Communication Audit

In chapter 7 of our text this week we learned about the HR Innovator and Integrator. There are 5 competency factors for the HR Innovator and Integrator. The five factors are: optimizing human capital through workforce planning and analytics, developing talent, shaping organization and communication practices, driving performance and building leadership brand. In addition there are five core HR practices areas that are the focus for innovation and integration and these are: people, performance and reward, information and communication, work and organization, and leadership. One of the real important aspects in an organization is communication. Little or bad communication practices can lead to misunderstandings and inefficiencies. A tool called a communication audit can be a useful tool to gather information as to how well people or messages are communicated. As states in the book, "the quality of ongoing communication can provide a powerful measure of work and organizational effectiveness." There are various methods that can be used to conduct a communication audit. Some common methods are survey's, interviews, observation and focus groups. Using a communication audit can provide valuable information into how effective or ineffective communication is within an organization. On a personal level, I have seen many communication audits being used within my organization. One of HR professionals conducted surveys that were completed by each department. After the survey's he conducted focus groups to better clarify and understand the survey results. The last focus group was centered around communication with management. These communication audits within my organization seemed to have no only benefit managers but also employees and the organization as a whole.