Communications starting to look at AI, but managers are still a top tool, report finds

Internal communication staff and how they enable businesses to meet their goals is the subject of a new analysis from Gallagher, a global brokerage, risk management, and consulting firm. The study looked at new trends such as the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in workplace communications, but also looked at more traditional forms of communication, such as the important role that managers play in communication between a company’s leadership and workers.

For many companies, AI remains a new frontier, the report noted. “For many organizations, it’s the Wild West with regard to how they are adopting and implementing AI,” said Ben Reynolds, Global Managing Director of Gallagher’s Communication Consulting Practice. “Because so few organizations have an AI plan, we can connect the dots to better understand why half of the respondents (50%) are skeptical or even fearful about the impact of AI. That said, with an AI plan in place, the technologies may help communicators overcome what they’ve identified as two of the top three barriers in 2024, which are the lack of time and lack of financial resources.”

Overall, the study found that nearly three-quarters (71%) of companies do not provide internal communication staff guidance on when, where, or how to use the technology.

What is communicated and the role of communicators

The study covered a wide range of findings on communications in business settings, but among the research was a look at what topics were more commonly handled in business communications with employees.

The study found that the topic of strategy, vision, and purpose was the top most-communicated topic, with 40% of communicators listing it as No. #1. Second was change activity (27%); third was business performance (26%); fourth was values, behaviors, and culture (25%); and fifth was DEI (24%). The last two categories saw a slight decline from year-to-year in ranking; the change activity and business performance categories were new this year to the rankings.

Employee recognition was ranked 6^th (22%), and the category of rewards and benefits was ranked 7^th (21%).

Communicators were also asked to share what they saw as the greatest challenges in their work; about 27% mentioned lack of leadership buy in or being left out of decision making by leadership. In addition, 23% said their work did not receive enough investment of time, resources, and personnel.

Managers are still an important ally for communicators

The survey also looks at how much communicators rely on managers to support their work. It found that 87% of communicators indicated they rely on managers for communications either extensively (34%) or somewhat (53%). Only 13% said they relied on managers very little for help with communications.

The topics where communicators relied on managers the most for help with communications were strategy, vision, and purpose; values, behaviors, and culture; and organizational change, integration, or M&A activity, the study said.

The study also said there were areas where managers are being bypassed—including employee recognition, business performance, and DEI. Chris Lee, a vice president at Gallagher said there were signs of a decrease in use of managers by communicators. “The rise in digital communication platforms may be the cause of this year’s drop in manager reliance and prioritization — but when it comes to deskless workers, people managers have an important role to play. Especially when we consider that better manager communication means better employee understanding,” he said.

Related: How generative AI is a game-changer for communications in today’s workplace

The study also showed that when managers were evaluated on communications, they were two times more likely to meet and exceed communicator expectations. And managers also did better in this area when internal communications teams supplied them with resources.

“By providing managers with specific communications tools — such as how to have conversations about performance and pay or talking points about organizational direction — we can improve managers’ communications performance,” said Jan Burnham, an area VP with Gallagher. “However, evaluating managers on communications skills is not always fair — as employees often conflate the message with the messenger. Focusing on a communications solution is far more practical than overhauling a performance management system — and is within the reach of the comms function.”