Internal Communications Manager: Qualifications and Responsibilities

The dialogue that takes place between people is called communication, in the process of which information is exchanged. In any organization, employee interaction is impossible without communication. Intra-organizational communications are built not only horizontally, between employees, but also vertically, when employees and management participate in the dialogue.

Such interaction makes it possible to assess the efficiency of work processes and implement management decisions. And this is where the internal communications manager helps. What kind of specialist is this, what qualifications he has, what are the functional responsibilities, we will consider in the article.

Large companies interested in their all-round development have an employee whose position is called an internal communications manager. The main task of such a specialist is the formation of contacts at various levels. Often, such a position has a different name - corporate culture manager, but this does not change the essence of the set of job responsibilities.

Currently, universities do not train for the specialty of an internal communications manager. However, it is quite possible to work in this specialty if you receive specialized education in other areas, such as:

• personnel Management;
• marketing;
• social Psychology;
• media psychology;
• modern corporate communications;
• social management.

They become real professionals in this field only with the accumulation of experience, as well as the desire to learn additional skills and techniques. Such self-improvement is required for a communications specialist constantly, since his work implies not only knowledge of the basics of business and interpersonal relations, but also includes a creative component.

The responsibilities of an internal communications manager are more focused on establishing connections within the company. They are as follows:

• development of business communication systems between employees, departments and divisions on work issues;
• implementation of the process of constructive interaction between management and employees;
• stimulating the personal involvement of each employee in the company's work processes;
• increasing team spirit and cohesion within the workforce;
• creation of corporate culture, standards and mission of the company;
• work to create an external positive image of the company.

Once created, interpersonal communications within the workforce need constant support in accordance with the pace of growth and development of the company. If not given proper attention, such connections can quickly be lost or go in the wrong direction, which is desirable for the well-being of the company.

The details of the work standards of an internal communications manager are reflected in a document called a job description. The main requirements for the position include several points.

• Basic provisions - reflect the requirements for having a higher education, the required work experience of at least 3 years, knowledge of the basics of marketing, advertising and public relations, psychology, personnel management. It is important for a manager to be able to understand the hierarchy of the staff structure, be able to analyze and plan, interact with people and third-party organizations. In the same paragraph of the document, the subordination of the employee is also indicated - who is in charge of him, by whose order he is appointed and removed from office, who replaces him during vacation, illness or business trip.
• Labor functions - in general, they boil down to planning, implementing and monitoring the effectiveness of information and communication links both within the company and, to a certain extent, outside of it.
• Job responsibilities - for each organization, such a position implies its own set of actions that must be performed by an internal communications manager. Among them may be such as identifying the degree of customer satisfaction with the quality of products, drawing up a plan and financial budget for various thematic events, developing ways to integrate management decisions in the team to optimize the internal activities of the company and others.
• Rights and responsibilities - imply the scope of the employee's powers, extending to the service information requested by him, the possibility of advanced training or passing certification, and also determine the degree of responsibility to the company for the results of his work, compliance with the company's internal rules and labor regulations established by law.

Such a position implies not only the performance of official tasks within the framework of the job description, but also the manifestation of creative abilities, as well as the ability to rationally think and the ability to find contact with many people. The activities of a communication manager do not have ready-made template solutions, and each strategy developed and implemented by such a specialist is always unique and special. This work is suitable for individuals with a certain mindset and presence of charisma, and leadership qualities and a sense of tact will be good helpers on the path of professional growth.