You know this already: the days when a significant number of people work in one impressive headquarters building are long over. 

For example, telecommuting has increased by 159% since 2000, with a record 2.6% of U.S. employees now getting to their jobs by staying home.

And, in general, the idea of bringing all your employees in one isolated place is now outdated. Technology, outsourcing, the recession, and the changing preferences of the younger workforce are just some of the reasons traditional headquarters seem very 1992.

Yet, despite the fact that organizations are rapidly changing the way they work, many employee communication efforts are still stuck in the past.

Take the employee town hall. I know of too many instances where town halls are hosted at headquarters and employees at other locations participate only by “watching the video” or “dialing in.” That’s like having a party (complete with hors d’oeuvres, drinks and dancing) and telling some guests that, although they can’t come, they can view via Skype. Talk about being on the B list!

It’s time to evaluate your own employee communication program to see if it’s skewed to headquarters employees (and if you’re focusing too much of your content on what happens at headquarters).

How to start? Get out of headquarters, of course! Visit other locations and talk to employees about their communication experiences. Then redesign your efforts to be location neutral and inclusive of everyone who works for your organization.