EN 
FR 
Today the role of internal communication goes beyond the simple transmission of information to employees, it is also a crucial performance lever for the motivation and cohesion of teams that companies must seize. But really, what is the definition of internal communication?
Definition of internal communication in companies
Internal communication corresponds to all the communication actions of an organization that target its employees. It is usually differentiated from external communication which targets the external public, i.e. consumers.
It is implemented both between employees themselves and with their superiors. It can take different and multiple forms, and can therefore be implemented through human contact and effective internal communication tools.
In short, internal communication is the cornerstone of the employer brand, whereas external communication is the cornerstone of the consumer brand. An essential vector of the company’s culture. Its objective is to make the history and company’s values known to all those who have just been recruited. The impact of internal communication is significant, it makes employees more committed and improves retention.
It cements the team’s cohesion by putting into words or images the culture that supports it. It shows everything that makes it possible to work together, especially the shared objectives and values.
The goals of internal communication: to transmit messages… and values
Internal communication is one of the keys to the sustainability and success of the company. It has become a real investment with dedicated internal communication managers whether in large companies or SMEs.
One of the main purposes of internal communication is to create a collective identity, to promote cohesion between the different teams, to convey messages and to encourage a feeling of belonging to the same group. So that everyone collaborates together to ensure the success of the company’s common project.
It is therefore essential that it is optimized so that you can promote the sharing of information, strengthen employee motivation and productivity and improve their well-being at work.
It is your duty, as a manager or director of a company, to improve internal communication within your organization by understanding all the services it can provide to employees while simplifying hierarchical relationships.
Indeed, communication between employees and management must now be bidirectional, effective between peers, and not only top-down or bottom-up.
This means promoting communication between all the players in the organization, regardless of their position in the company’s organization chart. It is a real management tool that must adhere to a communication strategy in which information is developed and disseminated using different communication tools, including written (posters, company newspapers, etc.), oral (meetings, seminars, etc.), audiovisual (video, CDs, etc.) and electronic (intranet, internal management tools, etc.).
Types of internal communication in companies
Motivational Communication:
Internal communication tools can be used to motivate employees. We cannot say it enough: a committed employee is a motivated employee. This style of communication allows for a better dissemination of information and, consequently, a better control of communication that is negative to a company’s activity, such as rumors. One of the secrets of success is transparency.
Operational communication:
This is a two-way vertical communication. The manager disseminates best practices to enable employees to benefit from better working conditions. The latter, in turn, can provide feedback and make suggestions for improving processes.
Interpersonal communication:
With this approach, all stakeholders in the company can communicate more effectively. It is a vertical and horizontal solution, which allows each actor to feel more involved in the life of the company.
The benefits of internal communication in the company
A study conducted by Opinion Way revealed that while 59% of workers in VSEs are satisfied with internal communication in their workplace, only 45% of those in large companies are. On the other hand, internal communication is a crucial managerial tool.
An internal communication solution improves relationships and working conditions. The end result is increased employee motivation, which benefits productivity. To improve your company’s performance, you need to implement the best internal communication tools.
On the other hand, the objectives of internal communication are multiple:
- To promote a sense of belonging;
- Increase the well-being of employees;
- Optimize teamwork.
- To convey common values;
- To make communication transversal;
- share skills;
Internal communication tools for companies
Corporate Intranet
Create a comprehensive online collaborative workspace that all employees in your company can access. The intranet solution helps teams communicate more effectively with each other. Information flows more efficiently, project management is improved and your company culture is better promoted. Create an internal social network for your company that represents your brand and provides a truly natural user experience to increase productivity.
Easy integration with Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 collaboration suites makes it very easy to set up a modern intranet. An effective way to improve collaboration and communication of your employees throughout the company.
Internal newsletter
The newsletter is a marketing solution to generate leads and build customer loyalty. However, it can also be a useful tool for internal communication. It gives you the possibility to centralize information and to communicate it to the staff in a relevant way.
Thanks to this medium, you can communicate more effectively on the evolution of the company and its processes. In addition, it encourages staff to use the company’s intranet more frequently and to become more involved in the organization.
Collaboration tool
The implementation of an internal communication system allowing the sharing of information is necessary for effective collaboration. This is crucial today to encourage teamwork, especially when physical distance between employees is required due to the health situation. A collaborative tool allows documents to be shared with the whole group or with specific individuals.
In addition, it offers the possibility to associate a calendar to a project so that all stakeholders are informed of its status and deadlines. Therefore, an intranet connected to Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace becomes a useful and even necessary internal communication tool.
Social features
Here, the goal is to encourage cross-functional communication. Employees have the possibility to like, comment and answer surveys while top management posts articles about the company’s history, its evolution and the brand’s strengths. Your communication tool should become a real space for sharing and exchange, just like an internal social network.
Thanks to the ease of interaction offered, these social features will also have the advantage of increasing the engagement of your staff.
Instant messaging tool
Still have questions about internal communication? Instant messaging is one of the web tools that have become indispensable for better internal communication. It allows one-on-one or group interactions with your employees. The best software for internal communication is Slack or Microsoft Teams.
It’s simple and useful functions facilitate internal communication and simplify the assignment of groups to particular projects that are only accessible to authorized persons. Their integration within an intranet as is greatly facilitated so as not to disrupt employees in their habits.
In conclusion, internal communication refers to a communication strategy used within the organization to share information with employees. The foundation of an external communication strategy is the same as that of internal communication.
The use of internal communication within the organization allows to establish a link with the staff, to improve their degree of involvement both for their work and for the functioning of the company. But also to increase the efficiency and performance of the organization through transparency and consistency. Finally, internal communication helps to unite employees.
A transparent internal communication that respects the values and the brand image of the company is necessary. Moreover, like any communication strategy, it requires a well thought-out and structured approach, with a definition of the objectives, the tools used and an analysis of the results.
Companies that succeed in maintaining continuous internal communication with their staff members have a fundamental advantage in achieving their objectives and improving their performance.
