Internal communications

Let’s face it, the state of the nation and the world is pretty dire right now. Every which way we turn, there are reports of uncertainty over jobs, the rising cost of living and how unhappy, stressed and lonely we are.  

Each year, Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report provides an important snapshot of how people are feeling at work. It’s no surprise that this year it paints a troubling picture. Engagement is down. Manager wellbeing is seriously declining. There is an emotional cost of work. And the underlying cracks in the employee experience are coming harder to ignore.  

But Gallup’s findings are only part of the story. Insights from Accenture Life Trends 2025, Randstad Employer Brand Research, and GWI’s Redefining the Workplace show a wider shift underway. People aren’t just rethinking how they work. They’re rethinking what work means. 

What people want from work is changing

To understand where engagement is heading, we need to understand what people are really looking for in their working lives. 

Randstad’s global data shows employees are no longer driven by salary alone which is surprising in itself given how much costs are rising. Work-life balance, wellbeing, purpose and values are just as important – especially for younger workers. 

Work-life balance now tops the list of reasons people leave a job. Gen Z and Millennials rate mental health support and flexible working as key priorities. And while most employers believe they’re delivering on these needs, employees don’t always agree. There’s a growing gap between the promise and what employees actually experience. 

Work isn’t just a contract anymore

Accenture describes this change as a shift from transaction to relationship. As they put it, “work has to earn its place in people’s lives now.” 

People want roles that fit around life, not the other way around. They want to feel involved, understood, and part of something meaningful. And they expect their managers to reflect that by being human and leading with empathy and clarity. 

In this context, Gallup’s reported drop in engagement – from 23% to 21% – is more than just a decline. It’s part of a much larger cultural shift of how we are seeing the role of work in our lives. 

“We believe that leaders who see the value of effecting positive change and creating the conditions that naturally raise enthusiasm in their teams will emerge as winners. Those who ignore what’s happening will increasingly notice a lack of dignity at work, resulting in poor culture, work and motivation—and worse outcomes for customers and business growth”

Accenture Life Trends 2025

Managers are struggling to hold it all together

Gallup’s data points to one particular group under growing pressure: managers. 

Engagement among managers has dropped to 27%. The decline is even more significant for younger managers and for women.  

 Managers are expected to drive performance, care for their teams, adapt to change and absorb stress, often without the clarity, support, training or capacity they need.  

Why does this matter? Because managers are still the single biggest factor in team engagement – Gallup attributes around 70% of the variance of employee engagement outcomes are down to manager effectiveness. They are the glue that often holds teams together. When they’re disengaged, it cascades. And when they’re unsupported, they struggle to carry both performance and people.  

The emotional impact is becoming clear. Life satisfaction is falling. Stress, sadness and loneliness remain high, particularly in hybrid and remote teams. For many managers, the pressure is becoming even harder to sustain and something has to give. 

Meanwhile, Gen Z are rewriting the rules

GWI’s Redefining the Workplace report offers another lens. Gen Z haven’t just entered the workforce. They’re reshaping it. 

They’re less focused on climbing a corporate ladder and more likely than other generations to value side hustles, creative projects and autonomy. They’re actively seeking connection and community at work, not just a role or salary. And they’re choosing balance over burnout. 

They also expect a say in how work works. They want to co-create their role or experience, not just be given a handbook. In that sense, they’re echoing Accenture’s observation: Gen Z employees aren’t just looking for a leader in the workplace, they’re looking for partnerships. 

The disconnect is growing, but it’s not just about work

Taking a wider view, this isn’t only a workplace issue. It does seem to be societal. 

According to recent reporting in The Guardian, over five million UK adults are now facing financial, housing and health insecurity all at once. That includes many in work. These overlapping pressures will affect how people show up, how they cope and how they engage. 

When external stress is high, the internal support systems of work become more important. And when they don’t hold up, employees switch off – emotionally and mentally. 

