Research that I’ve conducted with Sean Trainor at über engagement has found that internal communicators feel that they are being held back from work that would transform employee engagement.
The key findings suggest that internal communicators know that they hold the key to employee engagement but senior managers fail to see the benefits; only 24 per cent of practitioners believe that the board think communication is really important.
Internal communication practitioners say they spend most of their time on basic functional and operational communication. However, 81 per cent want to give more attention to employee research and feedback and 71 per cent want to spend more time on strengthening line manager and team communication – two important drivers for engagement.
The research reinforces anecdotal comments made by many CIPR Internal Communication Certificate and Diploma students. As one survey respondent said, “senior leaders have a very cavalier attitude to employees, they don’t trust them.” It is clear to me that internal communicators want – and need – to get in to the driving seat and leaders are doing themselves and their organisations a disservice by not encouraging more employee research and feedback.
With employee engagement levels stagnating in the UK at around 35 per cent, a quick way to tap into innovation and engagement through internal communication is staring senior managers in the face. However, I believe that practitioners have a responsibility too. They can’t always expect organisations to hand opportunities to them on a plate, they have to articulate the business case and demonstrate how the internal communication adds value to employee engagement and performance.
I will be presenting more details from the research at the CIPR Inside “Face the Change” Conference on 6 October and the full report will be available free of charge from the end of October. Register here for your copy.
The bigger question is why aren’t practitioners a bit more assertive, like their colleagues in HR or marketing, in pressing their case? What do you think?
Introduction
Additional subtitle
Exploring Internal Communication has been put together by academics and
practitioners as a way of bringing latest theoretical thinking and practice together
in one book.
It is both a companion for Chartered Institute of Public Relations
qualifications in internal communication and a general introduction to the fast
developing fields of internal communication and employee engagement.
Chapters 6-10
Additional subtitle
Part two of the book starts with chapters on research and planning. It then explores
the fundamentals for organisational tone of voice and provides a new converged
approach to using social media for internal communication.
It concludes by
examining the way that the role of the internal communicator is evolving and the
requirements for being a business partner.
Chapters 1-5
Additional subtitle
Part one of the book starts with exploring culture before examining the way that
management is evolving.
Communication and engagement theories are covered
and a new approach to internal communication is outlined.
Change is a theme
throughout, whether it is changing culture, managing change, communicating in
change or changing the way we think about internal communication.