Disengaged employees and poor leader communications are among the top challenges facing Irish businesses in 2024, a new report from Springboard Communications has found. 

The leading Irish communications agency’s Internal Communications in Ireland Report 2024, supported by the Public Relations Institute of Ireland, also found the number one most important metric for C-level executives is improved employee engagement. The full report is available to download at springboardcommunications.ie/2024ICreport. 

Speaking on the Report, Susie Horgan, Founder and Managing Director of Springboard Communications said: “From working with national and global clients across sectors, we have seen first-hand the challenges facing organisations — from recruitment and retention to navigating dispersed teams. Your employees are a primary stakeholder, and post-pandemic, there has been a growing recognition of how critical they are to maintaining and enhancing your reputation both internally and externally. 

“Our research backs this up with employee engagement and talent attraction and retention coming out as having the most impact for the C-suite. As we know, this can be increasingly difficult in a hybrid working world, with respondents flagging the dilution of company culture as a top five challenge. As a result, we are also seeing a 26% increase in interactive employee events, including conferences and town-halls – highlighting the desire for connection between colleagues. Effective internal communication is the crucial first step, so it is heartening to see its recognition as a business-critical function. 50% say their team sizes have increased since 2022 while 35% say budgets have also been increased.” 

Improving communications from leaders is the number one challenge facing internal communicators in 2024, with over half citing it as a top concern. Commenting on this, Sandy Boundy, Director of Strategy and Insight at Springboard Communications, added: “People leaders are increasingly influential in a hybrid culture as they are the ones directly reaching the wider workforce. Effective communication from leaders is essential as they bridge the gap between the organisation and the broader employee base, ensuring vital information is conveyed accurately. Without the proper tools, resources, and training, leaders can hinder employee engagement and, at worst, contribute to a negative workplace culture.”

Elsewhere, the Report highlights that AI is a key trend along with sustainability communications. While over 60% of internal communications professionals are incorporating AI into their roles, half of organisations lack formal AI policies or guidelines. Susie Horgan added: “Businesses are exposing themselves to significant reputational danger. Failure to have transparent policies in place heightens exposure to risk and the likelihood of outdated information being shared.”

The Report was launched at a Springboard-hosted industry event with insights from leading communications experts including Rosemary Garth, Communications Director, Tesco Ireland; Catherine Dennehy, Senior Internal Communications Manager, Meta; and Sarah Ryan, Director of Communications, daa and PRII National Council Member. The Harnessing the Power of People-Centred Internal Communications event at the Iveagh Garden Hotel, Dublin (30 May), tackled trends and challenges in communications, from reputation management to recruitment and retention. 

 Springboard Communications is the 2023 PRCA Agency of the Year and works with global and Irish-based clients on their external and internal communications. For further information visit springboardcommunications.ie.