09th March 2026
Rethinking Employee Communications and Experience in 2026
With UK engagement at historic lows, this article argues that internal communication must shift from information distribution to experience design. In hybrid, distraction-heavy workplaces, connection and value alignment matter more than message volume. Strategic internal events, participation-led formats and behaviour-focused measurement are key to rebuilding engagement and shared understanding.
This article was written by Joe Gilliver and published in HRD Magazine.
Employee engagement in the UK is at an all-time low – in fact, a 2025 report by Gallup revealed it was amongst the lowest in Europe, with only 1 in 10 UK employees feeling engaged. While this is worrying for HR and internal comms leaders, for the most part it isn’t down to a lack of communication, instead, a lack of connection and, increasingly, value alignment.
This lack of connection is driven largely by a workforce operating in a fragmented environment, shaped by hybrid working, digital overload and constant competing demands. Employees are expected to stay productive, responsive and informed, often without the shared rhythms, physical presence, and informal touchpoints that once reinforced culture and understanding.
In an always-on digital workplace, even well-intentioned updates can easily become just another notification. Important messages are skimmed, delayed or missed, not because they lack relevance, but because they’re competing in a crowded attention economy.
This is why employee communication needs to evolve in 2026. It can no longer be focused solely on distributing information and instead must play a more active role in shaping experience. Culture, value alignment and connection tend to stick because they’re felt, not sent.
The shift from communication to experience
This is where employee experience comes into play. In 2026, communication can no longer rely solely on information delivery. For messages to stick, people need the opportunity to engage with them, to hear them explained, questioned and explored in context.
When communication is experienced rather than simply consumed, it creates shared understanding. Employees are more likely to understand not just what is changing, but why, and how it relates to their role and priorities. This is particularly critical in periods of change, uncertainty or transformation, where trust and belief are easily eroded. However, many organisations are still relying on channels designed primarily for efficiency – such as inboxes and intranets – rather than impact.
Why volume isn’t solving the problem
The instinctive response to a lack of engagement is often to communicate more. But the challenge most organisations face isn’t a lack of messages, it’s saturation. Employees are operating in distraction-heavy environments, juggling meetings, collaboration tools, emails and competing demands throughout the day. In this context, even thoughtful and relevant updates struggle to have real impact.
Inbox-led communication is effective for distributing information, but far less reliable when it comes to building understanding, commitment or behaviour change. The organisation continues to speak, without really measuring who is listening. For HR teams focused on engagement, performance and retention, this creates a real risk. When people stop fully absorbing organisational communication, assumptions fill the gaps – often incorrectly.
Why internal events are regaining strategic importance
Against this backdrop, internal events are becoming a more deliberate and valuable part of the employee communication mix. This year, the most effective organisations will use internal events not as routine updates or quarterly team socials, but as strategic moments in the year. These are designed opportunities to step away from daily distractions and create space for presence and connection. Whether physical, virtual or hybrid, the purpose remains the same: to allow employees time to properly engage with what the organisation is asking of them. To listen, question, reflect and connect – not just with the message, but with leaders and colleagues.
From a HR perspective, these moments are powerful because they support alignment at scale. For teams operating across several locations and even countries, they provide shared understanding that can be reinforced locally, rather than relying on fragmented interpretation across teams.
Rethinking the format: from delivery to involvement
Many internal events still follow a familiar pattern – a slide deck followed by a Q&A and maybe some team building thrown in for good measure. The dominance of this format is understandable, particularly given how quickly organisations had to adapt during the pandemic. But as expectations evolve, so must the way organisations bring people together.
Increasingly, HR and internal comms leaders are experimenting with participation-led formats. These might include facilitated discussions, workshops, experiential learning or problem-solving sessions that actively involve employees rather than positioning them as passive audiences. Participation encourages leaders to communicate more authentically and gives employees space to engage meaningfully. When people contribute, communication becomes shared and with that comes stronger connection.
Read this article in full here: Rethinking the employee experience