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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
Internal communication is often used as a blanket term but in fact, there are a huge range of different types of communication happening in your organization right now. Are you making room for them in your internal comms plan?
When we talk about internal
communication, what do we even mean?
There are many different definitions out
there, but the truth is, the term is a bit
of a capture-all. There are a multitude of
different types of internal communication:
from top-down memos to peer-to-peer
acknowledgment, from crisis comms to
information campaigns and more.
Business Dictionary
Each is designed to serve a different
purpose, a different audience, to
deliver a different outcome. Many
will already be happening in your
business, with or without a dedicated
plan. And while we may pay more
attention to certain types as an
organization, each has its own value
and is important to your overall
internal communications strategy.
For those charged with managing,
driving, or overseeing internal
communications, it’s critical to
understand the different types.
You won’t necessarily be responsible
for every type: but you will be a key
facilitator.
Identifying, nurturing, and promoting
the different types of internal
communication requires us to
understand their different goals, what
tools work for different types, where
each type has its place in the wider
internal communications strategy,
and the appropriate tone and style for
each.
Internal communication is
the sharing of information
for business purposes.
,,
Many types of comms will overlap, but
all deserve a spot on your comms line up.
We identify the common types as:
Leadership andtop-down comms
Bottom-up or two-way communication
Change communication Peer communication
Crisis communication Culture comms
Information comms Campaign comms
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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
Leadership and top-down communications
01
They’re first for a reason; when internal comms rises onto the business agenda, it’s traditionally to facilitate the distribution of top-down information from the business to its people.
Senior leaders play a crucial role in
defining the culture and direction of a
business, so getting them visible and
heard across the workforce is essential. In
larger organizations where many staff may
never meet their senior leaders in person,
internal communication has a challenging
task and even more important role to play.
Top-down comms are used to
inform staff of the overall business
strategy and direction, and therefore
are largely company-wide and
traditionally formal in nature.
Hearing from the boss makes a difference to how staff define purpose in their work – one of the increasingly important components of employee engagement, according to Gallup.
Due to the senior level interest and
input, it’s likely these types of comms
are already firmly placed on your
internal communications calendar.
However, reviewing the channels used,
the reach and response from staff, and
sanity-checking for ‘corporate speak’
can help keep engagement up.
Delivery channels for top-down comms can
range from a town hall meeting or video stream
to a corporate newsletter; for the most part,
they’ll tend to be scheduled or come with
decent notice, with supporting input from
Internal Comms, Marketing, HR or any other
number of departments.
Under this category we tend to see comms including:
Business strategy overviews
Company updates
Performance or progress
Formal announcements
Company-wide accolades, awards, or recognition
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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
Change communications02
They’re closely related to the first type, but still deserving of a category of their own.
No matter what your industry, size or
strategy, change is part of the natural
evolution of business: whether that
comes from within or something
external that will impact your
organization. And communication
is perhaps the most fundamental
ingredient for successful management
of change.
Communicating change internally
requires careful planning and an
understanding of your staff concerns
and needs to reduce any negative
response and increase buy-in.
Manager cascades, small group face-to-
face meetings and drip-feed campaigns
of information over time are all
powerful tools for this type of internal
communication.
Communication is perhaps the most fundamental ingredient for successful management of change.
Tailoring change comms to distinct
employee groups is also proven to be
more effective than a company-wide
blanket approach, as it enables us to
focus on the ‘why’ or ‘what’s in it for
me?’ (WIIFM) factor, securing greater
support from employees. Leaving room
for staff to feedback, ask questions, and
have their voices heard can also reduce
negative response.
What sort of comms fall under the ‘change’ category? Examples include:
Structural business change, such as a merger, acquisition, or
internal restructuring
Changes to organizational brand or offering, such as new/
discontinuation of products or services, new branding/website,
entering new markets or territories
Office openings, moves, or closures
New software, tools, suppliers, distributors or internal processes
Industry-related change such as regulatory or compliance changes
Political, economic or social change, such as a change in law or
policy, shifts in financial markets or social campaigns (for example,
the current ‘war on plastic’, which is leading to packaging and
production changes in many FMCG organizations.)
