Free Interactive Internal Communications Audit Template

Cerkl is offering a free, flexible, all-encompassing internal communications audit template that will enable internal communicators to assess the reach and popularity of their organization's communication channels. It is suitable for all organizational needs whether foundational or advanced and data-driven.

Using the template to conduct regular monthly or quarterly audits will help to maximize your communication reach and impact. You may choose to start on a basic level and then gradually increase the complexity of your audit. The choice is yours.

We have structured the template so it is easy to use, but adaptable for those who want to leverage data-driven insights, advanced metrics, and strategic alignment for a more impactful internal communications approach. All the options are explained so that you can skip any parts that are either too complex or don't apply to your organization.

If you stick to the very basics you will find the template is:

• Suitable for beginners
• User-ready for quick implementation
• Designed for clarity and precision
• Comprehensive and flexible
• Customizable for unique needs
• Focused on actionable insights
• Versatile for any sized organization
• Effective for tracking ongoing progress

Take it to the most complex level, and you will discover it is:

• Appropriate for data-driven decision making
• Systematic and comprehensive
• Focused on ROI and business impact
• Intended for advanced metrics and benchmarking
• Customizable for evolving needs
• Focused on an employee-centric approach
• Optimized for multi-channel performance
• Effective for identifying actionable next steps and strategy development

Why Do You Need an Internal Communications Audit Template?

Conducting internal communications audits regularly is crucial for ensuring your messages reach the right audiences and inspire meaningful engagement. Our template offers a convenient way to gauge how effectively each of your internal communications channels engages employees.

Opting for everything presented in the template will provide you with deeper measurement, analytics, and engagement tracking. It will help to ensure messaging supports organizational goals, including DEI and sustainability. With it, you will be able to evaluate engagement rates, effectiveness, and performance trends and adapt to company-specific communication structures. For example, it can include in-depth employee feedback, content preferences, and engagement trends, so that you can assess communication effectiveness across all communication channels. Ultimately, this more complex approach will help internal communicators demonstrate the value of communications to leadership. It will also help organizations refine communication strategies for continuous improvement.

Whether you opt for a fundamental, advanced, or more customized approach, using an audit template will put you ahead of the game. It streamlines the process of assessing communication effectiveness so you can focus on optimizing your strategies. There is no need to start from scratch. Furthermore, our free template is designed to be saved and reused for regular audits, offering a consistent framework to track and improve your efforts over time.

Having an audit template means you'll always have a clear snapshot of your internal communications performance, and it will serve as a source of valuable historical data for informing future decisions. Whether you're evaluating your email campaigns, intranet usage, or other channels, this tool ensures you uncover gaps and opportunities for greater impact.

Upgrading to tools like Cerkl Broadcast can further enhance your efforts by providing real-time analytics and personalization, helping you connect with employees more effectively. Get started today with this free template and take the first step toward mastering your internal communications strategy.

Who Uses an Internal Communications Audit Template?

An internal communications audit template is essential for internal communications professionals, HR teams, and organizational leaders who want to evaluate the effectiveness of their communication strategies. These stakeholders rely on a template like this one to measure the reach, engagement, and impact of their messaging across various channels, such as email, intranets, and employee apps. It's an invaluable tool for organizations of all sizes, from startups looking to establish strong communication practices to large corporations aiming to fine-tune their existing strategies.

Beyond communications teams, departments like IT, operations, and even project managers can benefit from using an internal communications audit template. These professionals often collaborate to ensure that critical information flows seamlessly and reaches the right audiences. By providing a clear structure for analyzing communication efforts, the template empowers teams to identify gaps, improve channel usage, and create a more connected workplace.

Who Will Find the Advanced Internal Communications Audit Template Options Useful?

Internal communications professionals, HR leaders, and executive teams who need to move beyond fundamental tracking and implement a data-driven, strategic approach will be attracted by the most advanced options offered by the template in its entirety. It is also an ideal option for organizations that already have internal communication processes in place but need more advanced measurement, analytics, and ROI insights to refine their strategies.

These professionals will find it is particularly valuable for:

• Internal communications teams to assess communication effectiveness, engagement trends, and content performance.
• HR and employee experience leaders to measure how internal messaging influences culture, retention, and employee engagement.
• C-suite and leadership teams to gain actionable insights into how communications impact business goals and organizational alignment.
• IT and digital workplace teams to evaluate the effectiveness of digital communication tools and platforms.
• Operations and change management teams to ensure critical company-wide updates and initiatives are communicated clearly and consistently.

Ultimately, following this route will enable communications professionals and other team leaders to analyze engagement patterns, demonstrate ROI, and optimize their communication ecosystem for long-term impact.

What Will the Most Basic Options of the Internal Communications Audit Template Measure?

Opting for the basic outline will help organizations establish their internal communications structure. Even though the basic options are not as complex in terms of required input, the overall audit is still comprehensive. Ultimately, it will provide a clear overview of how well each internal communication channel connects with and engages employees.

Here is a quick overview of the elements it covers.

• Channel overview measures total interaction per channel and message, as well as the frequency employees engage on each channel. All the most common channels are included in the template, but you can add more if you wish.

• Content category assessment is the way you can focus more closely on what topics employees are engaging with. Use the audit template to track the number of monthly articles on each topic as well as unique total opens and click-throughs. This way you will be able to identify the best-performing channels.

• Employee feedback is a vital element. The template provides guidelines on how to rank the type of content they like best as well as the information they want to see more of. It also includes a pulse survey that will enable you to gauge how employees feel about the organization and its internal communications.

• Communication channels chosen by different organizations often follow the traditional options of email, intranet, newsletters, mobile apps, and so on. When assessing which channels they prefer, you can customize the template to ensure that the channels you use are featured.

• SWOT analysis options may also be customized so that you can assess how employees feel about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats they are faced with.

What will the Most Advanced Internal Communications Audit Template Options Measure?

If you choose Option 2 throughout the audit, you will find that in addition to those described above, it provides data-driven insights into communication effectiveness, employee engagement, and business impact.

Here's what you will be able to evaluate:

• Channel overview assesses frequency, total interactions and interactions per message, engagement rates, business impact (ROI), and ultimately the effectiveness of each communication channel. The template includes the most common channels, but you can customize it to fit your organization's needs.
• Content category assessment analyzes the performance of internal messages by tracking monthly volume, open rates, click-through rates, and preferred distribution channels. This helps identify trends, high-performing content, and areas for improvement.
• Employee feedback expands beyond content preferences to measure how employees engage with and perceive internal communications. It includes ranking content types, identifying preferred formats, and a pulse survey to gauge overall satisfaction and trust.
• Communication channels are evaluated based on effectiveness, satisfaction levels, and preferred methods of delivery. This ensures that internal messages are reaching employees in the most impactful way.
• Advanced metrics and ROI analysis provide a structured way to measure communication impact, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and report outcomes to leadership.
• DEI and sustainability communication practices help organizations assess how well diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability messages are integrated into internal communications and whether they are resonating with employees.
• SWOT analysis remains a key element but with expanded criteria to assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in communication effectiveness, content accessibility, and employee engagement.

How to Make the Most of Your Internal Communications Audit Template

Using any internal communications audit template effectively requires a structured approach. Start by identifying your key communication goals and align them with the metrics included in the template. This ensures your audit focuses on gathering meaningful data that supports your organization's objectives.

Involve team members from various departments to gather diverse perspectives and insights during the audit process. Use the findings to create actionable plans, such as enhancing underperforming channels, refining content strategies, or introducing new communication tools. Regular audits not only keep your communication strategies relevant but also foster transparency and employee engagement, ultimately driving stronger organizational alignment.