People Q1 2025 quarterly news roundup IoIC, The Institute of Internal Communication

07 Mar 2025

1. Placing internal communication at the heart of workplace wellbeing

Six out of ten UK adults are experiencing anxiety that interferes with their daily lives, according to a recent survey by the Mental Health Foundation. For some colleagues, this will inevitably result in needing to take time off work.

Perhaps it’s no wonder anxiety is on the rise, given the challenging backdrop of escalating geopolitical tensions and climate concerns, ongoing cost-of-living pressures and more. Our ‘always-on’, doom-scrolling digital lifestyles only serve to compound angst, prompting US psychologist Jonathan Haidt to describe the first smartphone-native generation as the "anxious generation”.

While people are bringing their external stresses to work, there are, of course, also aspects of their working lives that fuel anxiety. Hybrid working, for instance, while offering the flexibility many of today’s workers expect, can easily create a sense of detachment and isolation for some. Without setting proper boundaries or addressing work hygiene factors, remote workers often overwork, accelerating stress and burnout.

However, there are plenty of ways for internal communication professionals to address the rise of anxiety and foster a sense of connection that supports colleague wellbeing. This can be done by:

Creating open channels for communication that enable authentic connection
Ensuring relevance to colleagues' actual situations to make communication meaningful
Developing trust to allow for more honest dialogue about wellbeing challenges
Humanising wellbeing initiatives to increase their effectiveness
Getting leadership to share stories of vulnerability around stress management to provide powerful role-modelling

Good communication has already been proven to be a critical driver of engagement and satisfaction at work. In today’s turbulent landscapes, effective internal communication is increasingly vital for holding space to cultivate organisational cultures where colleagues feel valued, heard and supported.

A sense of disconnection can ultimately lead to diminished purpose and understanding of organisational objectives – while feeling a sense of belonging is the single biggest driver of wellbeing.

By prioritising these communication strategies, organisations can reduce anxiety, improve mental health, directly address burnout risks and strengthen social connections – creating workplaces where people truly belong and thrive.

2. Why it pays to be in ‘receive mode’ to Gen Z’s voice

Gen Z (consisting of those born between 1997 and 2012) currently makes up 30% of the world's population. It’s expected to account for 27% of the workforce by the end of 2025.

It’s also establishing itself as a particularly potent force for change. Gen Z's values – including community, global mindset, authenticity – are influencing workplace culture across all age groups.

Recent alarmist media reports have depicted Gen Z as a generation incapable of basic DIY, disillusioned with democracy and surprisingly conservative on issues like the death penalty. However, many demographic experts question these findings, with British Election Study data contradicting claims about the generation’s support for "strong leaders”.

Across the generations, Gen Z actually holds some of the more liberal views on social issues such as trans rights, drug decriminalisation and immigration, while showing less interest in casual sex and drinking than previous generations.

Giving voice to the issues they feel most strongly about is also key for this group, with nearly one-third of Gen Z-ers (32%) regularly engaged in activism or social justice work (compared to 24% of millennials). This reflects a clear generational commitment to societal change.

Perhaps Gen Z’s disillusionment stems from a sense of a torn-up social contract, where decent work no longer translates to decent living standards or housing security. If it did, perhaps its attitudes would be different. This generation has been politicised because the promise of what was meant to be standard in society has all but disappeared.

This might also go some of the way to explaining why this group is also blamed for the rise of emerging workplace trends such as ‘career catfishing’, ‘revenge quitting’ and the Great Resignation 2.0, all of which are deeply challenging to employers and organisational engagement and culture. This generation is clearly demonstrating greater willingness to change jobs, with 38% likely to quit within a year according to the latest EY research.

Effective listening and two-way internal communication can help organisations better understand multigenerational attitudinal differences and preoccupations to positively harness this diversity and activism. Actions could include:

Encouraging cross-generational collaboration through the establishment of consultative boards that break down hierarchies
Fostering a culture where younger leaders reverse-mentor, showing them how they can help older colleagues
Maintaining human-centred approaches that promote empathy and connection even as technology advances
Implementing personalised upskilling programmes that address different technological comfort levels

In our ‘nobody knows’ era of perma-change, organisations that strive to understand how to best manage intergenerational work teams who will inevitably have distinct behaviours, attitudes and priorities – and then leverage the strengths different generations bring to their workplaces – are set to secure the resilience needed to thrive in the future of work.

This is because a multigenerational approach to workforce engagement facilitates knowledge transfer, promoting continuous learning and professional development. Intergenerational gaps within organisations CAN be bridged – and internal communicators are uniquely placed to ensure that doing so is designed and directed for all everyone, regardless of age.

3. DEI initiatives are far from dead in the water – here’s where internal communication plays a key role in supporting them

As organisations increasingly rely on hybrid, on-demand and disparate workforces, effective internal communication has become essential in advancing meaningful diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

Yet, despite mounting evidence of DEI's business benefits, a gulf is growing between US and UK approaches, with notable divergences between brands' commitment levels.

