The Risks Internal Comms Teams Carry — Whether They’re Acknowledged or Not
January is when internal communications plans stop being ideas and start being scrutinised.
Budgets are being finalised. Priorities are being locked in. Procurement, IT, HR, and leadership are asking harder questions about platforms, value, and risk. And internal communications teams are expected to have confident answers — often without formal authority, additional resource, or a clear governance framework.
At this point in the year, many comms teams are focused on what they’ll deliver: campaigns, channels, calendars, engagement initiatives.
Far fewer are asked — or given the space — to articulate the risks they’re carrying into the year ahead.
And yet, internal communications risk is organisational risk.
Why Internal Communications Risk Often Goes Unseen
Internal communications risk rarely announces itself.
It doesn’t appear as a red flag on a dashboard or a formal incident report. Instead, it accumulates quietly — across platforms, processes, behaviours, and assumptions — until someone asks a question the organisation can’t confidently answer.
Questions like:
- Can we prove this policy reached everyone it needed to?
- Do we know who acknowledged it — and when?
- Where is employee data actually stored and processed?
- Why are different teams still using different channels for critical messages?
These are not theoretical scenarios. They are the kinds of questions raised by auditors, regulators, Data Protection Officers, union representatives, and senior leaders — often during moments of heightened scrutiny or organisational pressure.
The challenge for internal comms teams is that these risks don’t sit neatly in one function. They live at the intersection of governance, technology, behaviour, and culture. Without a structured way to assess them, they remain invisible — until the impact is real.
This is precisely the gap the Internal Comms Risk Matrix is designed to address: making implicit risk visible, discussable, and prioritised.
👉 Download the Internal Comms Risk Matrix
https://updates.newzapp.co.uk/-riskmatrixlp
Why Internal Communications Risks Are Increasing
The risks facing internal communications teams aren’t new — but they are becoming harder to ignore.
Across organisations of all sizes, similar patterns keep emerging:
- A policy update is sent via email, but no one can confirm who actually received or read it.
- A DPO joins a procurement review late and flags data residency issues that were never assessed.
- Frontline or shift-based workers miss critical updates because the “primary channel” assumes desk access.
- Multiple tools are used “temporarily” by different teams — which becomes permanent, unmanaged risk.
What has changed is the context in which internal comms now operates.
Governance and data protection expectations are higher than they were even a few years ago, particularly around internal communications governance and compliance, where organisations are now expected to demonstrate the same level of accountability for employee data as they do for customer data. The UK Information Commissioner’s Office makes clear that employee data must be handled with the same rigour as customer data, including demonstrable accountability (ICO, 2023).
At the same time, hybrid and distributed working has fragmented traditional channels. “Send an email” is no longer a reliable delivery strategy for a diverse workforce (CIPD, 2023).
Add to that increasing pressure on internal comms teams to prove value, not just activity, and the tolerance for ambiguity has all but disappeared.
In this environment, relying on familiarity (“we’ve always used this”) or assumption (“people will see it”) is no longer enough.
Risk is growing because expectations have changed — and internal comms sits squarely in the middle of that shift.
How to Identify and Assess Internal Communications Risk
The Internal Comms Risk Matrix was created to reflect how risk actually shows up in internal communications — not how it appears in generic enterprise risk models.
Rather than abstract categories, it focuses on 42 real, recognisable risk scenarios, spanning:
Governance and auditability
Data protection and compliance
Inclusion and accessibility
Adoption and behaviour change
Operational resilience and ROI
Each risk is assessed using two simple but powerful dimensions:
- Likelihood: How likely is this risk to occur in your organisation?
- Impact: If it did occur, how severe would the consequences be?
- This approach does something critical: it turns vague concern into prioritised insight.
Instead of debating opinions, teams can clearly see:
- Which risks are theoretical vs imminent
- Which ones carry the greatest organisational impact
- Where mitigation will deliver the most value
It also creates a shared language for conversations with Procurement, IT, HR, and leadership — without requiring comms teams to become legal or technical experts.
👉 Use the Risk Matrix to pressure-test your plans before sign-off
https://updates.newzapp.co.uk/-riskmatrixlp
How Internal Comms Teams Use the Risk Matrix in Practice
The most effective teams aren’t treating the Risk Matrix as a one-off exercise. They’re using it as a working tool.
