What is a Company Intranet? Best Practices for Using the Intranet Effectively

In its simplest form, an intranet can be described as a private network within a company for the benefit of its employees. It accomplishes this by making it easier for people to communicate, collaborate, and share information. Just one component of the digital workplace is an intranet. There are also cloud-based productivity tools like Slack or Teams, and classic enterprise software. Today's intranets have features called "social intranets." These features let employees make profiles and then submit, like, comment on, and share posts. The digital employee experience is made up of all of these tools.

The benefits of having a mobile intranet

Are you buying an intranet solution for your company and wondering if a desktop version is enough? Or would you like to learn about the benefits of making your intranet mobile?

The commercial case for a mobile intranet is compelling. A mobile intranet can help achieve core organizational objectives, including employee loyalty, employee motivation, better communication, faster operations, cost reduction, data protection, efficiency, and productivity. It's important to have a mobile intranet for all of these reasons:

 1. Improve communication

Unlike previous intranets, which had more drawbacks than advantages, modern intranets facilitate internal collaboration within the organization. Your employees may work together on projects, have open talks, and management can talk to them. The best feature is that communication is mutual. Both management and employees can interact. As a result, the intranet simplifies workplace communication.

2. Reinforce your brand and values

Promoting the company's brand internally is becoming more important in the future when people work from home. In a situation where there is little else that can help people think of their company as good, an intranet shows them that they aren't working alone. Instead, they think of themselves as part of a group with a goal. An intranet is the best place to keep your company's values in front of your employees. It gives you a lot of ways to put your company's values at the forefront. This way recognizes employees who live out the company's values, helps people share web articles that help the company's values grow, and lets people talk about the values they see in their workplaces.

3. Make the most of the time you have

From any place, you can use mobile devices to keep up with what's going on at any time of day. How often do you find yourself simply “passing time” by catching up on work vis your mobile phone? There are many opportunities for this- whether you are on a bus, have an extra five minutes between meetings, or simply waiting for a doctor's appointment. This is called "Interstitial" time, and it is easy to make the best of it with mobile intranet software. Why not use the time to the best of your advantage, whether for you or your company’s employees?  

4. Easily manage information and documents

It is easier for businesses to communicate quickly if they have good information and efficient document management. An intranet makes sure your company's information is organized with laser-like precision. It makes it easy for employees to see information on the dashboard and to get tasks completed faster.

The intranet can also help prevent information from being mixed up, so the employee only works with what they need.

5. Consider younger generations who dislike emails and laptops

There are plenty of young people who aren't interested in email and may don’t check their inboxes all that often. So, in some cases, emails may not be your best option- and it definitely should not be your only communication option. Notifications on your phone through Intranet are great for people who don't like email, and they may work better on phones or tablets (if you have the right platform). This is especially true if their work is done predominantly while they are on the move, as is the case with many in the younger generation. 

6. Improve the overall employee experience

Focusing on an employee's experience and journey while they work for a company is crucial. When employees don't feel like they can be active in their jobs, their performance, absenteeism, and customer service suffer.

If you don't have the ability to recognize and celebrate your employees in person, an intranet that is centered on the employee journey can assist you in managing significant employee milestones remotely—things like onboarding, promotions, and routine check-ins. Furthermore, this concept is particularly important to the contemporary work environment as well as the growth of the remote office setting.

7. Be ready for any kind of emergency

Whether it is an earthquake or a hacker attack, the problem is the same: all of a sudden, your network is down. But your intranet may be up and running (unless the servers are located locally, of course). In emergencies, a mobile intranet is more than just another way to communicate. It lets people get out of their desks, move to safety, and help one another. People who work for you will be able to stay in touch with each other through your mobile intranet, and that connection will be familiar to them.

Essential uses and examples of employee intranets

An intranet is more than just a place to put and read content. It can do a lot of other things and help plenty of people. 

Let's look at some ways to use an intranet.

• A company directory

A directory connects everyone in your company, even people who work from home or aren't at their desks. Along with contact information and department information, there is a link to more thorough personnel profiles. Employee profiles vary from one organization to the next, but most include areas of expertise and current initiatives.

Employees can view who is online using the directory. They can communicate with one another via live chat. Many businesses have found that this makes it easier for them to make decisions quickly and for their employees to do their jobs more quickly.

• A calendar of company events 

People who work in an office will love this, but it can also be great for people who don't work at a desk. Are forgotten emails and old bulletin boards really getting to everyone? It's easier for everyone to stay up to date, find event information, and follow up on last-minute changes when there is a centralized calendar for the whole company.

• Food menu

People who work for you all have one thing in common: they have to eat! Upload a weekly PDF of the daily menu to your intranet, or add a link to a website that already has the menu. If you don’t have a company café, you can add a list of places to eat lunch nearby, or the best place to get coffee.

• Workplace recognition, special days, and lots of "thanks"

Do you have a strategy to recognise exceptional employees? How do you mark work anniversaries, birthdays, and years of service? Include nomination and awards channels on your intranet, such as Employee of the Month or everyday hero feature tales. These public shout-outs will reach more people than a private team or a bulletin board. They'll also help foster a positive work culture and increase intranet usage.

Wrap up

Establishing an intranet requires a sum of investment, but the benefits far outweigh the costs. The way an intranet is set up can make it a powerful tool for employee communication. This means that it can make it easier for employees to communicate and get things done. It’s time to choose a new generation of mobile intranet for your company. With Sorwe, meet the mobile intranet that will keep everyone happy and up-to-date.