Day 11: Draft an Internal HR Communication

The concept

HR communication is not successful when it is sent. It is successful when people understand it and know what to do next.

This sounds obvious, but many HR messages are written as if accuracy is the only standard. Accuracy matters. But an accurate message that employees do not read, understand, or act on still fails.

AI can help HR write clearer communications faster. The real value is not just drafting. It is adapting the same information for different audiences: employees, managers, leaders, and reminder channels.

Plain English

HR communication should answer the reader's questions before it satisfies HR's need to document the announcement.

Start with the reader's question

Employees usually approach HR communications with a few simple questions:

• Does this affect me?
• What is changing?
• Why is it changing?
• What do I need to do?
• By when?
• Who can help if I am unsure?

If the message does not answer those questions quickly, people skim or ignore it.

Many HR messages begin with organisational context because that is where HR's thinking began. The reader may need that context, but usually not first. Lead with what the reader needs to know.

Choose the right format

Not every HR message should be an email.

Use different formats for different needs:

• email for formal announcements
• manager briefing for team-level explanation
• chat reminder for simple actions
• intranet post for reference material
• FAQ for recurring questions
• leadership note for rationale

AI can help create each version from the same source information. This is useful because consistency matters. Employees should not hear one version from the email and a different version from their manager.

Avoid policy language in employee messages

Policy language is often careful but hard to read.

Instead of:

Employees are reminded that all requests must be submitted in accordance with the revised approval process.

Write:

Please submit requests using the new approval form from Monday.

The second version is clearer, shorter, and easier to act on.

Plain language does not mean casual language. It means the message is easy to understand.

Tone depends on the topic

A benefits launch can be warm. A compliance reminder can be direct. A restructure update may need to be serious and careful. A policy change that employees may dislike should be clear without pretending everyone will welcome it.

AI can adjust tone, but you need to tell it what the situation requires.

Useful tone instructions include:

• warm but not promotional
• direct and factual
• reassuring without overpromising
• serious and respectful
• practical and manager-focused
• concise for a busy audience

Good tone is not decoration. It helps employees judge whether HR understands the moment.

Give managers a separate version

Managers are often the first place employees go with questions. If HR sends an announcement but gives managers no briefing, inconsistent answers appear quickly.

A manager briefing should include:

• what is changing
• why it matters
• what employees may ask
• what managers should say
• what managers should not promise
• when to refer questions to HR

This reduces confusion and protects managers from improvising on sensitive topics.

Include an FAQ

An FAQ is not filler. It is a pressure valve.

Good FAQ questions are the questions people will actually ask, not the questions HR wishes they would ask.

Examples:

• Does this apply to me?
• What happens if I miss the deadline?
• Who approves exceptions?
• Where do I find the form?
• Who should I contact with questions?

Keep answers short. If an answer requires a long explanation, the main communication may not be clear enough.

Use AI to create a communication system

For important HR updates, ask AI to produce:

• main employee message
• manager briefing note
• FAQ
• short reminder
• intranet summary
• leadership rationale

This turns one announcement into a complete communication system. It also helps HR keep the message consistent across channels.

Review for trust

Before sending, ask:

• Is the message clear about what is changing?
• Does it avoid hiding bad news?
• Does it say what people need to do?
• Does it explain deadlines?
• Does it avoid jargon?
• Does it match the seriousness of the topic?
• Would this feel respectful if I received it?

Trust is built through small communications as much as major announcements.

Build the message hierarchy

Before drafting, decide what the reader must understand first, second, and third.

A useful hierarchy is:

1. The headline: what is this about?
2. The impact: who is affected and how?
3. The action: what should people do?
4. The timing: when does it happen?
5. The support: where can people get help?
6. The rationale: why is this happening?

Many HR communications reverse this order. They begin with rationale, background, and process detail before telling the reader what has changed. That may feel safer to the writer, but it is harder for the reader.

AI can draft more clearly if you give it this hierarchy. It also helps you spot when the message is overloaded.

Handle sensitive messages directly

Some HR communications involve difficult news: process restrictions, benefit changes, office expectations, restructure updates, or policy enforcement.

Do not use warmth to hide the point. Employees can usually tell when a message is trying to soften something without saying it.

For sensitive messages:

• state the change clearly
• explain the reason without over-explaining
• acknowledge impact where appropriate
• avoid defensive language
• provide a clear route for questions
• equip managers before sending

Respectful directness is often kinder than polished vagueness.

Test the message before sending

For important communications, ask one or two trusted reviewers to answer:

• What do you think this message is asking people to do?
• What question would employees ask after reading it?
• Which sentence feels unclear?
• Does the tone match the topic?

If reviewers cannot answer the action quickly, the draft needs work.

Today's practice

Choose one real HR message. Run the prompt. Then read the output aloud.

Ask:

1. Can the reader understand the action in 15 seconds?
2. Is the tone right for the topic?
3. Does the message answer likely questions?
4. Do managers need a separate briefing?
5. What sentence sounds most like HR jargon?

By the end, you should have a communication that is easier to read, easier to act on, and easier for managers to explain.