How an Intranet Helps Employees Connect

If you analyze why a given situation had an unwanted outcome, lack of communication would almost certainly be a contributing factor. Concepts exist inside our minds before they're even put into words, and language is used to transport those concepts into someone else's mind. The ability to cut through obstacles to this process is very important to any social endeavor.

We achieve more together. The better we can get our collective resources to work together, the better the outcome. A social intranet is a useful place for effective digital collaboration. Below are some ways that intranets help employees connect:

Familiar Design

A social intranet is a collection of applications designed to make it easier to work together and be productive digitally. The design is largely inspired by popular social media platforms, so using a social intranet is easy and familiar. More time is spent getting work done or connecting with colleagues instead of trying to figure out how to use the application itself.

Awareness

Attention is now a commodity. We should focus our limited attention only on the most important information. How do we determine what is important in a world where our senses are relentlessly bombarded by flashy images and sounds begging us to look at them?

A news feed that is especially made to fit the individual end user would help to ensure that they have easy access to the most relevant information. Different users benefit from different information. Such personalization allows people to communicate efficiently in the ocean full of information and content. Automated reminders are also useful because even if we make to-do lists, we may forget to check them (sound familiar?).

Inline Comments

Some intranets feature an inline comment function which allows a user to comment on a specific piece of hosted content. The commenter can link other users who are then directed to the highlighted portion. The comment opens a thread where linked users can add to the original post. The inline comment function is very useful when creating and editing documents.

Link to External Applications

Each user has their own list of applications that they use in their daily workflow. As with news, one size does not fit all. An intranet has the ability of linking third party applications into its portal. Users can arrange their favorite apps in a tray layout and access them from within the intranet.

Social timelines

The best work environments are where employees feel part of a community. Many intranets offer blogs that resemble the wall section of popular social media applications. This is where employees can share photos, posts, and like or comment on the posts of their colleagues. Social timelines are also an effective tool for groups to communicate about a work related project or task. Usually, project files can be attached to a post and the communication is grouped in threads.

Mobile Friendly

Everyone has a smartphone and most of us use them for work in one way or another. A mobile application allows users to connect to their company intranet from their personal or work device. You can access the most relevant features while on the go. Don’t miss out on news, your colleagues' posts or even your work-related content.

Conclusion

Communication is key. Obstacles to clear and effective collaboration cause collective efforts to suffer. A lack of cohesion fractures team efforts and foments disunity.

Linchpin is a social intranet that is available in the Atlassian Marketplace and boasts all of the advantages described above. It has a user-friendly design, customizable news feed, a microblog and a mobile application which allows you to access all the information stored in your system while on the run. You can test drive Linchpin for free in your own browser anytime!