Internal communication is all the actions taken to transmit information within a company using certain tools, strategies and ways of communicating, to facilitate the exchange of information between employees and ensure cohesion and better collective performance.
Effective internal communication is crucial toa company’s success, It improves employee commitment and productivity. Conversely , poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, lower motivation and reduced productivity.
How can you set up effective internal communications within your company? Intuition Software explains the benefits, objectives and tools of internal communication.
- Internal communications in a nutshell,
- What is internal communication?
- What are the different types of internal communication?
- What are the objectives of internal communication?
- What are the benefits of good in-house communication?
- What are the tools for internal communication?
- How do you put in place an effective internal communications strategy?
- How do you draw up an internal communications plan?
Internal communications in a nutshell
- Internal communication is the set of practices and processes designed to facilitate the exchange of information between employees within a company.
- Internal communication helps messages to flow smoothly, giving employees a better understanding of the company’ s objectives and enabling them to become fully involved, feeling listened to and valued.
- There are different types of internal communication: motivational, operational and interpersonal.
- Investing in and optimising your internal communications will help to: reduce staff turnover, improve decision-making, strengthen the corporate culture and improve productivity in the long term.
- A good communications strategy must include: an analysis of the company’ s needs, clear objectives, the right tools and the involvement of managers.
What is internal communication?
Internal communication refers to all the actions and practices implemented within a company to transmit information. It aims to facilitate exchanges and ensure consistency in the communication of information between employees, departments and management.
However, internal communication goes beyond the simple exchange of information. It is also a key factor in motivation, commitment and organisational efficiency. Today, whatever the size of the company, all forms of communication – verbal, written or digital – must contribute to and be integrated into the company’ s overall strategy.
What is the difference between internal and external communication?
Internal communication is aimed at the company’ s employees. It aims to inform, motivate and unite internal teams around a shared corporate culture and common objectives. External communication is aimed at external stakeholders: customers, partners, suppliers and investors. It aims to promote the company’ s brand image and values.
Communication, whether internal or external, and even if it is not aimed at the same audience, must ensure that its messages are consistent. There must be no dissonance between the image conveyed externally and the reality perceived internally, This could affect thecompany’ s reputation. A company that masters its internal and external communication strengthens its reputation and credibility, with employees , customers and partnersalike.
What are the different types of internal communication?
Internal communication can take 3 complementary forms, each with a different objective and distinct benefits for the company:
- Motivational communication,
- Operational communication,
- Interpersonal communication.
A company wishing to improve its internal communication must focus on these three types of communication at the same time.
Motivational communication
Motivational communication aims to strengthen the feeling of belonging by sharing the company’ s values, successes and ambitions. This is a rather top-down form of communication, in which management disseminates information correctly to all employees.
This form of internal communication has the advantage of creating a climate of trust, employees feel included and informed about major decisions and the company’ s overall project. Motivational communication also plays a key role in retaining talent and reducing staff turnover.
Operational communication
The aim of operational communication is to ensure that the company runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis, by circulating information, to enable all employees to work efficiently while respecting internal processes.
This operational communication can relate, for example, to the organisation of work, safety and compliance instructions, the adoption of new tools, etc. This form of internal communication ensures optimum productivity, because it helps avoid errors and ensures good coordination between departments.
Interpersonal communication
Interpersonal communication covers all formal and informal exchanges between employees. It involves both top-down and bottom-up communication, as well as horizontal communication. For example, informal discussions between colleagues,exchanges withina team, moments of conviviality that will strengthen cohesion, etc.
Interpersonal communication is spontaneous and unstructured, it nevertheless plays an essential role in the climate at work, encouraging mutual support and collaboration, and strengthening the bonds between employees.
What are the objectives of internal communication?
The aim of internal communication is to train, inform and motivate, but also to unite employees within the organisation:
- Providing information : the main aim of internal corporate communication is to ensure that information flows smoothly and transparently, so that all employees can access and understand the strategy, decisions and developments in thecompany where they work. Access to clear information not only encourages greater support for projects, but also reduces resistance to change, as trust between employees and management is strengthened.
- Unite: According to a Sociabble study, 86% of employees believe that professional failures are linked to poor communication. In fact , as well as providing information, internal communication helps to structure day-to-day work, because it facilitates team coordination, creates a pleasant and collaborative working environment, and creates a sense of a sense of belonging based on shared values and common objectives.
