Where have the Internal Communications purists gone?

By Tim James, General Manager : Melbourne and Asia Pacific Practice Manager : Corporate Affairs

There is currently a candidate short market of mid level internal communications specialists and the senior end of the market is also changing.

Fewer practitioners are choosing the path of internal communications as they carve out their communications career. This is further amplified by a reduced appetite by organisations to employ purists at the mid level. What we’re seeing now is a desire for internal content producers and managers who are equipped to generate and develop engaging content, in order to articulate an organisation’s narriative and purpose, in a humanised and personal way.

With this in mind, organisations are now, more than ever, focusing on sourcing great communications talent who demonstrate the ability to transfer their skills, regardless of whether the audience sits internally or externally.

Our market observations signal that many of the traditional purists within the internal communications space have moved into specialist change and project communication roles that often sit within a dedicated project team. This has fallen inline with the reduction of dedicated personnel in internal communications teams but also the increased appetite for generalist communications practitioners, who also focus in bringing the ‘outside’ in and taking the ‘inside’ out.

Whilst there is undoubtedly a need and desire for acutely skilled senior internal communications practitioners, the challenge has been the number of opportunities available within a fairly defined market.

Further, in a profession that is weighted firmly towards female practitioners, many senior practitioners are juggling families and are often seeking a flexible work week.  This is where we’ve seen the contract and part time candidate market flourish.

Pleasingly, whilst the market demands are changing, talent options to help drive and manage an organisation’s journey are adapting accordingly.

Tim James

T.  +61 3 9008 5113  |  M.  +61 400 713 743  |  E.  tjames@ampersand.com.au