The role of internal employee communication has never been more important. If you are keeping up to date with recent HR trends, you will know that implementing initiatives around employee communication is popular for a reason.
Internal communication affects everything from overall employee engagement and retention rates to performance and productivity.
Research shows that 74% of employees feel they're missing out on company news due to inadequate internal communication.
While one would assume that lapses in internal communication occur more heavily in remote organizations, organizations of all types can struggle to share information in real time.
Whether teams work remotely or in the office, a good internal communication strategy helps employees stay informed. It keeps them engaged and aligned with business goals.
In this article, we’ll explore why internal communication matters, different types of internal communication, and real-world examples from top companies.
We will also dive into some other internal communication strategies that you can implement to enhance employee experience and build a positive working environment.
While we’ve gone into why internal communication is so important in an extensive article previously, here is a brief summary of just why communicating effectively with your team through well-planned employee communication strategies is so important.
To build a successful internal communication strategy, it’s essential to understand the different types of communication within an organization.
Each organization is unique and not every type of internal communication is going to fit their way of operating.
Below, we’ve listed some of the different types of internal employee communication that an organization can implement.
Leadership communication refers to messages shared by executives and managers to align employees with the company's vision, updates, and goals.
Leadership communication can take place through mass e-mail announcements, or across a company newsfeed.
Team collaboration thrives when employees have access to internal communication tools that allow them to communicate seamlessly across departments.
This refers to the day-to-day interactions between employees across the company’s desired internal communication channels such as Microsoft Teams.
The world of work is volatile. Not every occasion for internal communication will be for positive reasons. Crisis communication refers to any form of internal communication that arises from a moment of crisis or urgency.
A well-prepared crisis communication plan ensures that organizations can quickly address challenges while keeping employees informed.
When companies undergo restructuring, policy updates, or mergers, clear communication helps employees adapt.
Is the company implementing a new performance management software? Will the staff need to undergo training?
Communicating these changes to employees through an effective internal communication plan can ensure a smoother adoption process.
Not all employee communication has to be work-related. Regular communication centered around your employee engagement strategies ensures their long-term success.
Effective internal communication strategies support employee engagement initiatives, such as rewards & recognition programs and company-wide events.
Let’s take a look at some real-world internal communication examples from leading organizations.
Santander recognizes that effective internal communication isn’t just about upgrading systems.
it’s about reshaping how employees interact and collaborate daily.
As part of a larger cultural transformation, the company has focused on changing communication styles across departments, ensuring that employees feel heard and valued.
Instead of relying solely on traditional top-down messaging, they encourage open dialogue and feedback loops, allowing teams to align their goals with the company’s broader mission.
They have also embraced an internal communication philosophy that they refer to as TEAMS. It is an acronym for:
You can read about their strategy through their website: Santander Embraces TEAMS.
While there are a lot of negative comments to be made about Amazon’s corporate culture, there are still things to be learned from their internal communication strategies.
Amazon enhances internal communication by delivering concise, targeted messages to employees.
Amazon employees aren’t encouraged to hold lengthy meetings or exchange long, drawn-out e-mails.
Instead, they are expected to deliver their internal communication through short, bite-sized memos.
Amazon prioritizes clarity and brevity in its internal communications, ensuring that employees receive essential updates without unnecessary complexity.
This results in employees keeping their focus on their tasks and eliminates confusion.
Almost every employee today, regardless of their organization, knows the pain of “Meetings that could have been e-mails” or “15-minute calls that turn into three hours”.
Amazon’s internal communication strategy shows that there is another way.
Netflix has built a reputation for radical transparency, making company information readily available to employees at all levels.
Strategic decisions, performance metrics, and key updates aren’t confined to leadership.
they’re shared openly to keep everyone informed.
Employees are encouraged to think like owners, equipped with the insights they need to make decisions that align with the company’s vision.
This level of openness strengthens trust and ensures that teams stay connected to broader business goals.
While radical candor is a tried and true internal communication trend, there do seem to be certain hiccups.
A Forbes article goes into detail about how candor may have cost some executives their jobs!
Google creates an environment where open communication is encouraged at every level.
Employees rely on internal platforms such as Google Groups, Hangouts, and other collaboration tools to share insights, provide feedback, and discuss projects in real-time.
These tools ensure that information flows freely across teams, helping employees stay aligned with company goals.
Zappos maintains its well-known company culture through open communication channels.
The organization hosts weekly all hands meetings, giving employees a direct line to leadership while fostering a culture of transparency.
Zappos also takes advantage of an internal social platform that allows employees to connect informally, strengthening workplace relationships and engagement.