Where do we go from here?

The message across Gallup, Randstad, Accenture and GWI is consistent. Start with people. Rebuilding engagement isn’t about new initiatives or a complete rebuild of your internal structures. It’s about strengthening relationships and routines that shape the everyday moments for employees. 

That includes: 

Support for managers. Many haven’t been trained. Helping them lead conversations, give feedback and recognise what they need in the moment could be a simple way of creating quick impact and help them feel better supported. 

Clearer expectations. Employees need clarity – on what’s expected of them, how their work connects to purpose and what success looks like. That applies just as much to a desk-based employee as to someone on the frontline.  

Making wellbeing real. Employees are discerning. Wellbeing can’t just live in a policy or on an intranet page. It has to show up in how people are managed, supported and recognised day-to-day – not like a last resort. 

Personalised experience. EVP can’t be one-size-fits-all. Different generations, job types and life stages value different things. Communications and touchpoints need to flex accordingly. 

Space to lead, not just deliver. Managers can’t engage others if they’re constantly firefighting. That means protecting their time, wellbeing and ability to support and lead their teams – not just hit targets. 

What this means for internal communicators

For comms teams, this moment in time is about more than getting messaging right. It’s about helping businesses reconnect with employees – with clarity, consistency and care. 

That might mean: 

• Helping leaders speak more empathetically 

• Creating moments for listening and dialogue, not just updates 

• Making the EVP visible in daily experiences  

• Designing comms that build trust, not just awareness 

• Creating channels that build connection, not just cascade information 

Because when expectations are this high, the way we communicate has to evolve too. 

This could be the reset we need

The signals are everywhere. Engagement is dropping. Expectations are shifting. People are tired, but they’re also clear on what they want. And whilst the data may look bleak, it also points to a clear path forward.  If this IS the reset moment, I’m not sure we can afford to ignore it. 

If you’re rethinking how to connect with your people, you’re not alone. We help organisations translate insight into communication strategies that support culture, engagement and change. Ready to reset how you communicate? Let’s talk.

There’s a lot of noise about the state of work right now. If your people are coasting, quitting or quietly burning out – it’s not a mystery. It’s a message. The way we work is out of sync with what people need. Disconnection, overwhelm and a lack of purpose are showing up everywhere – and communication can either fuel the problem or be part of the solution. We’ve identified the three biggest forces shaping the workplace in 2025 – and how communication can help you face them head-on. 

Harmony: How we connect our lives with our work

For many employees, work has become overwhelming – bleeding into every corner of their lives. What was sold as flexibility has morphed into an always-on, hyper-connected culture. Are we working from home, or just living at work?

In 2024 we saw headlines about ‘quiet quitting’ claiming that those working from home were lazy and taking advantage of being invisible from their managers. They were skiving off. This year we’ve seen headlines framing the challenge as ‘the great detachment’. This isn’t about being people lazy, of course any journalist or manager can find the one who has tuned out and is working the system, disengagement is still rife. No, this is about a bigger challenge. That of boundaries.  

In 2024, headlines about ‘quiet quitting’ painted remote workers as lazy, taking advantage of being out of sight from their managers. Workers were said to skiving off and doing the bare minimum. This year, the narrative has shifted to ‘the great detachment’. But really this isn’t about people being lazy. What we’re really seeing is a bigger challenge: a struggle with boundaries. 

Organisations that deserve it – the ones that show appreciation, invest in culture and prioritise wellbeing – have always seen discretionary effort from their people. And they still do. It just looks different now. Managers used to be able to see the early starters and the last ones to leave the office in the evening. In a hybrid world, discretionary effort hasn’t disappeared, it’s just showing up in new ways. Employees are staying connected, replying to messages and taking calls well outside working hours, often blurring the line between commitment and burnout. 

