How do you ensure that internal communications feel authentic and that leadership comms build trust? And what role can artificial intelligence play in helping you meet these goals? Get answers to these burning questions in our latest podcast, featuring internal communications pioneer Aniisu K. Verghese.
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Aniisu, founder of Intraskope, a boutique consultancy specializing in internal communications and personal branding. In 2006, Aniisu started India’s first blog on internal communications to share tips, insights and best practices. His vast experience and innovative ideas made for an enlightening discussion about inclusive internal communications, building organizational trust, and the role of AI in enhancing the employee experience.
Read on for highlights and listen to the podcast for the full story!
Inclusive internal communications
Pretty quickly, we dove into the concept of inclusive internal communications. Aniisu emphasized the importance of involving employees in the communication process. This approach transforms traditional top-down communications into a partnership where employees actively participate in creating and delivering internal messages.
The I-am-smart-listen-to-me leader approach to communicating rarely works.
An inclusive method not only engages employees but also ensures that communications feel authentic and relevant.
Aniisu shared a great example from his own experience. His company faced resistance to a new dress code policy from younger employees. Instead of enforcing the policy in a typical top-down manner, Aniisu and his team empowered these employees to create a video explaining the policy in their own words. The result? A stop-motion video that became the most-watched video in the company, proving that when employees have a hand in creating content, it resonates more effectively.
Learn how Greenhouse creates an inclusive workplace culture
Building organizational trust
Trust is essential for effective leadership and organizational success. Aniisu highlighted that trust starts with authenticity and honesty. Leaders must communicate transparently, even when the news isn’t good (especially when the news isn’t good). He stressed that being upfront about challenges and actively seeking input builds a culture of trust and openness.
We discussed how psychological safety fosters trust. Employees need to feel safe to express their ideas and concerns without fear of retribution. Trust isn’t just about leaders trusting their employees; it’s also about internal communications and HR teams trusting employees to contribute meaningfully to their peers, teams and organizations.
When we treat employees as partners, we create a more inclusive and trusting environment.
We don’t need fancy programs to make that happen. We need consistent connections over time to make it work. That’s where the magic happens.
Aniisu pointed out the significance of frequent and transparent conversations with leaders. Regular communication is crucial for maintaining trust, as it shows that leaders are invested in their employees’ well-being and success.
“I think the traditional model of doing (employee) surveys six months, one year, doesn’t really work. You need to get into more real-time sentiment analysis, and managers need to be empowered because the data is available if you’re doing it through such platforms where you can access the information in real time. Then, you make the managers accountable saying, ‘Your team’s sentiment is negative and what are you doing about it? When did you have your last conversation and what are some of the issues that are coming up?’ Then, match it with what they’re saying to see whether that’s the right way to go. I think going forward, it has to be only that because you can’t really wait for a six-month window to start changing things.”
Get more tips for building trust in the workplace
AI and enhancing the employee experience
Our conversation (like most conversations these days) naturally shifted to the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing the employee experience (EX).
Aniisu explained how AI can be a powerful tool for real-time sentiment analysis, helping organizations gauge employee morale and address issues promptly. Traditional employee engagement surveys often miss the mark because they are too infrequent. AI, on the other hand, provides continuous insights, enabling leaders to take timely action. Yes, AI can offer us valuable insights, but it should complement human judgment —not replace it.
Outside of measuring sentiment and morale, AI can help us more accurately measure the effectiveness of internal communication campaigns. It can provide feedback on how employees engage with different types of content in real-time. By analyzing data from various communication channels, AI helps us understand what resonates with employees, and then we can tailor our strategies accordingly.
Discover how to revolutionize the employee experience with an AI-powered EX platform
Actionable insights
Tune in to hear the full conversation and get inspired to transform your organization’s internal communications strategy! Here’s a rundown of the key takeaways from our conversation:
- Involve employees in creating and delivering internal communications.
- Trust starts with authenticity, honesty and transparent communication.
- Leaders must always be visible and accessible.
- Create a space where people feel safe to express their ideas and concerns.
- Use AI to provide real-time insights into employee sentiment.
- AI should support and enhance human decision-making, not replace it.
One final note about authenticity, honesty and transparency. I appreciated how Aniisu’s insights underscored the importance of a people-first approach in today’s dynamic work environment—that makes sense — but this isn’t something that can be forced or faked.
People can tell if they’re a checkbox.
No one likes forced fun days and mandatory icebreakers. They want to be listened to, consulted with, and included. For leaders, there’s an art to making that happen. Aniisu taught us that it’s an art worth practicing every single day.
