Do you want to improve efficiency, productivity, and performance in your business? An employee intranet could well be the solution you are looking for. We give you 40 hot reasons why your business should have an intranet for your employees.
2. Do you want to improve efficiency, productivity and performance in your business?
Of course you do!
Every company wants to streamline processes, improve communications and
maximize profits, but what’s the best and most cost-effective way to set about it?
There are plenty of tools available online that promise to deliver much; however,
when budgets and time are tight, it’s essential to make the right decision.
An employee intranet could well be the solution you are looking for.
In a single platform, employee intranet software offers a whole host of business
benefits, all for just a modest investment. In the following slides we provide 40
compelling reasons why your business should have an employee intranet!
3. WHAT IS AN INTRANET?
In simple terms, an employee intranet
is a closed, internal
communications network.
Just as your website is the outside
face of your organization and brand,
so the intranet is the internal version.
It includes a range of modules and
tools that employees can utilize in
support of their work.
Think of an intranet as being the home screen
for your employees. Each day staff members log
on and use the intranet to accomplish tasks and
access information and data needed to get the
job done.
It could be something simple like booking a
meeting room, completing an expenses claim
form or checking out the latest company news
bulletin. Maybe it’s something more involved like
working on a cross-departmental initiative to
improve the customer experience.
A dedicated project space on the intranet enables
team members to collaborate, share insights
and work jointly on G Suite or Office 365
documents embedded directly in the intranet.
Quite simply, the purpose of an intranet is to
support the smooth and efficient operation
of your business.
PURPOSE OF AN INTRANET
4. TYPES OF EMPLOYEE INTRANET
It is possible to create an employee intranet using software downloaded from the web such as WordPress,
which is then hosted on a company server.
However, it requires a considerable investment of time and resources in developing, testing and piloting the
intranet software. Furthermore, often the software has not been created for that specific purpose. Extra
add-ons and plug-ins to achieve the required functionality can make for a convoluted and challenging exercise
even for a dedicated IT department.
Cloud employee intranets, on the other hand, are a far more straightforward option.
Cloud intranet providers utilize fully customizable pre-built intranet templates. The templates have already
been extensively tested in the field which means your site can be up and running in just a few days. Easy to
set up, no great technical expertise is needed to create your own unique employee intranet. What’s more, cloud
intranets offer good value for money. Usually, services are provided at a fixed monthly price and may also
cover unlimited users and unlimited data. Cost certainty, as well as a very reasonable price, provide an
unbeatable combination.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that most companies deploying intranet software opt for the simple choice of
cloud employee intranets over the do-it-yourself option.
5. 1. Improve Internal Communications
The employee intranet is the perfect vehicle for sharing timely and consistent corporate messages.
Whether it’s staff news, product launches, company announcements or internal memos, the employee
intranet’s news feed or what’s new button is the quickest way to get the message out there.
2. Promote Genuine Dialogue With Employees
You can also use the employee intranet to develop an ongoing dialogue with staff or to promote
internal conversations across teams and departments. Through blogs and team or company forums,
the intranet allows employees to easily share new ideas and insights, offer feedback and suggestions
to management.
3. Increase Employee Engagement
There’s plenty of research that suggests engaged employees tend to be happier, are more
productive and have a longer tenure with an employer. An intranet is an excellent tool for
increasing employee engagement. The improved internal communications provided by the intranet,
alongside opportunities to have two-way conversations with management, are an important first
step in developing employee engagement in your business.
4. Make The CEO And Senior Leadership More Accessible
An intranet-based CEO blog or vlog is a great way to reach out directly to staff. Getting up close and
personal will make the senior leadership team come across as being more open and accessible. However,
for maximum effect rather than being just a corporate mouthpiece, it needs to be authentic and heartfelt.
40 REASONS WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS AN INTRANET
6. 5. Canvass Staff Views With Surveys and Quizzes
You can utilize the intranet’s easy-to-use, in-built surveys and
quizzes tool to canvass staff views on a range of issues.