But here’s the thing, our employees need their rest and downtime as well. Right now, 80% of employees globally feel at risk of burnout stating the main contributors as financial strain (43%), exhaustion (40%), and excessive workload (30%). The workplace is being described as ‘draining and impersonal’. 37% of people say work stress has taken such a toll on their mental health that it’s contributed to substance use or even thoughts of suicide. 

Given an organisation is only as healthy, innovative, productive and ultimately successful as its people, this is an urgent problem. Employees are no longer seeking work and life balance; they’re looking for a harmony between the two. They’re offering up discretionary effort and flexibility with their employers, on the condition of having healthy boundaries.  

What’s the role of communication in workplace harmony?  

Information and communication overload is a real threat. While tech tools like instant messaging are great, they should come with a massive health warning. We’re busy creating not only an always on, hyper connected, hivemind culture, but also one where we appear to be competing with super computers in our thirst for knowledge. Communicating everything, all the time, to everyone. We can see the funny side of influencers who can’t eat their food before photographing it, or families who plan days out around the perfect Instagram photo. But the workplace has become just as noisy. Relentless meeting schedules, fragmented communication channels, and expectations for instant replies constantly distract employees – making it harder to focus, concentrate, and do deep work. 

Like a car in the wrong gear, the machine is burning out while also not going as fast as it could.  

This is a huge opportunity for communicators to step up and lead the way. From managing channels – and even closing some down – to setting clear communication protocols and etiquette everyone can follow. From protecting time for deep work to upskilling teams in more effective communication and smarter use of tech. The goal? To reduce the noise, not add to it. 

Reducing communication overload and cutting through the noise isn’t just good practice – it’s a chance for communication leaders to be seen as true enablers of productivity, helping get the organisation back in gear.  

Loneliness: How we connect with those around us

Despite this always on, hyper connected world we’re in, loneliness is at an all-time high. Globally, 20% of employees report feeling lonely during much of their workday, with younger employees feeling this the most. You’d be forgiven for thinking this is connected to the increase in working from home, however this doesn’t appear to be the case. In fact, mandatory back to the office protocols have magnified this sense of loneliness for many by demonstrating the culture gap. Employees say they feel less lonely at home with a pet companion than they do in an office where they don’t feel they belong. 

Like ‘quiet quitting’, the rise in loneliness has deeper societal roots. A fragmented work culture, overwhelming workloads that leave little time for human connection, an ever-increasing pace of work, digitised interactions and frustration with slow progress on inclusion all contribute to employees feeling more disconnected from their organisation – and each other. 

Employees need to feel seen, heard and connected in a meaningful way. Despite some suggesting the contrary, the business case for inclusion and belonging has never been stronger. The gap between senior leaders and the frontline continues to plague cultural tensions and has widened post-pandemic, and so organisations need to be taking proactive steps to reduce this disconnect.  

What’s the role of communication in workplace loneliness?

Communication has always had the power to shape positive, connected workplace cultures. But today, with rising levels of loneliness, that role is more urgent – and more critical – than ever. The call for communicators to step in is loud and clear. 

There are three key priorities communication leaders should be actively focusing on: 

1. Shift from monologue to dialogue 
Move away from top-down messaging and create more two-way communication across the workforce – through employee voice platforms, ERGs, surveys, listening forums, and more. 

 2. Create meaningful moments for connection 
Build real opportunities for people to come together – from cultural anchor office days to company conferences and team events. 

3. Drive inclusion and belonging 
Keep working to build a culture of equity, respect, and appreciation where everyone feels they truly belong. 

Communications leaders have a powerful opportunity to bring their organisations back together in a meaningful way. By helping teams reconnect, they can ease the tensions surrounding hybrid working and return-to-office mandates, many of which have been driven by a focus on visibility, rather than productivity or culture. 