Buffer operates as a fully remote company, making structured communication a top priority. Instead of relying solely on meetings, teams use asynchronous tools such as email, project management software, and shared documents to collaborate effectively.
Employees receive the flexibility to engage with company communications at their own pace while staying aligned with team objectives.
Coca-Cola embraces storytelling as a key component of its internal communication efforts, using real-life success stories and employee achievements to reinforce company values.
Instead of relying on generic corporate messages, Coca-Cola highlights individual contributions and business wins to create a stronger emotional connection between employees and the company.
These stories not only celebrate accomplishments but also serve as learning opportunities, inspiring teams to push for excellence.
The company’s approach to communication goes beyond standard updates, fostering a workplace culture where employees see themselves as an integral part of a shared mission.
AstraZeneca has made transparency a core pillar of its internal communication strategy, ensuring employees are always informed about key business decisions and company direction.
Leadership teams openly share updates about organizational changes, market challenges, and strategic initiatives, reducing uncertainty and fostering trust.
Instead of limiting communication to high-level executives, AstraZeneca encourages managers at all levels to keep their teams engaged in ongoing conversations, making employees feel like active participants in the company’s future.
It only makes sense for a telecommunications company to excel at internal communications.
Deutsche Telekom has embraced interactive platforms to create a more collaborative workplace. Employees aren’t just receiving information.
Employees in Deutsche Telekom are part of the conversation.
Regular updates, discussion spaces, and feedback loops give teams the opportunity to contribute ideas and stay engaged with company-wide initiatives.
Through their approach to communication as a two-way street, the company builds a culture where employees feel heard and connected.
H&M relies on video storytelling to keep employees connected to the company’s vision and values.
Instead of relying on long emails or static updates, the company delivers key messages through engaging, visually compelling content.
This approach makes internal communication more dynamic, helping employees stay informed while reinforcing the brand’s identity in a way that feels natural and memorable.
While the internal communication strategy examples from real top companies that we’ve listed above cover a wide range of employee communication types, they are also rather difficult to implement.
We wanted to present you with some internal communication initiatives that you can implement right away to keep your team aligned and engaged.
Remote work has changed how teams interact, making it harder for employees to engage in casual conversations that build workplace connections. Virtual coffee chats offer a simple yet effective solution by recreating the spontaneous interactions of an office environment.
Recognition plays a crucial role in employee motivation and engagement. A structured rewards and recognition program helps employees feel valued for their contributions and reinforces a culture of appreciation.
While we’ve discussed how to implement a rewards and recognition program in detail in another article, the best way to do so is through an employee recognition tool that is integrated into your main communication channels.
If you're in Microsoft Teams, you can use Teamflect and have access to:
Keeping employees connected, especially in large or remote teams, requires an internal social platform that fosters engagement and collaboration.
These platforms break down communication silos by providing dedicated channels for different departments, projects, and interests.
The informal and interactive nature of internal social media also helps employees feel more engaged with company culture, making workplace communication more dynamic and accessible.
Many employees hesitate to provide honest feedback due to concerns about potential repercussions. Implementing anonymous feedback channels creates a safe space for employees to voice concerns, share ideas, and highlight areas for improvement without fear.
Conducting anonymous surveys among your team is a great way to ensure power dynamics don’t interfere with the honesty of feedback.
An effective employee survey has to hit the following marks:
For anonymous surveys and feedback that check both those boxes, you need a solution that is integrated into your main communication and collaboration platforms. If that platform for you is Microsoft Teams, you can try the highest-rated feedback software in the Microsoft Teams App Store, Teamflect for absolutely free!
Traditional town hall meetings often feel one-sided, with leadership presenting updates while employees passively listen.
Adding interactive elements transforms these meetings into valuable engagement opportunities. Features like live Q&A sessions, instant polls, and real-time feedback mechanisms allow employees to actively participate in discussions.
Some companies take it further by incorporating video spotlights on different teams, employee-submitted questions, or small breakout sessions for deeper conversations. I
Effective internal communication isn’t just about sharing information
It’s about creating a workplace where employees feel informed, engaged, and connected to the company’s vision.
The strategies used by leading organizations highlight the importance of transparency, collaboration, and tailored communication methods that suit different work environments. Whether it’s leveraging video storytelling, interactive platforms, or recognition programs, the key is to ensure that messages resonate with employees and encourage meaningful engagement.
Every company’s needs are unique, so there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
However, the most successful internal communication strategies prioritize open dialogue, foster a culture of trust, and provide employees with the tools they need to stay aligned with organizational goals.
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