Internal Communications

22 MILLION UK EMPLOYEES LONG FOR A LITTLE MORE CONVERSATION

Ptarmigan has revealed the results of an internal communications survey, which questioned more than 750 people in full and part time employment in the UK.

The results of this survey would suggest that of the 38 million people in employment in the UK, over 22 million don’t receive regular company information from their employer.

Employees are actively looking to engage with businesses with almost 60 per cent of those questioned stating they like to know what is going on in their company. Only a third feel communication in their place of work is two-way and their employer invites them to express their views.

Poor internal communication appears to be linked to company size. When compared with their smaller business counterparts, twice the amount of staff working at larger businesses cite information they receive as irrelevant, while the number feeling communications contain too much corporate speak and jargon increases six-fold.

Staff in retail, telecommunications and local government jobs feel least valued with around 75 per cent answering negatively.

Other disturbing trends discovered by the survey include:

• Over 60 per cent of education workers feel communication in their place of work is not two-way and their employer does not invite them to express their views
• 42 per cent of workers in professional services firms receiving regular company information feel it contains too much corporate speak and business jargon
• Almost half of health service employees receiving regular company information feel it is irrelevant to their job
• One in four retail staff receiving regular company information find it confusing

Ptarmigan has pooled its experience in this area and created a dedicated internal communications division aimed at providing companies with advice and services to help them re-engage with employees, a skill which this survey suggests seems to be lacking in UK businesses.