The majority of UK businesses may have an internal communications function, but they are failing to appreciate how to use this, claims latest research commissioned by PR agency ITPR.

Key findings

• The vast majority of UK businesses have an internal communications function (84%) - however, less than a fifth (18%) have a stand-alone department responsible for delivering internal messaging.
• Almost half of UK business decision makers (42%) said that they find it difficult to accurately measure the value internal comms brings to their organisation.
• Almost one in five UK business decision makers (18%) said that internal comms is not important to a company’s bottom line, despite 88% saying it is important to employee morale and 84% to employee well-being - both of which have a tangible impact on the bottom line.
• 81% of UK businesses capture employee feedback at least once a year.
• Whilst 72% of those companies that capture employee feedback have an internal communications strategy, less than a quarter (24%) act on the information they gather.

Discussing the findings, Anthony Monks, director at ITPR, says: “The research has provided us with valuable insight into how UK organisations understand and use internal communications. Whilst the results show that UK businesses understand the need to have an internal communications function, it shows a worrying lack of knowledge and experience gap which may be impacting their bottom lines.”

Monks concludes: “Effective internal communications is a powerful tool, proven to improve engagement, boost corporate reputation and have a positive impact on profitability by aligning employees with the business objectives, mission, vision and value. These results show that UK businesses urgently need to change their dated and restricted perceptions of the value and importance it brings to a business.”

Methodology

The independent market research commissioned by ITPR using research consultants Sapio, looked at how UK businesses are planning, managing, delivering and measuring internal communications activity. The research conducted in May 2022 among 200 decision makers in HR, marketing or communications from companies with more than 100 employees, was built around three core themes - Understanding, Delivery & Measurement and Value.