Here's how you can assess the crucial skills and competencies of Internal Communications professionals.

1 Skill Mapping

When assessing IC professionals, skill mapping is a powerful tool. This involves identifying the skills necessary for successful internal communications, such as writing, editing, strategic planning, and knowledge of digital communication platforms. By comparing an individual's skill set against this map, you can pinpoint areas of strength and opportunities for development. This method provides a structured approach to evaluating competencies and ensuring that your internal communications team can meet the demands of your organization.

2 Strategic Insight

Strategic insight is essential for IC professionals. They must understand the company's vision, goals, and culture to craft messages that resonate with employees. Evaluating this competency involves reviewing how well the professional aligns communication strategies with business objectives and adapts to changing organizational needs. You should also consider their ability to measure the impact of communication campaigns and use feedback to improve future initiatives.

3 Creative Content

Creative content creation is another critical skill for IC professionals. They need to produce engaging and informative content that captures employees' attention and conveys key messages effectively. Assessing this skill involves examining their ability to craft clear, concise, and compelling narratives across various media formats. Look at previous communication materials they've created and consider the creativity, relevance, and clarity of the messages.

4 Interpersonal Skills

Interpersonal skills are at the heart of internal communications. These professionals must be able to build relationships, foster trust, and encourage open dialogue within the organization. To evaluate these skills, observe how the IC professional interacts with others, their ability to listen and respond empathetically, and their success in facilitating group discussions. Strong interpersonal skills enable IC professionals to become trusted advisors and influencers within the company.

5 Digital Proficiency

In today's digital age, IC professionals must be proficient with various digital tools and platforms. Assessing digital proficiency involves examining their comfort level with social media, intranets, content management systems, and other technologies that facilitate internal communications. Evaluate their ability to leverage these tools to enhance connectivity, gather analytics, and deliver messages in innovative ways that engage the modern workforce.

6 Feedback Integration

Finally, the ability to integrate feedback is a crucial competency for IC professionals. They should actively seek input from employees and use it to refine communication strategies. Assessing this skill involves observing how they collect and interpret feedback, whether they can identify trends and areas for improvement, and how they implement changes based on this information. A professional skilled in feedback integration will continually evolve communication efforts to better serve the organization.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?