Wow internal comms, you’ve been on a journey these last years! From the unsung heroes of the enterprise to a strategic function at the center of reimagining the employee experience in a never-seen-before workplace. WHAT A RIDE. Following what many have described as the meteoric rise of a historically undervalued function, is the golden age of internal comms coming to an end? 2024 could be the year smart players forge ahead, while others risk falling back down the pecking order.
Last year, we spoke confidently about the dawning of a golden age of internal comms. This year, however, we’ve been hearing rumblings that that progress is stalling. While some teams are still enjoying increased strategic importance, others are finding themselves reverting to old order-taking ways. We’re coming to a crossroads, and the future of the function could be decided by the moves made over the next twelve months. The good news is that there’s everything to play for. Employee engagement remains a focal challenge and internal comms remain at the center of the solution...
It seems the last years have catapulted the internal comms function into the limelight and spurred a period of maturity growth that’s been welcomed by practitioners. 2022 saw this momentum continue, with employee engagement dominating conversations at the highest levels. The spotlight stayed on internal comms as leaders turned to their expertise to reimagine engagement and alignment in a hybrid workplace.
As businesses strive to navigate unprecedented levels of economic, social, and geopolitical complexity in 2023, executives across the C-suite will look to internal communicators to keep the workforce informed and engaged. Internal communications teams are finding that the power is in their hands, with 75% of chief comms leaders reporting that their influence is greater than other function heads in their organization.
Jennifer Sigler, director analyst in the Gartner Marketing & Communications practice, highlights the pivotal role that internal communicators now play. “With workers experiencing the fallout from COVID-19 and then the Great Resignation back-to-back, the emphasis on employee communications has grown dramatically,” she explains. “Getting that communication right is more critical than ever.”
2023 will be a pivotal moment for internal communications professionals, as the current employee experience is in crisis at many organizations. Only 13% of employees are fully satisfied with their work experience, and Gallup predicts that nearly 50% of the US workforce is at risk of becoming quiet quitters due to low engagement levels. Given that productivity is also falling at the fastest rate in four decades, businesses are now in a race against the clock to improve employee experience and, in turn, output levels. Consequently, internal communicators should recognize that the initiatives they launch to boost engagement and connectivity have never been more important.
Engaging employees in 2022 will be a battle for attention and internal communicators will be under pressure to find new and creative ways to innovate their approach. To help you in your quest, here are five internal comms trends that will be key to success in the year ahead.
2021 has been a year like no other. The rise of hybrid working reached its peak and enterprises around the world grappled with the fallout of mass changes to the way people work. Endless articles and opinion pieces declared this the onset of a ‘new normal’, and no matter how sick we are of hearing the phrase, here we are!
But, in 2022, it’s not a new normal anymore. It’s just normal.
Business isn’t changing, it’s changed. Technology has taken a greater hold on the day-to-day functions of work, and by all accounts, it’s done so successfully. Internal communications played a key role in managing this change, but now they face a new challenge. With more digital tools at our fingertips than ever before, communicators have a wealth of options available to them to reach, engage, and align employees. With the pace of this change, however, it’s now up to internal communications to evolve their strategies and make use of these new tools and opportunities.
The future is bright, but the road is long. Now more than ever, businesses are leaning upon their internal communications teams to help them plan and strategize how to best traverse this new world of working. To understand the changing nature of enterprise communications, Matthew Boyd, Unily’s product evangelist, bought together three experts in IC to speak on the topic of the future of internal comms, and to share their thoughts and advice as to how IC leaders can build a futureproof strategy in order to best benefit the business for the long-term.
Through the insights shared by Kerry Christopher - VP of Internal Communications at Cardinal Health, Jennifer Sproul - Chief Executive at Institute of Internal Communications, and Ben Reynolds - Managing Director at Gallagher’s Employee Experience & Communication practice, we learned what challenges and opportunities lay ahead for internal communicators seeking to have a real impact in their organization.
In our rapidly changing and highly competitive economic climate, everyone is on the hunt for surefire ways to gain an advantage. Many look to technology for innovative solutions to overcome common challenges. Which future trends can you capitalize on in 2020 and beyond to set your business apart?
Some of the key benefits associated with a strategic digital experience include an 87% retention increase, a 20% gain in employee satisfaction levels, and a 7% productivity boost, according to Deloitte.
Despite these crucial benefits, a Dimensional Data survey found that 60% of enterprises lack a comprehensive strategy for how they plan to benefit from workplace technology.
The goal of any implementation initiative is to push your organization ahead of the curve, but the best strategies go beyond compiling disjointed tools. To steer an organization towards a certain future, enterprises must create an informed plan for their digital workplace that capitalizes on groundbreaking developments before they become mainstream.
