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6 Internal Communication Trends to Watch in 2023
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52% of employees believe that streamlining internal communication is one of the main challenges their company faces today¹. A challenge that even outranks knowledge management and improving the employer brand! There’s no doubt: internal communication still has a lot to offer. But for all organizations looking to improve their strategy, one question persists: what are the internal communication trends to watch in 2023? Whether you’re a head of internal communications, HR, or a company executive, this question is very much relevant to you. Here are 6 key trends that — in our view — will define internal communication in 2023.
end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code 1. The Phygital Employee Experience
Hybrid work, full remote, flex office… Our ways of working have changed dramatically since the Covid-19 crisis. Satisfying employees is no longer just about cool workspaces or attractive salaries — it’s about providing a phygital work experience (blending physical and digital). Yes, phygital is THE trend that will define internal communication in 2023. According to the 2022 Julhiet Sterwen barometer, 36% of employees and managers who work remotely report a lack of interpersonal connections, and 30% suffer from isolation. These are issues that internal communication can address by creating a phygital strategy tailored to those needs. Read also: Isolation, burnout…: the risks of hybrid work
To create this phygital employee experience, internal communication will need to:
- invest in a tool such as an intranet or enterprise social network (like Talkspirit !) accessible on all devices,
- share information and build communities on that platform, to encourage exchanges between office, field, and remote employees,
- organize events — physical, digital, and phygital — to strengthen company cohesion,
- support managers in helping them bring this phygital experience to life within their teams.
Read also: How to Reinvent the Employee Experience in the Hybrid Work Era?
2. Employee Well-Being
Another internal communication trend in 2023 is of course… employee well-being! It’s a hot topic, and rightly so, given its many benefits, including a boost in productivity, greater motivation, reduced absenteeism, and better talent retention². Yet, according to the latest Alan barometer, only half of employees say their employer has implemented concrete solutions to improve their mental well-being. Which is far from enough!
end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code Several internal communication actions can help foster well-being at work, for example:
- recognizing the different teams and their successes through dedicated posts on the enterprise social network,
- implementing surveys and groups dedicated to feedback to encourage teams to share their input,
- clarifying career development prospects,
- promoting the right to disconnect and best practices to avoid information overload.
Read also: How to Improve Your Team’s Well-Being at Work?
According to Lecko, 10% of employees are persistently exposed to risks of mental overload and fatigue, caused in particular by too many emails and meetings. Make sure to centralize your communications as much as possible (ideally on a single tool) and avoid information overload.
3. Interactive Formats
In 2023, interactive formats are the way to go! More engaging and more visual than plain emails, these formats should be used more widely by internal communicators. Here are some interactive format examples to prioritize this year:
- Videos (short ones preferred): to introduce employees, train them on a new tool, announce an event, or highlight company culture and values.
- GIFs: to celebrate a success, congratulate teams, or simply get a laugh (yes, humor absolutely has its place in internal communication!).
- Webinars or web conferences: to answer employees’ questions live, run brainstorming sessions on a specific topic, or share expert best practices.
- Podcasts: to highlight internal initiatives led by teams and interview leadership on upcoming strategic changes.
- Polls and idea boxes: to gather employee opinions on your initiatives and encourage them to submit improvement suggestions.
- Contests: to engage employees in a fun way.
- Digital signage in the office: to share news, company milestones, and employee birthdays.
Read also: [Expert Take] Internal Communication: 4 Companies That Got It Right
All of this content can then be shared on your intranet or enterprise social network to encourage team participation. On the Talkspirit platform, you can for example:
- create posts featuring photos, videos, or podcasts,
- run polls,
- host webinars and brainstorm together on a whiteboard,
- share your events and important updates on a news feed and a welcome portal that are 100% customizable,
- and much more!
4. Authenticity and Transparency
Using interactive formats can help you convey your messages in a more authentic and transparent way. This is also one of the key internal communication trends for 2023. According to a Glassdoor study, 96% of job seekers say it is important to work for a transparent company. This transparency should apply to both internal and external communication. Internally, various initiatives can help make your communications more authentic and transparent. For example, you can:
- give teams a voice, by inviting them to share information about their work on your enterprise social network,
- invite leadership to speak on topics of their choice through posts and to interact with employees via live webinars,
- create short Instagram Reels-style videos to highlight your news in a more authentic and engaging way,
- share both successes and failures, to show that we can learn from both, and that making mistakes is part of the process.
5. Marketing Techniques for Internal Communication
In 2023, internal communication has a lot to gain from borrowing marketing techniques. Rest assured: the goal is not to generate new business opportunities, but rather to energize and personalize your internal communication. How? Through these three marketing tools:
- Personas: these are semi-fictional characters representing a typical customer or — in internal communication — a typical employee! To make them as concrete as possible, they are generally assigned a job, an age, a location, interests, and above all, needs. Building these personas is a great way to better understand your employees, and adapt your internal communication to everyone’s expectations.
- The storytelling: as the name suggests, it is a marketing method that involves telling stories to generate emotions and convey a message effectively. In internal communication, it can be used to communicate your company culture and values, and ultimately build stronger employee loyalty.
- Communities: these are groups of people who interact together and share common interests. They are used in marketing to build trust with prospects or clients, but can also be used in internal communication to strengthen connections between employees. For example, you could create communities on your internal platform organized by job function or interest area (to be defined based on your personas 😉).
Read also: 9 Best Practices for Animating and Engaging an Internal Community
6. CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility)
One of the last trends to keep in mind for internal communication in 2023? CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), i.e. companies’ contribution to the societal, environmental, and economic goals of sustainable development. According to a Bodet Software study, it is a key driver of employee engagement. Yet CSR initiatives are not always highlighted internally. As a result: 45% of employees don’t know what their company is doing in terms of CSR, and 28% don’t know who is responsible for this topic³.
In 2023, internal communication will need to communicate more about CSR initiatives within the company and launch programs to raise employee awareness of the approach. For example, you could put in place:
- a zero-waste policy aimed at reducing or eliminating company and employee waste,
- a club or working group dedicated to sustainable development,
- a digital sobriety policy encouraging employees to adopt responsible digital practices,
- a solidarity program allowing employees to volunteer during working hours.
Read also: Why and How to Implement a CSR Approach in Your Organization?
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So, in 2023, internal communication trends will aim to meet the new expectations of employees, both in terms of flexibility, interactivity, authenticity, and sustainability. The key will be to keep employees transparently informed about company initiatives, prioritizing short and easy-to-read formats. This doesn’t necessarily mean saying goodbye to your internal newsletter, but rather making those formats more modern and interactive.Several tools and best practices can also help you improve your internal communication in 2023. Download our practical guide to discover what 10 of our clients have put in place 👇
