In today’s interconnected, multi-device, always-on world, clear and error-free communication with employees is paramount. Today’s working person is inundated with messages via email, text, social media, chat, Teams, Slack and more [source]. When your message does get through, you don’t want typos, grammatical errors and factual inaccuracies to undermine the precious opportunity to deliver meaning.

For HR professionals, who often embody their organization’s voice, this is especially critical. You have a special role in ensuring communications are credible, clear, concise and creative.

In this article, I share a few tips from Smith’s own Elements of Quality — Proofreading Guide to help you review drafts (those created by others as well as your own) to achieve a polished, professional standard time after time.

This article is primarily focused on reviewing text. For tips on reviewing design, read my other post: How to Give Better Feedback to Graphic Designers.

Content Review Strategies

A draft is done and now it’s in your hands for review. What are you looking for? Are there best practices to follow? The answers depend on your role and the roles of other content creators, reviewers and subject matter experts. Here are some general tips to keep in mind.

1.   Focus on one type of issue

There are many types of errors to check for when reviewing content. Trying to catch all of them at the same time reduces the attention you can pay to any one type of mistake. When you’re ready to review, zero in on one of the specific categories described below. If you’re responsible for more than one type of issue, take multiple passes at the document, focusing on a different category each time.  

• Technical Accuracy — Is the content factually correct? Does it faithfully explain what the audience needs to know and do?
• Style and Tone — Does it look and sound like your organization? Does it speak to the intended audience? Does it align with your organization’s standards?
• Proofreading — Are there typos, grammatical errors, formatting issues or inconsistencies?

2.   Set aside sufficient time

Reviewing content requires time and focus. Avoid rushing the process. Incorporate proofreading into your schedule and allow ample time for review. Remember, one page of double-spaced, 12 pt text can take two minutes to read; proofreading may take twice as long.

3.   Minimize distractions

Find a quiet environment where you can proofread without interruptions. Silence your phone, close your email, and disable notifications. Concentration is crucial for identifying mistakes.

4.   Take breaks and refresh your mind

The concentration required for content review can be tiring. Spotting errors in someone else’s work is hard enough. Spotting errors in your own work is even more difficult.

If you’re reviewing a long document, take breaks every 30 minutes or so. If you’re reviewing text on screen, try printing out a hard copy. You can also try changing the appearance of your text by enlarging the point size and/or changing the color; this will force you to look at the copy differently.

If you’re reviewing your own work, take at least a 15-minute break before proofreading. Ideally, proofread the next day.

5.   Try reading out loud

Reading a document aloud forces you to slow down and engage more senses. You’ll not only see errors but also hear them. This technique can also help you identify awkward phrasing or lengthy sentences.

6.   Use a style sheet

If your organization has a style guide, have it handy. If not, consider creating one. At Smith, if a client doesn’t have a style guide, we will generally create a style sheet for the specific project. This helps ensure consistency in formatting, grammar and other elements.

7.   Use technology … warily

When a spelling and grammar check comes back with zero suggestions for one of my drafts, I tend to raise an eyebrow … Spell check and grammar check tools are helpful, but they are not infallible.

8.   Convey your comments clearly

When we review drafts internally at Smith, we try to follow a simple standard: Make your markups and edits impossible to misunderstand.

Generally, I find reviewers’ comments tend to fall into three categories:

1. Collaborative — The reviewer knows something needs to change and is asking for a solution. “Can you rephrase this so that it …” “Please update this section based on the source material attached.” This is ideal when you’re a subject matter expert working with a writer.
2. Descriptive — The reviewer describes — rather than marks — the specific change they want. This kind of comment often reads like this: “In this sentence, change the website address from .com to .org.” The easier and clearer way to request this edit is described next …  
3. Prescriptive — The reviewer uses mark up tools in the application (Adobe, Word, Google Doc, etc.) to “track” or “suggest” edits. That tends to look like this: “Visit www.website.com www.website.org.” This approach saves time and reduces the chances an edit will be misinterpreted.

Following these strategies can help you take a careful and deliberate approach to content review that ensures your communications reflect your high quality standards.

Do you need a style guide for your specific communications? Are you struggling with content review or proofreading? We’re here to help.