Internal Communicators are the New Influencers
A new age of employee communications brings influential reach to workforces and true business impact
Frank Wolf, Co-Founder & CSO,Staffbase
Did you know internal communicators have a super power? It’s that people trust them and the information they share. It’s true, and this fact puts the role of internal communicators as the new influencers in the spotlight. And just like Thor’s hammer has the power of lightning, IC professionals now have power and influence as trusted advisors to leadership.
According to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer, communication from employers is considered the most trusted source of information. This is a very important role to play as events around the world impact companies and the humans that show up for work every day. Employees are looking to their organization’s to hear the truth about what is going on in the world. They are increasingly concerned with an array of issues, including the overturning of Roe v. Wade, recession, DE&I, energy costs, job security, an ongoing pandemic, crime, war and supply chain issues — to name just a few.
These and so many other events over the last couple of years resulted in IC professionals finally receiving the recognition and visibility they deserve within their organizations. They’ve also been given the opportunity to show their worth, becoming trusted advisors to senior leaders and trusted sources of information for employees.
In fact, results from a recent Staffbase Internal Communications Maturity Assessment survey shows that 69% of the 1,600 participating IC professionals say their work in internal communications is taken seriously and respected by senior managers in their organization.
This means a majority of business leaders know they have a partner in employee communication, a partner with the skills, knowledge, tools and strategy to help them inspire and lead people with their vision. In this heightened role, internal communicators also serve to amplify the voices of employees, providing a direct line of communications that let senior leaders know what their employees are thinking about, worrying about, and talking about.
Lindsay Theile, senior director, Global Internal Communications at Walgreens Boots Alliance, spoke recently at the 2022 VOICES Conference about the importance of being “one source of truth” for all within an organization. “With COVID, and more recently our full office reopening, having one source of truth on the intranet where people can go for everything” was paramount.
Theile also mentioned that it’s important for comms professionals to have more transparent direct communication with all levels within an organization.
