Change management ranked most important comms skill, but organisations lack strategy

The 2026 Employee Communications Report is based on insights from more than 1,300 HR and communications professionals globally, and found that 61% of organisations lack a structured approach to communicating change, even as demand on internal teams continues to grow.

Many internal communications teams remain small and underfunded. Nearly seven in ten organisations operate with fewer than six communications staff, while one in three report having no dedicated internal communications budget.

At the same time, 83% of respondents say information overload is increasing, with a higher volume of internal messages linked to increased burnout risk and lower trust in leadership.

The report also highlights slow progress in other priority areas. Employee value propositions (EVPs) define what organisations offer employees in return for their work and are seen as critical for consistency and engagement, but just 15% have one embedded in communications, and more than a third have none. 

Adoption of AI is still in its early stages, with 63% of teams experimenting but only 5% reporting fully integrated use, suggesting many lack a clear plan for how to use AI or rules for how it should be applied.

The findings suggest that while internal communications is playing a more central role in organisations, many teams remain under-resourced and are struggling to keep pace with the scale of change.