How to set and measure internal communications KPIs? 

Measuring effectiveness was until recently considered the biggest weakness of internal communications. With the development of technology and the rise of the IC as a strategic business partner, analytics have become more commonplace. However, properly setting and measuring internal communications KPIs can still be a challenge. That’s why we explain how to do it. 

What are KPIs? 

Key Performance Indicators are a set of data that provides information about a company’s performance, its overall state, and the degree to which it is meeting its goals. To fulfill their role, KPIs should be linked to strategic goals. Moreover, throughout the process, it is important not only to determine the right indicators, but also to make appropriate conclusions based on them and take actions that will bring tangible benefits to the company, such as higher profit, engagement or productivity, or lower employee turnover.  

Analytics in internal communications 

Until a few years ago, internal communications and its activities were considered “not very measurable.” This was due to the difficulty of translating this “soft” business area into the language of numbers used by other departments. With the development of modern technology, the use of data for management and decision-making has also become available to IC specialists. Eager to prove that their area is a key driver in building the employee experience, they are increasingly turning to internal communications-specific KPIs. 

How to set and measure internal communications KPIs 

The starting point for determining the right internal communications KPIs is setting the business strategic goals of an organization, which can then be aligned with the goals of individual campaigns. There is no single fixed set of internal communications KPIs for all IC departments. The main rule is: to study what you need to draw the right conclusions. The most commonly used internal communications KPIs are: 

KPI #1 Employee satisfaction 

This can be an answer to the question: to what extent are employees satisfied with their organization’s internal communications or individual communication campaigns? Quick employee feedback will be provided by surveys or pulse-check surveys, for example. 

KPI #2 Outreach 

Modern IT tools provide accurate data on who received the message sent and when, and even how many people read it (open rate, click-through rate of internal links). Such information will allow, among other things, to better tailor communication channels to the needs of employees. 

KPI #3 Degree of use of internal tools 

How often do employees use the available tools and what do they use them for? 

KPI #4 Engagement  

The degree of employee engagement is considered one of the most important KPIs in internal communications. We’re talking about the number of comments, likes, or shares of internal communications, among other things.  It’s also the number of documents downloaded, or visuals played.  

KPI #5 Individual engagement  

Internal communications platforms allow you to study engagement on individual user profiles on an ongoing basis. These are useful indicators for identifying individuals who can be invited to employee advocacy programs, among others.  

KPI #6 Turnover rate 

This is an interesting HR indicator that, when correlated with others (e.g., engagement), helps to check the degree of effectiveness of internal communication and dialogue with employees. The data obtained is worth supplementing with in-depth feedback (e.g., with the help of surveys or exit interviews). 

KPI #7 Search terms 

High-tech internal search engines make it easier for employees to function in the organization on a daily basis, but they are also a source of knowledge about their needs and problems. Analyzing search terms, documents or messages is helpful here. 

The key to the success of successfully setting and measuring internal communications KPIs is the right tool, useful to employees and IC specialists. If, as in the case of the Workai platform, it has a powerful and comprehensive analytical module, the collected data can be easily organized and correlated with each other. Ease of use and intuitiveness also matter, because only systematic data collection will bring tangible benefits to the organization. Workai allows you to measure all the listed internal communications KPIs, so you can keep track of the effectiveness of your company’s internal comms activities. 

Read more: How to analyze intranet’s effectiveness? – 5 best practices (workai.com)