New IC Index 2025 report explores workplace communication channels and topic preferences

While the main report focused on the importance of care and connection in workplace communication, this additional report turns to the practicalities of internal communication: the channels employees most rely on, the topics they want to hear about, and how these preferences vary across generations and organisations.

What the data shows

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  Overall stability since 2023
  The broad picture of how employees experience workplace communication has not shifted dramatically since the IC Index was first launched in 2023. The majority (74%) continue to say they receive the right amount of information from their employer.

• Pay and benefits remain the top gap
  More than a third (36%) of employees say they do not hear enough about pay and benefits. This has consistently been the area where employees feel least informed. Career development (31%) and job guidance (27%) also remain high on the list.

• Email still leads, but with notable differences
  Email is still the most relied-upon channel (65%), followed by one-to-ones with line managers (35%), newsletters (34%) and team meetings (34%). However, preferences diverge by generation: 19% of Gen Z employees rely on SMS or WhatsApp, compared to just 5% of Baby Boomers, who are twice as likely as Gen Z to use the intranet.

• Organisation size shapes experiences
  Smaller organisations (500–999 employees) are more likely to be seen as getting communication volume right (83%), while in large organisations of 10,000 or more, this drops to 67%.

• Written communication preferred
  More than half (53%) of employees prefer to access information about employer plans and priorities in writing. Team discussions are gaining ground, particularly in smaller organisations, while audio formats have seen declining interest compared with 2023.

Building on the picture

The report suggests that while the fundamentals of workplace communication have remained steady, the nuances revealed by generation, organisation size, and organisation type continue to shape employee experience. These patterns may provide useful context for practitioners reflecting on how best to adapt their approaches in different workplace settings.

Explore the full report

The IC Index 2025 Channels Report is available now and provides detailed analysis of communication topics and channel preferences across demographics and organisation types.