Report: Today's Internal Communicators Hold More Responsibility Than Ever

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Nov 16, 2022, 08:05 ET

Staffbase research reveals 2023 IC trends
Profession grows in value and complexity: 98% face challenges executing internal comms strategies
Integral to business success: 76% are valued within their organizations post-pandemic

NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Staffbase, a leading provider of employee communications management platforms, released new research – The Evolving Internal Communicator: A Guide to 2023. This report looks at the state of play for internal communicators (ICs) across the US and UK, exploring future challenges and opportunities.

Communicating in a volatile landscape

The report found that 98% of ICs face barriers in executing their internal comms strategies. The main challenge is responding in an authentic manner to company and external news (27%), followed by a lack of collaboration with other departments, smaller budgets, and stress.

After a tumultuous few years, ICs are finding it difficult to respond to a number of events. These include the long-term impact of the pandemic on the workplace (27%), the impact of significant global events, such as the war in Ukraine (25%) and women's rights in the workplace (22%).

Frank Wolf, CSO and co-founder of Staffbase said, "During these times, communicating effectively has become vital for building trust between employers and their employees. As a result, the role of the internal communicator has grown in significance while becoming more complex.

"Responding to an uncertain external landscape will continue to be a key responsibility in 2023 and beyond. More ICs will apply a journalistic approach to stay connected to news and communicate with employees effectively. This will also involve collaboration with external comms. Both teams will need to align on messaging to communicate the same narrative to their audiences."

The future is bright and digital

Amid turbulent times, the importance and potential of the role has never been clearer. The majority (76%) of ICs said their role is valued within their organizations post-pandemic.

As ICs strive to evolve and grow their influence, 64% believe the need for them to do so will also lead to budget increases over the next few years, helping to accelerate digital transformation in the sector.

All respondents said they have implemented tools like employee experience apps (24%), digital screens (23%), newsletters (22%), and video content (22%) to support their strategies.

Building momentum

The future of the role is bright if ICs continue to think strategically and stay ahead of the issues impacting employees.

Wolf concludes, "The challenge now lies in building momentum. With the right investment in people and technology, and collaborating closely with external comms teams, the future of this invaluable profession will grow in strength in 2023 and beyond."

Download the free report here.

Methodology

The research was conducted by Censuswide and commissioned by Staffbase, among a sample of 600 US and UK employees working in internal communications. Data was collected between 07.21.2022 - 07.26.2022.

About Staffbase

Staffbase is a high-growth, deeply experienced provider of employee communications management platforms for enterprise companies. The mobile compatibility of the company's platform allows employers to securely reach their employees everywhere with reduced complexity — whether in the office, at home, on the factory floor, or on the road. Staffbase solutions give employees greater access to the corporate information that's relevant to them, along with tools for the modern digital workplace, including existing intranets. Staffbase provides branded solutions for more than 2,000 leading companies worldwide who are transforming their employee communications, including Adidas, Audi, Paulaner, Spark Power, UC Health, US LBM, and Vestas. Please visit staffbase.com for more information.

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