Introduction
The changing world of work has brought internal communications to the forefront of corporate agendas. The balance of power has shifted between employer and employee, with many people choosing to reshape their approach to work, making changes to their roles, careers, locations and choice of employer. Remote and hybrid working, reshaped workplaces, digital transformation programmes – many working norms have changed more in the last two years than in the last 20. Recruiting and retaining the best people in this environment has rarely been more challenging for employers – and internal communications has a key role to play in the process of building and sustaining the employer brand.
Organisations are still learning how to adapt their internal communications strategies within a rapidly evolving business landscape. In distributed working environments, the ability of businesses to convey a clear message to their employees is paramount. Effective internal communications programmes directly contribute to improved employee retention and satisfaction. A 2020 Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine study in the US found that communication affects both work engagement and commitment. But what, when and how companies should communicate has never been more complex. Corporates are expected to ‘do something’ and to have not just a voice but a coherent strategy on key issues such as inclusion & diversity, environmental challenges and more. Inauthenticity, inconsistency and missteps will be called out – often by employees of the company and usually in a very direct, immediate way using social media.
To understand the relevancy and effectiveness of internal communications strategies and to gauge employee opinion, Rostrum commissioned research among 2,000 working UK adults, looking at the theme of internal communications and how effectively they feel their current employer is communicating with them.
This guide will reveal key results of that research, analysing the findings and offering solutions and advice for organisations to consider when planning their internal communications strategy.
Research findings
The good news
Organisations are recognising the value in communicating regularly, with many doing so at least monthly to their employees.
The bad news
However, the research also highlights several areas for improvement. Many organisations lack consistency in their communications, while others are not discussing key topics and difficult issues such as inclusion and diversity and redundancies effectively.
Research by consulting firm Gallup suggests that almost three quarters (74%) of employees believe they are missing out on company news because of poor communications strategies. Rostrum’s research backs this up:
"You can’t separate internal comms from external comms – the messages that employees hear internally need to match what they are seeing and hearing externally, otherwise it doesn’t feel authentic."
A leadership / workforce divide
One of the most common internal communications challenges facing organisations is a disconnect in opinion between leadership and employees.
In particular, the research shows that employers are struggling to communicate successfully with hybrid workers. While 91% of those on boards believe their internal communications in a hybrid environment are either great or good, this same view was shared by just 49% of their non-managerial colleagues.
Interestingly, the research also shows that business leaders believe they are more effective at communicating on challenging topics than their employees think they are. While 21% of board members rated their communications on issues such as redundancies as excellent (10 out of 10), just 9% of all other employees shared this view. Meanwhile, research from professional development firm Dale Carnegie finds that while 85% of leaders say employee engagement is a priority, only a third make it one.
This difference in perception continued when employers and employees were asked what changes would be needed to improve communications.
Clearly, there is significant misalignment between the opinions of senior employees and other employees – yet, thankfully, strategic improvements can be made to bridge that gap and improve alignment.
Start by setting clear and measurable objectives. In doing so, organisations can better understand the impact of their internal comms tactics, be it podcasts, email newsletters, written communications or one-to-one conversations.
Our findings also emphasise the need for open and transparent channels of dialogue. Here, methods such as social media forums can enable and encourage employees to offer feedback on company updates and initiatives.
“Internal communications can set the tone for a company culture, but it can also help with brand building. Employees need to understand and buy in to your marketing campaigns just as much as your customers do. They can be your brand’s strongest asset, acting as an ambassador for what you stand for.”
Larger firms struggle to communicate
Larger firms typically have a harder time communicating with employees effectively.
Often, those organisations with greater headcounts are subject to additional complications such as having colleagues spread across different countries and time zones, and more varied departments with conflicting or disparate priorities.
However, the comparison between small and large firms is stark. Just 7% of employees in a business with 10-49 employees rated their firm as a 5 or less when it came to communicating difficult news. However, this rose to more than half of employees (56%) for businesses with a workforce of over 1,000 people.
Workers also feel that larger businesses are poorer at communicating through social media, a tool which larger organisations could use effectively to communicate and engage employees across the business. Indeed, more than a quarter (26%) of those at firms with over a 1,000 people thought their employer did not make effective use of social channels when it came to communicating to its people.
Additionally, 25% of employees in firms with 1,000 or more people felt that in order to improve internal communications, their business should make sure employees feel heard by improving avenues for engagement and feedback.
