30 July 2009
Only 15% of internal communicators say they're able to demonstrate ROI
Melcrum's global research finds that proving the monetary value of communication is still a challenge for many.
Melcrum's latest survey, Key Benchmark Data for Communicators 2009, reveals that only 15% of communication professionals believe they're able to demonstrate the financial return on investment in internal communication. Just over 50% said they're unable to do this and and the remaining 35% were unsure.
The survey was conducted in January 2009 and was designed to gather essential data on developing trends, challenges and priorities for internal communication departments in 2009. This is the fourth survey of its kind conducted by Melcrum, the first was conducted in 2003. A total of 2,210 internal and corporate communication professionals from around the world responded.
Communicators musn't get complacent
In a special report available to Melcrum members (pictured right, see end of article for more information), Bill Quirke, founder of UK consultancy Synopsis and a leading authority on internal communication warns practitioners that even though the recession is putting strategic communication at the forefront of business change, internal communicators need to prove their worth now more than ever before.
Communicators have always struggled to prove their value, and it's only in recent years that the profession is seeing more and more of its people reach executive board level, making key business decisions.
The economic downturn has presented internal communicators with many opportunities and challenges, in fact, just over 40% agreed that their organization is commited to investing in communication during the downtrun. But Quirke says senior leaders still want to see a return on investment (ROI) and this is piling considerable pressure on internal communicators.
“During the bad times there's often more budget allocated to internal comms but more work to be done, the work is far more challenging, and there are fewer people [due to reduced headcount] to do it and they are working under far more pressure. Communicators are caught up in a crunch,” he explained.
Communicators are caught up in a crunch. They have not escaped the value-for-money test.
“Communicators have not escaped the value-for-money test,” Quirke cautioned. “Their reputation is fragile – they need to define, deliver and demonstrate their value to organizations, and not simply deliver messages.”
Recession won't put IC on the map
Andy Szpekman, president of AHS communication, is less optimistic about the advancement of the function. He suggests that the recession will see internal communicators
shy away even further from the limelight. “This won't be a recession that puts
internal communication on the map. The industry is just going to do what it has to
and keep messaging simple and to a minimum. Where are these employees going
to go while there's a recession? The answer is nowhere," he says.
Just over 40% of respondents disagree with the statement "I am happy with my organization's level of investment in internal communication", and almost 60% either could not say, or disagreed that they're organizations were commited to investing in communications during the downturn.
Despite these figures, measuring the effectiveness of internal communication was fourth on the list of professional development priorities for respondents. The top three were: "managing change communication" (43.2%), "supporting senior leadership communication" (37.9%) and "planning internal communication".
Other findings
Other key findings from the global survey are as follows:
- Skills and training: 27% do not have relevant training.
- Strategy: 35% of respondents said they do not have a clear internal communication strategy.
- More than half of communicators said they were paid fairly for the work they do, while 17.7% said they were remunerated poorly for their roles.
- Role of group internal communication: 42% take responsibility for group functions compared to 23% of respondents who see their role as providing guidance and co-ordination for the communication community.
To find out more, Melcrum members can download a special report which includes more key findings from the survey along with expert commentary and action points in the areas of strategy and planning, budgets and proving your value, channels and skills, training and professional development.
Have your say
Do you think the recession has put internal communication on the map? How do you feel about demonstrating ROI? Does it become more of a challenge as leaders invest more? Let us know your thoughts below:
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