New research reveals “credibility gap” in internal comms: 94% say it’s respected, but only 30% can prove business impact

94% say internal comms is respected
Only 30% can clearly measure internal communications impact
60% lack visibility into whether communications are reaching or influencing employees
66% say employees face information overload
56% say poor communication wastes 1–2 hours per employee per week
86% report use of unofficial “shadow channels” like WhatsApp

New research from award-winning best intranet Oak Engage reveals a growing “credibility gap” in internal communications, with 94% of HR and comms professionals saying the function is respected, yet just 30% able to effectively measure its business impact.

The findings highlight a critical opportunity for organisations to rethink how they measure internal communications, moving beyond traditional metrics like clicks and views towards outcomes that matter — including retention, productivity and cost savings.

The study, based on a survey of 250 HR and internal communications professionals across the UK, highlights the urgent need for better measurement, stronger alignment with business goals and smarter use of tools like the employee engagement platforms to drive performance.

How to measure internal comms effectively in your business

Employee engagement experts Oak Engage, Nick Hollis, Head of Engagement at Burger King UK and Jennifer Sproul, CEO at the Institute of Internal Communication share practical tips on how HR and internal comms professionals can close the gap and measure effectively.

Start with business problems

HR and IC teams should begin by identifying where the business is losing time, money or performance - then show how communication can help solve it.

Jennifer Sproul, CEO of the Institute of Internal Communication advises: “Find out what the business is dealing with and show that your work contributes towards that wider outcome for an organisation. Go and meet your stakeholders and find out what pain points they’re dealing with and what are the big issues that the business needs to solve. Be somebody that really understands the pulse of the organisation day to day. I would also make sure that your business acumen is up. Read about what’s going on, read around those trends and have that credible, insightful knowledge.”

Translate insight into business language

Leadership doesn’t care about click rates and views. They care about cost savings, efficiency, risk and performance. Using data to guide decision making will build credibility with leaders.

Nick Hollis, Head of Engagement at Burger King UK said: “Measure how something was before, whether that's how much time something took, and then what does that mean in money terms or hours, and then re-measure it at the end and see what the difference is. Then you’re able to give a quantifiable answer - we've saved 3000 hours because of X, Y, and Z. Go down the route of money and time.”

Become the organisation’s insight engine

Comms should not simply distribute messages. It should diagnose issues, surface employee insight and advise the business before problems escalate.

Jennifer adds: “We are respected and we are truly influential, but we need to close that gap in how we demonstrate our role and our strategic capability and how we build intelligence, evidence and provide a continuous support mechanism across functions and across stakeholders.”
Start small and test what works

Teams don’t need a complex measurement framework to start with. They can start with one business challenge, one communication barrier and one measurable outcome.

Jennifer comments: “Don’t be afraid to experiment and pick something really small. Take an issue that one of your stakeholders has given you and think about what would be the communication barrier to that. Ask yourself what new type of data collection and insight could I trial to show if that works? Try a different approach to find some evidence that helps you to find a way of showing you have solved or improved that issue.”

Use the right technology to prove impact

The right technology can help HR and internal communications teams clearly demonstrate impact - especially when it connects communication directly to measurable business results.

Nick transformed the digital employee experience using the BK Hub, powered by Oak Engage. They have been able to reduce employee turnover from 98% to 50% and reduce employee turnover by 40%.

Nick said: “We can now tie communication directly to retention, time saved and cost. That’s what made the difference.”

Products like Oak Engage’s intranet enable organisations to reach every employee, reduce inefficiencies caused by poor communication, improve onboarding and retention and measure internal comms impact in terms leaders understand.

For more detailed insight and the rest of the findings from the survey, download Oak Engage’s report from their website.

ENDS

Note to Editors

Methodologies

The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 250 professionals working in HR and Internal Comms (18+) across multiple industries (Education, Wholesale/Retail, Healthcare, Hospitality and Manufacturing). The data was collected between 18/02/26 - 25/02/26. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.

For more information contact:

Emma Williamson|Head of Brand and Comms|emma.williamson@oak.com|07548831780