We’re living in a moment when turbulence is the norm. Economic fluctuations, political uncertainty, and technological disruption (especially the rise of AI) are reshaping how people experience work and life. We recently partnered with Remesh to conduct online focus groups and dig deeper into how employees are feeling and what organizations can do to support them. The data paints a clear picture: Employees are anxious, and they’re looking to their employers for stability, clarity, and compassion.
Working with Remesh in March 2025, we surveyed 254 employees across various industries and job levels. Here’s what we found:
Despite some encouraging macroeconomic indicators, there are still reasons for concern:
Although certain data points like the cooling CPI suggest stabilization, employees continue to grapple with the emotional and financial impacts of ongoing disruptions. It’s crucial for leaders to acknowledge these challenges and respond with empathy, transparency, and action.
For you, the question is: How can you support your teams during these uncertain times? And how quickly can you do it?
Results from our study made it clear that while people don’t expect perfection, they do expect support. The most-endorsed requests included:
One respondent captured the sentiment well: “If my organization acknowledged what’s happening politically and stood in solidarity with those of us most impacted, I’d feel more secure.” (77% agreement)
Across the board, from hospitals to manufacturing to tech, employees shared similar frustrations. They want more information, more reassurance, and more visible action. Yet only 47% of health care employees and 42% in education felt effectively supported by their organizations.
We believe internal communication is one of the most powerful tools leaders have. Whether you’re communicating about benefits and rewards or policies and processes, how you talk to your people matters. Your communications shape your people’s perceptions, build and maintain trust, and enhance engagement. When communication is done well, it can transform fear into focus. When it’s missing or muddled, the expectation gap feeds disengagement and turnover.
But here’s where things get exciting. AI is opening up new ways to listen, learn, and lead.
You can enhance the human connection at scale by using AI to respond faster and smarter to your people's needs.
We’ve long believed that internal communications is business-critical. This has never been more evident than now. Especially in times of disruption, internal communications is not just about disseminating information; it’s about creating and maintaining a culture of trust, resilience, and connection.
It helps to think of communications holistically. Your people do this naturally. Other than “from work,” they don’t assign categories to the communications they receive from your organization. Knowing this makes it easy to combine strategy, behavioral insights, and creative execution. Whether you’re navigating layoffs, rolling out new AI tools, strengthening your employer brand, or rebuilding trust after disruption, make sure your people feel seen, heard, and supported every step of the way.
Benefits communications are part of the internal communication ecosystem. When we take a step back and look at internal communications as a whole, you have many opportunities to make a bigger impact and better serve your people. Aligning internal communications allows you to:
The vision of providing reassurance to your people isn’t theoretical. In the face of uncertainty, organizations must establish and maintain trust every day. To do this, ensure your internal communications:
Whether your workforce is anxious about job security, uncertain about AI, or overwhelmed by the sheer pace of change, you can make a difference when you show up with clarity and confidence.
Employees are telling us exactly what they need. They want to be seen, receive honest, consistent communication, and know that their work matters and their employer has their backs.
We’re proud to work with organizations that value their people. If you want to learn more, we’d love to talk.