Purpose: How we connect with the world around us

Work must be more than a means to pay the bills. If employees are going to devote so much of their lives to their work, they want to feel connected to something meaningful. Aligned values and making a difference is no longer a nice to have for employees, it’s a growing necessity. 48% of employees say that connection to their work impacts their decision to stay or leave a job. It’s clear that purpose is not simply a nice idea but a commercial imperative for businesses and employees, who are expecting the opportunity to make a positive impact through their work.  

Purpose-led organisations focus on the ‘why’ of their existence – like Tony’s Chocolonely who aim to end exploitation in cocoa. It’s a simple statement that encompasses why they make and sell chocolate delivered through a fairer supply chain as well as enabling other organisations to use their equitable and slave-free cocoa supply chain. Tony’s might be a trailblazer in purpose and many organisations have evolved out of necessity or a gap in the market – like Toys ‘R’ Us, whose founder capitalised on the post war baby-boom by selling baby furniture and soon after, toys. Despite this commercial driver for starting out in business, Toys ‘R’ Us had a fundamental brand belief that ‘children should be allowed to be children’ a clear opportunity to connect their employees to a job beyond stacking shelves and selling toys, their role was really to make their stores feel magical.   

What’s the role of communication in purpose?

Clear communication of an organisation’s vision, mission, beliefs and values is nothing new. There isn’t an Internal Comms leader who hasn’t tackled the classic ‘values refresh’ project. But today, it’s not just about articulating commercial goals, we need to help employees connect with the bigger picture. That means showing the real-world impact the organisation is striving to make on society and the planet.   

What difference is the business trying to create in the world? How is that purpose tied to the organisation’s everyday role in its industry? What isn’t working in that industry – and how is the company stepping up to lead change? And how does its CSR or charitable work play into that wider ambition? These connections are what bring values to life – turning them from posters on a wall into a shared sense of meaning and motivation.  

Most organisations deliver CSR activities, donate to charities and offer paid for volunteering days but the benefits in employee morale and retention only come when we connect the workforce with this work and inspire them to get involved. Communications leaders have a great opportunity here to unleash this missed potential for their organisations. 

How we can help you build connection, clarity and meaning through communication

At Something Big, we know from experience that communication has the power to solve some of today’s biggest workplace challenges – from blurred boundaries and burnout, to loneliness and disconnection, to lack of meaning and motivation. Here are three ways we can help: 

Activator – Storytelling and creative services

You’ve got a message that matters – we help you bring it to life. Whether you’re setting new boundaries, supporting wellbeing or bringing purpose to the forefront, we create campaigns, brands and internal content that inform, inspire and connect. 

Explore Activator 

Pathfinder – Tools and resources

You’re working to create a more connected, human workplace – and we’ve got the tools to support you. From culture diagnostics to comms audits, practical guides and peer learning spaces, we’ll help you take steady, confident steps forward.

Explore Pathfinder 

Co-creator – Advisory services

You know culture and connection matter – but you’re not always sure where to begin. Our team of strategists bring deep insight and hands-on experience to help you shape clear, practical communication strategies that support balance, belonging and purpose. 

Explore Co-creator 

One in two people will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. This means cancer is likely to impact us all at some point – whether we receive a diagnosis or know someone facing cancer. 

In the UK alone, 890,000 working-age people are living with cancer, and around 700,000 are balancing work while caring for a loved one with the disease. However, half of those living with cancer are afraid to tell their employers and over a third feel isolated at work during their cancer journey.  

At such a difficult time, people should feel supported by their employers and colleagues – not afraid to share their diagnosis and left feeling like they aren’t receiving the support and flexibility they need.   

Joined by Lindsay Bridges, Global Head of HR at DHL Supply Chain and Anna Dunn, Associate at Working With Cancer, our CEO, Sally Pritchett, started an honest and insightful conversation about how we can better support employees living with cancer.  

What common challenges do those living with cancer face in the workplace?   

One of the biggest challenges around cancer is the misunderstanding it creates, both for the person facing it and their employer. Until someone experiences diagnosis and treatment, it’s hard to know what recovery will be like. Cancer recovery isn’t linear – everyone responds in their own way and with different emotions. Understanding this can help create a more supportive and empathetic environment for those going through diagnosis, treatment and recovery.  

