Young professionals demand an internal change of focus

Like many employees in the communication industry, I undertook an internship while still at university. My four weeks with Impact proved to be invaluable as I gained contacts, advice and most importantly, my first real taste of the industry. However, as it was not covered in my bachelor of communication degree, it took me the longest time to completely understand what ‘internal communication’ was exactly, and I still don’t think I’ve nailed it!

As a public relations major I understood the part PR played in a company’s success, but didn’t see the reason for internal communication management – not because I disagreed with it, but because there simply wasn’t enough about it on my course.  I’m learning, this lack of understanding about just how powerful galvanising employee support through great internal communication can be, exists across many organisations.

It soon became clear as I better understood what Impact does, just how powerful what we do can be in driving organisational success. Companies who invest in employee engagement are shown to have a higher rate of productivity and lower turnover. Employee communication ensures that the correct messages flow between all levels of management and that two way communication is facilitated. In short, it is crucial!

More and more companies are discovering the advantages of internal communication and it is becoming a growing industry in Australia. I really feel that it is time for all Australian universities to include an internal communication unit in their core communication degree requirements. By skimming the surface it is impossible to understand the significance of employee communication and the influence it can have on the smooth internal and external operations of an organisation.

Luckily I have an entire team of internal comms professionals surrounding me at Impact who are helping me to work out my EVPs from my ELTs. It may take me a while, but slowly I’m piecing everything together. Ask me again in another few months and hopefully I’ll be better able to explain ‘what is internal communication’.

But then again, don’t be surprised if I’m still completely overwhelmed!