An Internal Communications Manager is a professional who plays a vital role in developing and implementing effective communication strategies within an organization. They are responsible for managing internal communication channels, fostering employee engagement, and ensuring that key messages are delivered clearly and consistently to the workforce. In this blog post, we will describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Internal Communications Managers.

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Main Responsibilities of an Internal Communications Manager

The following list describes the typical responsibilities of an Internal Communications Manager:

Act as

Act as a liaison between employees and senior management.

Adhere to

Adhere to Salesforce style guide (voice, tone) and branding guidelines.

Advise

Advise business partners on crisis communications.

Analyze

Analyze the impact of internal communication on employee engagement and performance.

Assist

Assist on internal communications planning, delivery, and measurement.

Author

Author all regular communications, gaining input from a wide range of colleagues.

Build

• Build collaborative partnerships.

• Build good internal relationships and working with different teams and functions across the business.

• Build relationships within the organization to help achieve business outcomes.

Collaborate with

Collaborate with different departments to gather information for internal communications.

Communicate

Communicate up, across, and within the team with clarity and purpose.

Conduct

• Conduct surveys to gather employee feedback and suggestions.

• Conduct workshops or training sessions on effective communication skills.

Connect

Connect the dots between people, priorities, and projects.

Contribute

Contribute articles to all department-led communications vehicles as needed.

Coordinate

• Coordinate approvals of materials.

• Coordinate with senior leadership to convey important company updates.

• Coordinate with the HR department for employee-related communications.

Craft

Craft clear and compelling messages that align with the company's goals and values.

Create

• Create and deliver presentations for internal communication purposes.

• Create and implement an overarching company-wide communications strategy.

• Create and manage content for various internal communication channels.

• Create shared content and tools for leaders to help them communicate clearly with their people.

Define

• Define and manage an executive communications strategy.

• Define voice, determine comms vehicles, manage calendar view, etc..

Develop

• Develop a global communication strategy for all Elementals.

• Develop and amplify the USCF narrative and message framework.

• Develop and execute communication plans for major organizational announcements.

• Develop and implement innovative communication and change management strategies and plans.

• Develop and implement internal communication strategies and plans.

• Develop and maintain a style guide for internal communications.

• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the organization.

• Develop authentic internal partnerships with key stakeholders and employees.

• Develop content, oversees and helps brief senior leaders for major employee events and meetings.

• Develop job aids to help staff retain key style manual information.

Draft

Draft and deliver presentations for the whole team.

Drive

• Drive all change management communications with clarity and empathy.

• Drive a program of internal communications and events.

Earn

Earn trust, provide counsel, and effectively communicate with a range of internal stakeholders.

Edit

Edit and proofread internal communication materials prepared by EA SPORTS leaders.

Encourage

Encourage employee participation in company-wide initiatives.

Engage

Engage as a volunteer through Xylem´s.

Enhance

Enhance the Sports Brand within our internal development teams & EA Studios.

Ensure

• Ensure consistency and alignment in messaging across different teams and departments.

• Ensure organisational initiatives and projects are successfully communicated to our volunteers.

• Ensure our internal communications are consistent with our external communications strategy.

Establish

• Establish an internal communications strategy in conjunction with our coordinators.

• Establish partnerships and consults with key business stakeholders and team members.

Find

Find and publish the "good news stories” that support company direction.

Identify

Identify process and operational roadblocks.

Implement

• Implement strategies to improve employee engagement and morale.

• Implement tools and technologies for seamless communication within the organization.

Inform

Inform strategy, and the targeted flow of information.

Inspire

Inspire ATB team members by enriching our culture.

Lead

• Lead development and execution of communications for new programs, policies, and changes.

• Lead the intra-department "HUB captain” team that provide insight on all HUB content.

• Lead the use and engagement of IDEA's All Staff Facebook page.

• Lead training of "HUB admin coordinators” to ensure all campus sites are up-to-date.

Leverage

Leverage Slack to build channels and post messages.

Manage

• Manage and write the content strategy for Canada Operations, aligned with operational goals.

