INTRODUCTION
A study by Staffbase revealed that good internal communication provides constant feedback and purpose, which increases employee engagement, which in turn decreases turnover rates and ultimately saves the company money.
At the same time, when your hotel employees are happy, so are your guests, according to Forbes.
Here are ways hotels can measure its internal communication efforts.
COLLECT OUTPUT METRICS
Communication efforts–specifically output metrics–need to be measurable. For example, did your hotel’s employee newsletter have a high open rate? Did your hotel’s employee group on Facebook have an increase in page views? Knowing these key performance indicators (KPIs) will help see if progress is being made toward your goals.
Here are various metrics you can collect and how to collect them:
- Awareness: Post/page views (Insights on Facebook, Google Analytics for your website)
- Interest: Open and click rates (all third-party email providers, like MailChimp, offer analytics for each email)
- Engagement: Comments and feedback (if you use tools such as Trello, Yammer or Slack, how often are employees adding input?)
Make sure to act on this data. For example, if you see a downward trend in open rates, experiment with sending communications at different times of day, or change the subject line.
SET YOUR OUTCOMES
Metrics by themselves mean nothing. For example, did a higher open-rate for your internal emails lead to staff better parroting your key messages? Ultimately, you’re looking for behavior changes that benefit your hotel.
As Dr. Stephen Covey once said, “begin with the end in mind.” Create your outcomes clearly, prior to executing any internal communication strategies. What does your hotel want to achieve? Win a Torchbearer Award? Keep turnover to less than 31 percent? The more and more your KPIs improve, the more likely you are to reach your outcomes.
Let’s say you wanted to increase morale and employees’ confidence in management. Your HR and communications teams could survey employees or conduct focus groups to gain deeper insight into their feelings and what resonates with them. The results can help you make informed decisions and steer you in the right direction. A tactic could include a weekly employee showcase on the Intranet site, and a KPI could include reduced complaints.
In a case study by Marriott, one of its business models showcases how they value its employees/internal communication, ultimately leading to financial success: “Take care of the associates, the associates will take care of the guests and the guests will come back again and again.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Revelation PR, Advertising & Social Media offers hotels, B&Bs and resorts services related to media relations, community relations, branding, group sales, SEO/SEM and social media management. Please contact Brian Lee, brian [at] experiencerevelation.com or 608-622-7767.