by Advita Patel
The COVID-19 pandemic has driven internal communication up the management team agenda. Leaders have recognised that engagement with their workforces is crucial if organisations are to sustain and thrive.
You’ll learn:
• The importance of an engaged workforce to productivity
• A skills framework for internal communicators
• How work and home life is converging along with internal and external communication
In response to COVID-19, the IPR Organizational Communication Research Centre has reported that “the pandemic is leading executives to realise that companies can’t grow, prosper or even survive without a knowledgeable, engaged and aware workforce.”
The global pandemic of COVID-19 has changed the landscape of internal communication and communicators forever.
Gartner, a research and advisory company, has predicted that 48% of employees will work remotely post-COVID-19 and due to economic uncertainty, there will be a rise of contractors/freelancers in organisations to allow for greater flexibility.
This crisis has probably been the biggest shake-up the internal communications industry has seen. For years internal communicators were regarded as the ‘poor relation’ of PR, and many leaders couldn’t see the impact of what a good internal communication function could have on their business.
However this global crisis has finally reinforced to many organisations how important their people are to their success. Leaders recognised from the outset that if they didn’t communicate effectively with their workforce, then it would have a detrimental impact on their bottom line and customer base.
Those internal communicators who struggled for years to be heard were suddenly thrust under the spotlight. Many were sitting around the coveted boardroom table within 24 hours of the crisis being announced and were on speed dial with their CEO.
The process for approving business cases for new technology went out the window and organisations that had spent many years fighting against flexible working were suddenly having to deal with a remote flexible workforce.
The investment and change that was needed was accelerated and is finally here.
Fit for the future
The skills and qualifications of what is needed to be an effective internal communicator have evolved over the years. But the last six months have shown that good internal communicators offer much more than being able to write well and manage channels effectively.
Many skilled communicators recognise the value they bring and understand the organisation they work in so they can advise senior executives appropriately. They know that in order to futureproof themselves they need to always be one step ahead and offer skills that leaders will need to help deliver against key objectives.
With work habits changing due to COVID-19, many desk-based employees have had to adjust to home-working and operational / front-line workers have also had to adapt their working style.
Employers need to bear in mind that priorities may have changed and in some cases there will be additional pressures, such as mental health and wellbeing. These challenges require internal communications professionals to upskill to make sure they have the knowledge to deal with future impact.
Skills for success
In early 2020 the Institute of Internal Communications launched its updated professional framework for internal communicators which encapsulates the skills internal communicators need to succeed.
It said the role of internal communication is “to enable people at work to feel informed, connected and purposeful in order to drive organisational purpose.”
The framework includes skills such as:
• Influencing and advising
• Strategy, planning and business acumen
• Understanding people and cultures
• Creating and curating content and conversation
• Channel and community management
• Conducting research, measuring and demonstrating value
Internal communicators have a unique perspective of their organisation and are in a strong position to advise leaders effectively on future working practice. However, if they don’t keep up with their professional development, enhance their skills and understand the impact they can have, then it’s likely they’ll have to exit that coveted boardroom seat.
Internal and external convergence
The Office of National Statistics reported that 49% of the working UK population worked from home during the peak of COVID-19. With the likelihood of more people working remotely and the demise of the office culture, the convergence between internal and external communication will progress much faster than it has done so in the past.
Katie Macaulay, Managing Director at AB, predicted this change back in 2018 when she conducted some research on convergence.
She said: “Traditional models of employment are becoming obsolete. Work has become a thing we do, not a place we go to. For many employees, there is a convergence of work and home. For others, work is becoming more transient and flexible.”
The global pandemic has shown, more than it has done so in the past, how colleagues choose their own channels and how technology can empower their voices.
Managing the reputation of an organisation used to sit firmly with the external communication team, but the pandemic has clearly demonstrated that it’s the employees who hold power when it comes to maintaining reputation.
Organisations like Sports Direct and Wetherspoons were outed by their employees due to a lack of care and empathy during the crisis, whereas organisations like Timpson and Airbnb, which shared their internal messaging widely, were hailed heroes even though Airbnb had to make a third of its workforce redundant.
If internal communicators don’t consider channels outside of their own remit when it comes to messaging or consider how their workforce communicates outside of work, then it’s going to damage not only the organisation’s reputation but also their own.
Building trust with data
With trust lost in the government and NGOs, colleagues are now turning to business leaders to provide certainty during times of change. A 10-country study conducted by Edelman during COVID-19 confirmed the role businesses must play as a source of reliable and timely information. [1]
There’s an opportunity here for internal communication to play a big part in helping leaders build trust quickly. Effective measures and data can give them clarity on what’s happening across the organisation. With the pace of change taking place, executives will want to be ahead of the curve, so they can be prepared for any future impact.
Measurement and data are two areas that some communicators notoriously struggle with but it’s something that we need to get comfortable with. There will be some difficult decisions made over the next few years in organisations. Most leaders will need these data insights to ensure they are making the right call as ‘gut feelings’ alone will not suffice.
In conclusion
It’s difficult to predict exactly what might happen in the future as there’s so much uncertainty.
But one thing we can be sure of is that if organisations want to survive post-COVID, then they are going to have to invest in their internal communication function.
The workforce will be critical to success and if colleagues are not communicated with effectively then they will not be engaged, feel empowered or connected, which will lead to performance issues and ultimately will have a knock-on effect on income generation.
For internal communicators to stay relevant and to make significant impact, they have to show how they continue to add value to the business. The key focus must be on business acumen, building relationships and understanding data and measurement.
Those who pay attention, invest and futureproof themselves will no doubt come out of the next few years, stronger and better than ever – and retain that seat at the table.
Sources
Advita Patel is the Managing Director of CommsRebel, an internal communication and employee experience consultancy based in Manchester. She’s also the co-founder of A Leader Like Me, a subscription service helping women of colour succeed in their leadership roles.
CommsRebel encourages businesses to take the leap and revolutionise the way they communicate within their organisation by using effective measurement techniques and creative tools. Advita is also a qualified coach/mentor and works with teams and individuals to help them achieve their goals and build confidence.
Advita is a Chartered PR Practitioner, a Board Director and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
Twitter: @advita_p
Web: commsrebel.com/
Web: aleaderlikeme.com/