Eight ways your internal comms intranet can enhance employee engagement
This post is brought to you by Alexandria Nelson, who’s bringing her knowledge of intranets – and why they’re a useful tool for enhancing employee engagement – to the H&H blog
For many organisations, an intranet is a key component of their internal communications.
A well-designed, engaging and genuinely useful intranet holds the power to capture the attention of every employee. It provides a localised and easily-accessible source of information. But just because employees have internal comms to hand doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be engaged. That takes much more than just sending out content and hoping for the best.
According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, only 24% of organisational leaders think their employees are engaged – even though 71% rank employee engagement as very important to organisational success.
When employees are disengaged, disjointed and uninformed it can lead to poor performance that ultimately diminishes your organisation’s productivity.
But what does this have to do with an intranet? A great intranet can enhance employee engagement because it offers the tools, content and insights that will encourage conversations, interaction, and employee involvement – as well as providing a central hub through which to distribute inspiring and compelling internal comms.
Here are eight ways your intranet can boost employee engagement…
1. Communicating your vision
Your organisation’s goals should always be communicated to your employees. But posting documents and sending out emails that merely outline your mission and values are not enough. Although those forms of communication are easy to create and distribute, you may be missing out on the opportunity to not only connect with your employees, but also make sure they are all on board with your vision. An intuitive intranet will give you the tools to stimulate a two-way conversation rather than a one-way directive, leading to increased employee engagement.
2. Delivering much-needed content
You can’t expect engagement from uninformed employees. Sometimes the easiest way to combat disengagement is simply to share information. Keep employees up to date on organisational updates, new processes and tips and tools to help them feel supported and valued. And an intranet can host a variety of content which employees can access anytime, anywhere. From industry news and blog posts, to entertaining videos or more serious documents and articles, being able to access this information from one place is what makes an intranet so uniquely beneficial. Encourage your employees to share their own content, too. These types of posts will create a sense of community – great for boosting engagement.
3. Making room for some fun
An office that’s all work and no play? That can be draining for anybody – no matter how engaging their job. A little bit of a fun can improve morale and goes a long way in making sure your employees feel motivated and committed. So consider starting up some engaging, thought-provoking forums via your company intranet. Start an online chat for movie lovers or share some videos you think might give people a laugh or two. It’s little things like this that help to spice up the day; it doesn’t have to be about seriousness and professionalism all the time!
4. Adding a virtual water cooler
Nurture relationships between your employees. Taking the time to make connections has a huge impact on fostering a positive culture and increased productivity. According to Gallup research, workplace friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50%, and people with a best mate at work are seven times more likely to engage fully in their role and responsibilities. Create a chat room on your intranet where they can feel comfortable discussing non-work-related topics and sharing stories. An intranet is the perfect place to combine professional and social in a way that enhances your organisation’s culture and employee engagement.
5. Getting feedback through surveys
An intranet is not only good source of information for employees – it’s also a great platform where employees can speak their minds. Feedback is imperative if you want to improve company culture and processes. Engagement surveys allow for an inside look at how your employees are feeling across the board and can provide insight into where issues lie within your organisation. When designing a survey, try to keep the questions straightforward, open-ended, and most importantly of all, brief. Employees need to have their voices heard and surveys provide a crucial window of insight into their feelings and desires.
6. Showing employees they matter
If your employees feel their voices are being heard, they’re usually more dedicated and committed to their work. As I’ve just discussed, quick and easy surveys and quizzes can be sent to employees to obtain feedback – and to show that those at the top are actively listening and care about their views. A recognition and rewards scheme can turn an employee’s routine into an opportunity for engagement. Your intranet can help leaders and managers to celebrate success on a continual basis (rather than just once a year at performance reviews), and more importantly, show employees that they’re an important part of the business.
7. Keeping everyone in the loop
Keeping employees informed and updated with what’s happening day-to-day is vital to enhancing employee engagement. And an intranet is designed to do exactly this. Interactive calendars make it possible to keep your entire company up to speed and in sync with important meetings and events – as long as it’s regularly updated. They also prevent important tasks from being overlooked, and can send out ‘push’ reminders for important deadlines to keep everyone on track to achieving results. It’s important not to overload employees though, as this can result in unnecessary stress and confusion which can inadvertently harm productivity.
8. Creating a home for expression
Creating a judgement-free environment where employees feel comfortable enough to freely express their ideas and concerns is a key cornerstone of employee engagement. Employees need to feel that management are listening to their opinions and taking them into consideration. An intranet makes this easier than ever. Employees can ask questions and raise concerns through online forums, surveys, posts or even direct messages. An intranet allows for fluid, two-sided conversations between managers and employees which aren’t always an option when it comes to more traditional means of communication.
Enhancing employee engagement in your organization is a continuous and long-term project. A well-designed and well-utilized intranet will go a long away in helping you reach your engagement goals.
The benefits of employee engagement are unquestionable, and the helping hand of an intranet – and the suggestions I’ve listed here – will make them even more attainable.
Meet the author: Alexandra Nelson
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