Perhaps you would like staff to give their opinions on the
revamped company logo. You can even survey staff on the
preferred location for a team social outing. Whatever the case
may be, quizzes and surveys are a versatile and highly effective
way to engage with employees.
6. Measure Employee Engagement With An Annual Survey
Many companies have developed annual
staff engagement surveys as
a way of assessing and measuring
over time how they are doing on the
employee engagement front.
You can also use the data to
compare and benchmark your
performance with others in the
industry.
7. Enhance Organizational Knowledge Management
Most companies have vast amounts of data stored electronically,
often in multiple locations. An employee intranet provides one
central location for all company-critical information, which
can be accessed at any time by any member of staff. This
prevents overlap and duplication of effort and allows employees
to obtain the files they need. Also, the task of managing,
organizing and updating corporate knowledge is simpler and
more effective.
8. Facilitate Knowledge Transfer
An intranet is a useful tool in ensuring the effective
transfer of knowledge within your company.
Different people learn in different ways and the
beauty of an intranet is that it offers multiple media
to satisfy those varied needs, like e.g. podcasts, how-
to videos, wikis, webinars, quizzes and checklists,
standard operating procedures or faqs.
40 REASONS WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS AN INTRANET
7. 9. Make File And Document Sharing Easier
The employee intranet is the central repository for all company-wide information. The easy to understand site navigation means it
is a simple process for staff to locate and share all the information they need. The intranet’s straightforward site setup will make it
easier for staff to source and share information for themselves.
10. Harness The Power Of Google In Your Intranet
Lots of businesses already make extensive use of G Suite – Google’s set of collaborative and cloud-based content sharing apps.
Embedding the G Suite apps directly in your intranet means that you can provide background and context. Live calendars, forms,
documents and spreadsheets within your intranet pages mean that users can view, edit and collaborate online and in real-time.
11. Share And Collaborate More Effectively With Office 365
If MS Office 365 is your preferred office system and collaboration tool, you
can do the same with embedded Word and Excel documents. Combining
powerful tools like these in the one cloud-based platform will lead to enhanced
productivity and increased savings with any time, anywhere access.
12. Do Away With Paper And Email Processes
There’s no denying it – paper and email-based business processes are a
cumbersome way of getting things done. It’s just not an efficient way of
operating and it’s also prone to errors. Instead automate businesses
processes via the intranet for faster, more efficient and accurate operations.
40 REASONS WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS AN INTRANET
8. 13. Disseminate Information Quickly And Easily
When it comes to disseminating information quickly and easily,
the employee intranet’s content management system is the most
efficient platform. Information is accessible in the cloud 24/7
from any location via an internet connection. This self-service
approach is not only empowering for employees, it’s also a great
time-saver which means that staff can focus on more productive
tasks other than sourcing information.
14. Find Information With Advanced Search Functionality
The ability to find information quickly is a great advantage to
efficient and effective business operations. The intranet’s
advanced search function will support this. Users can easily
locate information and data by searching using key words within
the content and title.
15. Break Down Information Silos
Information silos exist in most organizations to some extent. An
unwillingness or an inability to share data, or a reluctance to
hand over control can impede the flow of information between
teams or departments. An employee intranet helps to break
down those barriers. Staff members can directly source
information for themselves. Dynamic navigation and
sophisticated search functionality will make information silos a
thing of the past.
16. Provide More Opportunities For Collaboration
Providing more opportunities for collaboration will stimulate
creativity and innovation throughout the whole company. The
intranet can help you achieve this by providing dedicated project
workspaces where employees can come together. The platform
can also bring staff together and enable them to make
connections via a social intranet.
