According to new research, almost two-thirds of UK business leaders have had no formal internal communications training within the last 12 months.

New research by ITPR shows that UK businesses are lacking a coherent internal communications strategy, with over a quarter (28%) of UK business leaders saying they either “didn’t know” if their organisation had an internal communications strategy (11%) or that there simply isn’t one in place (17%). 

The report finds that the top three reasons for businesses not having an internal communications strategy include not having the resources or time (35%), a lack of interest from senior leadership (23%) and a lack of expertise or knowledge (19%). The study surveyed 200 senior figures from HR, marketing and communications at companies with over 100 employees.

The research also reveals a knowledge gap in the UK, with almost two-thirds (61%) of UK business leaders saying that they hadn't had any formal internal communications training within the last 12 months.

“Poor internal communications can have a serious and negative impact on a company; poor morale, high employee turnover and lower employee productivity, to name a few. Worse yet, these can lead to a lasting effect on a company’s bottom line,” says ITPR director Anthony Monks. “To tackle the challenges of communicating internally and get to grips with what is needed to deliver truly great internal communications, it is surely a matter of when - not if - business leaders invest in formal internal communications training.”

Less than a fifth (17%) of respondents admitted they use video to update their teams, with 61% being still reliant on email for broader communications. A third of respondents (33%) say that remote and hybrid working has made it harder to drive their internal communications strategy.

"Considering the critical role internal communications plays within a company and everything that companies have experienced since 2020, it is surprising that businesses are not adopting new ways of communicating and connecting with their employees,” Monk continues. “Given the turbulence of the last few years and the potential economic pressures the UK is facing, it’s clear that all UK businesses should have an internal communications strategy in place with adequate resources to deliver it.

“Sadly, however, the research has shown that this isn’t always the case.”