Communication ROI study paints a mixed picture of our profession

Watson Wyatt's latest Communication ROI study  has just been released in the US - and it contains mixed news for internal communicators. 

As Ragan's Bill Sweetland explains, a comparison against the 2005 survey results (the last ROI study conducted) indicates businesses are cutting back in a number of important areas, including measuring the effectiveness of communications efforts and involving employees - and the internal comm team - in change. 

However, since the survey started back in 2003 the overall trend remains largely positive. Over that four/five year period, the number of companies regularly measuring employee behavioural change has increased by 24% to 53% and the number involving internal communications in organisational change has climbed 16% to 63%. 

I haven't had chance to read through the study report yet (a free PDF is available from Watson Wyatt if you register) but I hope to digest it over the next week or so. Meantime, let me know if you spot any interesting trends.

Comments

[Liesbeth]

Lee,

I did read most of the study report. Very clear conclusions.
There is one group of employees that I am missing but which are the most concerning group in the organization I work for: the ambitious career seekers. They are young professionals, mostly graduates or max 5 years working, talented and very likely to grow in the organization if they give it a chance. The are very committed to their job, but there engagement to the company is very low.
They start working, and plan in advance to do the job for two years, after which they move to an other company and move up on the ladder. Our company has a extremely flat hierarchy, which means that the opportunity for those young employees to grow fast are limited. Nevertheless, we do have lots of positions where we need specialist, knowing the core-business. These employees are equally necessary and equally rewarded in the company as some positions higher up. But... these young employees don't seem to think so. Once they get they opportunity to go and work for bigger companies, in an position higher up, they are gone... Which happens a lot since the shortage on the market! This is a real problem we are faced with. We train our new employees into specialists, we invest in them. They love there job, regardless the company... How do you engage them?

Liesbeth

[Mark Ragan]

Lee,

We're seeing an unprecedented interest in internal communications on this side of the Atlantic, despite some of the downbeat news in the Watson Wyatt study.

Our training division is literally booming, and is near as I can tell, so is Melcrum's.

We have 633 communicators coming to Las Vegas for our social media event, and early signs indicate huge corporate registrations for our other Spring and summer programs.

To give you some context, I have not seen this kind of booming interest in training since the mid-1990's.

Recession? What recession.

Mark

[Lee]

Mark

From my own perspective I would certainly agree with you. Gatehouse (www.gatehousegroup.co.uk), the agency Simon Wright and I founded only last year is growing at a phenomenal rate and we have been blown away by the level of interest out there. This definitely doesn't feel like a recession or a profession decline.

Lee

[Lee]

Liesbeth

That's a very big question!

For me there is no 'magic bullet' approach to engaging ambitious young graduates - members of the much-discussed 'Generation Y'.

If I think about my own experience as a senior communicator with one of the big 4 accountancy firms - a sector built around bringing in, upskilling and retaining top graduate talent - engagement comes when you get a huge mix of ingredients right. Sure comms is one of those ingredients, but there are many, many more.

There are the basics like pay and reward (graduates, particularly good ones, are much clearer about their value today than they were even a few years ago) and having good quality line managers. There's the working environment; the organisation's approach to corporate responsibility and the environment; working practices like the ability to 'flex' hours or work from home every now and again; a clear career path; exciting work; opportunities to make a real impact rather than play at the edges; a fun/celebratory culture; great team mates; a social life; options to travel the world and take career breaks from time to time; and so on.

And even if you get all these ingredients right, people will still leave. The challenge then, of course, is to win the good ones back at a later date. That's where alumni programmes can be helpful.

Communication has a key role to play in unlocking discretionary effort and winning the hearts and minds of employees, but it requires a host of other factors to be in place too.

Lee

[Liesbeth]

Lee,

I can't agree more. And that is exactly why it's so hard for a rather mid-layer company. There is big 4 in the insurance and banking industry as well, which are able to offer far of these factors than we as a smaller player can.
Nevertheless, we try to get them attached to the company by two different factors. First of all, we enroll them (a selected few that have great potential) into pilot projects that concern the strategy of the company, we give them the freedom to fill these projects i as they think is best. By this, they meet al lot of other young potentials, like-minded and they also get in contact with the higher levels of the company which makes them feel highly appreciated.
Secondly, we try to get all the young employees together in some sort of committee, that organizes sport events, info sessions, ...

The result is still a question mark, since we've just started all of this. But I truly believe that both activities will make those young graduates think twice before they choose an other, mostly bigger company, only for the wage.
They get attached to the company since they are directly involved in it's strategy, and the other young employees become friends.
Two reasons that make in harder to leave I think.

Liesbeth