From Metrics to Success: How to Measure Internal Communications Effectively

To improve your IC strategy, you’ll first need to measure it. In this blog, we will share tips and tricks that will help you identify what communication metrics to use to measure the success of your internal communications. 

If you notice that your employees aren’t engaged, don’t effectively collaborate, or are not aligned with the company’s vision, you may want to look at your employee communication strategy. Naturally, you would want to know which of your internal communication strategies is the most effective and keep a pulse on progress to adjust your strategy in real-time.

But how can you improve your internal communication or even make IC-related decisions if you don’t have any data to help you understand what is working well and what needs improvement?

To improve your IC strategy, you’ll first need to measure it. The thing is, there’s no unique way to measure internal communication. In this blog, we will share tips and tricks that will help you identify what communication metrics to use to measure the success of your internal communications. As well as, how to use this approach when demonstrating the value of internal comms to management to secure a vital role in driving your organization’s success.

11 reasons why measuring internal communication is necessary

Establishing a baseline through measurement helps identify areas for improvement and track progress over time

By measuring internal communication, organizations can set a starting point to understand their current communication effectiveness and identify specific areas that need improvement. Tracking progress over time allows for continuous evaluation and adjustment.

Measurement highlights key issues and critical areas for action, informing internal communications plans

Through measurement, organizations can identify and prioritize key issues and areas that require immediate attention. This information serves as a valuable guide for developing effective internal communication strategies.

Understanding attitudes and communication breakdowns helps prioritize problem-solving efforts

Measuring internal communication provides insights into employee attitudes and perceptions, and any breakdowns in communication. This understanding enables organizations to address the most critical issues and allocate resources accordingly.

Advanced statistics guide targeted interventions for maximum impact

Leveraging advanced statistical analysis helps organizations identify the areas where interventions will have the most significant impact. It allows for a focused approach, leading to more effective outcomes.

Researching employees' communication preferences allows for the practical adaptation of strategies

Measurement helps organizations gain insights into employees' communication preferences, enabling them to tailor communication strategies to resonate better with their workforce. Adapting strategies based on preferences enhances engagement and receptiveness.

Measurement determines the effectiveness of key messages and communication channels, enabling modifications for better results

By measuring the reception and understanding of key messages, organizations can assess the effectiveness of their communication channels. This information lets them refine their messaging and select the most impactful channels for improved results.

Data-driven resource allocation optimizes communication efforts and saves costs

Through measurement, organizations can analyze communication effectiveness across different dimensions and allocate resources accordingly. This data-driven approach ensures that resources are directed to areas that will yield the highest returns, optimizing both impact and cost-effectiveness.

Measuring internal communication demonstrates a commitment to change and continuous improvement

The act of measurement itself sends a strong message to employees that their voices are valued and that the organization is committed to improving communication. It fosters a culture of continuous improvement and reinforces the importance of effective internal communication.

Action based on measurement results drives accountability and facilitates the achievement of KPIs

Measurement creates accountability by providing concrete data to evaluate communication efforts. This accountability encourages leaders and managers to prioritize effective communication and align their actions with key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive success.

Internal communication metrics provide evidence of effectiveness and contribute to ROI evaluation

Measuring internal communication allows organizations to gather data and evidence to showcase the impact and effectiveness of their communication initiatives. This data can be used to evaluate internal communication efforts' return on investment (ROI) and justify resource allocation.

Effective internal communication is linked to positive outcomes such as lower turnover, increased productivity and profitability, fewer safety incidents, and improved customer relationships

Numerous studies have demonstrated the correlation between effective internal communication and positive organizational outcomes. Measuring internal communication helps organizations understand these relationships and leverage communication as a driver of success.

The question is not if you should measure your internal communication's effectiveness but how you do it.

How you can successfully measure your internal communication

When it comes to measuring internal communication, there is no one-size-fits-all list of standardized key performance indicators (KPIs).

The metrics you track should align with your organization's specific goals and objectives. To determine the right internal communication KPIs, consider the following steps:

• Clarify your goals: Identify the specific goals you want to achieve through internal communication. Do you aim to improve employee productivity, communicate the brand message, foster engagement, empower employees, or enhance employee connections?
• Evaluate impact: Assess how internal communication improves retention rates, drives employee experience, and achieves desired business outcomes.

