5 ways internal communications has changed in 2025 

Workplaces everywhere have made massive changes to how their employees communicate.  Some of those changes may have been temporary, but some have become permanent. 

Either way, for most of us, how we communicate in the workplace has changed dramatically over recent years.

Water cooler talk has been replaced by instant messaging apps like Slack. Onsite meetings are occurring on Zoom. And, while we may not have the luxury of communally sharing a drink at a local watering hole, many employees have taken to enjoying a drink at home while virtually connecting with colleagues.  

So yes, we are all still communicating, but it’s safe to say the pandemic dramatically changed how we communicate internally.  

Here are five ways communication in the workplace has changed in 2025:

1. Internal communications professionals are at the forefront

If you are an internal communications professional, this is what you trained for. Using collaboration technology to deliver important information, crisis communication best practices, or more frequent town halls—these concepts aren’t new to you; this is all part of your internal communications planning.  

As a result, internal communications professionals are now increasingly being called for advice on how to communicate sensitive and complex business situations.

2. Executives are now politicians

There is a natural need in a crisis to trust those in power. After all, it is reassuring to think that someone making the big decisions knows what they are doing. Information and news from authoritative figures can also provide much needed reassurance and guidance during a crisis. 

Today’s business leaders have been emerging as de facto ‘politicians’, and are now required (whether they want to or not) to voice opinions on many topics.

Daily/weekly briefings on your intranet or virtual town hall meetings are all great options for keeping employees connected to their leaders. 

3. Communication must be clear

Employees are likely receiving an overwhelming amount of new information. This could include information about employment, benefits, or new technology. We must make communication as simple as possible so that ALL employees understand the message. It’s essential for all internal communications planning. 

Those of you (especially comms professionals) familiar with the science of readability understand how simple language and reduced sentence length impacts readability. This isn’t about dumbing down your words. It’s about ensuring the message is understood by everyone. 

4. It’s ok to be wrong

Hopefully you are using communication technology that allows you to quickly make changes and updates to any news and policies. Email, while useful for some communication, isn’t the best medium for changing information, unless it includes a link to a dynamic page on your intranet. 

5. Be kind

Finally, it’s important that we consider others when communicating, and that we humanize our internal communications planning. 

Whatever news and information you have to share with your colleagues and employees, ensure that it is communicated with care and compassion. 

When typing a message, consider, “Could this be interpreted incorrectly?”, or “Is there a kinder way of communicating this?” 

It’s also worth checking in on colleagues to see how they are coping. With an absence of water cooler chats, and run-ins in the lunchroom (or restroom!), many of us simply aren’t interacting with the same amount of people we did before. I encourage all of you to leverage your corporate directory, seek out a colleague, and check-in with them. Moments of kindness and empathy are exactly what many of us need right now.

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