IC Index

This year’s IC Index continues to be a powerful reflection of the evolving role of international communication. It’s fantastic to see new insights emerging alongside consistent trends tracked over time. In a world marked by uncertainty, the research underscores the enduring human need for connection and the critical importance of our role as international communicators in driving real outcomes. We’re proud to work alongside our partners at IKB to keep building compelling, evidence-based insights that help us advocate for stronger and more impactful communication.

Jennifer Sproul

Chief Executive, IoIC

The IC Index findings show internal communicators where they need to focus to help organisations succeed over the next few years – building community, encouraging connection and equipping leaders to have meaningful conversations – while never forgetting that this is underpinned by clear, actionable messages, well told.

Dominic Walters

President, IoIC

This year's IC Index explores some important and relevant themes. We'll talk through the insight as a team, share ideas on how we can apply it to our organisation and they put those thoughts into practice as we form our strategies and plans.

Kirsty Bowen

Head of Colleague Experience, Coventry Building Society

We’ve made a real effort to encourage leaders to be more human in their communication. Making their language more chatty, their stories more personal, their tone more conversational. This has had a big impact on how employees perceive them, including in business-focused communications. In large organisations, leaders can seem distant, but this approach can really close the gap. It won’t come easily for everyone, but if you can build trusting and authentic relationships with your leaders, you'll be in a great position to help them develop and share their stories in an engaging and compelling way.

Joe Salmon

Iron Mountain

Understandably, the focus is often on the day the change is announced, but it’s vital to also plan well beyond that. Particularly communication with the rest of the organisation. We tend to do a really good job of looking after the people impacted by change, but in my experience, the onlookers can actually react more strongly. Having a plan to guide everyone through the change is essential and can go a long way to protecting engagement and reputation.

Paul Diggins

IoIC Board Member

We find that smaller interactions work really well. Our CEO runs drop-in sessions and encourages direct feedback through his weekly email, then shares what’s happened with those inputs. Internal social media is also great for employee listening. Leaders comment on employees’ posts and join in the discussion in a really natural way. It wouldn’t work for everyone as it has to feel authentic – it very much depends on leaders’ personal styles.

Clare Bowers

Zoological Society of London

We work closely with employee groups to understand and support them, and to establish what needs to be communicated more widely. It’s important to us that we let them take the lead and we’re not making decisions that we have no right to make. We have a real focus right now on mental health, so it’s interesting to see that come out strongly. On these topics we must walk the talk, any gap between what you say and what you do erodes trust very quickly.

Kate Jones

Tarmac

We’re working to demystify AI for our employees. One key area we are exploring is how it can help with the processes that are pain points for people. We’re gathering case studies to share, so we can make AI real and relatable and show how it connects into the things employees would like improved.

Heather Armond

Allianz Commercial