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Hey Reader,

Each week in this newsletter I answer a question from a reader. Today's question comes all the way from Italy, who says:

This question is very useful because (a) yes I have an opinion on my preferred reporting line for internal comms and (b) you generally have no say in your own reporting line so how can you operate strategically if you're buried in HR!

Let's talk about that today and I'll give you some practical advice to be successful in internal comms no matter who you report to.

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Ok let's talk reporting lines and being successful despite where you sit.

I made a YouTube video earlier this year about why I don't love the HR reporting line. In a nutshell, my take is that internal communications works best when it sits within a centralised communications function alongside external comms, reporting to a Director of Communications or Chief Communications Officer.

I say this because in this set up, you report to a communications professional who truly understands what you do and why it matters. They won’t ask you to “just whip up a quick video” because they know good communication requires proper strategy and planning. They can mentor you, develop your skills and help you grow as a communications professional.

More than that, internal comms gets proper representation at the executive level through a communications leader who can advocate for your work and articulate its strategic value. Instead of your work being presented by someone from HR who might struggle to explain why strategic communication matters, you have a leader who speaks your language.

And then of course this set up creates natural alignment between internal and external messaging when both teams work together under the same leader. You can coordinate major announcements, ensure employees hear news before it goes public and create consistent narratives across all audiences.

And finally, when you report to a centralised comms team you’re positioned to focus on broader business goals rather than being constrained by one department’s objectives, i.e. you aren't seen as the HR mouthpiece for the company. You can develop communication strategies that support overall business priorities like productivity, transformation or customer satisfaction rather than just HR goals.

If you want to go deeper into this topic you can watch the full YouTube video here:

Now in saying all of that, let's recognise the reality: many of you don't report to a central comms team and you can't change that. You have zero say in who you report to. Don't panic.

It doesn't mean you're doomed to fail in your role. You might be stuck reporting to HR or Marketing or even Legal (yes, that happens) but you can still do a great job. Because while the ideal reporting line can make your job easier, it doesn’t have to define your success.

Because what matters more than where you sit is HOW you operate within whatever structure you’re in. I’ve seen internal communications teams succeed despite challenging reporting lines when they’re intentional and strategic about how they work. And I’ve seen teams struggle even with ideal reporting lines when they lack clarity, autonomy, or the ability to demonstrate impact.

Here's a few practical things you can do to give yourself the best chance of success in your role as a strategic internal communicator, no matter who you report to.

1. Build your own network of relationships across the business

Building relationships is absolutely critical. It's probably the number one thing that will make-or-break your success in your role. You need to invest time and energy into building relationships with leaders and key stakeholders in other functions like Operations, Finance, Sales, IT, whoever matters in your business.

Talk with them and listen carefully. Ask them about their priorities, their challenges, what their team is working on this year. Listen to them and you'll begin to hear where their communication challenges are and there may be scope to position yourself as a partner to help them.

The goal here is to make sure that when people across the business think about internal communication, they think of YOU directly and not “oh I should talk to HR about that.” You want to be seen as a communication expert who serves the whole business, not just HR’s communication arm.

This also gives you visibility and credibility across the organisation. When leaders in Finance or Operations are singing your praises because you helped them with a critical communication challenge, that builds your reputation as someone who delivers business value. And that reputation matters more than your job title or reporting line.

2. Create an internal comms strategy aligned to business priorities

As much as you can, try not to let your comms strategy get buried under HR’s plan. You need your own standalone internal communications strategy that will link your work directly to business priorities (not just HR priorities).

You will probably have to include some work that directly supports HR priorities but you should also have objectives that connect to broader business priorities. For example, if your company is focused on improving customer satisfaction, how can internal communications support that? If the business is focused on efficiency and productivity, how can your communications help drive those outcomes?

Get buy-in for your strategy from senior leaders across functions, not just your HR boss. Share it widely. Make it visible. Use it as your north star for decision-making and prioritisation. When you have your own clear strategy that’s explicitly linked to business outcomes, it’s much harder for people to see you as just an HR function.

3. Maintain your professional identity as a communications pro

Another thing you can do is to build and maintain a network of communication professionals and invest in your own comms learning and development through the year. Don’t let yourself become a HR person who does comms. You’re a communications professional who happens to sit in HR. There’s a difference.

You can join a community or membership built specifically for communicators, not HR. Attend communications conferences, network with other internal communicators in your industry, connect with other internal comms pros on platforms like LinkedIn. And invest time and energy into continuous learning. Keep your skills sharp and up to date.

So if you are an internal comms professional reporting to HR, don't worry. You can still do a brilliant job and deliver massive value for your company. Focus on building relationships across the whole business, create your own strategy linked to business goals and maintain your identity as a communication professional. Do these things consistently, and you'll build a reputation as a strategic partner who is valued for your expertise, regardless of where you sit on the org chart.

Thanks for reading and stay curious,

Joanna

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

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Want to work together?

• Join The Curious Tribe. This is my membership community for ambitious, curious communicators who want to achieve more in their roles and have fun at the same time. Membership allows you to work directly with me for 12 months, make deep connections with other communication pros who 'get it' and improve your skills through training and learning. More info here.
• Ready to review your channels and content but don't know where to start? Download my practical Internal Comms Audit Playbook to guide you through a DIY audit - no expensive consultant needed.​ This has ready-to-use templates and checklists to give you a systematic way to do your own audit which you can repeat every single year. Get it here.
• Take a shortcut. I've developed a collection of tried-and-tested templates, checklists and how-to guides for the key processes you'll need in your role as an internal communicator. You can download my Internal Comms Cheat Sheets here.​

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