People-Centric Internal Communication - by Emma Bridger & Lee Smith

About the Book

Develop a people-centric approach to employee communication to drive engagement, retention and staff performance.

Book Synopsis

How can you create employee communications that truly engage and retain your workforce?

People-first Internal Communication by Emma Bridger and Lee Smith is a hands-on guide for HR managers, Internal Communications leads and departmental heads who want to design strategies that put people at the heart of workplace communication.

Drawing on real-world examples from BP, Bupa, Coca Cola, HSBC, McDonald's and Virgin Media, this book shows you how to uncover what really matters to employees and shape messaging that resonates, motivates and drives performance.

You'll learn how to:
- Discover employee needs using empathy mapping and personas
- Design communication strategies that reflect workforce priorities
- Harness the role of emotion to strengthen engagement
- Measure impact beyond satisfaction surveys to track what truly matters

Packed with models, templates and proven tools, People-first Internal Communication equips mid and senior-career professionals to update their communication approach, embed it in daily operations and build a culture where people feel informed, valued and motivated to contribute their best work.

Themes include: internal communications strategy, employee engagement, empathy mapping, culture building, communication measurement

Review Quotes

"People-first Internal Communication is the book for strategic communicators of the future. It's the wake up call the profession needs."-- "Jenni Field, Leadership credibility and organizational communication expert"

"Emma and Lee have given us more than a book; they've given us a framework for re-imagining our role, reclaiming our value, and reminding ourselves why people are-and must always be-at the heart of Internal Communication."-- "Priya Bates, ABC, SCMP, IABC Fellow, President, Inner Strength Communication Inc"

"Emma and Lee have written a complete and compelling guide to reenergizing internal communication for the complexities of the contemporary workplace."-- "Bruce Daisley, Sunday Times bestselling author"

"Emma and Lee's insightful book is steeped in experience. It coaches the communicators of today, to unlock tomorrow's potential."-- "Rachel Miller, Founder All Things IC, Author of Internal Communication Strategy"

"Lee and Emma bring both passion and pragmatism to the future of internal communication, showing us how connection is the true driver of trusted, agile, and resilient organizations. A must-read for anyone committed to shaping the future of our profession."-- "Jennifer Sproul, Chief Executive, Institute of Internal Communication"

"A genuinely inspiring, refreshing and, yes, challenging read."-- "Belinda Gannaway, team and systems coach, Ocelli XP"

"At a time when technology and AI threaten to strip away the human side of our work, this book puts the people at the heart of communication."-- "Advita Patel, CIPR President 2025"

"AI isn't the end of employee communications. It's the reboot we've been waiting for. This book shows you the way."-- "Steve Crescenzo, Founder & CEO, Crescenzo Communications"

"Easily the best book I've read all year and bang on for such a time as this."-- "Eduvie Martin, Past President, International Association of Business Communicators"

"Packed with examples and case studies, the passion, energy and wisdom of the authors can be felt on every page."-- "Hilary Scarlett, author of Neuroscience for Organizational Change"

"This book captures the essence of what internal communication should always be about: human connection and engagement. The guidance provided will help practitioners to develop exciting new skills and shake off some of the shackles of an over-emphasis on information delivery."-- "Dr Kevin Ruck, Internal comms tutor, researcher & author"

"This book comes at exactly the right time and is a must read for anyone working in employee engagement."-- "Nick Andrews, Business Development Director, Sequel Group"

"This book lands at exactly the right moment for anyone looking to put people back at the centre of how we communicate. No fluff, just the practical stuff needed to make it work."-- "Janet Hitchen, International Communication Leader & Strategist"

"This is a true masterpiece that propels internal comms into the future of work-where we are integral to putting people at the heart of organizations, right where they belong."-- "Jo Coxhill, Employee Experience, Internal Comms & Workplace Culture Consultant"

"What Emma and Lee have achieved is the articulation of a blueprint to redesigning a future-ready IC team to leverage our greatest asset, the people we serve."-- "Frank Dias, Founder & CEO, Ai x Comms Lab"

"What Emma and Lee have shared with us here will ring in a new, melodic, heart-led way to be people-first about our comms."-- "Perry Timms, Chief Energy Officer, PTHR"

"With AI it's evolve or die for IC practitioners: it's an extinction event. But this book sets out the new opportunity for internal comms to communicate and lead."-- "Marc Wright, Founder of Simply Communicate and Digital Strategist, Gallagher"

About the Author

Emma Bridger is one of the world's leading employee engagement and experience experts. She is the founder of People Lab and co-founder of The EX also the author of Employee Engagement and Employee Experience by Design, both published by Kogan Page. She is based in Brighton, UK.

Lee Smith played pivotal roles in shaping employee communication and engagement at some of the world's leading organizations. He was the co-founder of Gatehouse and the co-founder of The EX Space. He helped develop one of the first competency frameworks for internal communication and is based near Shrewsbury, UK.