📺 Internal Communications Introductions: Meet Brianna Barker

Senior Director, Employee Communications at PBS

I enjoyed talking with Brianna Barker to learn about her career path. This is her internal communications story.

About Brianna

Brianna is a strategic communications professional with more than 15 years of experience working with large global companies and brands to develop effective internal communications and employee engagement initiatives. She is currently the Senior Director of Employee Communications at PBS, where she leads all internal communications. She is passionate about creating content that strengthens PBS’s culture, inspires employees to do their best work, and helps PBSers feel connected to the essential mission of public television. 

Prior to her arrival at PBS, while living and traveling abroad, Brianna ran her own communications consultancy. She worked with various organizations on internal communications and employee engagement campaigns – including Qlik (a global software and business analytics company), TEGNA (a U.S. media company) and the United States Agency for International Development. 

Earlier in her career, Brianna was the Director of Corporate Communications at Gannett, where she was responsible for internal, executive, and philanthropic communications. Prior to that, she consulted at Goldman Sachs & Co. in the Office of Corporate Engagement on philanthropic initiatives including Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses and Community TeamWorks. She has also held communications roles at (RED), a charity that works with the world's most iconic brands to help fund the fight against HIV/AIDS, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Rubenstein Communications. 

Brianna holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Concordia University in Irvine, California. She currently resides in Bethesda, Maryland with her family. She loves to travel, has visited more than 30 countries and lived on three continents.

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What sparked your professional path into Internal Communications? 

Like many internal communicators, I started my career in traditional media relations. I used to enjoy the glitz and glamour of red-carpet events and high-profile crisis communications, but I soon realized that my passion was working with non-profits and purpose driven organizations.

I became interested in internal communications during my work with (RED), the organization founded by Bono to partner with some of the world's most iconic brand to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. While my role largely focused on external communications, I had the opportunity to help some of our partner brands, such as Bugaboo and Nike, figure out how to communicate the mission and impact of (RED) to their employees.

That piqued my interest in internal comms, and I’ve never looked back. It has become my passion to engage people around shared values and find ways to connect purpose to organizational success. 

How do you describe internal communications to others?

Officially, I say that my job is to ensure every employee understands our mission, purpose, corporate policies and how they can align their day-to-day work with our companywide goals.

Unofficially, I describe myself as an air traffic controller, journalist, therapist, and organizer of chaos - basically, a Jill of all trades! I’ve seen again and again that communicators (both internal and external) are the last stop before a product, service or idea is shared with the world.

We’re the ones crossing the T’s and dotting the I's - making sure the policies are robust, the timeline realistic, the objectives clear, and the details finalized. 

What is one project you are particularly proud to have accomplished? 

PBS’s response to COVID-19. At the start of the pandemic, we were not a remote friendly workplace. Very few employees teleworked and, despite having the tools, we didn’t have the experience of leading a majority-remote organization. In a matter of weeks, we shifted more than 95% of our workforce to exclusive telework.

Early on during the pandemic, we were communicating with our employees almost daily, and for the past 17 months we’ve maintained a steady drumbeat of information, ensuring that our team is fully informed, engaged and able to do their best work. In a recent survey, 98% of employees indicated satisfaction with company-wide communication during this prolonged telework period, and I view that metric as the most important measure of our success.

What are the skills that are most important for someone to succeed in Internal Communications?

Strong relationships, active listening, and the ability to distill lots of information into succinct and helpful communications. I also find that being highly organized is necessary to effectively do this role. 

How do you continue learning about the field of Internal Communications

I’m an information junkie. Staying plugged in to what’s happening across the country and around the world makes me better at my job. As just one example, I recently listened to an excellent episode of HBR’s IdeaCast about building successful hybrid teams, which has been helpful as we determine the future workplace of PBS and how we communicate our plans with employees.

And I’m currently reading, Erica Dhawan’s book, Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance. Most importantly, I stay engaged with my colleagues, and I’m fortunate to work with an amazing group of people who are constantly sharing articles, resources, tips and ideas.  

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