Top 5 2023 Internal Communications Trends

Still reeling from 2020 and adjusting to the “new normal” in 2021, 2022 proved to be another whirlwind year for employers and internal communicators. As we enter 2023 and take stock of where we are now, below are my top 5 predictions for 2023 Internal Communication trends.

The year started with yet another lockdown, driving further mental health challenges in what is already a difficult part of the year for some and increased sense of languishing. The world was then rocked by the invasion of Ukraine, followed by the cost-of-living crisis, with prices increasing for food, energy, fuel (and just about everything else). The UK was also faced with market and Government turmoil and instability – 3 Prime Ministers in about as many months and the pound plummeted, causing shockwaves across industries, markets and employers. Plus we saw industrial unrest and action across the rail networks, Royal Mail, the NHS and more – just a few things for internal communicators to be dealing with.

As we enter 2023 and take stock of where we are now, below are my top 5 predictions for 2023 Internal Communication trends.

1. Stronger focus on mental and financial wellbeing

The cost-of-living crisis isn’t (unfortunately) going away anytime soon, and as prices continue to rise, more and more people are feeling the pinch with every pay slip. Not having a positive working environment at home (whether that be from sleeping badly, lack of heat or not eating properly) plus the stresses financial strain can put on people can impact productivity and satisfaction at work. We spend more time working than we do not working, and employers have a duty of care to ensure employees are bringing their best, motivated and productive selves to work.

Reported in the recent Voice Magazine, by The Institute of Internal Communication, research by Emburse found that 1/4 of employees under 35 are considering abandoning home working in favour of the office, in an effort to reduce household bills. While research from Claro Wellbeing found that more than 1/3 of employers are “wellbeing washing” – claiming to support mental health publicly, but failing to act accordingly internally.

As we all know, with the transparency that social media gives employees now, to remain a competitive employer of choice, employers need to the message they portray externally is reflected in their actions internally. So what can internal communicators do to support?

• Be transparent in communications about what’s possible. While many businesses have offered pay increases and one-off cost-of-living bonuses, this isn’t financially viable for every business. Be honest and transparent in your communications about why this is to help manage people’s expectations and demonstrate the business is aware of the struggles people are facing.
• Have opportunities for feedback. Sometimes people don’t want action, they just want to be heard and understood. Create an open culture and develop mechanisms where people can share their views and concerns
• Communicate your benefits. Many employers have flexible benefit schemes now, from shopping discounts and flexible gym memberships, to wellbeing apps and EAP (Employee Assistance Programme) Schemes. Run a campaign to promote these benefits and demonstrate how employees can use them to best effect. Find stories internally of people who are using them well and how those benefits have helped or supported them.
• Help people feel more in control of their finances. One-off cost-of-living bonuses and pay increases are always appreciated by employees, but often don’t help over the longer term as prices and bills continue to increase. More emphasis on financial education and wellbeing is needed to help people navigate through these tricky times. What do the market changes mean for peoples pensions and decisions they could or should be thinking about? Offer support, such as financial wellbeing talks, or budgeting tools, tips and tricks to help people better manage their money and feel more positive.

These are just a few ideas, but this is always an evolving and changing area of support. What is your business doing to support its people during this time? Feel free to share in the comments section below.

2. Employee experience communication channels

As the war on talent continues into 2023, and employers strive to remain attractive in an incredibly competitive market, businesses need to go beyond employee engagement and provide an exceptional employee experience.

Internal communicators need to review all touchpoints of the employee lifecycle – from onboarding and induction, through to career progression and resignation. This should include your communication channels – their use and purpose and how integrated to other channels they are.

We are already seeing this shift from Microsoft, with their introduction of Viva Engage to their Viva suite, linking Teams and Yammer into one platform, which allows all employees “to connect through communities and conversations”.

(Exactly what Viva Engage really is and what it really means for internal communications still remains to be seen, with many people still confused as to what it is. But nonetheless, with Microsoft being one of the top internal communication platforms used by businesses, it shows a change in direction and how IC’ers should be thinking about their communication platforms).

Businesses know a more diverse organisation is a successful organisation – one where everyone feels included, valued and heard. Where different ideas and ways of thinking are welcomed, and people can bring their best selves and their best ideas to the business.

But we still have a long way to go. In the recent Voice magazine, published by the Institute of Internal Communication, research by The Sutton Trust found that 46% of people in the UK have been mocked or singled out because of their accent, and 25% experienced teasing at work, with many feeling concerned their accents may impact their ability to succeed in the future. Additionally, 29% of Senior Managers from working class backgrounds say they have been mocked or criticised at work.

Internal Communications play a critical role in demonstrating a culture where everyone is valued and plays an important part in the business. An employer should be a safe space, where people can openly talk and share experiences, where people can learn from past failings in an effort to stop them from happening again.

Equally, how accessible communications are to employees is also becoming a more heightened focus as people start to understand more about one another’s needs and challenges – much of which has been as a result of hybrid working.

Whilst hybrid working has made the work day more equitable in many ways, it has also introduced new challenges for internal communicators to consider.

Are all virtual meetings recorded and have captions turned on so those who may have impaired hearing can experience the meeting positively? Or are all cameras turned on by default to help with lip reading?

For a company-wide town hall, do you offer people to send questions in advance, as well as on-the-fly questions, so those who are quieter or more introverted still get a chance to have their say and be heard?

Do you consider the background color, font size and colour for written communications so they’re accessible for those who may be visually impaired?

4. Connection to the business

As hybrid and remote working become more ingrained into our working lives, this will continue to bring communication challenges to IC’ers. Some employees will be office-based, some will be working from home and others while likely be on the road, or visiting other offices or client offices. How do we ensure people don’t miss those “water cooler” moments that built relationships and connections in the office previously? How do we ensure people continue to feel engaged and that they belong, regardless of where they are?

Creating equitable events and communications – not just remote or in-office focused – should be a priority focus for businesses in 2023.

5. Personalised communications

With hybrid and remote working still in full-force, we have never been more connected and more inundated with information and notifications than ever before. Information overload and burnout are real risks facing employers. Internal Communicators need to cut through the noise of emails, Yammer posts, Slack chats, Teams notifications, Teams chats and phone calls. It’s now more important than ever that communications can be segemented and tailored, based on business area and interest etc… so people only see what they need to see as well as what they want to see. What are the “must knows” vs the “nice to knows” and do people know where they need to go for each?

It will be interesting to see as the year goes on, how this evolves and changes – will my predictions still be valid at the end of 2023? I’m eagerly awaiting the results of this year’s State of the Sector Report, and also Edelman’s Trust Barometer which will give some important direction to where businesses and internal communicators will be focusing their efforts in 2023. But for now, this is my initial gut-feel of what I think will be the top 5 2023 Internal Communication trends.

What do you think will be a strategic priority for 2023? What’s on your list for the year ahead? Feel free to share in the comments section below.