12 Internal Comms KPIs That Actually Drive Improvement

Forbes

05-08-2025

Tracking the effectiveness of internal communications requires a deep understanding of what's working and what needs adjusting. The right KPIs can surface blind spots, highlight engagement patterns and help you tailor your approach to meet real employee needs. However, not all metrics are equally useful, and volume doesn't always equal clarity.
Below, Forbes Communications Council members discuss the key indicators internal comms teams can use to gain sharper insights into their messaging and campaigns. Here's why they believe these KPIs are so useful in improving your future efforts.
1. Interaction And Follow-Up With Internal Updates
One KPI I track is employee engagement with key internal updates, measured through read receipts, reactions and follow-up questions. If people are interacting with the message, it means they're not just reading it but processing it. That's when internal communication shifts from noise to influence, helping align teams and drive results. - Trish Nettleship, NCR Voyix
2. Employee Advocacy
Employee advocacy is one way I measure internal comms effectiveness. Engaged employees are more likely to share company content, amplifying messages externally. Encouraging this is becoming table stakes and provides a valuable way to test and refine external marketing messages. - Nicole Tidei, Pinkston
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3. Comments And Conversation
The best metric(s) are centered on the impact of internal communications. Do we see more comments or conversation? Is the information shared? Is it stimulating new topics of discussion? Receiving a message is not a strong metric. Analyzing how a message impacts an organization is the key. - Bob Pearson, The Next Practices Group
4. Anecdotal Signals Of Trust And Morale
I'm a big advocate of anecdotal evidence. Data and charts are effective and tend to be well-received by management. However, morale is what I'm most interested in. If the team is sharing on LinkedIn, retention is strong and there is even feedback on the communication, that's a good sign that what you are doing is working. People are listening and responding. The feedback loop says it all. - Rachel Kule, Pursuit PR
5. Silence
Internal comms is a talent trust system, not just a channel. The most overlooked KPI? Silence. Monitor internal pulse via Slack, email, Workvivo and training platforms by tracking open rates, click-throughs and drop-offs in comms and training completions. Leaders must listen to employee chatter for early signals that trust is slipping in formal Slack and informal external channels (Reddit, Discord). - Toby Wong, Toby Wong Consulting
6. Behavioral Changes
Look for behavioral evidence—not clicks. If comms work, people repeat messages, adjust priorities and advocate strategy. What matters is: Did the message translate into action? We boosted town hall attendance and saw chat activity (including questions, jokes and emojis) rise 30% with trivia and giveaways. That's proof comms didn't just land—it connected and moved people to act, influencing the culture. - Sarah Chambers, SC Strategic Communications
7. Internal Newsletter Ratings
We measure how employees rate our internal newsletters. If scores rise, we know we're hitting the right tone. If they fall, we reevaluate the content or channel. Listening to staff reactions helps us stay relevant and effective. - Jamie Elkaleh, Bitget Wallet
8. Search Behavior On Internal Platforms
One underrated but powerful KPI is search behavior on internal platforms. What are employees looking for after reading a message? Are they searching for related resources, policies or follow-ups? This reveals whether communication sparked curiosity or confusion, helping us refine clarity, anticipate questions and deliver more complete, actionable updates next time. - Katie Jewett, UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations
9. Speed Of Action
We track how quickly employees act on internal communications, such as responding to requests or completing tasks. If response times lag, it often points to unclear messaging or a lack of urgency. By analyzing this, we can refine our communication methods—whether it's clearer instructions or setting better expectations—to drive faster and more effective action. - Lauren Parr, RepuGen
10. Sentiment Shifts
Track trust velocity, which is how fast sentiment shifts in response to internal messaging. But data is not enough. You have to show up, listen without filters and engage at eye level. Sit with teams, not above them. The truth circulates off-channel. That is where real comms intelligence begins. - Marie O'Riordan
11. Satisfaction Scores And Team Performance
I track employee satisfaction scores and team performance. When internal communication is clear, morale tends to rise, creating space for high performance. If scores dip, it's often a sign the team feels unsupported or unclear about their role, and internal comms may be part of that disconnect. - Cody Gillund, Grounded Growth Studio
12. Internal Comms-Based NPS
Internal comms is a strategic function that democratizes knowledge about company strategy and culture across the entire org and should be tracked as such. Survey employees every quarter—"How well do you understand the company's strategy and culture?" Subtract the percentage who rate it as 0 to 6 from those who rate it as 9 or 10 (like Net Promoter Score), and test ideas to improve the score each time. - Rekha Thomas, Path Forward Marketing