Communicators are measuring their work more frequently, and using the data more strategically

One of the big takeaways from Ragan’s 2021 Communications Benchmark Report: When it comes to assessing the effectiveness of their work, communicators are much more satisfied with their work than they were in 2020.

Fifty-two percent of respondents, for example, characterized their overall state of internal communications in 2021 as either above average or excellent, compared with only 41% last year. And just 15% described their work as poor or below average, compared to 21% in 2020.

There are a lot of reasons for this shift, according to the annual Benchmark Report. Communicators are much more likely to be involved in strategic decisions. They have better access to the CEO. Their work has moved to center stage. It’s all a consequence of the crises of the past 15 months—public health, political and social. The pandemic had a silver lining for communicators—if such a condition is even thinkable—their value to their organizations rose exponentially and their work in support of the shift to remote work, DE&I and more came into sharper focus and play.