• Manage communications projects from concept through execution.

• Manage crisis communication within the organization.

• Manage key internal communication (newsletters, intranet, glossary of terms, etc.).

• Manage our different internal communication tools (intranet, weekly townhall, internal TV systems).

• Manage planned editorial content for the HUB.

• Manage the company's intranet and other internal communication platforms.

Measure

Measure the effectiveness of internal communication initiatives and make improvements.

Monitor

• Monitor and address rumors or misinformation among employees.

• Monitor communication plan milestone completion.

Oversee

• Oversee and manage our internal facing application that houses shared content (currently Notion).

• Oversee annual employee engagement surveys like Great Place to Work.

• Oversee the internal communications needs of the company.

Plan

• Plan and execute internal events and town hall meetings.

• Plan and project manage executive meetings and events.

Prepare

Prepare internal strategy and messaging (sometimes on-call).

Prioritise

Prioritise and coordinate Internal messaging and activity.

Produce

Produce newsletters, memos, and other internal communication materials.

Provide

• Provide feedback to project team members as necessary for high performance.

• Provide guidance on communication best practices to other teams.

• Provide intermittent training and orientation to existing and new staff on style manual.

Research

Research, write and edit internal articles, emails, talking points, scripts and other communications.

Respond to

Respond to feedback from staff and adjust communications content accordingly.

Stay updated with

Stay updated with industry trends and advancements in internal communication.

Support

• Support change management initiatives through effective communication.

• Support HR to design and run an employee recognition scheme.

• Support in developing and distributing all-staff emails and help lead two all-staff calls annually.

• Support on time sensitive requests from leadership.

• Support program team in updating executive leadership team and Board of Directors.

• Support the posting of editorial content (blogs, news, announcements, etc.).

• Support the senior manager of corporate communications as needed.

Track

Track and measure program results and identify key learnings to help improve how we communicate.

Train

• Train and guide employees on effective communication practices.

• Train or compete with us through our sports.

Use

• Use data analytics to identify trends and preferences in internal communication.

• Use Slack to build channels and post messages.

Utilize

Utilize Marketing Cloud to build, send, and track emails.

Most In-demand Hard Skills

The following list describes the most required technical skills of an Internal Communications Manager:

1. Proficiency in using internal communication tools and platforms.

2. Excellent writing and editing skills for creating compelling content.

3. Knowledge of communication best practices and principles.

4. Familiarity with project management and planning techniques.

5. Competence in using data analytics to measure communication effectiveness.

6. Understanding of digital marketing and social media for internal communication.

7. Proficiency in using graphic design tools for creating visual content.

8. Knowledge of multimedia production for video and audio content.

9. Understanding of content management systems and intranet platforms.

10. Competence in using survey tools for employee feedback collection.

11. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite for communication material creation.

12. Knowledge of crisis communication and issues management.

13. Familiarity with change management principles and strategies.

14. Competence in using email marketing and automation tools.

15. Understanding of audience segmentation and targeted messaging.

16. Knowledge of data privacy and confidentiality regulations.

17. Competence in event planning and management.

18. Proficiency in using collaboration and communication software.

19. Understanding of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for internal content.

20. Knowledge of internal communication measurement and reporting tools.

Most In-demand Soft Skills

The following list describes the most required soft skills of an Internal Communications Manager:

1. Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

2. Excellent storytelling and narrative-building abilities.

3. Creativity and innovation in developing communication strategies.

4. Active listening and empathy for understanding employee needs.

5. Problem-solving and critical thinking for addressing communication challenges.

6. Adaptability and flexibility in a dynamic organizational environment.

7. Leadership and influencing skills for driving change through communication.

8. Time management and organizational skills for handling multiple initiatives.

9. Collaboration and teamwork for working with cross-functional teams.

10. Emotional intelligence and relationship-building with employees.

Conclusion

Internal Communications Managers play a crucial role in fostering effective communication within an organization. By possessing a combination of technical expertise, practical skills, and personal qualities, these professionals can successfully engage employees, align messaging, and contribute to a positive and productive work environment.