- Motivate: Optimal internal communication enables employees to better understand their role and the impact of their work within the company. their role and the impact of their work within the company. Valuing success, involving teams and fostering a climate of trust will increase employee commitment and motivation.
- Training : By distributing teaching resources, organising in-house training or encouraging the sharing of information, thecompany effectively supports the development of its employees ‘ skills. A company that invests in the transfer of knowledge ensures that its employees develop their skills, so that it can adapt more effectively to changes in the market.
What are the benefits of good in-house communication?
According to a study by Gallup, companies with good internal communication see a 25% increase in employee productivity. In fact, when internal communication is effective and properly implemented, it makes it possible to:
- Team cohesion,
- Motivating and retaining talent,
- Make decisions,
- To feel good at work.
Strengthening team cohesion
Effective internal corporate communication, where information is accessible and participation encouraged, brings employeestogether around a shared vision and common objectives.
When information flows transparently and regularly, it’s easier for every employee to understand his or her place and role within the company. This collective alignment helps create a strong corporate culture, where everyone’s values and missions are understood and considered on a daily basis.
It also avoids organisational silos, where departments interact poorly or not at all. On the contrary, it leads to fluid collaboration and fewer misunderstandings. This feeling of belonging to a company as a whole, and not just to a single department, reinforces team spirit and mutual trust, to maintain a positive, high-performance dynamic.
Motivating and retaining talent
An employee who understands the company ‘s vision , who knows where they’re going and what their work is for, is bound to be a more committed employee. Good internal communication , a company can avoid the feeling of vagueness or loss of meaning, which isone of the main causes of brown out, quiet quitting and turnover in companies.
A recent McKinsey study highlights that effective internal communication communication approaches can help leaders to engage, inspire and realise the full potential of their teams. In this way, it helps to improve talentretention and reduce the costs costs associated with recruiting and training new staff.
Improved decision-making
Unclear instructions, limited communication between departments hierarchy where information flows poorly, will slow down decision-making and the execution of projects. This then prevents companies from being reactive, because information does not circulate efficiently.
Internal communication is there to avoid these problems and improve the sharing of information, so that we can react quickly to unforeseen events. Decisions are taken more quickly, with a better understanding of what’s at stake, and employees know exactly what they have to do and why.
Better crisis management
In times of crisis or uncertainty ( organisational changes, economic crises , external events with an impact on business) , effective internal communication becomes vital.
It allows you to maintain control of the message, reassure employees and align all staff with a clear, coherent strategy. In this way, the company avoids periods of uncertainty, or negative rumours , which could destabilise the company.
A Deloitte study also highlights the fact that most employees recognise the impact of internal communication on employee perception and trust in times of crisis. the impact of internal communication on the perception and confidence of employees in times of crisis.
Improved well-being at work and greater productivity
An informed employee, listened to and involved will find it much easier to feel confident in their working environment. Internal communication helps to reduce stress, create a calm working environment and encourage professional fulfilment.
It is in this sense that teams must be allowed to express their concerns, to listen and to pass on information. An environment where listening and transparency are encouraged limits frustration and, ultimately, boosts collective performance.
What are the different internal communication tools?
There are a number of very important tools for internal communication, providing support for the circulation of information and exchanges:
- The intranet,
- Internal newsletters,
- Corporate social networks,
- Team meetings,
- Internal display .
The intranet: a centralised information platform
The intranet is often the cornerstone of digital internal communication. As a centralisedplatform, it brings together all the information and resources that employees need, such as:
- Internal company news,
- Self-service access to documents and procedures,
- Easy-to-find employee directory with key contacts,
- Collaborative areas and discussion forums.
This intranet generally makes it possible to structure the distribution of information, to avoid e-mail overload. Thanks to the intranet, employees can stay informed, even when they are travelling or teleworking.
Internal newsletters,
The internal newsletter is an internal communication tool used to share news, new projects, company successes and future events. It helps maintain a regular, up-to-date link with employees, They receive essential information in a single mailing, while feeling a sense of transparency and involvement.
Ideally, this internal newsletter should have a short format, an engaging tone and content that enhances both employees and the company , and regular distribution (without being too intrusive).
Corporate social networks
Corporate social networks (CSNs) such as Workplace by Meta, Yammer and Slack, aim to make internal communication a dynamic and interactive strategy. Unlike intranets or newsletters, these platforms encourage two-way communication , where employees can comment, ask questions and share content in real time.
