Sandy Springs firm conducts nationwide study of internal communications spending

Tribe, Inc. issues results revealing range of company spending on IC departments

Sandy Springs-based Tribe, Inc. recently released data from a nationwide survey of internal communications departments from companies with employee populations ranging from less than 250 to more than 400,000. The research ranged from departments feeling adequately staffed and supported, to some departments feeling overwhelmingly under represented and underfunded.

“While the needs and resources vary significantly by organization, it’s natural for internal communications departments to wonder if their spending and headcount are on par with peers,” says Sandy Springs resident Elizabeth Cogswell Baskin, CEO and Executive Creative Director of Tribe. “We realized we have a unique perspective in being able to query these departments and provide fodder for benchmarking.”

Tribe is an internal communications agency which partners with corporate communications and human resources departments to help set and execute communications strategy. At least once each year it conducts national research to benchmark various aspects of internal communications and employee engagement.

Noteworthy results from the survey of internal communications departments:

·        The average budget is $205,620,

·        Their headcount is less than 12,

·        Nearly 60% believe they are slightly or severely underfunded,

·        70% reported being slightly or severely understaffed, and

·        On a scale of 1-10, 10 being best in class, 53% scored their companies in the 7-8 range in effectiveness.

While 21% of respondents selected a budget range between $100,000 and $250,000, the lowest budget was less than $5,000 and the highest was more than $2 million.

“While folks reading the results may not be surprised to learn that most IC departments say they need more money and that many say they are understaffed,” Baskin says, “it is valuable to see that these departments are making the most of what they have, giving themselves high marks for the efficiency with which they leverage their resources. And I can tell you anecdotally that that’s what we’ve seen: No matter the resources, IC departments get results.”

The range of reported headcount was from one person to 77. However, the most common response was three people in their department, with four staffers a close second. To break that down, 21 percent said they have three people in their department and 18 percent have four. More than 83 percent reported less than 12 people.

About Tribe, Inc.

Tribe (www.TribeInc.com) is an internal communications agency that develops strategic plans and designs creative vehicles to build employee engagement and the internal brand. It works with national and global brands including Porsche, Target and Coca-Cola Refreshments. Baskin frequently writes about employee engagement, internal communications, entrepreneurs and women in business.