Accountability & Compliance
Just as you monitor and measure the job performance of your employees, you need to track the effectiveness of your workplace communications initiatives. Built in to the program are components which will test the effectiveness of the messaging by recording attitudes and behaviors, and measuring employee knowledge retention.
Your comprehensive communications program will deliver qualitative and quantitative data at a glance, so you’re able to gauge the effectiveness of your efforts. In general, there are three main approaches, each with their unique metrics for benchmarking performance:
Process measurements. These measure the effort surrounding the program. Measurements could include: frequency of messaging and the extent to which it is updated and kept fresh; compliance audits to assess program execution and implementation; and cost of messaging per employee.
Knowledge measurements. These measure how prepared the employees are to respond to a particular situation. Specific metrics could include: quizzes designed to test knowledge retention; surveys, focus groups or ethnographic research soliciting attitudes and beliefs; and simulated scenarios to provide direct evidence of employee preparedness.
Results-oriented measurements. These measure the impact of the communication program on a specific metric. Measurements could include: benchmarking prior to and after program implementation; and root cause analysis to determine the extent to which human behavior has impacted the metric.
Every organization needs to find the right balance for them. There is, after all, no “one size fits all” solution to measuring the effectiveness of an awareness program. Keeping the approach simple keeps it cost-effective.
