For a company to run smoothly, all the members of its staff need to be able to communicate with each other. Internal communication therefore generally comes from the human resources department and makes it possible to do the following:
- share information between all members of the company,
- unite around a project,
- gather employee ideas,
- highlight the company's successes, and
- support change.
Communicating internally helps create a bond with employees, enabling them to become fully involved in the company's dynamic. Since all members are involved in projects and in the life of the company, the exchange of ideas, participation, and motivation of all are strengthened.
Throughout the life of the company, and particularly in times of crisis, it’s important to redouble efforts to motivate employees, reassure them, and give meaning to their activity. Internal communication is therefore essential.
It even contributes to well-being in the workplace by putting employees at the center of the company's concerns.
Internal communication can take three complementary forms:
- Cross-functional communication: promotes communication between all members of the company, regardless of their hierarchical level;
- Upward communication: also known as "bottom-up" communication, it involves spontaneous or organized feedback from employees.
- Downward communication: also called "top-down" communication, it consists of disseminating information from the highest hierarchical levels to all staff.
To help ensure an effective internal communications strategy, the company can use a variety of media or tools, such as the following:
- meetings and events,
- intranet,
- newsletters,
- internal social networks,
- in-house newsletter,
- on-site signage,
- welcome booklet,
- etc.
Internal communication is a performance lever that should not be neglected within an organization. It’s often inspired by advertising and marketing communication techniques and can be implemented in any type of business (commercial, administrative, digital, etc.).