40 REASONS WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS AN INTRANET
9. 17. Support Flexible Working
The open-all-hours nature of the intranet means that employees can log on anytime and anywhere. This gives employees the opportunity
to work more flexibly than ever before. Moreover, those staff that spend time out on the road meeting with clients or in a servicing role can
provide a much more responsive service to customers. The mobile-optimized employee intranet means that all the company information
is available at their fingertips.
18. Connect With And Retain Oversight Of Remote Workers
If your business utilizes remote workers or freelancers in the gig economy, then the employee intranet means you can connect with and
retain oversight of these workers. Research tells us that 4.3 million employees in the US now work from home at least half of the time. This
is a trend that’s only going to increase as among the non-self-employed, the number regularly working at home has grown by 140 percent
since 2005. Therefore, it’s vital that companies have systems in place to meet the operational challenges.
19. Instill A Sense Of The Company Brand And Culture
As an organization-wide tool, the employee intranet is often used to
instill in new hires or freelancers a sense of the company culture,
its values and how they connect with the vision of the organization.
20. Develop Online Approval Forms
Every business needs to complete a variety of approval forms. Speed up the system and eliminate the potential for errors by automating
these processes with online approval forms. Select from the employee intranet’s integrated forms builder or utilize an embedded
Google Form and create your own customized forms. In addition, the employee intranet can automatically route the completed form
through to the relevant staff member.
40 REASONS WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS AN INTRANET
10. 21. Utilize User Profiles In An Online Staff Directory
We’ve all had that first day at a new job experience where we’ve
been introduced to a dozen colleagues and within five minutes have
forgotten their names.
An easily updated online staff directory on the employee intranet
does away with that embarrassing problem. The new hire will be
able to refresh their memory by clicking on the faces or names within
the online directory.
22. Facilitate Collaboration With Staff Biographies
Some businesses have taken things a step further and have
included more detailed employee profiles and biographies within
the staff directory. As well as outlining the worker’s primary job
focus, areas of expertise and current projects, you could include
additional social intranet features like individual activity walls or
follow-me functionality. These features help to connect employees
and encourage collaboration and joint working.
23. Support Ongoing Training And Development
It’s likely that employees will from time to time be required to
undergo training to update their knowledge and skills. Using an
employee intranet, it’s easy to create simple e-learning pages for
employees. It is a proven, cost-effective and flexible way to
deploy work-related training. The e-learning could take many
forms including webinars, quizzes, how-to videos, podcasts or blogs.
Employee intranet-based e-learning delivers consistent content to
all learners, minimizes disruption to normal business activities
and allows staff to train at their own pace.
24. Keep A Log of Employees’ Professional Development
Furthermore, e-learning systems provide an electronic record of
training and achievement for each employee. This is often an
essential record for compliance and auditing purposes and it is a
very visible demonstration to employees of their value to the
company.
40 REASONS WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS AN INTRANET
11. 25. Build Connections And Relationships Between Colleagues
Discussion forums and collaborative workspaces on the employee intranet are the perfect tools
for encouraging colleagues to make connections with others in the organization. Sharing
best practice and insights as well as engaging in comments and feedback help to build social
relationships in the workplace. After all, building relationships with colleagues is an important
part of our working lives.
26. Safeguard Important Company Data
Safeguarding the security of commercially sensitive or confidential company information
has to be a priority. The truth is that the threat of cybercrime is constantly evolving and
keeping on top of it is a full-time occupation. With a cloud employee intranet, the
provider retains responsibility for security and ensures your data is protected.
27. Keep Staff Updated On Company Events And Important Deadlines
The company calendar tool is an effective way to keep everyone updated on
corporate events and deadlines. Your employees need never miss anything
again as the calendar feature is updated in real-time.
28. Celebrate Company Successes
Use the intranet’s news feed to celebrate important company successes.
It’s hugely motivating for staff to see that their contribution is making a
difference and that the business is succeeding.
40 REASONS WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS AN INTRANET
12. 29. Recognize And Reward Employees
It’s important that you also recognize the achievements of staff.