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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
It can also be messy to manage.
Information tends to live in many different
places: buried in folders in your company
DMS, stored on your intranet, your HR
or payroll systems, within emails, or on
colleague computers.
Gathering, auditing, organizing, and
distributing that information effectively
is a central responsibility of the internal
communicator, even if the information
itself isn’t owned by you. You need to
consider how to create a ‘single source
of truth’, avoiding duplicates or the risk
of outdated content, and ensure every
employee – regardless of where or how
they work – can access it when needed.
In today’s knowledge economy, we trade in information. This is true both within organizations and society as a whole.
Information ensures our employees are
equipped with everything they need to
perform their roles efficiently, safely,
and to the best of their ability. It impacts
on the service and experience they, in
turn, deliver for our customers and
clients. Access to information improves
productivity and morale, reduces risk
and improves employee engagement. It
is – in a word – crucial.
Information comms 03
Access to information
improves productivity and
morale, reduces risk and
improves your employee
engagement. It is – in a
word – crucial.
You need to consider how to create a ‘single source of truth’... and ensure every employee can access it when needed.
,,
Who has responsibility for updating
it and when? Who owns it, approves
it or signs off on it? How do you pull
information from across different
systems or folders? What governance
do you have around tagging up and
naming of information? Do you have an
effective search function, to ensure it’s
found? Can staff access it from different
devices, or without a company email?
All these questions need answering as
part of your internal communications
strategy, to ensure information comms
is effective.
Policies and procedures; for example, HR or IT information
Legal or compliance information
'How to’ information for common business processes
Organizational information – about the business, brand, products/
services, positioning and more
Colleague information for when staff need to connect with others
for additional support or help
Training tools and content
Information-focused comms will often include:
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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
Crisis communication04
Getting the right information to the right people in a timely, efficient and effective way, is never more important than during a crisis situation.
Unlike other forms of internal
communication, crises don’t tend to
come with much notice. However,
having a solid crisis communication
plan in place before a situation arises
can mitigate risk, reduce impact, and
keep staff safe.
Channel options is one of the biggest
considerations for this type of internal
communication. Simply put, can you
reach everyone you need to, regardless
of where they are?
This includes front line or transient
staff, who aren’t sat at a desk or don’t
have easy access to a computer.
A broadcast tool is invaluable as it will
push a single message out through
multiple channels, including text
message, push notification, email and
more. Ensuring you can confirm staff
receipt or safety is also vital.
Alongside this, pre-crisis protocols
are a crucial part of the internal
comms portfolio. Falling under the
‘information comms’ category as well,
these cover the responsibilities and
response protocols for staff in light of a
crisis or emergency situation.
While responsibility for managing
a crisis tends to reside with senior
management, the act of information
flow before, during and in the wake of
the crisis is one of the most important
jobs for internal communicators. If you
haven’t already factored crisis comms
into your internal communications
plan, you need to.
What constitutes a ‘crisis’ is surprisingly broad:
Natural disaster, such as earthquake, flood, or extreme weather
Technological crisis, including a cyber attack, outage, or virus
Environmental crises, like a pipeline leak, or spillage of hazardous
materials or waste
Misconduct of an employee or management
Leak of privileged or internal information
Product failings, faults, or recalls
External threat to business or employees; which can range from a
terrorist threat to fire, sabotage, or police incidents
Conflict with interest groups, whether political, social,
environmental, cultural or purpose
Financial crises such as significant losses, fraud, bankruptcy, or going
into administration
Organizational misdeeds such as deception, or collective
management misconduct
Process disruption, such as issues within the supply chain or
distribution process
A multi-channel approach
is normally the safest bet;
however, in the pressure of a
high-stress or timely situation,
ensuring they’re all set up and
that messages can be pushed
out efficiently is crucial.
