Maybe your relationship with your last intranet didn't work out because you wanted different things. If you've never really felt you’d found “the one”, what about taking a break to see what else is out there? It's time to find that magnetic force that will keep your organization and teams together. Here are 11 reasons that will make you fall in love with your intranet.
1. It doesn’t waste your time
One can easily fall head over heels for the personalization features of custom-built intranets. But there’s no bigger turn off than the time-consuming set ups and costs. On the contrary, out-of-the box intranets won’t keep you waiting and come with full package, no compromises needed!
2. It never gets old
Being comfortable is the first step to a successful relationship but you also don’t want to get stuck in a rut. If you’re going to create a virtual “breakroom” where employees can “hang out” or learn about your company, you don’t want something cookie-cutter. You want the ability to renovate and re-decorate – to jazz it up! An out-of-the-box solution allows you to virtually throw on a fresh coat of paint, drop a snazzy new rug on the floor and fill the space with furniture so comfy no one wants to leave.
3. It’s open and transparent
Transparency in a relationship is key. The same applies to workplace environments. Organizational and reporting structures, quality and compliance regulations, company standards, codes of conduct and audit practices – these are examples of information your employees should have access to. But just like in a relationship, some things are meant to stay private. Centralizing and housing this content behind a gated platform ensures privacy and security from the outside world.
4. It has an easygoing friendly personality
The “getting to know each other” phase of a relationship is important. Features for news and blog publishing or video capabilities make your intranet a welcoming communal space everyone will love to spend time in. And with a user-friendly search tool, locating desired information becomes quick and easy!
5. It’s smart… and multilingual!
While appearance and good-looks help with initial impressions, there has to be something more for a long-term relationship. Support in multiple languages is key to make sure your intranet appeals to everyone regardless of their location.
6. It’s there for you when you need it
Staying in touch is essential for a relationship to succeed. Work no longer happens strictly from the computer on a desktop in your office. Whether travelling across the city or across the globe, or simply catching up after hours, your intranet should be available anytime, anywhere on any device. Modern mobile apps help to make your intranet experience easy also on your smartphone or tablet.
7. It keeps the lines of communication open
Improvement comes through understanding. Want to know how you’re doing? What people think of your platform? Any advice or feedback they have can help you enhance the experience for everyone. With a survey feature you can publish and analyze quick questionnaires to collect actionable insights from your employees.
8. It knows what you want – even before you know it
Personalization experience is about showing users the content they’re looking for, without them even having to ask for it. It's the intranet equivalent to finishing each other’s sentences or anticipating each other’s needs in a relationship. You’ll find it in the start page that changes for each country or department, on aggregated news on the topics you find most relevant to your daily job, or even on tools that let you customize your own menus and navigation.
9. It praises you
Special recognition shouldn’t be relegated to holidays or anniversaries. Intranet news, feature articles or homepage pop-ups are surefire ways to give everyone the opportunity to stand out. Showcasing team milestones, job promotions or client wins will showcase the teams’ expertise and reward their hard work.
10. It brings out the best in you (and everyone around you)
Keeping the spark alive is a continuous effort, but as someone once said, “many hands make light work”. Inviting your colleagues to brainstorm new ideas or co-create new product offerings are creative ways to spend time together, while helping everyone leave their mark in driving innovation. Collaboration tools also allow remote co-workers to present and discuss new ideas and scored together as if the team was all in the same room.
11. It encourages growth and change
Finally, relationships are constantly evolving. The best way to understand the effectiveness of your communications, what people enjoy reading and what they ignore, is to study what they’re looking at and using the most in their daily tasks. Analytics tools and lifecycle reporting features allow you to get new ideas for content that will appeal to your users’ preferences, archive unused groups and delete content that is no longer relevant.
If these are traits you'd enjoy in your intranet, it sounds you're ready to meet your match! To schedule a private demo, discussion or for any other questions, reach out to us through the comments below.
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