Fact check: Internal communication is not just a support function. It is a key driver of engagement and performance

If you are working in communication, you already know that good internal communication makes a difference. But let’s be honest. Knowing it and proving it are two very different things.

Leaders want business impact. Employees want meaning and clarity. And communication is right at the heart of both. The challenge is to get companies to act on it rather than treating it as a secondary function.

The good news is that we do not have to rely on gut feeling anymore. Research proves that better communication means better engagement, stronger well-being and improved performance. So the real question is what is stopping us from making it happen?

The gap between knowing and doing

Many organisations say they value internal communication. But when employees rate it through our national moodmeter benchmark, the average score is only 6.6 out of 10. Why? Because during times of crisis, communication often improves. Leaders step up, employees feel more informed and engagement increases. But once things stabilise, companies slip back into bad habits, doing just enough to keep things running.

This is where behavioural design comes in. Employees and leaders are not resisting change on purpose. They are simply following the easiest path. If communication professionals want to drive engagement, we need to make it easier for both employees and leaders to adopt better communication habits. And that means focusing on two key drivers:

Making information easy to find, use and act on
Making employees feel heard and valued

The path of least resistance: If information is hard to find, it does not exist

People take the easiest route. If an employee cannot quickly find the information they need, they will stop looking.

Yet, many organisations still assume that sending an email, publishing an update or having an intranet is enough. It is not. Information is only useful if it is accessible, clear and actionable.

To make communication work, companies need to:

Reduce friction. Can employees access the right information in two clicks or less? If not, they will waste time searching or ignore it completely.
Make it effortless. The brain prioritises what is easy to process. If a message is too long, full of jargon or hidden in different channels, it will be lost.
Trigger action. The best internal communication does not just inform, it drives action. What do employees need to do next? Make it obvious.

If internal communication does not make things simpler and faster for employees, they will tune out.

The recognition effect: Employees do not just want information. They want to feel valued

A message can be clear, timely and well-structured, but if employees do not see themselves in it, it will not engage them.

Most organisations communicate top-down. But engagement is not built by pushing messages. It is built when employees feel part of the story.

Three small shifts make a big difference:

Make it relatable. People pay attention to what feels relevant. If employees cannot see how a message affects their daily work, they will ignore it.
Make it two-way. Employees do not just want to receive information. They want to give input, see change happen and feel heard. But this only works if their contributions lead to visible action.
Make it transparent. Leaders often hesitate to share too much, thinking it will create uncertainty. But the reality is the opposite. The more open and honest a company is, the more employees trust it.

Turning insight into action

Measuring communication is important, but data alone does not drive change. If we want to move from awareness to action, we need to make good communication the easiest choice.

That means:

Removing barriers. Make access to key information fast, intuitive and effortless.
Shaping better habits. Help leaders communicate in ways that build engagement over time.
Making employees active participants. Give them a real voice and show them their input matters.
Building trust through transparency. Clarity reduces anxiety and increases engagement.

Companies that do this do not just improve communication. They create workplaces where employees feel informed, involved and motivated to contribute.

The challenge is not convincing people that communication matters. The challenge is designing internal communication systems that naturally drive engagement without adding extra effort.

The question is. Are we, as communication experts, ready to take this step?