The True Cost of In-House Internal Comms: A Comprehensive Breakdown

The "Hidden" Costs of In-house Internal Communications: A Comprehensive Examination 

Ever encountered the saying, "Everything visible is transitory?" It's in the hidden details, those under-the-radar costs, where we find the true financial commitments binding your organization's efforts in maintaining in-house internal communications. So, let's unfold the gamut of financial implications associated with holding up an in-house internal communications team and backing their efforts with a compulsive internal comms platform. 

The In-house Internal Comms Team: What's the Real Deal? 

Opting for a 2–3-person team to spearhead your internal communications seems like a no-brainer. After all, maintaining tight control often vouches for improved efficiency and unified branding. But is the cost of that control as unambiguous as it seems? Let's demystify this equation. 

• Salaries: An internal communications professional in North America commands an average salary of approximately $75,000. Multiply that by three, and you're left with a whopping $225,000 per year! 
• Recruiting Costs: Talent acquisition is never a petty expense. From vacancy postings to agency retainers, and the time dedicated to screening and interviewing, you're looking at an additional $4,000 to $7,000 per hire. 
• Training Costs: As internal communications continue to sprout new branches, the team needs to keep up, demanding an annual training budget between $1,000 to $2,000 per team member. 
• Overhead Costs: Don't overlook the expenditure on office space, utilities, IT infrastructure, software, and HR-related costs, which can add another 20% to 25% to the total salary bill. 
• Summing up, you're looking at a burden that easily crosses the $300,000 annual mark for a basic in-house internal communications team. 

So, what About Internal Comms Platforms? 

Incorporating a dedicated platform to support your team not only equips you with a dynamic technology advantage. But with it comes a whole new dimension of costs: 

The typical annual cost of an all-inclusive internal comms platform swings between $30,000 to $50,000, varying based on the platform's market standing, comprehensiveness, and your organization’s size. 

Stepping back and running an eye over these costs reveals a sobering reality - opting for the perceived control of in-house teams and platforms can lead your overheads to inflate rapidly. Plus, measuring the degree to which these expenditures translate into increased efficiencies or improved employee engagement can be anything but straightforward. 

Smart Spending, Smarter Solutions? 

Faced with the spiraling costs of an in-house team and a compelling platform, is there a way your organization could secure high-quality internal communications without financially overreaching? 

The answer is a resounding yes! Exploring options like Internal Communications as a Service (ICaaS) could alleviate these high costs without compromising on your internal communications' robustness.  

We'd be delighted to walk you through how Sparrow Connected can curate a custom solution to match your organization’s specific needs, without the inflated costs. Our complete ICaaS (Internal Communications as a Service) solution can help you cut down these costs to a minimum.