How to Structure an Internal Communications Team the Right Way

In a world where business priorities are rapidly shifting, internal communications teams are forced to consider whether their structure still meets today's strategic communication needs.
The role of the internal communicator has also changed. Beyond partnering across the business, there's a growing need to collaborate with counterparts across all aspects of corporate affairs and the corporate communications team, including media relations, external communications, employer branding, government relations, and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG).
Navigating a change in structure is a challenging task. Consider that 86% of chief communications officers (CCOs) do not control their operational budgets, and roughly half struggle to maintain the workload and staffing required. Even when CCOs have the perfect structure in mind, they still have to lobby for budget and orchestrate with key business partners to gain buy-in. From there, it’s about determining which existing team members fit the new structure and which roles and capabilities should be brought in from the outside.
Just because it's a daunting task doesn't mean it's not worth it. If you’re a CCO and aspire to run a world-class internal communications function that effectively supports your organization's biggest business priorities, having the right structure and talent in place is the only way to achieve your goal.
Why the Communications Team Structure Matters
Before we delve into how to structure an internal communications department, let's first understand why the internal communications structure is so vital.