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Hey Reader,

This week I've been reading IC Index 2025 from the Institute of Internal Communication. Let's look at some of the findings from this report and discuss what they mean for you as a comms professional.

This report is based on a survey of nearly 5,000 UK employees, making it one of the most comprehensive studies of employee communication experiences in recent years. The researchers explored everything from how employees rate their organisation's communication to what activities make them feel most listened to by leadership.

What struck me as I read through the findings is how much they align with the practical experiences many of us have had in our roles. The data essentially backs up what thoughtful communicators have long suspected: that the fundamentals of good communication haven't changed, even as our channels and tools have changed and we have more digital options than ever.

Here are the findings that caught my attention and what they mean for your day-to-day work.

[In order words, I read this entire report so you don't have to.]

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Alright let's have a look at some of the key findings from this report.

Finding 1: The 10/10 experience is rare

Only 13% of UK employees rate their organisation’s internal communication as 10 out of 10. That’s pretty sobering, right?

But here’s the really interesting bit; when the researchers looked at what distinguishes these top-performing organisations, it wasn’t about having the best intranet or the slickest video content or even the clearest strategy communications.

The employees who gave their organisations top marks shared something else entirely:

• 93% felt that leaders understand the challenges employees face (+48 points above everyone else)
• 93% felt their organisation is good at showing how feedback is used (+46 points)
• They hear regularly from senior leaders, not just occasionally
• They describe their CEO’s communication as authentic, clear and approachable

None of this is about channels. None of it is about having the fanciest technology or the biggest budget. It’s all about human connection, it's about listening, it's about treating employees well.

Finding 2: Managers think they're doing better than they are

Here’s a finding that made me wince a bit: 90% of managers say they have the skills they need to effectively communicate with their teams.

But when you look at what employees actually experience, the picture is quite different. Only about half of employees feel that leaders in their organisation understand the challenges they face.

And I think we all, as comms professionals, intuitively know this to be an issue. We all have trouble with the cascade of information from top to bottom, we all know that managers need communication support, we all see the feedback coming through in surveys that tell us that managers are not communicating as well as they think they are.

The research shows that the most effective approach is for managers to focus less on broadcasting information and more on listening to their teams’ views and acting on feedback from employees.

Again, listening is important. This is a theme that comes up again and again in this research report.

Finding 3: The listening gap is real

This brings us to the third finding, which reinforces just how critical listening really is. The report shows that organisations that both welcome feedback AND show how it’s used have advocacy levels of 90%. But only 47% of organizations are currently “closing the loop” in other words they're both asking for feedback and demonstrating how it’s used.

Because it's one thing to invest time in listening to employees and then quite another to take this to the next level and show what happened as a result of that listening. Employees who feel their feedback is genuinely welcomed and acted upon are significantly more likely to be advocates for their organisation.

It seems that larger organisations struggle more with this. In companies with over 10,000 employees, only 43% say their organisation is good at showing how feedback is used. Compare that to smaller organisations (500-999 employees) where 72% agree.

This suggests it’s not about capability but rather it’s about systems and commitment. Larger organisations can do this well, they just need to be more intentional about it and ensure they have the resources to do it.

What this means for you

So what can we learn from all this research? Three key things, I reckon:

First, make time to listen to employees. This isn't optional, it's essential. The data shows that listening is the single biggest differentiator between organisations that get 10/10 communication ratings and everyone else. This means we need to actively carve out time in our schedules for employee listening activities. That could be focus groups, one-to-one conversations, informal coffee chats, surveys, pulse checks... any sort of listening mechanism. It's easy to get caught up in the endless cycle of creating content and managing channels, but the research proves that listening should be your top priority.

Second, close the feedback loop every single time. If you're running employee surveys, focus groups or any other listening activities, you must show people what you heard and what you're doing about it. The research shows this is one of the biggest differentiators between good and great internal communication. Organisations that do this well have 90% advocacy levels and that's not a number you can ignore.

Third, help managers become better listeners and not just better broadcasters. The research shows a significant gap between what managers think they're doing well and what employees actually experience. 90% of managers think they have great communication skills, but only half of employees feel understood. This means we need to coach managers on listening skills, not just on how to cascade messages down the organisation.

The common thread through all of this? Listening. The organisations getting the highest ratings are the ones where employees feel genuinely heard and understood.

That’s something any of us can work toward, regardless of our resources or constraints, and I love that for us. Let's keep 2025 as the year of listening.

Thanks for reading and stay curious,

Joanna

Find me on YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn and check out my book​

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