I am extremely annoying. 

My number one strength is individualization – and so, by definition, if I’m asked for advice or a recommendation, I’m much more likely to say, “Well… it depends,” than provide you with a straightforward answer. For example…

You: What show should I binge watch next?
Me: Well… it depends. Do you want comedy or drama? Something quick (20 episodes or less) or something you can get into for a while? 30 minutes or 60 minutes? “Reality” or scripted? And so on. 

You: What’s a good benchmark for [internal communications channel]?
Me: Well... it depends. What’s the goal of [channel]? Who is your primary audience? What are the primary problems you’re trying to solve, and why do those problems matter? And so on. 

See? Annoying. Self-aware, but annoying nonetheless! 

As Brilliant Ink’s Head of Research, I am often asked about the "best" way to measure internal communications, or how to make a business case for employee engagement, or even recommendations for “good” internal communications benchmarks… can you guess my usual response? 

“Well... it depends.”

Your approach to data and measurement – and the way you ultimately end up telling a story with that information – should be as personalized and tailored as your Netflix recommendations. And those recommendations depend on you. 

To help you uncover what makes the most sense for you, here are 10 tools and resources for measuring internal communications your way. ‍

@linkList;Jump to a section or read on: ;What To Measure;How to Make an Internal Communications Business Case;Measuring Your Day-To-Day Communications;Keeping Measurement Top of Mind;Telling Your Measurement Story

WHAT TO MEASURE

1. PRSA: 22 Standards to Measure and Shape Internal Communications

I love this list of Outtakes, Outcomes and Organizational Impact from PRSA – but more importantly, I love their advice beforehand: 

“Organizations don’t need to measure or work on all 22 standards concurrently. An ideal first step is to identify a few standards in the outtakes, outcomes and organizational impact categories, or to focus on just one category. We recommend that organizations ask employees to help select the standards they consider most important, which helps improve communication and workplace culture.”

2. Brilliant Ink: A Brilliant Approach to Assessing and Planning Your Employee Experience

Brilliant Ink’s own POV on getting started with an employee-based research project, and how to gather some (seriously credible) qualitative employee sentiment data. 

3. CIPR Inside: Top Tips for Internal Communications Measurement

Actionable tips for measuring your communications effectiveness through employee engagement. Bonus: Scroll down towards the bottom where the author shares several helpful tips for effective survey design. 

HOW TO MAKE AN INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS CASE

4. Panopto: Knowledge Sharing Calculator

According to video CMS platform Panopto, 81% of employees are frustrated when they cannot access the information they need to properly do their job. If only they had a revamped intranet to help them out! 

Make the case for your new intranet (or prove ROI for your existing intranet) by calculating the cost of lost productivity when employees can’t find information easily with Panopto’s Knowledge-sharing Calculator. While you’re at it, check out the rest of Panopto’s 2019 Workplace Productivity Report. These stats will blow your mind. 

5. Enboarder: Employee Turnover Cost Calculator

According to Enboarder, even though analytics and metrics have brought transparency to many parts of organizations, many businesses still do not have the systems in place to track HR-related areas such as recruiting, interviewing, orientation and training, lost productivity and exit costs. Without measurement, the real cost of employee turnover is often unknown. Check out Enboarder’s Employee Turnover Cost Calculator. 

6. SnapComms: The Cost of Ineffective Communications Calculator

As the number of available communications channels increases, the amount of communications floating around your organization will also inevitably increase. That’s why several of Brilliant Ink’s recent projects have been geared towards helping our clients get organized and reduce the noise within their internal communications landscape. This isn’t a small undertaking, but SnapComm’s Internal Communications Investment Calculator does a great job illuminating the benefits you'll experience once you have focused, streamlined communications.  

MEASURING YOUR DAY-TO-DAY COMMUNICATIONS

7. CMS Wire: 6 Ways to Measure Your Intranet’s Effectiveness

The title of this article from CMS Wire is misleading – it’s more like 30 ways to measure effectiveness. Plus, these ideas can be used for the intranet and most of your other internal communications channels.

8. Happeo: 12 Indicators to Track Intranet Success

Similar to #7, there are several tips here that can be applied across multiple internal communications channels. The article’s comprehensive list includes topic areas, ideas for how to measure, and some sample KPIs for inspiration. 

KEEPING MEASUREMENT TOP OF MIND

9. AMEC: Integrated Framework Tool

This handy-dandy tool requires a lot of forethought and planning. However, if you complete the framework with enough actionable detail, it can serve as a hell of a North Star – helping you keep your big objectives top-of-mind as you navigate the day-to-day.  

TELLING YOUR MEASUREMENT STORY

10. Brilliant Ink: Numbers to Stories Toolkit

How do we get people to care about, and see the value of our work, as much as we do? By telling an effective story with our data. Check out our toolkit for how to translate your internal communications metrics into actionable and insightful stories.

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So remember...

Find the right combination of tools, stats, and frameworks to help you shape your story, make your case, and demonstrate your brilliance. Your measurement strategy depends on you. But… if you need help narrowing it down, we’re here to help.

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