I have been pleasantly surprised by the increased prominence of employee/internal communications skills required in PR and corporate communications job descriptions. In the past, employee communications was too often an orphaned job, delegated to the HR department, and revolved mostly around benefit communications and administrative notices. Internal communications planning around major initiatives was an afterthought bolted on to the tail of a more considered external communications plan. It was only the belated realization by corporations that -- thanks to the social media revolution -- every employee is effectively a company spokesperson and ought to be treated as such. Employees are an audience that should be engaged as thoughtfully and deeply as any prospect, customer, influencer or media member. It's heartening to see more companies getting on board with this notion and demanding that their communications departments (or partners) bring the same degree of creativity, consistency, tech savvy and respect to internal communications as they to do external programs.