A small tech company wanted to know if their internal communications analytics could help them predict attrition. This wasn’t about tweaking emails or sending a better all-hands invite. This was about exploring whether activity data from their internal communications platform could give them a deeper, more predictive view of their workforce.
Turns out, it could.
From Comms Activity to Workforce Insight
The tech company already had a robust internal comms platform in place — a space where employees, remote and on-site, could read company updates, interact with leadership, and connect with peers. On the surface, this data seemed simple: clicks, views, and replies.
But underneath? A rich layer of internal communications analytics was waiting to be tapped.
They brought in One Model to help integrate this data with their HR stack — combining traditional sources like their HRIS and ATS with this new layer of comms activity. Because One Model tailors its models to each client’s data ecosystem, the company retained full control over what data was included. Only aggregated, activity-based data was used — no message content, no personal identifiers. Privacy was baked in.*
Right from the start, preliminary data exploration revealed exciting patterns in the usage of the internal communications platform across various segments, such as team, location, function, and level. These patterns provided a foundational understanding of employee engagement and interaction with the platform that immediately gave direction to the tech team on how to best support future engagement.
Then One AI Took a Look
Once the data was modeled, One AI — One Model’s flexible machine learning platform — was tasked with one thing: predicting attrition.
Here’s what surprised everyone: When the model was given a choice between traditional HR data and internal communications data, it overwhelmingly preferred the latter.
The way employees engaged with internal messaging was a stronger signal of their likelihood to stay or leave than even their tenure, department, or performance rating.
That’s a bold takeaway: This project didn’t just prove integration is possible — it proved it’s valuable.
Internal Communications as a Listening Post
One of the most overlooked aspects of HR and internal communications is that comms data can tell us what surveys and dashboards can’t. It captures behavioral signals in real-time.
This pilot showed how powerful that can be — helping leaders not only see trends faster, but act on them with precision. It’s not just about broadcasting; it’s about listening, analyzing, and adjusting in ways that align messaging with employee mindset.
If your internal communications platform is just a bulletin board, it might be time to make it a listening post.
And it raises a bigger question for other organizations: What stories are hiding in your internal communications data — and what might they be trying to tell you before it’s too late?
What Comes Next
For the tech company, this was just the start. They’re now looking at how comms data might enhance onboarding, engagement tracking, and even internal mobility.
For other organizations, it’s an invitation to move past vanity metrics and begin using internal communications analytics to fuel smarter, faster, and more human decision-making across HR and internal communications teams.
The tools are here. The data is ready. And if this pilot proved anything, it's that the right questions can lead to unexpected and transformative answers.
Curious about more potential applications with connected HR and internal comms data?
Download Enhancing HR & Internal Communications with People Analytics.
Note: Activity data can be incredibly useful, but it's also highly sensitive. One Model takes data security and data privacy seriously. In this pilot, we were very careful to bring in only activity, not content. One Model worked with the partner to report only on segments of the company and not individuals. If you have questions or want to discuss how to approach ethical internal communications data use at your company, please reach out.
