Gallagher report: The Employee Communications Report 2026
Gallagher’s Employee Communications Report 2026 examines the emerging "Readiness Gap", the disconnect between internal communicators' strategic ambitions and the structural, governance, and channel capabilities required to navigate constant organisational change.
Based on a survey of more than 1,300 global comms and HR practitioners across 40 countries, the report explores four core pillars: clarity and direction, workforce readiness, operational enablement, and human-centric communication.
The report shows that while almost three-quarters (73%) of internal communication teams aim to operate as strategic consultancies, less than one in five (18%) currently do.
Gallagher’s report also highlights:
- There is a management bottleneck. Almost nine out of 10 (87%) respondents identify line manager communication capability as a significant risk, yet only 21% actively provide managers with toolkits or playbooks.
- High-volume communication triggers a 30% surge in seeing leadership trust as a significant risk and a 24% increase in burnout risk.
- AI and measurement deficits exist as three-quarters (75%) of teams remain stalled in ad-hoc AI experimentation without formal governance, and 70% still track only basic output metrics (such as clicks and opens) rather than measurable business impact.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Gallagher
Gallagher is a global, integrated HR consulting, benefits administration & technology services provider.