We see teams using it to:
- Prepare for Procurement and IT reviews with evidence rather than instinct
- Align HR, Comms, and IT early around shared risk priorities
- Challenge legacy tools objectively, without sounding subjective or resistant
- Build business cases that focus on risk reduction as well as engagement
In several cases, the Matrix has helped teams assess whether legacy tools are still fit for purpose — or whether purpose-built internal communications platforms are needed to reduce governance and operational risk, helping shift conversations away from:
“Why do we need to change?”
to:
“What risk are we accepting if we don’t?”
That reframing matters — because senior stakeholders understand risk.
Why Understanding Risk Strengthens the Role of Internal Communications
There’s a long-standing myth that internal comms should avoid talking about risk — that it feels negative, defensive, or overly cautious.
In reality, credibility comes from understanding the environment you operate in, not from ignoring it.
CIPD research consistently links trust, transparency, and clarity to organisational performance and employee confidence (CIPD, 2023). Trust isn’t built by glossing over uncertainty — it’s built by acknowledging it and showing how it’s being managed.
When internal communications teams can:
- Articulate risk in business terms
- Evidence mitigation strategies
- Align comms decisions with governance expectations
They move beyond being seen as content producers or “newsletter senders”.
They become strategic advisors — helping organisations communicate responsibly, inclusively, and defensibly.
The Internal Comms Risk Matrix supports that shift by giving teams a shared, credible framework to assess risk, justify decisions, and plan with confidence.
A Better Way to Start the Year
The start of the year is one of the few moments when organisations are genuinely open to reflection.
Before plans are finalised and budgets locked in, it’s the right time to ask:
- What risks are we carrying forward from last year?
- Which ones are growing as our organisation changes?
- Where are we relying on assumption rather than evidence?
The strongest internal communications teams don’t avoid these questions. They surface them early — and plan accordingly.
👉 Download the Internal Comms Risk Matrix and start the year with clarity, not assumptions
https://updates.newzapp.co.uk/-riskmatrixlp
Frequently Asked Questions: Internal Communications Risk
What is internal communications risk?
Internal communications risk refers to the potential organisational, compliance, or reputational issues that arise when employee communications are not delivered, received, evidenced, or governed effectively. This includes risks related to data protection, auditability, inclusion, platform limitations, and inconsistent communication practices.
Why is internal communications risk increasing?
Internal communications risk is increasing due to higher governance expectations, stricter data protection regulation, more complex workforces, and greater reliance on digital platforms. As organisations become more distributed and regulated, informal or legacy communication methods no longer provide sufficient accountability or visibility.
How can internal comms teams assess their risks?
Internal comms teams can assess risk by identifying common communication failure points and evaluating them based on likelihood and impact. A structured risk matrix helps teams prioritise which risks require immediate mitigation and which can be monitored over time.
What risks do internal communications platforms create?
Internal communications platforms can create risk when they lack audit trails, data residency controls, accessibility compliance, targeting capability, or integration with HR and identity systems. Platforms not designed for internal use may also undermine trust or fail to support governance requirements.
How does a risk matrix help internal communications planning?
A risk matrix provides a practical framework for evaluating internal communications risks alongside strategic planning. It allows teams to visualise exposure, support procurement and IT conversations, justify investment, and demonstrate due diligence during audits or leadership reviews.
Is internal communications risk a compliance issue?
Yes. Internal communications risk often intersects with compliance, particularly around data protection, accessibility, and employment regulation. Inability to evidence delivery or acknowledgement of certain messages can expose organisations to legal or regulatory challenge.
How does understanding risk help internal comms secure budget and buy-in?
When internal comms teams can articulate risk in business terms — including likelihood, impact, and mitigation — they are better positioned to justify tools, resources, and budget. Risk-aware planning aligns internal comms with governance, IT, and leadership priorities.
Who should be involved in assessing internal communications risk?
Assessing internal communications risk should involve internal comms, HR, IT, Data Protection, and where appropriate, Procurement. A shared framework helps align expectations and reduce late-stage blockers.
What is the Internal Comms Risk Matrix?
The Internal Comms Risk Matrix is a practical planning tool designed to help internal communications teams identify, score, and mitigate common risks associated with employee communications platforms and practices.
👉 Download the Internal Comms Risk Matrix
https://updates.newzapp.co.uk/-riskmatrixlp
References (Harvard)
CIPD (2023) Internal communication and employee experience. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
ICO (2023) Guide to UK GDPR. Information Commissioner’s Office. Available at: https://ico.org.uk
Speak with us and find out more
