How HR and Internal Communications Teams Can Form an Alliance

Being able to distribute critical HR communications regarding compliance and training is an enormous task for companies. HR teams are constantly struggling to get employees to engage with compliance and operational comms. But compliance topics such as job training, certifications, and safety courses, are essential for companies to maintain a high-performing workforce. That’s why HR and internal communications teams need to form an alliance.

Why HR Teams Needs The Internal Comms Team

During a two to three-year cycle, companies will provide training on an average of 12 topic areas for each employee. The top three topics most likely to be covered by training programs include code of conduct (93%), conflict of interest (76%), and cybersecurity (69%). And compliance tasks that need to be completed by your employees are time-sensitive and have broader organizational impacts. 

But it’s hard for companies to get these messages to all employees in a way that is measurable. And this challenge has a cost. In the past three years, 44% of companies have faced “legal or external regulatory actions where a policy came under review as part of the action or defense.”  

The ability to get messages through to all employees and focus why they need to complete each of these tasks is even more complicated. Especially to your frontline teams who lack access to intranets or corporate email. So, where is the tipping point? The answer to this question is in the partnership between HR and Internal Communications. The IC function has long been refining their comms approach, developing a calendar, and understanding the channel and timing of messages out to the workforce. Together, these two teams need to develop a multi-touch and channel strategy, that includes mobile, to communicate these critical messages. 

How HR and Internal Communications Team Can Help Each Other

Internal Comms wants to partner with Human Resources for success. You likely already work closely with your internal comms team on messaging. But IC is always looking to align campaigns with business goals. Moreover, this team is ready to advise you on how to drive success and measure the success of your campaigns.

How Internal Communications Teams Can Help HR

1. Alignment on messaging and content. Internal comms teams can play a crucial role in ensuring alignment between the organization’s objectives and messaging for all initiatives going on at the company. By collaborating closely, HR and internal communication teams can ensure that the communication materials accurately reflect HR policies, programs, and initiatives. But internal comms can also provide valuable insights into other programs happening concurrently that might be a distraction and best practices for how HR messages can make the right impact.
2. Channel strategies. Internal communication teams will be able to advise HR on the right communication channels and platforms to use for HR campaigns. Internal comms teams can also provide insights into the preferred communication channels and platforms used by employees.
3. Change expertise. Internal comms teams are experts at change management communication. And with so many of HR’s updates requiring some level of change (e.g. enroll in benefits, change HRIS providers, acknowledge and accept new policies), this becomes an essential skill.

How Human Resources Can Help Internal Comms Teams

1. Facilitating access to employee data. HR teams often have access to valuable employee data, such as demographics, job roles, and performance metrics. By sharing this data with the internal communication teams, HR can help inform targeted communication strategies. This data-driven approach enables internal communication teams to tailor their efforts and deliver more personalized and effective communication to the workforce.
2. Coordinating employee engagement initiatives. HR teams often play a key role in driving employee engagement initiatives within a company. By collaborating with HR, internal communication teams can align their efforts to support and amplify these initiatives. HR can share information about upcoming engagement programs, events, or recognition initiatives, allowing the internal communication team to plan and execute communication campaigns that promote participation and awareness among employees.
3. Providing subject matter expertise. HR teams possess deep knowledge and expertise in various areas related to employee wellbeing, benefits, policies, and compliance. Internal communication teams can tap into this expertise to create informative and accurate communication materials. HR can provide guidance, review content for accuracy and clarity, and offer insights on best practices for communicating sensitive or complex HR-related topics. By partnering with HR, internal communication teams can ensure that their messages are well-informed, compliant with regulations, and effectively convey HR-related information to employees.

Long Term Benefits of a Partnership Between HR and Internal Communications

Strengthening the partnership between HR teams and internal communications teams can have numerous long-term benefits for the organization as a whole. By working together and aligning their efforts, HR and internal communications can create a more cohesive and effective approach to employee engagement and communication. 

Here are some key long-term benefits that can be achieved through this partnership:

1. Enhanced Employee Engagement. By combining the expertise of HR and internal communications, organizations can develop comprehensive strategies and initiatives to drive employee engagement. 
2. Improved Change Management. Change is inevitable in organizations, and effective change management is crucial for successful transitions. HR and internal communications can collaborate to develop and implement change management strategies that consider both the human and communication aspects of change. 
3. Higher Compliance. Compliance with regulations and internal policies is essential for organizations across various industries. HR and internal communications can work hand in hand to ensure effective communication of compliance requirements, policies, and procedures to employees.

To achieve these long-term benefits, we recommend establishing regular meetings and collaboration between HR and internal communications. This allows for ongoing discussions, sharing of insights and challenges, alignment of goals, and the development of cohesive strategies and tactics that support the overall success of the organization.

About the Author

Michael Marino is the Vice President of Marketing where he oversees the creation and execution of theEMPLOYEEapp’s marketing programs. Before joining the team, Mike held marketing leadership positions in both the B2B and DTC spaces in channels that include media, manufacturing, and professional services. Mike is passionate about demand generation, mar-tech, and being able to create campaigns that connect with Internal Comms audiences.