What Internal Communications Is

Every organisation talks to its own people every day. A manager explains a new rota. A notice tells staff that the car park will close for repairs. The chief executive shares the results of the year. A team leader asks the team what slows their work down. All of this is internal communications.

A simple working definition is this: internal communications is the planned exchange of information and ideas between an organisation and its employees, and between employees themselves. The word "planned" matters. Some communication happens by itself, in corridors and chat groups. Internal communications is the part the organisation thinks about on purpose: what people need to know, when, from whom and through which channel.

The people who receive it are usually called employees, but the same thinking applies to contractors, agency staff and volunteers who work inside the organisation. Many organisations include them, because they do the work too.

The four jobs of internal communications

Most internal communication does one or more of four jobs:

• Inform — give people the facts they need to do their work: new procedures, pay dates, system changes, safety alerts.
• Align — help people understand the organisation's goals and how their own work connects to them.
• Engage — build a sense of belonging and commitment, for example by recognising good work and sharing stories from across the organisation.
• Give a voice — let employees ask questions, raise concerns and share ideas, and show them that someone listens.

A good message usually knows which job it is doing. A safety alert must inform quickly and clearly. A story about a team that solved a hard problem engages and aligns. A question-and-answer session gives voice.