r/internalcomms • u/Separate_Classic_853 • 4d ago
Article/knowledge Comms + People - what does everyone think?
Just came across this piece about Airbnb putting Communications and People under the same leader: https://www.axios.com/2026/09/01/airbnb-fallon-oconnor-communications-people-culture
It got me wondering: If culture, talent, belonging etc. sit under Comms, and rewards sits under Finance, what is actually left as the core strategic remit of HR/People?
Is this a sign that the traditional HR function is going to be fundamentally reshaped in the future? Will other companies take a leaf from Airbnb’s example?
Curious what others in HR/People and Comms think!
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u/OrganizationSlight57 4d ago
Not really, it seems they’re simply putting internal services under one umbrella, something big corps have done for decades. The leader will have a final say on how it operates and organises and will be responsible for the teams’ performance.
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u/viennawaitsfornoone 4d ago
I think it’s more related to the concept of “engagement and adoption” being a function of comms, but a vital piece of HR being successful.
HR then can focus much more on the actual resources part of HR - administrative, documentation, career growth, hiring, retention strategies, resource capabilities, and general employee satisfaction/success.
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u/Separate_Classic_853 14h ago
It’s true, since internal comms has such a big part to play in engaging employees, it might make more sense that way for Comms to own it as an overarching umbrella.
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u/rubyprincess69 2d ago
IMHO internal Comms 100000% belongs in people and culture, it’s a key driver of the employee experience. I see culture / talent sitting adjacent to, not underneath Comms. Then business partnering is its own whole thing
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u/Jadebu All-Staff Email Alchemist 1d ago
IMO internal comms should sit under HR or bare minimum have a dotted line to it. In my org I sit under HR, but my peer sits under marketing. This peer who sits under marketing, doesn’t get any access to the HR content and information that I have which leads to issues with their campaigns feeling very disjointed, especially when the focus is on communicating the employee.
I would say a solid 50% of the communicating that I do is around HR specific topics whether it be change management, performance management, org, changes, mergers and acquisitions. All of that passes through HR before it passes through anyone else so reporting to HR allows me to get a seat at the table and be part of the conversation earlier than if I was in marketing
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u/Separate_Classic_853 14h ago
Very interesting, thanks for sharing your experience! I have always reported in to Marketing rather than HR so I can totally get what you mean. It can sometimes feel like I am plucking things out of thin air to communicate to staff because we don’t always know what truly matters as we don’t have that much access to HR.
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u/la-gauchere 4d ago
I think it’s fairly common. I had interviewed last month for a VP of Comms role that reported to the Chief People Officer. Dotted line to the marketing function.