Measurement is a key priority and ongoing challenge for internal communicators. Without straightforward, tangible metrics enjoyed by functions like sales and marketing, internal communicators are constantly searching for meaningful ways to demonstrate the impact of their work. In today’s difficult economic climate, with team budgets and headcounts under threat, it has never been more crucial for comms teams to showcase their business value effectively.
“People are saying to comms, ‘prove your worth’, so measurement has become even more critical.”
Comms leader
Outputs vs. outcomes
Over the last few decades, communicators have made big strides with measurement, effectively developing a common set of metrics to assess performance, including surveys, engagement rates, click-throughs, readership and online traffic.
However, while this data provides valuable insights into comms activities and outputs, it only reveals part of the picture. Communicators need to go beyond clicks and ‘likes’ to understand what employees know, how they feel, and how their behaviour has changed. It’s the outcomes that are meaningful, not just the outputs. Imagine having an impressive open rate for a company-wide email—the 70% statistic only tells you so much. It doesn’t reveal how the message was received or acted upon—and that’s where the true value lies.
“A lot of businesses measure activity but not impact. You need to ask what the data means.”
Comms leader
So how can communicators go beyond the vanity metrics and the transactional data? How can we measure what our employees know, how they feel and how their behaviour has changed because of our activities?
We need to listen.
Measurement as listening
At Kademy, we believe effective measurement comes from marrying a data-led approach with a genuine, people-led approach. It’s about combining the quantitative and qualitative data. The numbers we get from running polls and surveys are critical, but we need to know more. Continuous listening enables us to get a real, in-depth understanding of our employees’ perspectives. It also helps us to spot notable shifts, which is especially important in a VUCA world where change is rapid.
So how can you listen well?
The great thing about this approach is that it requires a people-centric mindset – something that communicators excel at. However, it also requires an active change in tactics to establish an ongoing conversation with our employees.
Practically, you might want to consider whether your existing channels provide a clear picture of the employee voice. Are there any qualitative methods you can adopt or incorporate, for example, an open response box on your CEO’s latest blog? Can you gather real-time feedback following town halls? Can you create opportunities for conversation between your leaders and your employees?
You can think of qualitative data as adding context to your quantitative data. While you might know that half of your employees opened the email about the new channel launch, the number itself doesn’t reveal how people feel.
Listening for business success
By listening effectively, you will have more meaningful data to share with your stakeholders about the outcomes of your activities and, ultimately, the value of your comms function. Moreover, it allows you to make decisions rooted in a comprehensive understanding of your employees’ perspectives. At a time where employees increasingly expect companies to actively listen and act upon their feedback, listening has never been more critical for business success.
Give your team the skills to listen effectively
Despite being a critical skill, measurement is often one of the lowest-scoring areas among communicators, according to Kademy data. That’s why we’ve developed tailored training to help your comms team adopt a listening mindset and conduct effective comms measurement.
Led by an expert trainer, our course will equip your team with:
- A comprehensive understanding of what it means to measure by listening.
- The confidence and knowledge to conduct qualitative analysis.
- A handy measurement tool for conducting rigorous data analysis.
- A listening tool they can use for day-to-day planning.
Get in touch today to discuss how your team can benefit from Kademy’s measurement training.
