What to Expect in an Internal Communications Role

Posted on Mar. 22, 2024  /  Professional Development  /  Subscribe 0

By: Maddie Hayes, corporate communications specialist, Avnet

Whether you’re studying public relations (PR), working in the PR field or just curious about PR, internal communications is a lesser-known function that provides great opportunities for PR practitioners. 

Focusing on communicating to company employees, internal communicators seek to inform, motivate and engage employees. Because some practitioners may not know exactly what the roles and responsibilities entail, here are five common things you can expect to do in an internal communications role:

1. Assist with writing executive communications and other materials

Like other PR functions, key strengths for any internal communicator are great writing, proofreading and research skills. Responsibilities often include writing or editing drafts of emails, presentations, speeches and other communications on behalf of executives, sometimes with few details. Internal communicators frequently draw on journalistic skills, asking a lot of questions to obtain the information they need.

When writing for executives, an internal communicator must often set aside their own voice and capture the words and tone the executive would use, while also being concise and easy to understand. Generally, the communications go through a series of approvals before publishing.    

2. Produce town halls and other important employee events

While marketers regularly work on trade shows and other external company events, internal communicators are responsible for producing any global, regional or local town halls/all-hands meetings and other employee events. They play a key role in boosting employee engagement through celebrations like Global Diversity Awareness Month, International Women’s Day and specific company anniversaries. 

Coordinating events can include negotiating with locations, securing vendors, sending calendar invites, gathering questions from employees ahead of the event, producing live and virtual meetings and sending a follow-up email with the event recording, slide deck and feedback survey. Internal communicators analyze the feedback received for leadership and provide recommendations for improving future events to enhance the employee experience. 

3. Partner with key stakeholders and leaders on communication strategies

Besides assisting with executive communications, internal communicators frequently collaborate with other key business leaders on strategic communications efforts that resonate with a wide variety of employees—including those in the C-suite as well as sales teams and warehouse workers. Strategies become even more complex for companies with locations in multiple countries as they must also bridge cultural differences and language barriers.

Depending on the audience, communication tactics can include emails, videos, intranet and newsletter articles, events, desk drops, flyers, digital signage (TV slides) and more. In addition to being good writers, internal communicators are often well versed in email marketing, event planning, graphic design and photo/video editing. 

4. Manage employee publications, including magazines, newsletters and the intranet 

Intranets can be a great tool for sharing employee resources and stories. Because companies with a large number of employees working at multiple locations might not see all the fun and exciting things happening within the company, internal communicators can post articles and photos on the intranet for everyone to see. Intranets can also include helpful links and subpages to help employees quickly find information they need, along with poll questions to obtain feedback or get employees talking to each other. 

5. Collaborate with marketing, creative and design teams

Depending on the organizational structure, internal communications may be a part of a corporate marketing and communications team, aligned to different regions or stand as its own department. No matter where it fits in the structure, internal communicators frequently collaborate with internal marketing and design teams or external vendors to ensure their materials are brand aligned. Understanding production schedules helps ensure projects are delivered on time.

With such a variety of responsibilities, there is never a dull moment in internal communications role. It requires tremendous creativity and can be a lot of fun! To learn more, check out the Employee Communications Section with PRSA.

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