How are marketing and HR teams collaborating on internal and external corporate messaging?
Explore how marketing and HR professionals report their teams are collaborating on effective corporate communication strategy. How are these teams managing collaboration across internal and external communications, channel management and other messaging strategy? Learn where these teams are feeling most and least aligned, and benchmark your organization’s strategy against peers.
One minute insights:
Culture and values messaging along with employee engagement communications are where HR and marketing professionals feel most aligned on internal corporate messaging
HR and marketers feel least aligned on change management messaging and network development strategy
The majority of respondents report their HR and marketing teams are aligned on external corporate communications strategy
Three-quarters of marketing and HR professionals report collaborating together on employer brand awareness campaigns
HR and marketing are most aligned on culture and values messaging, while change management communications remain an area for improvement
Do your organization’s marketing and HR departments collaborate on internal communication strategy (i.e., internal channel effectiveness, internal messaging, etc.)?
Most respondents (90%) report their organization’s marketing and HR departments collaborate on internal communication strategy.
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding.
n = 100
Among respondents whose HR and marketing teams collaborate on internal communication strategy (n=90), over one-third (38%) report HR is primarily responsible for internal communication channel management. 36% report both departments manage internal channel communications equally.
Which department is primarily responsible for internal communication channel management?
n = 90
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Question asked only to respondents who answered “yes” to the question; “Do your organization’s marketing and HR departments collaborate on internal communication strategy (i.e., internal channel effectiveness, internal messaging, etc.)?”
92% of respondents report that their marketing and HR departments collaborate on internal corporate communication strategy very effectively (29%) or somewhat effectively (63%). Just 3% of respondents report that their teams collaborate somewhat ineffectively.
How effectively do your marketing and HR departments collaborate on internal corporate communication strategy?
n = 90
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Question asked only to respondents who answered “yes” to the question; “Do your organization’s marketing and HR departments collaborate on internal communication strategy (i.e., internal channel effectiveness, internal messaging, etc.)?”
Respondents say the internal channels their HR and marketing departments most effectively collaborate on are email (80%), intranet (64%) and instant messaging (50%).
Which internal channels do your marketing and HR departments most effectively collaborate on? Select all that apply.
n = 90
Video conferencing (e.g., Zoom, Skype, etc.) 38% | Print materials (e.g., bulletin boards, flyers, etc.) 27% | Company mobile apps 13% | None of these 1%
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Question asked only to respondents who answered “yes” to the question; “Do your organization’s marketing and HR departments collaborate on internal communication strategy (i.e., internal channel effectiveness, internal messaging, etc.)?”
Most respondents say their marketing and HR teams meet monthly (34%) or weekly (31%) to discuss internal communication strategy.
How frequently do your marketing and HR teams meet to discuss internal corporate communication strategy?
Never 0%
n = 90
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Question asked only to respondents who answered “yes” to the question; “Do your organization’s marketing and HR departments collaborate on internal communication strategy (i.e., internal channel effectiveness, internal messaging, etc.)?”
When asked what areas of internal communication strategy HR and marketing leaders feel most aligned, the top selected choices are culture and values messaging (72%) and employee engagement strategy (70%).
In which areas of your internal communication strategy do you feel HR and marketing are most aligned? Select all that apply.
n = 90
Network development strategy (e.g., improving diversity, accessing new talent pools, etc.) 31% | None of these 2%
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Question asked only to respondents who answered “yes” to the question; “Do your organization’s marketing and HR departments collaborate on internal communication strategy (i.e., internal channel effectiveness, internal messaging, etc.)?”
When asked in which areas of internal communication strategy HR and marketing leaders feel least aligned, the top selected choice is change management communications (41%). Network development strategy (32%), and channel management strategy (31%) were also top selected choices.
In which areas of your internal communication strategy do you feel HR and marketing are least aligned? Select all that apply.
n = 90
Culture and values messaging 22% | None of these 8%
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Question asked only to respondents who answered “yes” to the question; “Do your organization’s marketing and HR departments collaborate on internal communication strategy (i.e., internal channel effectiveness, internal messaging, etc.)?”
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Question: Anything else you would like to share about HR/marketing team collaboration when it comes to managing corporate communication strategies?
Marketing and HR should collaborate [on] all employee external and internal communication. Sometimes there is an overlap in the agenda, [and] monthly meetings help clarify.
HR strategy is centered more around employee engagement & recruitment, while marketing revolves around product & sales. However, both can collaborate better to create a great synergy to create a great perception of the company.
Three quarters of respondents report HR and marketing are aligned across external communication strategy, and three-quarters report these teams collaborate on employer brand awareness campaigns
Do your organization’s marketing and HR collaborate on external corporate communications strategy (e.g., recruitment campaigns, employer brand awareness campaigns, etc.)?
84% of respondents say their organization's HR and marketing teams collaborate on external corporate communications strategy.
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding.
n = 100
Among respondents whose organization’s HR and marketing teams collaborate on external corporate communication strategy (n=84), 54% say their marketing department is primarily responsible for external corporate communications.
Which department is primarily responsible for these external communications?
n = 84
Another department 0%
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Question asked only to respondents who answered “yes” to the question; “Do your organization’s marketing and HR collaborate on external corporate communications strategy (e.g., recruitment campaigns, employer brand awareness campaigns, etc.)?”
The majority of survey respondents report that their marketing and HR departments are completely (33%) or somewhat (62%) aligned on external corporate communication channel strategy overall.
How aligned are your marketing and HR departments on external corporate commu- nication channel strategies overall?
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Question asked only to respondents who answered “yes” to the question; “Do your organization’s marketing and HR collaborate on external corporate communications strategy (e.g., recruitment campaigns, employer brand awareness campaigns, etc.)?”
Over half of respondents say the external communications their marketing and HR departments collaborate on are employer brand awareness campaigns (75%), recruitment campaigns (63%), social media campaigns (56%) and public relations communications (55%).
Which external corporate communications do your marketing and HR departments collaborate on? Select all that apply.
n = 84
Network development campaigns (e.g., diversity outreach, succession outreach, etc.) 32% | Thought leadership communications 29%
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Question asked only to respondents who answered “yes” to the question; “Do your organization’s marketing and HR collaborate on external corporate communications strategy (e.g., recruitment campaigns, employer brand awareness campaigns, etc.)?”
Most respondents HR and marketing teams meet at least weekly (31%) or monthly (31%) to discuss external corporate communication strategy.
How frequently do your marketing and HR teams meet to discuss external corporate communication strategy?
n = 84
Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Question asked only to respondents who answered “yes” to the question; “Do your organization’s marketing and HR collaborate on external corporate communications strategy (e.g., recruitment campaigns, employer brand awareness campaigns, etc.)?”
Question: Anything else you would like to share about HR/marketing team collaboration when it comes to managing corporate communication strategies?
There is a lot marketing and HR can do to build a strong brand together.
Both the HR and marketing department work together to share ideas that allow us to complement our different projects.
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Note: May not add up to 100% due to rounding
Respondents: 100 HR and Marketing leaders who have collaborated across their departments on corporate messaging