Unfortunately, developing feedback mechanisms has only become more difficult in the current environment where firms are faced with the challenge of communicating with hybrid and remote workforces.
For larger firms with more employees, lines of separation are naturally likely to be greater, and therefore need even more effort to be addressed effectively.
Crucially, there is no one size fits all formula. Organisations should focus on building a communications plan that is relevant to them – for small businesses, social media might not work as effectively as you think. Instead of following trends, tailor your communications to your culture and business size.
Equally, consider what your employees are looking for and want to find out. People may have opted to join a small or large business for a reason. If they’ve come from a small to a larger firm, for example, they might be expecting communications to be more formal, structured and regular.
"Since the return to the office, it has been easy to revert to business as usual when staff are in the office. Leadership teams and marketing teams should look back at what worked well during the pandemic, and make sure the best is taken through into the new normal.”
Hybrid and remote working
Despite the communicative challenges that have been posed by hybrid/remote working, it is clear companies have adapted successfully in many cases.
What began as a tumultuous rush to transition from office to home working has turned out to yield several key benefits, not least in regard to creating a healthier work-life balance. Many firms have opted to retain varying degrees of location flexibility in their operating models, recognising the benefits this has had on employee morale through the freed-up time and financial benefits afforded by reductions in commuting.
Our data shows that many firms have also successfully adapted their communications strategies – remote workers and those in hybrid roles are often more positive about the communications they receive than those in purely office-based roles.
More than half (54%) of office-based employees rated their firm’s internal communications in a hybrid environment as good or great, but this rose to 73% for hybrid workers. More remote workers (52%) were also likely to say businesses used social media effectively for internal comms than hybrid (38%) and in-office (38%) employees. Furthermore, according to research business Gallup, 85% of employees do not feel engaged in the workplace.
However, despite social media playing an important role in communicating to employees working remotely or in locations around the country, more than a fifth (22%) said their employer was not very effective at using this tool as part of the communications mix. This suggests that some firms are missing out on the potential for social media to transform their communications strategy and encourage two-way engagement between employers and their employees.
We can see a similar disparity between in office and remote employees when it comes to communications on key issues. Remote (46%) and hybrid (46%) workers were more likely to say their businesses were talking about inclusion and diversity well compared to office-based employees (28%). These findings raise the question of whether firms could be neglecting communications for office-based workers.
A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work in the hybrid era. Instead, organisations should look to tailor communications to specific employee groups. Businesses can do this by embracing a variety of tools that meet a host of preferences. While it can be tempting to focus on more modern communications tactics, many workers will still prefer traditional methods such as email communications and printed materials. ‘Test and learn’ is key here.
At the same time, it is vital that firms consider other needs of staff members to ensure communications are as accessible to everyone as possible. This means offering different types of communications for staff who, for example, may have visual or hearing impairments.
Ensuring meetings are offered, and written communications are clear, concise and even utilise graphics to display points is just the first step. Other measures could include making sure digital communications are compatible with technologies such as screen readers, or providing text alternatives for non-textual content, such as imagery. Not only does implementing measures such as these reflect any commitment to being an inclusive employer, but importantly they ensure that internal communications are accessible to all employees.
Hybrid and remote working
Despite the communicative challenges that have been posed by hybrid/remote working, it is clear companies have adapted successfully in many cases.
What began as a tumultuous rush to transition from office to home working has turned out to yield several key benefits, not least in regard to creating a healthier work-life balance. Many firms have opted to retain varying degrees of location flexibility in their operating models, recognising the benefits this has had on employee morale through the freed-up time and financial benefits afforded by reductions in commuting.
Our data shows that many firms have also successfully adapted their communications strategies – remote workers and those in hybrid roles are often more positive about the communications they receive than those in purely office-based roles.
More than half (54%) of office-based employees rated their firm’s internal communications in a hybrid environment as good or great, but this rose to 73% for hybrid workers. More remote workers (52%) were also likely to say businesses used social media effectively for internal comms than hybrid (38%) and in-office (38%) employees. Furthermore, according to research business Gallup, 85% of employees do not feel engaged in the workplace.
However, despite social media playing an important role in communicating to employees working remotely or in locations around the country, more than a fifth (22%) said their employer was not very effective at using this tool as part of the communications mix. This suggests that some firms are missing out on the potential for social media to transform their communications strategy and encourage two-way engagement between employers and their employees.
