Intranet Implementation: Strategies for a Smooth and Successful Journey

You have a great company, yet you are disappointed that it still has not reached its fullest potential. While there are many factors that can cause a less than optimum company performance, one that should never be overlooked is poor communication.

Identifying the problem is the first step. Business owners may be surprised to learn that if poor communication is their problem, that's a good thing, because it's so easily fixed.

The High Cost of Disconnection

Employee disengagement in the United States costs companies anywhere from $483 billion to $605 billion annually due to lost productivity. Obviously, companies want to avoid the attrition that accompanies employee disengagement.

Conversely, the Harvard Business Review reports that one major big box retail outlet discovered when reviewing metrics for a single store that even a 0.1% growth in employee engagement had a value of $100,000.

So, What's the Plan?

One key to employee engagement is good communication. Without an efficient and effective system in place to facilitate internal communication between employers and their workers, the system breaks down.

According to intranet sites industry leader Simpplr, a positive intranet and employee experience brings an uptick in employee productivity, morale, and commitment.

Challenges to Effective Communication

Unclear project descriptions are a portal to failure. Ditto for vague or redundant job descriptions. But a unified digital communication system makes it simple to clarify any confusion with the project's instructions or the employee's job duties. All are just a click away on the company's secure and private intranet system.

Also, a project manager can log onto the platform from anywhere with a WiFi connection and see in real-time what's going on when a project is in the weeds. This gives management the opportunity to course-correct and realign the workers' priorities if they have gotten off-track. Not only does that save the company time and productivity, but it spares the employees from failing in their mission and suffering the consequences of not meeting their goals.

Why Internal Communication Is So Vital

How you communicate with clients and industry colleagues is important because it reflects upon your brand. But as Simpplr also noted, a lack of an effective intranet system for peer-to-peer communication can foment dissension and conflicts among the workforce.

Trouble can manifest through garbled communication between workmates where what was said was not what was actually perceived. Instead of depending on assumptions made between coworkers, implementing a unified communications platform will enhance employees' digital workplace experiences.

This is especially true for work-from-home (or wherever) and hybrid workplaces where the lack of actual face-to-face contact can lead to a systemic employee disconnect. That disconnect can be between the employees themselves or between the workers and the companies that hire them. Often, it's both.

Does Your Company Have a Robust Internal Communication Architecture in Place?

Every employee deserves to be heard when they have a workplace concern or question. It can be quite demoralizing to feel like you are just a voiceless cog in the immense company wheel. Research has shown that when workers feel they do indeed have a voice and are heard by their companies, they are more than four times as likely to put forth their best efforts.

But your intranet is more than just a digital suggestion box (although it makes a great one). Implementing workplace social intranet sites increases employee retention by as much as 87%. Providing a safe space for employee interactions can be empowering and a positive motivational tool.

Furthermore, another 85% of employees surveyed claim that it is motivating when their companies update them on news affecting the organization.

Follow the Lead of Companies with Proven Track Records

If you are a business owner who wants a productive and confident workforce, it's time to up your intranet game. Industry leaders like SIMPPLR are good models for business owners to integrate into their companies.