The intranet is the perfect forum for a company-wide employee
recognition scheme. Acknowledging the contribution through
the news feed or a dedicated intranet page sends a clear signal
to staff about just how important their efforts are. Plus the public
validation is very motivating for employees and will enhance
employee engagement across the board.
30. Promote Employee Wellness
Every responsible employer should make it’s a priority to look
after the health and wellbeing of the workforce. The intranet can
help to promote the message with a health and wellness
portal. As well as being a repository for information on work-
related health issues, the portal can also promote company
wellbeing initiatives.
31. Simplify Employee Onboarding
Effective onboarding should be a key priority for every business.
It’s important that new employees are quickly assimilated and
are up and running as soon as possible. The employee intranet
allows for a consistent, streamlined process. What’s more, the
new staff member can access the dedicated onboarding
section at a time and place that suits them and can complete
tasks at their own pace. In addition, managers are able to track
progress via the intranet for compliance and reporting purposes.
32. Encourage Mindfulness At Work
We’ve heard much lately about how practicing
mindfulness can improve the focus and creative energy of staff
members. Mindfulness is all about being in the moment and not
allowing yourself to get distracted. Use the intranet to encourage
staff to practice mindfulness exercises.
40 REASONS WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS AN INTRANET
13. 33. Provide More Effective Offboarding
Likewise, the employee intranet provides the opportunity to more effectively manage offboarding. Departing employees and the reasons
why they are leaving provide a wealth of data on the health of any business. From setting up exit interviews, handing over and transferring
knowledge to managing the termination process, the employee intranet makes for a more efficient process.
34. Improve The Employee Experience
Companies are focusing their attention on creating a positive, holistic employee experience as a way of attracting and retaining the best
people. Developing employee engagement, promoting employee wellness and supporting employees’ professional development are all
important elements of this. So too is intranet software that provides staff with access to all the tools, information and resources they need.
35. Enhance The Customer Experience
It naturally follows that employees who are empowered and equipped with the tools and resources they need will also
be providing enhanced customer service. You could, however, take it a step further by developing a customer
portal via the intranet for improved access and responsiveness for customers.
36. Increase Engagement With Partners
And if your business relies on partners selling or reselling product, then a
partner portal via the intranet offers the potential for better engagement.
Your partners will be able to engage with you and exchange information
24/7. The benefits in terms of greater control, oversight and
accountability are obvious and are not to be underestimated.
40 REASONS WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS AN INTRANET
14. 37. Improve Quality Assurance Processes
Assuring the quality of your product or service is a fundamental
task for any organization. An employee intranet though, can
make it a much easier and more streamlined one.
The flexible nature of the intranet means that you can
accomplish all quality assurance tasks in a single platform.
38. Ensure Compliance With Corporate Responsibilities
Similarly, an employee intranet can support
compliance and reporting procedures
within your business. Whether it’s
internal compliance processes, safety
and health requirements or
achieving ISO accreditation,
the intranet will tick all the boxes.
39. Standardize Project Management Processes
Every business involves some form of project management, but
the chances are that different teams will have different project
management processes in place. It’s possible though to set up a
streamlined project management process on the intranet. As
staff members are already using the intranet on a daily basis, it’s
an obvious and readily implemented solution where file and
updates can be kept in a single place.
40. Facilitate More Efficient And Effective Working
The bottom line is that with all these great
benefits on offer, your business will be
more efficient and effective. And that
translates into increased productivity and
profits.
40 REASONS WHY EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS AN INTRANET
15. Contact MyHub for more information or a
free demonstration of how a cloud intranet
can help.
Why not even sign up for a 14-day
no-obligation trial and discover the many
advantages that an intranet has to offer.
Are you interested in finding out more?
The team at MyHub is happy to discuss your organization’s needs.
Our super easy to set up and manage cloud intranet templates
are guaranteed to deliver the whole host of business benefits.