We can see a similar disparity between in office and remote employees when it comes to communications on key issues. Remote (46%) and hybrid (46%) workers were more likely to say their businesses were talking about inclusion and diversity well compared to office-based employees (28%). These findings raise the question of whether firms could be neglecting communications for office-based workers.
A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work in the hybrid era. Instead, organisations should look to tailor communications to specific employee groups. Businesses can do this by embracing a variety of tools that meet a host of preferences. While it can be tempting to focus on more modern communications tactics, many workers will still prefer traditional methods such as email communications and printed materials. ‘Test and learn’ is key here.
At the same time, it is vital that firms consider other needs of staff members to ensure communications are as accessible to everyone as possible. This means offering different types of communications for staff who, for example, may have visual or hearing impairments.
Ensuring meetings are offered, and written communications are clear, concise and even utilise graphics to display points is just the first step. Other measures could include making sure digital communications are compatible with technologies such as screen readers, or providing text alternatives for non-textual content, such as imagery. Not only does implementing measures such as these reflect any commitment to being an inclusive employer, but importantly they ensure that internal communications are accessible to all employees.
“Face-to-face communications continue to be just as important today as they were before the pandemic. At Coventry Building Society, we recently undertook activity around our rebrand and engaged with staff over a number of face-to-face events – 92% of those who attended responded positively.”
Communicating on key issues
Many businesses are struggling to communicate to their own people about the issues driving debate in the world of work. Internal comms has a crucial role to play in shedding light on and addressing important workplace topics. If a company is able to clearly communicate and therefore demonstrate its commitment to specific initiatives or beliefs, such as supporting diversity or tackling climate change, this could have a positive impact on attracting new hires and retaining existing employees who have similar views. Companies that take an active stance on being inclusive and diverse enjoy many benefits. Research shows organisations with greater diversity among executive teams tend to have higher profits and generate enhanced long-term value. Further, inclusive teams make better business decisions up to 87% of the time. Despite this, just 34% of employees rated their firm as good at communicating about inclusion and diversity.
Sustainability is also an important influencer of employee engagement, retention, performance and wellbeing, yet our research uncovered similar challenges here. Despite many businesses trying to demonstrate their environmental credentials to customers, only one in five (21%) of employees thought their firm communicated well about this topic.
Just 21% of employees said their business was good at communicating to them about CSR initiatives, while only a quarter (25%) thought their firm handled comms about hybrid working successfully.
Given the fact that recent research by recruitment firm Robert Half has revealed more than half of workers would not work for an employer if they thought it was unethical, and around 30% would even leave a role unless ESG activity was increased, this is concerning. While some firms might have already set up initiatives, a failure to successfully communicate on these issues could see employees leaving simply because they don’t know these programmes and commitments exist.
Beyond this, it is equally important that communications around diversity and other important issues are backed up by action. If you are going to communicate on key issues, you must support those claims. Employees want more than words — they want to see transparency and real action. Making sure company boards or those at the top of the business are bought into the communication strategy and recognise the need to follow up words with real action is critical.
This includes considering inclusivity in your communications practices themselves. Where many communications methods rely on the written word, firms should also consider how they can ensure they are catering to those with visual impairments, for example.
Communicating on key issues
Many businesses are struggling to communicate to their own people about the issues driving debate in the world of work. Internal comms has a crucial role to play in shedding light on and addressing important workplace topics. If a company is able to clearly communicate and therefore demonstrate its commitment to specific initiatives or beliefs, such as supporting diversity or tackling climate change, this could have a positive impact on attracting new hires and retaining existing employees who have similar views. Companies that take an active stance on being inclusive and diverse enjoy many benefits. Research shows organisations with greater diversity among executive teams tend to have higher profits and generate enhanced long-term value. Further, inclusive teams make better business decisions up to 87% of the time. Despite this, just 34% of employees rated their firm as good at communicating about inclusion and diversity.
Sustainability is also an important influencer of employee engagement, retention, performance and wellbeing, yet our research uncovered similar challenges here. Despite many businesses trying to demonstrate their environmental credentials to customers, only one in five (21%) of employees thought their firm communicated well about this topic.
Just 21% of employees said their business was good at communicating to them about CSR initiatives, while only a quarter (25%) thought their firm handled comms about hybrid working successfully.
