Gallagher Report Reveals 61% of Firms Lack Change Communication Strategy Despite Prioritizing It

Event summary

  • 61% of organizations lack a formal change communication strategy, despite ranking it as their most pressing need.
  • 83% of respondents report information overload as a growing problem, leading to a 30% rise in leader trust risk and 24% increase in burnout risk.
  • 69% of firms have fewer than six people in a communications role, with one in three having no budget for internal communications.
  • Only 15% of organizations have an active, socialized Employee Value Proposition (EVP), while 37% lack one entirely.
  • 63% of HR and IC professionals are still in the experimentation phase of AI integration, with just 5% reporting optimized integration.

The big picture

Gallagher's 2026 Employee Communications Report highlights a critical disconnect between the prioritization of change management and the lack of strategic investment in communication resources. As organizations face constant change and increasing pressure on internal teams, the report underscores the need for structured approaches to communication, AI integration, and EVP implementation to sustain employee engagement and trust. The findings reflect broader industry trends where under-resourced teams are stretched thin, risking burnout and eroding leader trust.

What we're watching

Resource Allocation
How firms will address the gap between expectations and capacity in internal communications and HR teams.
AI Integration
The pace at which organizations will move from experimentation to optimized AI integration in HR and IC workflows.
EVP Adoption
Whether organizations will prioritize embedding EVPs into day-to-day communications to drive consistency, especially among frontline employees.

Related topics

Employee Engagement