Somehow, we’re not surprised by the news that internal communications professionals overwhelmingly reject the idea that they should be part of their organisation’s HR function. It’s not that one discipline is inferior or superior to the other; rather that the two disciplines require their own skill set. Almost nine out of 10 (87%) of internal comms (IC) professionals quizzed by the British Association of Communicators in Business (CiB) said that their function should sit somewhere other than HR as a separate discipline, with many stressing that IC needs to be as close to the top as possible and most arguing that it’s role is pivotal to the company’s success. Below is a snapshot of respondent’s opinions: “Communications is better when it’s not associated with any particular function, but rather is viewed independently and objectively by employees.” “It requires a different skill set, and representatives from communications should be in attendance with HR personnel, not represented by HR”. “The art of IC is giving voice to management that can be heard and understood by employees. IC as a profession is distinct from HR, although both have the same audience.” “Communications professionals are increasingly being called on to shape or influence the business landscape from the start – in their own right, not as an after thought. Value is placed on us being able to apply creative thinking to not only deliver communications, but also in helping organisations to ‘walk the talk’ and take advantage of those opportunities.”