“ESG is something that requires engagement and commitment from everyone in a firm, so it is important that employees across a business understand the strategy, as well as what is expected from them to drive continuous improvement. Companies may lose staff if they can’t demonstrate the journey they are on together, and they are also much less likely to achieve their objectives.”
Developing a world-class internal communications strategy
As well as uncovering a series of trends and sentiments among employees’ attitudes, our research underpins a series of steps employers can take to maximise the effectiveness of their internal communications.
Although many important updates will need to be sent through organisation-wide communications, more personalised and tailored communications are likely to resonate with employees. Almost one in three employees (32%) said they would pay more attention to internal communications if they had a personal touch, jumping to 37% if said communications were more obviously linked to the job they do on a daily basis. Businesses need to think about devising communications which are tailored to colleagues’ roles and the important issues and topics relating to them.
Beyond this, the communications themselves also need to be engaging in nature. More than one in four (28%) said they would be more inclined to pay attention to internal communications if they carried a greater visual element. This could mean incorporating video and infographics to relay messages instead of text.
Top three improvement areas – the employees’ perspective
When asked directly for one thing their employer could do to improve internal communications, several key themes emerged which can translate into clear recommendations for communications teams.
Firstly, organisations need to ensure their employees feel listened to, and their views heard. This means opening up and improving avenues for engagement, be that through research, one-to-one meetings, digital channels, or even instilling an informal ‘open door’ culture. This sentiment was reported strongly by long-serving employees who had been with their companies for between 16 and 25 years (32% of this group citing this area of improvement versus 23% overall).
Communications with colleagues should also be kept simple. Use straightforward and digestible language, especially for organisation-wide messages that need to be understood by employees with different expertise working across different departments.
Try also not to cover too much at once. Our research suggests that employees prefer simple but regular messages that respond to time-sensitive issues. Indeed, 16% cited making communications simpler as one thing their employer could do to improve internal communications, while another 16% said communications should be more regular, with 11% saying their company should do more to respond to time-sensitive issues more quickly.
Adopting a strategic approach to internal communications
In addition to the specific improvements identified by our research, organisations can greatly enhance the effectiveness of their internal communications if they approach it strategically.
The exact nature of these strategies will, of course, vary depending on the shape and size of the business in question.
However, there are some broader considerations that can be applied:
"You can’t take a one size fits all approach to internal communications – people consume information in different ways – everyone will have a preference for certain channels, formats and types of communications. Messages need to be continually repeated to be truly heard."
Those organisations that are successful in optimising their internal communications in a logical, relevant and effective manner can enjoy plenty of benefits.
- Good company culture can increase revenue by 4x – Forbes
- Organisations with the highest levels of employee engagement saw a 21% rise in profitability – Gallup
- Engaged employees are 44% more productive than satisfied workers – Bain & Company
At Rostrum, we specialise in developing and delivering effective, measurable internal communications programmes that enable you to deliver your key employer brand messages to your team in a consistent and effective way. The Rostrum approach is all about being an extension of your internal communications or HR team, and we bring our creativity and experience to bear to enable you to execute best practice, measurable employee engagement strategies. If you need help developing an internal communications programme, or if you would like to give us your feedback on this guide, please get in touch with us at enquiries@rostrum.agency.
If you’d like to have a more in-depth conversation about your requirements or if you have a brief you’d like to discuss or a story to share we’d love to hear from you content@rostrum.agency.
About Rostrum
Rostrum is a full service communications agency, offering content, PR, internal communications, social media, design and training. We are among the UK’s top 5 B2B agencies and a PR Week Top 100 agency, specialising in financial services, professional services, consumer and corporate work. Rostrum creates campaigns and content to help our clients punch above their weight and we measure everything we do, delivering exceptional value for client budgets.
We would like to thank those who have kindly contributed their comments and insights to this guide, including:
Lindsey Hornby, Head of Employer Brand Marketing and Communication at AlixPartners
Simon Dodd, Head of Mortgage Marketing at Coventry Building Society
Fiona Moore, Head of Marketing at ECI Partners
Andrea Dadas, Chief Communications Officer, Kroll
Methodology:
Our research was based on a survey of 2,000 people in employment in the UK across a range of different industries, regions and business sizes. The survey was conducted by 3Gem in July 2022.
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