.jpg)
The world of work is changing at a pace we’ve never experienced before. Economic pressure, evolving employee expectations, and rapid advances in AI are reshaping how organizations operate. At the center of this shift lies one of the most influential catalysts for business performance: internal communications.
As highlighted in Unily’s whitepaper on the future of the workplace, employee experience (EX) has evolved from a people initiative into a true business operating system – meaning the internal communications trends emerging today will define the competitive advantage of tomorrow.
This is a moment of transformation. For Internal Communicators, it’s also a moment of opportunity.
Internal Communications trend 1: Enabling decision-making at greater speed
One of the most significant internal communications trends is the elevation of EX to business-critical status. When organizations communicate clearly and empower employees through seamless access to information, they accelerate execution.
But when clarity slips, performance stalls.
For example, Unily research shows that frontline workers alone lose the equivalent of 10 working weeks a year because they can’t access the right information – costing enterprises $80.6B annually. It also shows that 72 % of frontline workers don’t fully understand their company’s strategy. This lack of clarity is one of the biggest inhibitors of velocity. If people don’t know why decisions are being made, they can’t act decisively.
Internal Communications teams will still be required to deliver strategy messaging in a way that resonates – but this will need to be done with more personalization than ever. Organizations will have "cognitive respect" training, with every message needing to pass the test of being worthy of people's time and mental energy.
Just as importantly, the onus will be on communicators to ensure the information being given to employees enables them to turn it into action: at speed, and in line with strategic priorities.
The need for organizations to exceed the pace of change relies on acting fast – so communicating efficiently will become the new enterprise literacy.
Download Our Future of the Workplace Report
Internal communications trend 2: A greater connection with strategic outcomes
Gone are the days when IC teams were viewed primarily as tactical message distributors. One of the most important internal communications trends of 2025 and beyond is the shift to strategic enablement.
High-performing IC teams today:
- Tie communications to business outcomes
- Connect initiatives to revenue, cost, and risk
- Enable employees to turn information into action at pace
- Measure speed of adoption and behavior change
As author and comms expert Jenni Field noted at Unite 25:
"Communicators have to learn the language of business and connect the dots between communication and outcomes. You have to make sure that as you elevate your career, you are not being pulled in directions that aren't linked to organizational outcomes and impact.”
Internal Communications trend 3: From data insight to foresight
Historically, IC has measured what happened. But going forward, there will be an increased need for communicators to:
- Predict misalignment
- Proactively identify blockers
- Informing leadership of readiness
Foresight – powered by analytics, sentiment tools, and pulse surveys – allows communicators to spot adoption risks early, enabling targeted interventions that keep transformation on track.
This will allow IC leaders to anticipate misalignment before it occurs – positioning them as proactive shapers of performance and culture, rather than reactive messengers.
Internal Communications trend 4: Explaining the "why" of AI
AI is no longer a tool bolted onto systems. The organizations set to lead the future of work are the ones using it as the engine that powers the digital workplace.
This is an especially transformative development for internal comms teams. The opportunity arises to create experiences and content at scale without compromising on brand or governance – and it will also become easier to bring messaging directly into the flow of work.
However, AI adoption is still uneven. Unily’s research shows that only 14% of employees feel their organization is ahead of the curve, and more than half report no known AI policy.
This means communicators must help build trust and explain the “why” behind AI – to turn skepticism into confidence and equip employees for success.
A critical component of velocity
The shift from messenger to orchestrator – responsible for ensuring clarity and alignment flows through the organization at speed – brings huge opportunities, as well as challenges.
Gallagher’s State of the Sector report shows that communicators are already taking on the role of change managers, yet only 2% have ‘change’ or ‘transformation’ in their job title. It also reveals that almost half don’t have a dedicated department budget. The need to build better business cases for comms resources is sure to be a prevalent topic in 2026.
Internal Communications trends 2026: Get the full breakdown
This blog only scratches the surface. To explore the full set of trends shaping EX and internal comms – including AI governance, the rise of ‘functional fluidity’, and more – download the full whitepaper.
Get the Free Report
Get ahead of the curve and uncover the insights, trends, and strategies you need to build a high-performing, future-ready workforce
Get started. Get your personalized demo.
