Editorial
Hybrid work isn’t new, but for many organizations, effective internal communications in a hybrid setting feels like an unsolved mystery. Without a clear strategy, businesses risk information silos, disengaged employees and a culture that feels more like a patchwork quilt than a cohesive team.
Poor communication isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a productivity killer. Forty-one percent of employees say poor communication has reduced their productivity, 35% report lower job satisfaction and 31% feel less confident in their roles. Even more concerning, nearly half (49.2%) of professionals don’t even understand their company’s hybrid work plan.
When employees are left guessing, alignment, engagement and efficiency suffer.
When some employees soak up office chatter while people working remotely get radio silence, internal comms isn’t just about broadcasting updates. It’s about making sure everyone gets the memo, no matter where they’re working. The days of treating internal comms as a “nice-to-have” are over; it’s a critical business function that keeps teams informed, aligned and engaged.
The Hybrid Work Comms Conundrum
Hybrid work has turned corporate communication into a balancing act. Get it right, and teams feel connected and informed. Get it wrong, and you’ve got a workforce split between information overload and being left in the dark.
Here’s what you’re up against:
- The information gap: Office-based employees soak up spontaneous updates from corridor chats and coffee-break gossip, while remote workers miss out. Over time, this creates a two-tier system of who’s in the know and who’s not.
- Too much noise, not enough signal: Hybrid workforces are drowning in messages — emails, Slack pings, Teams notifications, intranet news — and yet somehow the important stuff still gets lost.
- The engagement black hole: A disconnected workforce is an unengaged workforce. Hybrid teams risk becoming fragmented, with remote workers feeling like they’re on the periphery instead of part of the action.
Recognizing these challenges is step one. Step two is fixing them.
So how do we do that? There are few hard and fast rules in comms — it's more art than science, and will differ for every organization. But here’s what I’ve learned working with our clients at Lithos Partners.
The Golden Rules of Hybrid Internal Comms
Good internal comms isn’t just about sending messages; it’s about making sure they land. The best hybrid strategies follow five simple rules:
- Be clear and consistent: Employees shouldn’t have to play detective to figure out where to get company updates. Set clear expectations on where key information lives.
- Use the right channels for the right messages: One size doesn’t fit all. Real-time chat for quick updates, the intranet for structured information, video for high-impact messages. Use a mix, but use them wisely.
- Make it a two-way street: Communication isn’t just top-down. Employees need space to respond, ask questions and share feedback. The more they feel heard, the more engaged they’ll be.
- Keep it fair: Remote employees shouldn’t feel like second-class citizens. Make sure meetings, updates and opportunities are equally accessible to all.
- Relevance is vital: Employees are struggling to keep on top of their emails and messages. To cut through the noise every message should have value for the recipient or you’re simply wasting their time. You have data; use it. And if a message leaves people asking “so what?” then consider not sending it at all.
The Right Tools for the Job
The hybrid toolkit isn’t about using every platform available. It’s about knowing what works best for what purpose. Here’s the smart way to mix your comms channels:
- Intranet and digital workplace tools: Intranets aren’t fashionable but they are essential. People need a trusted source for official updates, policies and evergreen content.
- Chat tools: Perfect for quick back-and-forths but needs guardrails to prevent notification fatigue.
- Asynchronous channels: Great for leadership updates and important announcements. Because not everything needs to be a meeting.
- Newsletters and curated updates: The antidote to information overload: a structured, digestible way to deliver key messages without overwhelming inboxes.
- Live and hybrid events: Virtual town halls or Q&As need to be designed for equal participation wherever people are joining from. Remote employees shouldn’t just be passive spectators.
By using the right channels in the right way, businesses can make sure communication isn’t just noise: it’s meaningful and effective.
Practical Fixes for Better Hybrid Communications
Hybrid work has enough challenges — communication shouldn’t be one of them. Turn comms chaos into clarity with these steps.
- Establish a rhythm: Whether daily, weekly, or monthly, set a predictable cadence for updates so employees know when (and where) to look for key information.
- Make leaders visible: In a hybrid world, leaders can’t rely on casual office interactions. Regular video updates, live Q&As, and open conversations help keep leadership accessible.
- Encourage employee voices: Comms shouldn’t be one-way. Give employees space to contribute, whether through forums, surveys or user-generated content.
- Target for relevance: Use data like a marketer, so that every message an employee receives is one they value and use. Use a mixture of prescribe and subscribe models so that employees get essential information but can control what they receive so they’re neither overloaded nor out of the loop.
- Test and learn: Track what’s working (and what’s not). Engagement analytics, pulse surveys, benchmarking and feedback loops help refine your approach over time.
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Strap In for the Ride, Because Hybrid Is Here to Stay
Hybrid work isn’t going anywhere, and neither are the communication challenges it brings. The organizations that succeed won’t be the ones with the most tools, but the ones that know how to use them well.
Effective internal comms ensures that no matter where employees work, they feel informed, included and engaged. It’s not about recreating the office experience. It’s about designing communication strategies that work for today’s reality.
A company that communicates well doesn’t just function. It thrives.
Editor's Note: Read the following for more on related topics:
- Are Your Messages Hitting the Mark? Time for an Internal Comms Audit — If you don’t know how many employees receive your internal communications or who takes the time to read them, you're probably due for an audit.
- Internal Comms: Pay Attention to Your Internal Service Providers — With IC focused on helping senior leadership, other internal communicators might be getting ignored.
- Creating Exceptional Employee Experiences: Where HR, Comms and Technology Unite — Employee experiences cross departmental boundaries. So to create exceptional EX, multiple departments must work together – with internal comms in the lead.
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