Organizations vulnerable: 1 in 5 employees misses important internal information

An increasing number of employees are losing track due to the vast amount of internal information coming their way every day. A survey of 1,085 Dutch employees conducted by PanelWizard on behalf of Netpresenter, developer of communication software, reveals that as many as 21% are not aware of the latest news and developments within their own organization.

Failing to keep employees properly informed can have far-reaching consequences. “Organizations become vulnerable on multiple fronts,” says Frank Hoen, CEO of Netpresenter. “When employees do not absorb (important) information in a timely manner, this can result in lower engagement, safety risks, decreased productivity, and so on.”

Important updates get lost in the noise

One major reason why employees miss information is the sheer volume of messages they receive. Nearly one in three (32%) states that they receive so many emails and other messages that they cannot read everything and therefore miss information. According to Hoen, this is precisely the issue in today’s workplace: “We are flooded with information nowadays: think of excessive email traffic and continuous messaging from Big Tech platforms such as WhatsApp. The more channels there are, the greater the chance that crucial updates will be overlooked.”

Employees are willing, but intranet and email fall short

This overload of messages makes traditional communication channels such as email and intranet increasingly ineffective in properly informing employees. Nevertheless, no less than 71% of employees feel responsible for keeping track of news or important updates. At the same time, more than a third (36%) admit that they do not check the intranet daily. “That is a dangerous paradox,” says Netpresenter. “Crucial updates easily fade into the background. That is why organizations need to use communication more proactively and purposefully, ensuring that important information not only reaches employees but also sticks,” Hoen adds.

Organizations literally lag behind the facts

In addition, nearly one in three employees (31%) believes that their organization shares news too late or communicates unclearly. “Companies still rely too often on traditional tools that no longer match today’s work habits,” says Netpresenter. “Employees are more mobile, work more frequently in hybrid settings, and have less time and attention. As long as internal communication does not align with this modern work behavior, organizations remain unnecessarily vulnerable.”