In particular, these corporate social networks enable:
- Encourage dialogue and collaboration between teams and departments,
- Facilitate the rapid dissemination of information,
- To create an informal space that encourages conviviality.
These internal communication networks are particularly useful in companies where teams are sometimes spread over several sites or teleworking.
Team meetings
Even in the digital age face-to-face or video-conference meetings remain a fundamental fundamental tool for sharing information and aligning teams, strengthening human links and creating a group dynamic.
Be careful , however, ifa team meeting is to be useful and not counter-productive, it must always address a specific issue, that it is not too long, and that the aim is always to align employees, whatever the topic.
Meetings such as the people review can also be a good way of improving, They help to identify successes and areas for improvement, and to recognise everyone ‘s commitment. This improves decision-making and boosts employee motivation by giving them a voice. motivation by giving them a voice.
Internal display
Internal signage (information panels, interactive screens in common areas, physical notice boards) remains a useful internal communication tool, particularly in companies where employees do not have constant access to a computer (factories shops, hospitals, logistics, etc.).
It enables key messages to be communicated internally at a glance, such as:
- Internal news and events,
- Safety instructions and essential procedures,
- Performance figures or targets .
To be effective, internal signage must be visually appealing, updated regularly and located in strategic places where employees regularly pass by ( break rooms, office entrances office entrances, production workshops, cafeterias).
How do you put in place an effective internal communications strategy?
As well as choosing the right tools for communicating with your staff, you need to structure your internal communications strategy correctly, by analysing your needs, defining clear objectives, drawing up a clear communication plan and involving managers:
- Analyse needs and make a diagnosis: to put in place good in-house communication , it is crucial to take stock of existing internal communications. To do this we need to look at what employees expect and what bottlenecks are holding back the flow of information. Using internal surveys and team interviews, the diagnosis makes it easy to identify strengths and weaknesses.
- Define clear objectives: An effective internal communications strategy is based on precise objectives. It ‘s not enough to want to ” improve communication”, It is also necessary to define concrete objectives to guide the actions to be implemented. For example, the aim may be to increase employee commitment (federate) or to improve the flow of information (inform).
- Set a budget for internal communications: while it may seem like an unnecessary cost, investing in a structured internal communications plan will always be less expensive than than to suffer the consequences of poor in-house communication. A communication plan therefore involves actions that require resources to be planned in advance.
- Choosing the right tools for optimum communication : according to a study by Soocial, 96% of business leaders believe that effective internal communicationis essential for a productive working environment, especially if it’s remote or hybrid. So it ‘s vital to select the right channels, the right media and the right tools to ensure that the right messages are delivered.
- Involving managers in the internal communications strategy: Managers play a key role in a company ‘s internal communications , because they are the main link between management and employees. They are responsible for relaying essential information, and encouraging two-way exchanges ( top-down and bottom-up communication). A manager who communicates well will foster a climate of trust and limit misunderstandings.
- Evaluating and adjusting the internal communications strategy: effective internal communicationsare never static. It needs to be evaluated, adjusted and innovated on a regular basis to adapt to changes in the company and the expectations of its employees. For example, you need to measure the effectiveness of the actions and tools put in place , or analysing the employee engagement rate (participation in internal events, newsletter open rates, etc.).).
How do you draw up an internal communications plan?
A good communication plan is based on 3 elements:
- Identify target audiences, to tailor the message to the right audience (all employees or a specific department),
- Define clear and relevant messages, avoiding unnecessary information overload,
- Choose the right channels (newsletters to disseminate news, meetings to encourage discussion and team involvement, etc.).
An example of an effective internal communication plan could therefore be:
- A monthly newsletter : to share current projects, success stories and strategic announcements.
- Weekly team meetings: to align teams with the company’ s vision, priorities and results.
- Setting up a collaborative platform: for example, a space for daily exchanges.
- Regular surveys: with feedback gathered to adjust strategy and strengthen employee commitment .
- Internal events: such as team buildings, afterworks or seminars to bring everyone together and strengthen the corporate culture.
Companies that adopt this type of multi-channel approach will generally find that their employees adhere better to the company and increase their productivity. and increase their productivity.
You now have a clear idea of what internal corporate communication is and the benefits it can bring to your organisation if properly implemented. If your company does not yet have a real internal communications strategy, now’s the time to think about adding it to your human resources toolbox, And if you already have one, don ‘t forget to optimise it.
