An effective internal communications strategy has never been more important. With remote and hybrid working, increased awareness of employee wellbeing and growing commitment to work with high ethical standards and purpose, it’s vital to keep everyone in the loop. Employees are more engaged, more inclined to stay, and more likely to trust what their CEO says when an internal communications team is in place.

An effective internal communications strategy:

Making sure everyone gets key messages and information helps build a sense of belonging to an organization. Internal comms can also help make brand messaging consistent with what’s conveyed outside the business, helping build a sense of organizational identity.

Efficient comms can help boost performance and productivity – it’s estimated, for example, that digital collaboration technology can increase productivity by 20-30%. Productivity can also be encouraged by communicating targets, news of progress and performance updates.

An internal communications strategy puts the organization in charge of messaging. This isn’t about control for the sake of it, but rather helping to avoid misunderstanding and limiting harmful gossip and hearsay. It also reduces the chance of important news reaching employees from outside first.

Effective internal communications can maintain essential connection with remote and hybrid workers. But if communications are restricted exclusively to work, opportunities are missed. Making room for social and informal communication and involvement help keep everyone on board with company culture.

People are increasingly connected in their personal lives and look for a constant flow of information, sharing, feedback and interactivity at work too. And when people have the chance to engage, they also get a sense of being seen and heard, boosting engagement and retention.

When leaders and managers communicate authentically, internal communications can build trust in an organization.

Making room for different voices in internal comms provides wider perspectives and shows a willingness to listen and be flexible.

Good internal comms help break down silos. And they can help make people aware of opportunities for training and career progression across the business.

Poor communication can hit efficiency and productivity as well as damaging employee engagement and morale. In a survey by The Economist, 44% of respondents said communication barriers led to delay or failure to complete projects. And 31% said they lowered morale.

Badly structured or failing corporate communication creates room for misinformation, the development of informal networks and divisions and the spread of rumor. This can leave employees feeling unsupported or isolated, and may lead them to act on inaccurate or misleading information. It also represents a significant missed opportunity to deliver crucial information when it’s needed, and leaves the business particularly exposed at times of crisis.

Despite these risks, only one third of businesses which responded to a survey by the International Association of Business Communicators had a communications department. And of those, only 39% spent over half their time on internal comms.

Organizations have an ever-growing array of channels and tools for communicating with employees – and to enable those employees to communicate with each other. A successful strategy will tailor these options to messaging and audiences, getting the best use out of a wide range of channels.

Email is still the most common channel for internal comms, according to the Institute of Internal Communication (IIC). But it also reports that almost three-quarters of UK employees spend fewer than 15 minutes a day reading or viewing updates from their employer.

Instant messaging and dedicated social media channels can be more effective in passing on simple messages or updates and keeping employees in touch with each other.

It’s clear that face-to-face communication, either online or in person, still has a valuable role to play. Regular meetings and chances for everyone to contribute remain key in establishing and maintaining successful internal communications. But technology is also enhancing internal comms strategies.

Video is a hugely popular marketing channel which can be just as effective inside an organization as outside it. Your employees are already using video to find out about products and for entertainment, so it’s a great opportunity to get internal messages across more effectively.

Meanwhile, AR and VR are playing an increasing role in bringing together employees from large, widely dispersed companies in virtual town halls and training sessions.

Gamification too, is rapidly becoming another important tool for developing corporate messaging, building on employee engagement and boosting recruitment and retention.

Employees want to hear about their organization’s strategies, team priorities and performance, according to the ICC. But at the same time, many managers aren’t confident about communications. Here are a few tips for giving internal comms a boost.

1. Choose easy-to-use tools. Make sure intranets and communication tools are intuitive, mobile, intuitive and fun to use.

2. Make communication regular. Consistency is key, as employees will build comms into their working day. Schedule check-ins, and use push notifications to remind people to check for updates or attend meetings. Try and have at least one regular session which includes the whole team, especially where a number of employees are working remotely.

3. Make communication concise. With emails increasingly seen as a drain, or becoming too numerous to look at, keeping it brief is of the essence. Keep messages concise and relevant, using chat channels where appropriate.

4. Make sure it’s culturally sound. Set ground rules for using internal channels. Keep messaging true to your organizational values and to what employees expect.

5. Keep remote and hybrid workers close and involved, making sure everyone has access to all necessary communication tools and technology.

6. Use employees as content creators. Scheduling opportunities for different people to contribute content will keep content fresh and boost employee engagement. Employee contributions might include blogs or posts, short videos or vox pops.

7. Make comms interesting to your audience. Keep abreast of trends and interests in your teams and use them to craft your comms.

8. Maximize interactivity. Encourage responses to messaging and make room for suggestions, sharing and feedback.

9. Improve your own personal communication. Lead by example by contributing content, responding to people’s contributions and communicating authentically.

10. Vary content. Liven up top-down company notices with debates, infographics, short videos or interviews.

11. Think about language. What can sound fun when delivered verbally can seem abrupt or critical in short mails or posts. Emojis, used wisely, can help.

12. Keep an eye open for non-contributors. Make sure nothing’s wrong and that everyone feels equally valued and able to join in.

13. Recognize and reward. Use company communications channels to publicly recognize employee achievements, anniversaries, and successes.

14. Measure. Internal communications channels can provide valuable information. Build in measurement tools like surveys, questions which need answers, polls, and opportunities for interactivity. Be transparent about how information will be used. That way, you gain valuable information and people know they’re being listened to.

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