State of the sector (internal communications) report excerpt

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Coming up…

• A quick look at current practice across the internal communication sector – based on the recent State of the Sector study.

• The full report can be downloaded here: www.stateofthesector.com

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State of the Sector research – context

• Research conducted November 2013, against a backdrop of an improving economy.

• Sent to more than 2,000 internal communication professionals

• Responses received from 157 practitioners working across various industry sectors.

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About the respondents

• The profile of respondents was very similar to that of the 2012 survey.

• 71% of respondents said they were in a dedicated IC role

• 78% of respondents said their role was focused mainly on internal communications

• 12% shouldered responsibility for both internal and external communication.

• 4 out of 5 came from UK headquartered companies, though many had a pan-European or global remit.

• 1 in 4 represented organizations with a headcount of 1,001 to 5,000 employees, 1 in 4 with less than 500 people and nearly 1 in 5 (18%) with over 50,000 employees.

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In summary?

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• Uncertainty and concern around roles, headcount and budgets seem to be much reduced from previous State of the Sector surveys, suggesting that these areas are stabilising

• The number of large-scale events has increased again this year in line with the improving economy

• Face-to-face channels continue to dominate the communication landscape

• The survey suggests that there is a growing trend towards mobile access – “Bring Your Own Device” is starting to happen

• Organisational mission and vision are generally well understood

• Most respondents offer some kind of support to managers though no longer a priority

Positive Signals

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• Measurement and evaluation remains a significant area for improvement

• Social media adoption remains limited. Businesses are still grappling with the most basic of channels

• Less than half of respondents believe that employees understand the organisation’s strategy or short-term plans

• 57% of respondents have no communication programme targeted at senior managers

• 38% of respondents believe their organisation has no clearly articulated IC strategy

• Some 33% of respondents say their senior leaders are not ‘on the same wavelength’ as them – underlining the gulf that exists between some communicators and the top team

Challenges Ahead

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Full report available at www.stateofthesector.com

Or contact Ray Edun at Gatehouse: [email protected]