Have you ever worked for a company where it feels like every department is on a different page, working toward different objectives without a care in the world of what everyone else is doing? If so, your job probably felt pretty disjointed from the rest of the company. A lack of internal communications can make it nearly impossible to get a “big picture” view of what was going on.

On the other hand, have you ever worked for a company where it felt like everyone was on the same page, working toward a singular goal propelled by a greater understanding of where individual work fit into the bigger picture? Working for a company like this probably gave you a greater sense of fulfillment. You understood what you were doing, why you were doing it and how it contributed to the success of the company.

Keeping everyone in your company on the same page may feel like an enormous task, especially if you’re growing at a rapid pace. If it starts to feel as though employees are becoming disjointed, or you’d like to prevent the disorganization from happening in the first place, think about adding an Internal Communications Specialist to your team. Although the title may differ (Public Relations Specialist, Marketing Communications Specialist), a big portion of this position is focused on effectively communicating both big and small scale ideas to the rest of the company through newsletters, emails and other forms of communication. Here are five reasons an Internal Communications Specialist would be a great addition to your team:

1. They help shape the company’s big picture

An Internal Communications Specialist can help your company better understand its big picture objectives and goals. By working directly with the marketing and public relations teams (or being a major part of those teams), the specialist not only understands the guidelines of your brand and company mission, but how to effectively communicate this information to all employees.

2. They help individuals see where they fit in

Although the big picture is important, it’s also important for employees to understand where they fit into that picture. An Internal Communications Specialist will help communicate how the company’s big picture is made possible through all the pieces (employees) working hard and knowing the importance of their day-to-day work. Self-fulfillment and understanding is, after all, a major driving force in workplace satisfaction.

3. They promote open communication

Aside from communicating general company information, your Internal Communications Specialist can help you craft an elegant piece, no matter the message. Whether they’re putting together a company newsletter, crafting a last minute email or developing a communications plan for your next company event, internal communications professionals serve as a platform for transparent communication from the top down.

4. They keep everyone ‘in-the-know’

People are curious, and they will remain curious until they have the information they want. Your internal communications professional can help appease that curiosity by providing up-to-date information your employees want and need to know in a timely manner through newsletters, emails, meetings and events. This is all important information that needs to be distributed but, without a designated person to do so, it often falls to the wayside.

5. They can help you in times of crisis

Trained to stay calm when crisis hits, an Internal Communications Specialist is apt to communicating in a high-stakes situation. Whether you need to notify your employees immediately with time-sensitive information or break some unfortunate news, internal communications professionals know how to effectively communicate a situation when time is of the essence or a delicate touch is needed.