Top Trends for Internal Communicators in 2026

Trend #2: Thoughtfully measuring employee sentiment beyond annual surveys

Survey results found that 63% of respondents were not satisfied with their ability to measure employee sentiment (the collective attitude of their workforce). Yet, for more than a decade, research has shown that incorporating employee satisfaction data into earnings forecasts can benefit investors.

It’s essential to measure employee sentiment because related metrics, such as employee well-being (the overall quality of an employee’s experience and functioning at work) and morale (the collective satisfaction, enthusiasm, and confidence of employees), directly tie to organizational performance, financial outcomes, and long-term resilience.

Employee sentiment is a critical data point that can help an organization succeed, especially when it informs internal communications. In the PoliteMail survey,

• About 50% of respondents reported using annual engagement surveys;
• 12% reported conducting pulse surveys, defined as quarterly or monthly surveys;
• And about 5% also use Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS).

Of those who expressed high confidence in their ability to use analytics to improve their organization’s communications, 80% reported using pulse surveys to produce an eNPS score. Of those with low confidence, 60% relied only on annual engagement surveys.

In 2026, leading organizations will find ways to measure employee sentiment beyond an annual engagement survey and use that data to improve the employee experience and their bottom line. Our webinar with Ragan Consulting Group discusses several alternatives to measuring sentiment without surveys, including AI sentiment analysis, organizational listening tools, and focus groups.

Trend #3: Using comms to build trust and foster culture

Driven by rapid innovation and economic sensitivity, 2025 saw significant changes across industries, including technology, biotech, government, education, and more. Understandably, employees want reassurance—something that internal communications can provide, from the voice of an IC team, HR, leaders, or all of these groups.

Researchers find that “Transparent communication, characterized by information substantiality, accountability, and employee participation, largely contributes to employee trust, control mutuality, commitment, and satisfaction.”

Transparent, timely communication helps employees understand not just what is happening, but why decisions are being made, which reduces uncertainty and reinforces credibility. When leaders communicate openly, acknowledge challenges, and follow through on commitments, trust grows.

At the same time, consistent storytelling around values, purpose, and shared wins helps bring culture to life, turning abstract ideals into lived experiences. Two-way communication channels that invite feedback and dialogue further strengthen culture by making employees feel heard, respected, and connected to the organization and each other.

This year’s PoliteMail survey results indicate that internal communicators will continue to leverage engagement data to identify opportunities to improve employee engagement and culture. Leading organizations will find ways to measure employee trust and use internal comms to share transparent messages and boost confidence.

Trend #4: Humanizing messages by boosting employee participation

While AI is a powerful tool, it can’t do everything, like solicit meaningful human stories from leaders and employees within your organization. Alongside AI, internal comms teams must find ways to humanize their content—centering personalized, detailed stories that AI couldn’t invent.

Employees want to hear from a person. They don’t want canned, committee-written edicts or AI-generated messages. Here are a few ways innovative internal comms teams will generate human-first content:

• Capture voices: send short videos, voice memos, or handwritten notes
• Find stories: spotlight employee experience, customer case studies, and behind-the-scenes perspectives from leaders and managers in your organization
• Make leaders more accessible: produce Q&A videos, lead ask-me-anything (AMA) sessions, or host in-office sessions for teams that work in person

Trend #5: Tying communication efforts to business outcomes

More organizations know it’s essential to measure internal communications and tie IC data to overall business outcomes. Researchers have shown that “companies with highly effective internal communication practices produce superior financial results and enjoy greater organizational stability.”

Leading internal comms teams must tie comms metrics to organizational goals, objectives, and outcomes such as reduced errors, improved compliance, or higher completion rates to showcase internal comms as a business driver.

Measurement isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s essential to the effectiveness of internal comms. In 2026, IC teams will need to demonstrate how communication has a quantifiable impact on company performance, employee engagement, and retention.

When communicators can share insights with leadership, use their data to influence HR policies, and explicitly tie their work to organizational goals, they shift from order-takers to trusted advisors.

Internal Communications in 2026

While AI will continue to take center stage in 2026, internal comms will need to become more human. Teams must find ways to measure employee sentiment, knowing that employee well-being and morale impact productivity and company performance.

Employees will be savvy consumers of AI-generated comms and will appreciate—and engage with—humanized, personalized content.

As always, internal comms teams will be tasked with tying their efforts to business outcomes. Executives will invest in internal comms when IC teams can show how their work supports performance, productivity, turnover reduction, risk mitigation, training compliance, customer experience, and other organizational priorities.