Internal communications – The underdog of communication or the hidden gem?
In my last blog post, I focused on why measurement is important and what, as marketing and communications professionals, we should be measuring in terms of our external activities. But internal communications are just as important to business.
It’s easy for people to underestimate how complex our internal audiences are, because their relationship with an organisation, their team, leadership, and messages have so many dimensions.
According to the CIPR, less than 1 in 3 employees believe CEOs have done a good job as compared to scientists or government leaders during the pandemic in building trust. Something that has become more important than ever with many people working remotely. However, on a positive note, 32% of businesses are now investing in training middle management on emotional intelligence – as the need to be visible and available to employees has increased.
The purpose of internal communications is to influence the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of a group of people within an organisation. The key is to think strategically, as effective internal communications can be the key to building a unified corporate culture that fosters mentorship and gets the most out of each employee – so really important for the success of a business.
However, according to research, 72% of employees do not have a full understanding of the company’s strategy, and 60% of companies do not have a long-term strategy for their internal communications. Those are some high percentages, and usually shows how much scope there is for internal communicators to make a big difference.
Measuring internal communications is an ongoing debate: what are you measuring? How do you measure it? And most importantly, why are you measuring it?
Internal communication relies on support from senior level. And for this support to remain, the department has to prove the investment is financially sound – which is why measurement is so important.
What should you be measuring?
The answer to this really depends on a few things – what type of organisation are you, what does success look like to you, and what impact you can have on the business strategy? These will determine what information you need to track, and how this helps measure performance.
This could include staff retention, employee engagement, or productivity rates. If you’re new to measuring, the best place to start is reviewing what internal comms channels are currently already in place i.e., an intranet or staff newsletter, and find out whether they are widely used. How many people are engaging with them? What content is most popular?
How should you be measuring?
There is no one size fits all way to measure but when you’re starting from scratch it’s nice to have some guidance. Take a look at the CIPRs (Chartered Institute of Internal Communication) measurement matrix in their 2019 report Measurement and ROI for Internal Communication. This matrix was developed to provide a guide on how to measure, so is a good starting point.
Focus on the ‘how’ and ‘what’ and practice regular and real-time reporting to gain valuable insights. Work with other departments to find insights too and allow them to understand the function and importance of internal comms – and always remember, stay connected to people, touch base regularly with people from different departments, invest in spending time with others to understand their perspective on what’s happening in the business.
The tricky parts of internal comms measurement
An important part of internal comms measurement is context. For example, if 65% of employees are engaging daily with your intranet, what does that mean? Is that good or bad? If it’s an improvement on a year ago, when it was say, 20% – then that’s great! Don’t just track your comms as a token activity, but keep in mind how it compares to previous performance and how any changes you’ve made have positively (or negatively!) impacted the business.
Outcomes like trust, employee happiness, and satisfaction might be difficult to measure. However, outputs like engagement, participation, and a clear understanding of company goals, are great targets of effective internal communications measurement that will help to guide us on our future shaping of strategy and roll out. But remember, we’re all on a journey, and it’s natural to adjust learn and adapt. Just remember to set your base, and revisit often.
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to connect with me – DM me on Linkedin or email me on louise@connectedcommssociety.com.
