7 Ways to Create an Intranet Your Employees Will Use

7 Ways to Create an Intranet Your Employees Will Use
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There's no denying the benefits of a company intranet. Even before the pandemic, intranets allowed businesses to share documents internally, collaborate on projects, and keep information organized. And now, with remote work surging, intranets are more beneficial than ever for companies that want to keep employees connected. They allow vital resources to exist in one digital place, making it easier for employees to access information from anywhere.

Chances are your business has an intranet, but do your employees actually use it? Maybe it's time to find out. For example, investigate whether your intranet's content is up-to-date. Is the information useful to your employees? If you find the answer to your questions is "no," it's time to revamp this vital communication and collaboration tool.

Follow these seven tips to make your company intranet more appealing to your employees and improve engagement:

1. Clearly State Your Goals

For employees to get on board with something, they need to know exactly what to expect. To ensure they do, clearly set your expectations and goals for the company's intranet. You can do this by explaining how an intranet should be used and stating the benefits to the employee.

By answering a few questions, you can overcome any lack of understanding your employees may have. Address questions like: What type of information is on the intranet? Who is in charge of updating it? Can employees edit or make changes to the information in the intranet? How will this intranet improve day-to-day operations?

The more transparency you provide, the better employees will understand their role with regard to the intranet and how it benefits them. 

2. Provide Training

Provide ongoing training to your employees so they know how to use the company intranet. Chances are, you previously offered some sort of training. Maybe you emailed them a step-by-step guide on how to use the intranet. That might not have been enough.

If you're noticing a lack of engagement, step up your training efforts - and this time, include several different methods. For example, consider offering one-on-one training or video demos your employees can pull up whenever they need to. Take the time to ensure everyone in your organization has a good understanding of how to use the intranet's features.

3. Make Important Information Accessible

To encourage employees to use your company intranet, make the information on it useful and accessible. Most companies keep important documents and other information in multiple places. Because of this, employees don't necessarily have to check the intranet to find a specific answer. They can ask their co-workers on Slack, send an email, or walk into their supervisor's office.

To ensure engagement, make your intranet a one-stop shop by storing everything of importance there. Instead of keeping client information on account managers' hard drives, upload it to the intranet. Instead of emailing your company updates, post them on the intranet.

Most modern-day intranets can connect to different apps and software that your business might use. For example, if your employees communicate on Slack, link it to your intranet so conversations appear in one place. Employees won't need to leave the intranet just to send a quick message.

4. Set Up Automatic Notifications

Some intranets offer automatic notifications that can be emailed when something is published on the intranet. If you want to encourage employees to use the software, remind them that it's there. Automatic notifications are a good way to do that.

That said, some employees might be put off if they're constantly receiving alerts. Allow them the option to choose what type of notifications they want. For example, maybe they only want an alert when someone in their specific department shares something new. Providing flexibility with notification type and frequency gives your employees agency over how they engage with your intranet.

5. Simplify the Design

Your company intranet should be intuitive and easy to navigate. After all, employees are busy. On a given day, they're juggling multiple projects and communicating back and forth with their clients and peers. The last thing an employee wants is to spend hours searching the company intranet for a certain piece of information. To promote use, it's important your employees be able to access the intranet without hassle.

Through the years, intranet software has become more advanced and customizable. Today, you have more control over how your intranet can look, so keep it streamlined and eye-catching. If your intranet is too "busy" or has too many features, it could confuse or distract your employees. Take another look at your intranet. Make sure the design is simple, the content is clear, and the intranet is easy to navigate.

6. Involve Your Employees

Your company intranet should also be engaging and useful for your employees. Instead of assuming you know exactly what your employees want, ask them!

Consider sending out a survey asking for feedback on the current intranet. Some intranets even have built-in surveys, so you can keep the conversation in-house, so to speak. Make sure you're asking specific questions and involving employees in designing the intranet. Getting employee buy-in can help you create something they will use.

7. Make It Fun

A study in the Journal of Vocational Behavior showed that having fun at work positively impacts employee learning. So if you want employees to learn how to effectively use the intranet, make it fun and social. Create a place on the intranet for communicating with co-workers about non-work-related things. Set up games like trivia, or challenge your employees to post photos of their work-from-home office.

These days, most intranets have social features like commenting, liking, and @mentioning. Employees can praise each other's hard work by adding a mention on the intranet. Or they can create a group chat with fellow fans of their favorite TV show. An intranet is a great place to enhance a company's culture, so don't be afraid to get creative.

Gone are the days when employees could accomplish all needed information exchange via chats in the hallway or meetings in the conference room. According to Upwork, 1 in 4 Americans will be working remotely through 2021. An engaging and useful company intranet will help your employees stay connected even in today's remote work landscape.

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