What can employers do to better support employees facing cancer?

Understand that everyone’s situation is different 

Cancer recovery isn’t the same for everyone. People with similar diagnoses can still experience very different emotions, treatments and challenges. This makes having a standard ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy difficult.  

While it’s important to have a workplace policy, employers should also guide colleagues on who they can talk to and what processes are in place, and provide flexibility to meet each individual’s needs. Offering a clear, open line of communication can help reduce stress and create a supportive environment during an already challenging time. 

Give your managers clear guidance 

Equip line managers with the tools and information they need to confidently support team members facing a cancer diagnosis. Clarify what support your company provides, let them know their role in supporting the employee (versus the responsibilities of HR) and provide helpful resources. This not only ensures employees receive the support they need, but also helps them feel less like a burden, knowing managers are prepared to offer the right support.  

Consider creating a guide for managers or running training sessions to help line managers within your company feel more confident handling these sensitive situations. 

Support employees with their return to work 

After cancer treatment ends, many people face a new set of emotions – loss of identity, a lack of confidence and fear of recurrence. While they may want to return to normality, navigating these feelings can be tough, and added pressure from employers can make it harder. Compassion and open communication are key during the return-to-work period.  

When discussing an employee’s return to work, it’s important to ask how they’re feeling and what feels right for them. Let them lead the conversation so they can be honest about what feels right for them. Just like treatment, the post-treatment phase is not the same for all. A phased return to work period of at least 12 weeks can help employees ease themselves back into work and rebuild their routine without feeling overworked or overwhelmed.  

How can employees better support their colleagues who are facing cancer?

Give people control 

When someone is facing cancer, they may feel a loss of control. Asking how they’d like to discuss their diagnosis and treatment – or if they want to talk about it at all – can help them regain some control by setting their own boundaries. It’s important to respect their wishes and follow their lead on how open they want to be.  

This conversation should continue after treatment too, so you can continue supporting them in the right way for them. Asking simple questions like “How’s your health?” allows someone to choose how much they want to share and whether they want to discuss their cancer moving forward. 

Treat your colleagues as you normally would  

Cancer doesn’t define a person, and many may not want to be seen only through that lens. Treat your colleagues as you normally would, while being mindful of their needs and how they’ve said they’d like to talk about their cancer.  

A quick call or message to check in can mean a lot, but remember – there’s more to their life than cancer. Keep conversations balanced, acknowledging their interests and experiences beyond their diagnosis, so they continue to feel recognised for who they are beyond their diagnosis. 

Think about what you say 

It’s normal to feel unsure about what to say to someone facing cancer. A simple acknowledgement, like ‘I don’t know what to say, I’m sorry,’ can be enough. Avoid making assumptions about their journey or suggesting treatments, as everyone’s experience is unique.  

Let the language that they use guide you – some people may feel empowered by using language like ‘battling’ or ‘fighting’ cancer, while others might prefer to say they are ‘living with cancer’. Respect their chosen language and be sure to support them in a way that feels right for them. 

Advice for colleagues and employers who want to better support those living with cancer

There are lots of amazing resources available to help you better support someone living and working with cancer. Charities like Macmillan offer online communities and advice specifically for those supporting a loved one, friend or colleague through their cancer journey. Organisations like Working With Cancer can help employers and employees, employers to manage cancer and work.

For employers, offering training about cancer recovery can help teams better understand what someone may be experiencing. This awareness helps them offer more compassionate and informed support, creating a more understanding, supportive and empathetic work environment for everyone involved. 

If you want to make your workplace fairer, healthier and happier by better supporting your employees living with cancer, we can help. Get in touch to find out how we can help you educate your workforce and create a culture of care and support.  

Tune in: Supporting employees living with cancer