe Skiing holiday!' - 'Please check you are registered for the Private Health Scheme.'

5. Measure your circulation figures

A Sun editor lives and dies by their readership figures and so should you. Get feedback about the communications. Carry out awareness surveys, find out what calls your Service Centre or HR Business Partners are receiving send out a mail and see if the queries diminish. Go and talk to your target audience - get as much feedback as possible and if all else fails you could always resort to 'Brad Pitt in personal vendetta with company Chairman.....'