To measure internal communication effectively, consider the following key areas suggested by experts:

• Inputs: Evaluate the resources allocated to developing and implementing internal communication strategies, ensuring their effectiveness and efficient utilization.
• Outputs: Assess the quality and alignment of shared content, examining whether it delivers the intended results and drives employee engagement.
• Satisfaction: Measure employee satisfaction with internal communication efforts, including their understanding of messages, timeliness of information, and opportunities for sharing insights.
• Out-takes: Determine if employees have received and retained the key messages, understanding the takeaways from communication initiatives.
• Outcomes: Evaluate the impact of internal communication on employee behaviors, such as their alignment with organizational goals and the influence on overall business performance.

To measure reach, engagement, and performance, you can consider the following internal communication metrics: employee app adoption rates, open rates, responses and feedback, peak times for engagement, eNPS, trends and timing, and the list goes on.

Some things to keep in mind when measuring internal communication

To effectively measure internal communication, it's crucial to gather a combination of hard data and employee sentiment to gain a clear understanding of your communication channels. According to research from Gartner, organizations are increasingly utilizing engagement data from sources beyond formal surveys, highlighting the need for a comprehensive measurement approach.

Engagement rates are an important aspect of measuring internal communication. While they can include responses or comments, the true measure of engagement lies in employee behaviors. An employee app can be a valuable tool for improving internal communication measurement. By providing direct communication channels to every employee, an employee app removes barriers and allows staff to use their preferred means of communication.

In-built modules within the app facilitate interaction, engagement, peer-to-peer cooperation, communication, and collaboration. These features make it easy to conduct surveys, polls and gather feedback from employees. You can send surveys directly to each employee, and real-time feedback enables you to gauge opinions at precise moments. An internal communications dashboard provides an overview of performance at a glance.

To ensure ongoing measurement and evaluation of internal communication, it's important to schedule regular feedback opportunities into your internal communication plan. This allows you to continuously build an accurate picture of how your metrics are performing and make adjustments as needed.

A blueprint to using internal communication metrics to strategize & prove the real value your work is bringing to the organization

Measuring your internal communication efforts' reach and engagement is crucial in understanding their effectiveness. Once you have these metrics, the next step is to analyze the results and use the insights to drive further success in your internal communications

Short-term wins can be achieved by re-targeting content and re-sending notifications to ensure your message reaches its intended audience. However, the actual value of reach and engagement metrics lies in their ability to inform long-term editorial planning and keep your content relevant and impactful. These numbers are valuable for day-to-day communication improvements and are powerful tools when presenting reports to management or conducting department performance reviews.

Modern communication solutions should make collecting and exporting results easy, streamlining generating reports with a quick CSV export. By measuring and connecting your internal communication outcomes to broader business goals, you can demonstrate your team's worth to management in concrete metrics they understand. Tangible results help you justify a bigger budget or request more manpower for your team, emphasizing the importance of your work and positioning you for a strategic seat at the decision-making table.

Knowing whether your messages are effectively reaching your workforce, including the frontline workforce, is essential. However, many internal communications professionals neglect to track the impact of their messaging regularly. To truly harness the power of internal communication, it's crucial to prioritize measurement and analysis. By leveraging the data and insights gained from reach and engagement metrics, you can enhance communication strategies, demonstrate value to management, and secure a vital role in driving your organization's success.

Don't let your internal communications efforts go unmeasured – let the data speak for itself and transform it into a powerful tool for achieving your goals.

Introducing Compass Premium - your guide to data-driven internal communication

Compass Premium is a powerful tool that transforms behavioral data into actionable insights, helping you navigate your internal communication strategy with workforce analytics.

Why workforce analytics, you may ask? Because it allows you to measure the real impact of your work, giving you a clear view of what's happening across your company. Uncover workforce analytics related to adoption, engagement, and content performance, and spot trends that will help you continuously improve.

With easy-to-read dashboards, you'll get instant answers without needing a workforce analytics expert to interpret the data for you and no setup is required. Compass Premium lets you assign colleagues to keep track of workforce analytics, giving them full visibility to take immediate action where needed.

With Compass Premium, you can make each message better than the last by knowing the most popular login times and best-performing content on your platform. Use this invaluable data to create a data-driven content calendar that continuously improves with each piece of content you deliver.

But that's not all – with Compass Premium, you can also compare performance across teams, answering questions about engagement levels and identifying any gaps. You are enabled with the insights you need to make informed decisions and drive your internal communication strategy to success.