A communication audit survey should include questions about how effectively messages are getting through and about how effective the channels carrying the messages are. You can create about 80% of the “right” survey questions based mostly on the messages/campaigns/topics your department is supposed to be communicating and the channels your job involves managing.
Communication Effectiveness Audits
Conducting a Needs Analysis
A needs analysis isn’t terribly different from a communication audit. The first time you conduct a communication audit, while you are developing a baseline measurement of what is working, you are also identifying what audience needs are not being met.
When (Not) to Survey and the Role of Third Parties
Q: I am a survivor of a merger of four regional airlines in Canada. As the sole body in charge of employee communications for an organization with 6,000 employees based
Measuring Real Knowledge
It’s useful to measure both perceptions of knowledge and actual knowledge. Make sure to include an “I’m not sure” option in your surveys.
Measuring Messages
Q: I am researching best practices in communications measurement to identifying when employees are receiving key messages and when they are not. Kind of a “stealth bomber” approach to the
Elements of a Communication Audit
Q: I have an opportunity to design and implement a thorough audit of employee communications for the quality department at a major pharmaceutical corporation. I’ve never done one of these.
Tracking Information Flow
When tracking information flow both “down the cascade” and across departments of an organization, it’s important to ask the right questions in your surveys.
Published Research on Employee Communication
Employees currently rely on different sources for different topics, and prefer to rely on different sources by topic as well. The results vary quite a bit from company to company, and even at a single company over time as some channels become more or less effective for employees.