Building trust in leadership is a priority for more than nine out of 10 businesses, according to recent research by CIPR. Yet only 62% believe they do this well.
That trust gap likely comes down to how organisations are communicating with their people. Internal communications shape how leadership is seen day to day – whether messages feel clear, credible and worth paying attention to, or inconsistent and easy to ignore.
Backed by a dedicated and thoughtful strategy, internal comms can build confidence and alignment, reassuring people during change and uniting them around common goals. Done poorly, they create noise, confusion and disengagement, only made worse by generic, AI-led content that lacks the human touch.
In this insider guide, we look at how to get the fundamentals right.
The importance of choosing the right channels
Video calls, emails, intranet, social media, WhatsApp – most companies have lots of different communication channels for their employees. Sending the same update on every channel is overkill, sure to overwhelm, but can you expect everyone to check the intranet update or join the same video call?
With companies using around 100 apps, bringing another channel into the mix can lead to extra work, rather than efficiencies.
A clear channel plan that sets out what needs to be discussed face-to-face on a call, where an intranet update would suffice and where an email explainer is critical helps avoid information overload. Employees will quickly learn what kind of update to expect on each channel.
Who should communicate what, and when
Two out of three smaller businesses lack a robust annual internal comms plan, while only around half of larger businesses have a plan in place. The result is likely sporadic and inconsistent messages that clog emails with sales news, social events, IT and security updates, HR surveys, leadership announcements and more.
Where each update comes from matters, so it’s important to consider how the source will be perceived by employees. In large organisations, emails from the CEO will trigger anxiety if they only ever brings bad news. To avoid setting off alarm bells at the very mention of the CEO’s name, leadership needs to reach out for celebrations and recognition too.
Conversely, regular emails from the CEO could cause concern of a different kind – or even indifference. After all, why would the boss feel the need to take over comms for more trivial matters if they had confidence in their line managers?
Finding the balance of CEO vs line manager should be part of the internal comms strategy. For example, a quarterly update could come from the CEO with more ad hoc notices filtered through line managers. Regular end-of-the week ‘thank yous’, during a busy time are also welcome, whether from the CEO or line managers.
Prioritise what employees need to know, feel and do
Sparing employees non-essential detail is just as important as getting the right information to the right people at the right time.
‘Know, feel, do’ – the age old marketing planning tool – is as helpful today as it has always been. It can help you work out what different teams and seniorities need to know, how you want them to feel, and what you need them to do. Use it to stick to the important elements of the update and lean into the ‘feel’ part to strike the right tone – this will help each message feel fresh.
It’s often better to embed hyperlinks forwarding people to more detail rather than constantly reiterating the same information over and over again. That way, people are more likely to grasp your key messages, diving into deeper content only if necessary.
What tone of voice guidelines are for, and why they shouldn’t flatten personality
Internal comms should feel on brand, as your people are more absorb your messaging if it sounds like the authentic voice of your organisation. Whereas external comms are carefully curated to highlight strengths and protect reputation, however, internal teams are more likely to trust a less guarded and polished tone that allows the sincerity and personality of individuals to shine through.
Tone of voice guidelines, messaging and channel plans all come together to help you manage these nuances while maintaining consistency. Guidance should extend beyond emails and intranets to a broad range of comms, including signage, HR documentation, incentive scheme comms and even policies.
Integrate technology without losing the human touch
According to Gartner research, by 2029, 75% of communications teams will analyse employee digital footprints to help create more personalised internal comms. This is something we welcome.
When resources are tight, it makes sense to use AI to help with the drafting process of some comms, but human editing and oversight remain essential. Readers are becoming increasingly wary of generic content that smacks of AI generation. Lose them once and it could be hard to win back their respect. Here’s another insight piece that covers tips on keeping AI content feeling real.
When to bring the outsiders in
If your internal comms need a rethink, we can help set you on the right path. We’ve helped companies keep employees on side during a change of ownership, and establish brand guidelines that connect the employee experience with the external brand. Get in touch with our team.
Anna
Anna is a versatile writer with over 10 years’ experience in marketing and communications. She joined Stratton Craig in 2016 and has written for clients across a range of sectors including financial services, legal, professional services retail and travel.
Specialising in content strategy, Anna leads many of our tone of voice and messaging projects. She runs workshops and training to help clients create distinctive brand language and weave personality through all communications.
Throughout her role, Anna has written many thought leadership pieces, website content and sustainability communications, including reports. Before joining Stratton Craig, she was a marketing and PR executive for a property company.
