Workplaces in Wales are officially the most collaborative and efficient in the UK, outperforming all other regions when it comes to breaking down departmental barriers.
A study of 2,000 UK employees, carried out by OnePoll on behalf of communications company Herkess Marketing, has revealed that Wales is the most successful in the UK at tackling the crisis of “silo working.”
Just 27% of Welsh respondents stated that work often gets repeated or done wrong because different teams don't communicate properly. This represents the lowest rate of friction for workplace communication in the UK, putting Welsh businesses ahead of England (33%), Northern Ireland (42%), and Scotland (44%).
The research highlights a contrast in leadership styles across the UK. While bosses in Scotland and England focus heavily on top-down executive visibility, Welsh leaders appear to focus on horizontal teamwork on the ground. This was shown as only 41% of Welsh workers knew the name of the person in charge of running their business—lower than England (45%) and Scotland (49%).
The findings suggest that while Welsh boardroom members maintain a lower personal profile, their companies are much more effective at building functional, connected internal networks.
However, despite leading the UK in day-to-day team communication, the study has shown that Welsh businesses still have a critical gap when it comes to sharing formal operational guidance, health and safety information, and delivering risk awareness training.
Despite the ongoing threat of phishing attacks, 71% of Welsh employees have never been given any training or advice on managing cyber risk at work.
More than half of Welsh workers (52%) say they have never been given clear, practical guidance on how to do their job properly.
Around two-thirds of Welsh respondents have been left completely unsupported regarding basic health and safety advice, receiving zero communication on how to manage workplace stress (71%) or the correct posture for sitting at a desk (60%).
The data also reveals that Welsh workers highly value this collaborative culture. When asked to rate their organisation's internal communication, only a third (33%) rated their employers a five out of ten or less (compared to 54% in Northern Ireland). Furthermore, when asked if they would be even happier in their jobs if internal communication was better, 55% gave the answer that they were ‘neutral' on the subject.
The research was conducted by competitive advantage consultancy Herkess Marketing, which advises businesses on internal communication strategies.
Emma Radcliffe, Founder of Herkess Marketing commented:
“When so many workers across the rest of the UK are duplicating tasks or doing them wrong because different teams and departments aren't communicating properly, Welsh businesses are setting a great example.
“All too often, businesses take it for granted that their staff know everything they should, but our research shows that Wales is genuinely leading the charge in keeping teams connected.
“It proves that top-down boardroom visibility isn't what keeps a business running efficiently—it's the day-to-day communication between teams that actually matters. If Welsh companies can maintain this collaborative edge while addressing the gaps in formal training and cyber security guidance, they will remain the gold standard for workplace productivity in the UK.”
The study has been used to create a white paper called ‘The Competitive Edge' which is free to download on the Herkess Marketing website.
