Internal communication: strategies and examples for businesses 

Internal communication is a key factor in a company. Its purposes range from crisis management to improving employee experience.

External communication has usually been given more importance, as it is closely linked to the notion of return on investment. 

However, more and more managers are becoming aware of the need for good internal communication because of its positive impact on productivity and employee engagement. 

To help you understand its implications, we have prepared the following content in which we will discuss what internal communication is and what strategies you can apply in your project to make it a success. 

What is internal communication?

Internal communication is the set of processes, practices, and tools used for any type of exchange in an organization between the people who make up the organization and who share ideas, proposals or any type of information.

This type of communication, which usually relies on techniques such as endomarketing, varies according to the organization and covers all formats and channels. Internal comms is based on 4 essential aspects:

1. It transmits information. It can consist of guidelines, requests, requests for clarification, invitations to events, communication of successes, etc. 
2. Motivates. It helps to create a positive and dynamic workspace in which bonds of trust are created, which improves team performance.
3. Builds an identity. The cohesion of the company culture helps to create a sense of belonging in each member of the team and makes it easier for employees to understand their objectives. For this reason, it helps to align the company’s expectations with those of its employees.
4. Promotes collaboration. It facilitates communication between peers, resolves misunderstandings, and avoids crises that can affect the company’s climate.

Types of internal communication

Depending on the profile of the people involved you will need a different internal communication strategy, it can be explained in 4 basic types:

• Directive. Messages are emitted from leaders to employees and are aligned with the company’s objectives. They can communicate strategies, results, competitive or privileged information, etc. It is also known as top to bottom.
• Team. Information is exchanged between people who make up a team and who work together to reach a final objective.
• Peer-to-peer. Colleagues, from the same team or from another department, participate in informal chats in gatherings that can be in person or virtual and can deal with work issues, but also personal ones. 
• Bottom-up approach. Communication emanates from employees to managers. It is often requested to collect suggestions, obstacles encountered, etc. It can be direct or be part of strategies such as Employee Satisfaction Assistance (ESAT). 

We can classify internal communication according to the type of message that is sent or the scenario in which it takes place as follows: 

• Changes. Facilitates a process of evolution or adaptation of the company to a new situation.
• Crisis. It serves both to inform employees of the delicate situation and to facilitate its management. 
• Commitment. Initiates actions to improve employee engagement and their relationship with the company.
• Cultural. Helps to transmit the company’s values, philosophy, civil responsibility actions, etc.
• Face-to-face. Occurs when all people work in the same building and communicate in meetings or other more informal spaces. 

Internal communication vs external communication

Internal and external communication are essentially differentiated by their target audiences and the adaptations required for the message to be effective. 

The former seeks to inform, motivate, and unite employees within an organization, while the latter is aimed at people or entities with which the company usually establishes some kind of exchange (suppliers, customers, investors, etc.). 

Each type of communication requires a precise strategy and a careful selection of the channels to be used, the tone, or the senders of the information.

Although both build the company’s brand image, external communication is usually more formal than internal communication and leaves less room for emotionality. 

Internal communication strategies

Starting from the premise that for any communication to be effective, it must strive to be clear, direct and personalized, take note of some strategies that you can implement in your project that will help you build a relationship of trust with your employees: 

• Strategic communication about the corporate culture to align employees with the corporate culture.
• Pre-onboarding programs to prepare new candidates before their first day on the job.
• Onboarding plans to welcome new employees.
• Change management with communication of new procedures and protocols. 
• Conveying standards of inclusion and the company’s commitment to DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging).
• Information on hierarchical or organizational changes. 
• Updates on project successes, performance, training and capacity building programs, etc. 
• Reputational crisis management is addressed with transparency, explaining the situation to your employees and detailing actions to overcome it.

As you can see, internal communication is a transcendental tool in Human Resources (HR) strategies to build a business climate of trust between employees and management.

Bonus: internal communication plan example for businesses

Before concluding, we would like to share with you an example of an internal communication plan for companies that can serve as a summary of everything we have been telling you.

Keep in mind that this is only a small, non-exhaustive example, and that for your communication to be successful, it must be adapted to the precise characteristics of your project. 

As far as evaluations are concerned, there is specific software that allows you to automate part of the process, such as learning management systems (LMS), as well as online supervision systems. 

One of the precautions you should take is to respect privacy and legality, two aspects that help you to reinforce the trust of your teams and improve communication. 

At Smowltech we want to be part of this improvement, that’s why we offer our clients proctoring plans with which you can boost your internal communication strategies. 

Request a free demo to find out how we can help you.