Every workplace has some sort of internal comms framework; whether it’s formalised or otherwise, there are platforms or processes that help a business run. If, as many businesses have, you notice a few warning signs such as: no one knows where anything is, the engagement of employees is continuing to drop and change has become harder to implement - then it may be time to conduct your internal comms audit. However, the next question you may have is how?

So, here’s the process in six easy steps:

1. Set the scope

   Understand what you want to learn from the audit, and set the expectations before you start it. For example, is it that you wish to understand what channels are working and which ones aren’t, or is it a broader scope, such as looking into the type of content, how it’s packaged and delivered, the role of leadership communication in internal comms, etc. Get clear on your scope and what you want the output of this process to be so you can easily explain to stakeholders what you’re doing and why.

2. Gather the data

   Look at all the analytics from your channels and see what the trends are. This means checking when Teams is used or not, alongside if you have analytics on your internal emails - do you have data on what content gets the most click-throughs, open rates, etc.? This step is all about measuring outputs more than outcomes, though it will give you some baseline data that can be really informative in planning the future direction of your IC. Remember, this type of measurement doesn’t give you a ‘why.’

3. Reflect on the work so far

   Reflect on the work you’ve done in the last year and think about what seemed to work well - such as helping to get a big change over the line or getting employees to understand the purpose and strategy of the organisation. Don’t forget, this is where you can reflect and learn from all experiences, including the ones that weren’t as smooth sailing. In fact, what didn’t work is super valuable intel as well because it provides insights on things to avoid in the future or things that need to change.

4. It’s survey time!

   Design a brief survey that helps you understand the perspectives of employees in your business and gives you useful insights to plan forward. Keep it short, sharp and shiny to avoid survey fatigue, and ask questions that will give you the most bang for your buck. Start with your most powerful question: “If there is one thing you could change about internal comms at our company, what would it be and why?”

5. Focus groups

   Use focus groups to delve into the ‘why’ behind your data and survey results. Split them into different audience segments to ensure people feel comfortable speaking honestly, and have an external facilitator if you can to remove the fear of reprisal.

6. Develop your recommendations

   Pull all the information together and develop a set of recommendations. Recap what you found—what’s working well, and what’s not. Then, prioritise your recommendations and make them crystal clear on what they are, why they’re recommended, how you suggest they are prioritised and implemented and ensure that from here, you get a commitment action from your execs. Don’t forget to communicate the results of the audit back to the organisation - this is key to getting future buy-in, by showing that their contributions made a difference.
   

Conducting an internal communication audit is essential for continuous improvement, ensuring effective communication, and keeping up with evolving technology. Follow these steps to conduct a thorough audit and add value to your organisation by helping to achieve business goals. Repeat the process yearly to keep track of what’s worked and what hasn’t… and if you need help with yours, we do a lot of work on these sorts of things here at HMC, so don’t hesitate to reach out via our contact form.

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