Although change management is now the most valued communications skill among industry and HR teams, 6 in 10 companies have no formal approach to change communication.
"Without a structured approach, internal teams are increasing their volume, but if every message carries a sense of urgency, employees begin to tune out rather than listen closer," said William F. Ziebell, global CEO of Gallagher's Benefits and HR Consulting Division. "Ultimately, effective communication relies on giving internal communications and HR teams the resources to deliver the right message at the right time."
As internal teams come under increased pressure, organizations are sending more messages to employees, the company's 2026 Employee Communications Report found. However, more than 8 in 10 respondents believe information overload is a growing problem. The result is a 30% rise in leader trust risk and a 24% increase in burnout risk.
The report reveals a gap between expectations and capacity in internal communications and HR teams. Nearly 7 in 10 firms have fewer than six people in communications roles, regardless of whether the company has 500 or 50,000 employees. This resourcing pressure is compounded by budget constraints. One in five companies have less than $20,000 allocated for internal communications, and 1 in 3 have no budget allocated.
Although employee value proposition ranks as a top priority for many organizations, few have fully embedded it into day-to-day communications. In fact, only 15% have an active, socialized proposition, and more than one-third do not have one in place at all.
HR and internal communications professionals are eager to embed AI in their workflows, but 63% are still in an experimentation phase, and three-quarters describe their AI maturity as ad hoc or "discussion only." In stark contrast, just 5% report optimized integration. As AI readiness becomes a key point of interest, the lack of a clear implementation program and a defined governance code will present an administrative challenge for communication teams.
"The value of the human insights cannot be underestimated when seeking to improve engagement," Ziebell said. "Employees want to know their feedback is being heard, and in-person events and townhalls are the best venue for this."
© Touchpoint Markets, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.