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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
Bottom-up and two-way communications
05
Information flow in an organization shouldn’t be purely top-down. To engage, retain, and tap into the knowledge of staff, two-way and bottom-up communication is vital.
As employee engagement and the
employee experience at work become
more widely recognized as big
contributors to the business bottom-
line, we’re understanding the value of
this type of internal communication
more than ever. It’s the job of internal
communicators to ensure staff have
the right tools, support, and channels
to get their voices heard and contribute
employee-generated content.
Internal communication
is the way a company
interacts with its people
and they interact with it.
,,
Definition of Internal Comms by Rachel Miller, AllThingsIC
Discussion forums, staff blogs and
social tools such as the ability to
comment, like or share are all informal
ways for staff to contribute.
Virtual ‘suggestion boxes’ and focus
groups can get people innovating,
while the rise of pulse surveys
shows the need to tap into how
our staff are feeling.
Bottom-up or two-way communication requires us to facilitate:
Giving staff – all staff, regardless of
role, seniority level, or location – a
voice and active role in contributing
to the organization and its direction
can be hugely empowering. The
best organizations don’t talk at their
employees; they talk with them. This
type of internal communication is
arguably the one that can have the
biggest impact on overall business
performance.
The best organizations don’t talk at their employees; they talk with them.
Ideation, for staff to put forward suggestions or ideas
Employee feedback: presenting something to staff and
requesting their input, or creating a process and space for staff to air
concerns and complaints
Question and answers, when staff require further information or
clarification
Staff surveys and pulse surveys, to gauge employee sentiment,
engagement, or mindset
Polls or staff votes, to gather popular opinion or input on specific
issues and decisions
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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
Peer-to-peer communication 06
Connecting staff to one another in today’s workplaces comes with a range of different challenges.
Our workforces are increasingly diverse
and dispersed. However, being able to
collaborate with others, find a peer who
can provide help or share knowledge,
or simply build connections with our
colleagues all make for more engaged
and productive workplaces.
Peer-to-peer communication isn’t something internal communicators do, so much as facilitate.
Different channels are suited to
different types of peer-to-peer
communication. Collaborating
on a project or piece of work, for
example, may call for specific project
management platforms or a DMS;
one-to-one and group conversations
may be best suited to an enterprise
social networking tool, such as Slack,
Yammer, or Microsoft Teams.
When staff share their stories and
experiences with peers, it can support
a positive company culture, facilitate
greater ideation, improve morale and
retention rates, drive greater problem-
solving, and more. Peer-to-peer
recognition is also a powerful tool in
today’s workplaces.
Peer communication can cover:
Collaborating on a specific task, project, event
Connecting with individuals who can help or provide knowledge
on a specific topic or task
Team or community communication, including the sharing of
information and files, discussion, imagery, events and more
Storytelling or sharing of knowledge and experiences; for
example, through blogging or within a discussion forum
Recognition of peers
Problem-solving and ideation
Private and small group conversational communication
Again, peer-to-peer comms isn’t
something internal communicators
do, so much as facilitate.
Making room for it on your comms
plan includes offering staff a
comprehensive and accessible People
Directory: with rich profiles that go
above and beyond the standard job
title and email address to help staff
find peers with shared interests,
specific skills, and more.
When staff share their experiences with
peers, it can support a positive company
culture, facilitate greater ideation, drive
greater problem-solving, and more.
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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
Company culture is an often intangible yet hugely influential aspect of an organization, linked to everything from talent attraction and retention, through to engagement, financial performance, business stability or longevity, and more.
Purpose-driven organizations are
shown to outperform those that are
profit-orientated and drive engagement
among staff; 49% of employees would
trade a portion of their salary to
continue in their current role with an
added sense of purpose.
Culture comms 07
Organizational culture can
be defined as the shared
values, beliefs, perceptions
held by employees within an
organization.
,,But how is a collective mindset,
that typically evolves over time, the
responsibility of internal comms?
