Culture and Engagement How to improve internal communication in 2024 Master the art of effective communication in 2024 and explore how you can create a culture of effective collaboration and engagement within your workplace. 5 minute read You might also like… Webinar Extreme makeover: internal comms edition Blog post What is internal communications? Let’s face it: keeping up with the digital chatter in today’s digital workplaces is tough. Your carefully crafted communications—those messages you pore over, just to make sure they’re noticed, let alone read—often get lost in the sea of communication: Slack, Teams, Google, email, and the dozens of other team communication apps you use at work. With advancements in technology, shifting workforce dynamics, and the rise of remote work, internal communication strategies must adapt to meet the changing needs of employees and the organization. In this article, we explore: What is internal communication Importance of internal communication in 2024 How to improve internal communication in 2024 What is internal communication? Internal communications is defined as the process of aligning employees to company strategy by systematically informing, influencing, motivating, and engaging people at all levels of the company through the one-way and two-way channels—digital and interpersonal—that are most relevant to each employee. Effective internal communication ensures seamless operations, fosters collaboration, and maintains alignment between employees, as well as facilitates the flow of essential information within organizations. Explore more in-depth the what, why and how of internal communication in our internal communications definition: 40 definitions analyzed article. Importance of internal communication in 2024 In 2024, it’s all but impossible to understate the importance of internal communications, as it relates to almost every employee-related business function: employee performance, employee welfare, employee retention and satisfaction; the list goes on. Cost of poor internal communication in 2024 If you ignore your internal communications, it can be hugely detrimental to your business. A recent Communication Statistics 2024 report by Project Co. showed that the cost of poor business communication resulted in wasted time, missed messages, burnout, stress and fatigue, lost files, bad customer experiences, lost customers to competitors, and lost employees. Suffice it to say, you shouldn’t be ignoring your internal communication. The cumulative impact of poor internal communication can impede innovation, stifle growth, and jeopardize the long-term viability of your business. The need for internal communication in 2024 Strong internal communication in a dynamic, digital workplace enhances productivity by ensuring that employees have access to timely and relevant information to perform their roles effectively. Internal communication also boosts employee morale and engagement, as employees feel informed, valued, and connected. Teams with effective communication plans are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their peers and companies with effective communication plans generate 4.5 times higher employee retention. Organizations that prioritized clear and consistent internal communications during the COVID-19 pandemic were able to better navigate challenges and maintain a sense of connection and unity by proactively leveraging digital communication tools and implementing regular updates from leadership. Strong internal communications is here to stay and is very much needed if you want to position your company for long-term growth and resilience in an ever-changing business landscape. How to improve internal communication in 2024 We get it. The digital workplace has become cluttered at best, and entirely overwhelming at worst. In Gallagher’s State of the Sector 2024 report, about 33% of respondents were dissatisfied with the communication channels used in the workplace. And in a Gartner 2023 survey, the average knowledge worker uses 11 apps throughout their day, while almost 10% use 26 or more! It’s little wonder then that your comms may go unused or even unnoticed. The solution? A modern intranet An intranet can help centralize your organization’s communications and reach the right people on the right channel at the right time. Getting your content noticed starts with your intranet. An intranet is a private, secured network that only authorized users within an organization can access. It helps streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and centralize information. Intranets might seem like a dated concept, but modern intranet platforms have made it easier than ever to build and maintain a vibrant, interactive community and knowledge-sharing hub. As an intranet provider ourselves, even we understand that just having an intranet is not a silver bullet: while most are designed to be the heartbeat of an organization’s digital workspace, sometimes they can become ghost towns: pages are created, content is crafted, and messages are posted… but they all vanish into thin air. Optimizing your intranet We get a lot of feedback from our clients, and even our most successful clients are always looking for ways to better engage their employees and ensure their communications get noticed. Thankfully, we know some very talented people and one of them is hosting a webinar that will help elevate your internal comms. Earlier this year, we’re teamed up with Wil Arndt, an award-winning creative director, to share with some exclusive tips on effective communication within the digital workplace. Wil has a background with over 20 years of design experience and is the recipient of over 150 industry and design awards, so when it comes to communication design, he knows a thing or two! You can check out the recording below Elevate your internal communication in 2024 The digital workplace is evolving, and so should our ways of communicating within it. By mastering the art of effective communication you can create a culture of effective collaboration and engagement within your workplace.