Have your say in Gallagher’s State of the Sector survey 

How effectively does communication translate into what employees actually believe, experience, and do, and how does that translate into real business value? 

It’s one of the questions behind Gallagher’s 2026/27 State of the Sector survey, which Interact is supporting in partnering with Gallagher. The research gives internal communication, employee experience, and people professionals an opportunity to share what is happening inside their organizations and contribute to a wider industry benchmark. 

This year’s 48-question survey explores organizational health, year-on-year trends, employee belief and action, workplace friction, and culture.

What does the State of the Sector survey cover? 

The State of the Sector survey looks beyond whether organizations are communicating with employees to explore what happens as a result. 

An organization may have a clearly defined strategy and established communication channels, for example, without employees necessarily understanding what is expected of them or believing in the direction the organization is taking. 

The research explores that relationship through five key areas: 

• Organizational health 

• Year-on-year benchmarking 

• Employee belief and action 

• Removing friction from the employee experience 

• How organizations describe and shape culture 

Together, these areas can provide a clearer picture of where communication translates into employee understanding and action, and where gaps remain. 

Why does benchmarking internal communication matter? 

Benchmarking helps communication teams understand how their experiences compare with those of other organizations. 

Year-on-year findings can also reveal how priorities and challenges are changing. Employee engagement, channel effectiveness, leadership communication, culture, and information overload continue to evolve alongside the workplace itself. 

For internal communicators, that wider context can provide useful evidence when reviewing strategy, technology, resources, and ways of working. 

Where does friction affect the employee experience? 

Even small barriers can make it harder for employees to access information and act on it. 

An employee might struggle to find the information they need, receive communications that aren’t relevant to their role, or encounter conflicting messages across different systems and channels. Individually, these problems may appear minor. Combined, they can make everyday tasks unnecessarily difficult. 

Identifying where that friction exists can help organizations understand where communication and the wider employee experience need to improve. 

What can communication tell us about organizational culture? 

Communicating an organization’s values doesn’t necessarily mean employees experience them. 

If collaboration is an organizational priority, for example, employees also need the information, tools, and working practices that allow them to collaborate effectively. The same principle applies to values such as transparency, trust, and innovation. 

Looking at the relationship between what an organization says and what employees experience can reveal where culture is being reinforced in everyday work, and where there may be a disconnect. 

Have your say in Gallagher’s 2026/27 State of the Sector survey 

The State of the Sector research relies on perspectives from professionals experiencing these challenges first-hand. 

By taking part in this year’s survey, you can contribute your organization’s experience to Gallagher’s wider industry benchmark. 

Interact will also be exploring the findings when the report is released, looking at what the data reveals about internal communication and the evolving employee experience.