Defining and then pinning a set of
values up on the office wall doesn’t
define or create a company culture.
However, there are a variety of types
of internal communication that can
help nurture, communicate, and
facilitate its foundations. It’s the sum
of these multiple elements that help
grow and embed a healthy common
culture among staff over time.
78% of CEOS and CFOs believe that culture is within the top five value drivers for an organization.
- Corporate Culture: Evidence from the Field
‘Culture comms’ can cover everything from:
Often, communication that helps portray your company culture won’t come
from those invested in creating it: it comes from those living and breathing it,
your employees.
Your company mission and values
Onboarding communication for new starters
CSR comms, including any initiatives, campaigns, events
and policies – such as charity events, or your commitment to
environmental initiatives
Leadership comms: although we’ve pulled these out as a separate
category, senior leaders play a central role in shaping organizational
culture; hearing from those at the top helps communicate that to
your organization
Rewards, recognition and encouragement: recognizing
individuals, teams, or communities – especially those
demonstrating desired behaviours or the values of an organization
– further embeds organizational culture
Social communication; whether organized social events within
an organization, peer to peer sharing and engagement, or non-
business news and information
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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
A campaign typically consists of a set of communication activities, designed to generate a specific outcome or objective in a specified period of time.
Many of the other types of communication
we’ve mentioned can be executed as a
campaign: delivered through a course of
different methods over a period of time.
From an internal communications
perspective, campaigns are a valuable
tool to deliver a message across multiple
audiences, channels or audience
demographics, because they provide a
multi-faceted way to deliver a core message.
Campaign communications 08
If you have a dispersed
workforce, or perhaps staff
who work on shifts or out
on the frontline, one-off
communications can be easily
missed. When it’s important
the message gets through,
a well-crafted internal
communications campaign
covers all the bases.
Campaign communications are typically assembled around a defined goal,
ranging from:
In today’s overcrowded, busy and
high-volume digital workplaces,
an internal campaign can help
cut through the noise and capture
attention: whether that’s to
communicate change, gather
support, build anticipation, and
more.
Their more diverse and flexible
nature also allows for a little more
creativity and fun than other types
of communication. Try out a mix
of media, play with the tone of
voice, use of imagery, or colour, and
consider outside-the-box approaches
to hammer the message home.
Promotion, for example of an event, activity, or initiative
Education, using the campaign as a drip-feed to provide bite-sized
information or to embed a message through repetition: for example, of
a forthcoming change in process, law, or procedure
Awareness, using a multi-channel or multiple exposure approach to
maximize visibility of a particular message: perhaps of a company HR
benefit, or a safety message
Interest, buy-in and engagement: ‘teaser’ campaigns that pique
interest are a particular hit for these types of internal communication,
providing staff with sneak peeks or hints of a forthcoming
announcement, for example
Participation, for example to garner staff support and participation for
a survey, or to opt-in to the company pension – a campaign can provide
multiple ‘touchpoint’ reminders
In today’s overcrowded,
busy and high-volume
digital workplaces, an
internal campaign can
help cut through the noise
and capture attention.
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8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business 8 types of internal communication you need to be doing in your business
@IntranetExperts
Interact Software
@IntranetExperts
interactsoftware.com
A communication type for every business need
Communication is perhaps the most powerful act we undertake every day: at work, and in our day-to-day lives.
As internal communicators, it can feel
overwhelming to consider just how many
different forms that can take. However,
as these types show, it’s often not the
communication itself – the ‘what’ – that
needs to be picked up by internal comms, so
much as the process, or the ‘how’.
When mapping out your internal
communications strategy, make
room and time for the different types
available. Whatever the message or
objective, taking the time to consider
format, audience, and approach can
greatly enhance its success.
Ultimately, a successful comms plan is
diverse, agile and adaptive: providing
a 365-degree experience of connecting
your people, information, and
organization overall.
Enjoyed these tips? Why not explore our library of free
resources for internal communications here.
The process of passing information and understanding from one person to another.
,,
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