​The appetite for internal communications continues to grow. In our 2020 study, 99% of respondents said that they have seen a bigger demand, even though a year earlier, only 85% predicted that this will be the case.

In today’s competitive market, employers place greater importance on candidates’ skills, attitude, and agility, rather than on previous experience in the same industry. Travel, tourism, and leisure sectors are finally seeing an uplift after the challenges experienced over the Covid-19 pandemic. Likewise, financial and professional sectors relaxed their strict requirements for previous industry experience for internal communication jobs.

Possessing a wide range of skills

The roles within internal communications have become even more multi-faceted than before, regardless of whether they are permanent, contract or interim. The top skills in demand include communications planning, change communications and employee engagement, which reflect the most crucial aspects of the function during Covid-19. Other important skills include coaching senior leaders, influencing and stakeholder relationship management, along with writing and channel development.

More than 80% of the internal communications practitioners believe that experience in the same industry is not essential when recruiting for a new role within their organisation. Therefore, if you are looking for your next IC role, don’t be afraid to open up to new possibilities and broaden your horizon by working in a new sector.

Communicating change in an effective manner