Internal Communication

Internal Communication is an often forgotten part of the wider discipline of Public Relations but one which should never be ignored. Employees of a company are always the first line ambassadors for their company. We know that in practice employees are not always complimentary about the company they work for - maybe this is a British trait - but it is one which effective internal communications can help influence and address.

Companies need to be committed to Internal Communications and senior management need to be fully behind programmes adopted by the company. In this day and age of email, and sitting face to face with computers, actually talking to people is often neglected.

The key to successful internal communications is activity which provides employees with regular updates on the company which are well communicated. Internal communications measures include regular company meetings and status updates, events, sporting and other activities to bring the company together.

A number of companies have banned email on Fridays as a way of encouraging employees to talk directly to one another. Company intranets are always a good vehicle for disseminating company information, messages and announcements. Inductions for new staff should always include the company’s key messages and brand values.

Companies that invest time and effort in effective internal communication strategies have high staff retention, better productivity and ultimately higher profits.