How to Create and Measure Internal Communication Impact

Internal communication is about far more than just circulating company updates or organisational news.

When done effectively, internal comms transforms the way employees connect with their roles, enhances engagement and strengthens overall organisational performance. Transparent communication is crucial for empowering employees and enhancing morale.

When employees understand the company's vision and the rationale behind decisions, it can foster a sense of ownership and inclusion, leading to greater trust and overall job satisfaction.

However, what does it take to create internal communication that genuinely resonates at every level of an organisation, from leadership down to frontline staff and how can you confidently measure and demonstrate the effectiveness of your efforts?

As organisations develop new initiatives, internal communication strategies must be regularly reevaluated to ensure employee engagement and alignment with the company's objectives.
In this blog, ITPR’s PR Director and internal comms specialist, Anthony Monks, discusses how internal communication leaders can ensure their strategies make a lasting impact and deliver measurable outcomes.

Introduction to Internal Communication

Internal communication is the process of sharing information and ideas within an organisation to achieve its goals and objectives. Effective internal communication is crucial for building trust, fostering collaboration and driving employee engagement.

It involves delivering targeted messages through multiple channels to reach all employees, regardless of their location or role. A well-planned internal communication strategy is essential for connecting with employees, facilitating two-way dialogue and gathering feedback.

Ultimately, impactful internal communication plays a vital role in keeping employees informed, aligned and engaged with the company’s mission and vision.

What is Impactful Internal Communication ?

Impactful internal communication means delivering messages that resonate deeply with your employees, influencing their attitudes, behaviours and alignment with organisational goals.
It’s not simply about information distribution, it's about creating clarity, fostering commitment, driving action, and instilling purpose across your workforce.

Equally crucial is ensuring that all key stakeholders clearly understand and appreciate the objectives and potential outcomes of internal communication initiatives.

Why Impactful Communication is Key 

Impactful internal communication is essential because it bridges the gap between organisational vision and employee engagement.It ensures everyone understands their role within the broader mission, fostering motivation, clarity, and a strong company culture that promotes a sense of belonging.

Organisations that achieve impactful internal comms typically experience higher productivity, lower staff turnover, and greater employee satisfaction, all of which directly contribute to overall success. An engaged workforce is cultivated through transparent communication, which fosters a sense of ownership among employees.

Developing an Internal Comms Strategy

Developing an effective internal comms strategy requires a deep understanding of the organisation’s goals, objectives and culture. It involves identifying the key elements of the strategy, such as the target audience, communication channels and messaging.

A good internal comms strategy should be tailored to the organisation’s specific needs and should include a clear purpose, processes and channels. Internal communicators should work closely with senior management to develop a strategy that aligns with the business goals and objectives.

The strategy should also include a plan for measuring the success of the internal communication efforts and gathering feedback from employees.

Setting Goals and Objectives

Setting clear goals and objectives is essential for developing an effective internal communication strategy. The goals and objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART).

They should also align with the organisation’s overall business strategy and objectives. Internal communicators should work with senior management to identify the key goals and objectives of the internal communication strategy, such as increasing employee engagement, improving communication, or driving business results.

The goals and objectives should be communicated clearly to all employees and should be used to guide the development of the internal communication strategy.

How do you Create Impactful Internal Communication?

Align Your Communication with Organisational Goals 

Always ensure your internal communication strategy directly supports your organisation’s overarching objectives.

By clearly connecting messages to broader business goals and the company's vision, employees can see their role in the larger picture, enhancing their motivation and sense of purpose. 

Secure Stakeholder Understanding and Buy-in 

It’s vital to gain the understanding and active support of key stakeholders, including senior leaders, senior management departmental leaders.

Clearly articulate the value of impactful internal communication by highlighting its role in driving business performance, boosting productivity and improving employee engagement.

Also, ensure to involve stakeholders early, making sure they are integral to both the strategy formulation and implementation process.

Know Your Audience

Invest time in understanding your employees’ diverse needs, preferences and challenges.
Effective communication must be audience-centric, tailored to roles, locations, workstyles and employee expectations to ensure maximum resonance and effectiveness.

This includes recognising the unique communication needs and challenges of frontline employees, who often lack direct access to formal communication channels like emails. 

Utilise Multiple Communication Channels

Employees engage with messages differently. Utilising a multi-channel approach, including emails, intranets, messaging platforms, town halls, and face-to-face interactions, helps ensure your communications reach everyone effectively, from top executives to frontline teams.

Encourage Two-Way Communication 

Promote open, transparent dialogue and feedback loops. When employees feel genuinely listened to, their engagement, sense of purpose, and commitment increase.

Gather feedback to enhance engagement and create a culture of inclusion. Effective internal communication thrives as an ongoing conversation, rather than a one-way announcement.

Ensure Clarity and Consistency 

Messages must be clear, concise, and consistent across all platforms. Clear communications reduce misunderstandings and build trust, ensuring key points are easily understandable. Avoid jargon and complexity.

Clear, consistent messaging reduces misunderstandings, builds trust, and helps messages resonate effectively throughout your organisation.

Building an Effective Communication Team

Building an effective communication team is critical for developing and implementing an internal communication strategy. The team should include internal communicators, line managers and other stakeholders who can provide input and support.

The team should be responsible for developing and implementing the internal communication strategy, as well as measuring its success and gathering feedback from employees.

Internal communicators should have the necessary skills and knowledge to develop and implement an effective internal communication strategy, including communication skills, project management skills and knowledge of the organisation’s culture and goals.

Measuring the Impact of Internal Communication

Proactive measurement helps confirm that your internal communication activity delivers tangible results. A practical guide can provide essential elements for effective internal communication planning, making it easier to measure impact.

Below, I offer some proven effective measurement approaches:

Track Engagement Levels 

Monitor open rates, click-through rates, and employee participation in company initiatives or events. High engagement indicates effective employee communications and overall communication strategies.

Gather Employee Feedback

Allowing employees to share their feedback is crucial for creating an inclusive environment. Regularly conduct surveys, pulse checks and informal discussions to gather both qualitative feedback, which reveals how communications impact engagement and morale, and quantitative data, such as open rates and participation metrics, to track trends and measure effectiveness.

Evaluate Behavioural Changes 

Engage employees to drive measurable shifts in behaviour aligned with your communication goals, such as increased adoption of new procedures, greater attendance at events, or improved collaboration across teams.

Link Communication to Performance Metrics 

Internal communication strategies play a crucial role in achieving specific performance metrics such as productivity, retention rates, or customer satisfaction levels.

Where feasible, connect your communication efforts directly to these organisational performance indicators.

Benchmark and Compare

Many organisations compare current communication metrics against past performance or external benchmarks regularly.

This analysis helps identify trends, strengths and improvement areas.

Importance of Stakeholder Engagement in IC Success 

Achieving real impact through internal communication relies heavily on the function responsible for engaging stakeholders and ensuring their understanding and active support.

When organisational leaders grasp and advocate for effective communication, they become influential champions, strengthening your messages and significantly boosting the perceived value and success of internal communication throughout the organisation.

Effective internal communication is intentional, strategic and measurable.

By aligning your communications with organisational goals, gaining stakeholder buy-in, deeply understanding your audience and rigorously evaluating outcomes, you can create an effective internal communications strategy that informs, inspires and empowers every employee, driving sustained organisational success.