In the US, companies like McDonald's, Target, Ford and Walmart have reduced or eliminated DEI initiatives, particularly as Donald’s Trump's administration has targeted these programmes.

Despite this, some corporations are standing firm. Apple shareholders recently rejected a proposal to dismantle its inclusion and diversity programme, with CEO Tim Cook emphasising that it drives innovation. Similarly, in contrast to its rival PepsiCo’s stance in the US, Coca-Cola has warned shareholders that abandoning DEI could hurt business, stating its diverse employee base "helps drive a culture of inclusion, innovation and growth”. Other DEI-committed companies in the US include Costco, Deutsche Bank, Delta Airlines, the NFL and Cisco.

UK businesses appear less swayed by the so-called ‘anti-woke’ mood music emanating from the White House. Recent research by Apella Advisors and Find Out Now found that 53% of UK respondents believe it would be "bad" if the nascent American anti-DEI sentiment led to British companies scaling back on their own commitments. Consequently, UK firms are actively protecting budgets that embed DEI into their core business strategies.

Emerging statistics underpin the business case for DEI. McKinsey reports that "companies with diverse executive teams are 33% more likely to outperform their peers”. Additionally, when it comes to the war for talent, 76% of jobseekers consider workplace diversity when evaluating job offers. This figure rises to 87% among Gen Z and younger millennials, according to data from online recruitment community, Glassdoor.

To help support organisational resilience, it behoves internal communication professionals to work collaboratively with DEI colleagues to:

Inform and educate employees about DEI's meaning and importance
Engage all stakeholders authentically
Set clear communication guidelines
Create feedback mechanisms that amplify diverse voices
Report transparently on progress against objectives

DEI is now the second most frequently communicated topic in organisations, and this only highlights its growing strategic importance. Now, more than ever, it’s vital to support all colleagues in growing their own understanding of what DEI really means – and the multiple benefits it brings.

4. Diffusing internal hybrid working conflicts

Hybrid working is here for the long haul. It represents a fundamental shift towards organisational flexibility and resilience, offering colleagues the autonomy to choose when, where and how they work. This approach not only expands the talent pool but also – for some at least – fosters a sense of inclusion, serving as a powerful antidote to workplace stress.

Emerging Pew Research data underscores the importance of hybrid options, with 46% of US workers indicating they would be likely to leave their jobs if the ability to work remotely were removed. This sentiment is particularly strong among women (49% versus 43% of men) and those under 50 (50%), despite 75% of employers considering return-to-office (or RTO) mandates – up from 63% in early 2023.

However, without a consistent focus on communication, hybrid arrangements risk undermining organisational culture. As explored above, remote work can also lead to anxiety through isolation and disconnection, while poor communication breeds misalignment and burnout as employees struggle to link their work to organisational objectives or successfully establish work-life boundaries.

The solution lies in encouraging continuous internal conversation. Internal communication professionals can underpin their organisations’ efforts to:

Create ongoing dialogue around healthy hybrid work practices
Share success stories that reinforce good practices
Find innovative ways to foster trust and inclusion

As hybrid becomes a permanent feature in an increasing number of working lives, leadership skills that prioritise clear and cohesive communication will be more important than ever – and we can foster interconnectedness by actively listening to what colleagues have to share with us.

5. Accommodating ageing workforces

We looked at the impact Gen Z is having on the world of work above, but in parallel, another profound demographic shift is going on globally. Ageing populations are also reshaping organisational dynamics.

By 2025, 25% of workers in the UK and US are expected to be over 55, representing the fastest-growing segment in many advanced economies. Looking far ahead to 2050, developed nations anticipate there will be one person aged 65-plus for every two aged 20-64, with those over 50 constituting 45% of the population.

This demographic transition, coupled with increasing longevity and declining birth rates, is creating widespread skills shortages, as babyboomers retire faster than younger generations can replace them. However, for some, financial uncertainty around retirement mean they may need or want to remain employed longer, challenging the concept of traditional retirement altogether.

We've reached the end of 'one-size-fits-all' employment. Today's workplace houses four generations simultaneously, each with distinct lived experiences, values and communication preferences. The OECD estimates that effectively nurturing multigenerational workforces could increase global GDP per capita by 19% over the next three decades.

Internal communication plays a crucial role in bridging the generational divides that exist among colleagues by:

Fostering inclusive cultures where diverse perspectives are celebrated
Creating transparent feedback loops to ensure all workers feel heard, regardless of age
Delivering information through varied channels that respect generational preferences
Combating ageism bias by highlighting the value of experience and institutional knowledge

Internal communication practitioners can strengthen organisational resilience in their capacity as vital connectors between different cohorts. This will harness the untapped growth potential of age-inclusive workforces – which is clearly a ‘win-win’ all round.

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