{"id":1373,"date":"2022-04-22T21:55:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-22T21:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/letsalloy.com\/?p=1373"},"modified":"2022-04-22T22:00:20","modified_gmt":"2022-04-22T22:00:20","slug":"intranet-creates-an-inclusive-work-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/letsalloy.com\/learn\/intranet-creates-an-inclusive-work-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Ways an Intranet Creates an Inclusive Work Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 8<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” top_padding=”3%” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_row_inner column_margin=”50px” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”1374″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”Fade In” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”5px” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”30″][vc_column_text]More and more companies are introducing an intranet to their list of employee resources, but some aren\u2019t quite clear on its purpose. Does it serve as a document repository? Is it a communication hub? Can it help a company embrace diverse ideas and people?<\/p>\n

According to Simpplr\u2019s State of the Intranet<\/a> research report, only 23% of employees thought that their intranet had a clearly defined purpose. A whopping 51% said that there are no clearly articulated goals for their intranet.<\/p>\n

To remedy this situation, start by aligning your intranet with your company’s goals and values. Encouraging a compassionate culture that supports diversity initiatives should be at the top of your list of intranet priorities. Otherwise, you\u2019ll miss out on the 76% of job seekers<\/a> who say they\u2019re looking for a diverse workforce.<\/p>\n

When implemented correctly, your intranet can serve as a centralized community for your employees to learn, problem solve, and engage with your company culture. To help you get started on enriching your intranet, we\u2019ve compiled a list of 12 ways your intranet can create an inclusive workplace culture.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” column_margin=”30px” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” bottom_padding=”5%” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”30″][vc_custom_heading text=”What is an intranet?” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23ff006c” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”10″][vc_column_text]An intranet is a central destination for your employees to find the information they need to succeed in their jobs. This includes everything from technical documentation, access to subject experts, team collaboration, and details about HR and company policies.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s intranet solutions have come a long way from the server-based portals of the 1990s. Make use of newer social features like @ mentions, commenting, and document sharing. These tools make it much easier to bring in experts to help solve a problem without having to leave the portal entirely. It also means that everyone can be alerted when new content, processes, or rules are implemented.<\/p>\n

When your intranet is aligned with your company values, strategies, and processes, it gives your business a competitive advantage through increased knowledge sharing, reduced new hire onboarding time, and enhanced employee collaboration.
\n[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”10″][vc_custom_heading text=”12 ways your intranet can foster an inclusive work environment” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:left|color:%23ff006c” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”30″][vc_column_text]\n

1. Bringing employees together<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]If you have a distributed workforce, your employees might be scattered across regional offices or work entirely remotely. Perhaps you even have international employees. This environment makes it hard for employees to connect with each other and ask for help.<\/p>\n

Intranets provide a one-stop shop where people can collaborate asynchronously on projects. They can build professional relationships and learn to rely on each other \u2013 even when working across time zones. For remote employees, the access to community and camaraderie can improve their connection and feeling of belonging to the larger team.
\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” column_margin=”30px” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” bottom_padding=”5%” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

2. Spotlight lighting achievements<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Intranets are also a great place to spotlight employee achievements. More visible roles, like sales or marketing, get the most attention. For example, sales reps who hit their sales targets are celebrated in quarterly announcements.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s less attention for employees who work on projects that are harder to quantify, like software engineers building out a new product. Their individual achievements usually don\u2019t make it into all-hands meetings.<\/p>\n

Managers can use the company intranet to announce employee success stories and milestones plus post a public thank you that lives on your intranet home page. All employees want to be recognized for their hard work, and frequent acknowledgement and praise improves morale.
\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” column_margin=”30px” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” bottom_padding=”5%” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

3. Providing employee profiles and bios<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Have you ever worked with a colleague in another office only to realize, months later, that you don\u2019t actually know what they look like or anything about their professional background?<\/p>\n

Intranets can put a face to a name with employee profiles and bios. Let your employees get creative about what they include in their profiles. They can share their professional background, their personal hobbies, what types of volunteer events they\u2019re interested in, or even their dog\u2019s Instagram handle.<\/p>\n

Tie these profiles into a company org chart to help new hires navigate their way towards subject experts by showing who rolls up to each manager, and how they fit into the team\u2019s workflow. In urgent situations, like when someone is unexpectedly out of the office, people can identify who else can help them resolve a problem. [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” column_margin=”30px” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” bottom_padding=”5%” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

4. Providing an equal playing field<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Companies are always making announcements about product launches, changes to benefits packages, interview opportunities, or new learning programs. Without a central place to inform all employees, you risk leaving people out of the loop.<\/p>\n

Remote employees might not hear about a promotion or a chance to move to a new team. Managers can accidentally neglect to communicate important changes in processes. Your management team may have good intentions, but without a central news board, some employees will feel excluded and left behind. [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” column_margin=”30px” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” bottom_padding=”5%” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

5. Reducing distracting emails<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Email is incredibly distracting. A report from Atlassian shows that an average employee receives around 304 business emails every week<\/a>. Each time they stop what they’re doing to read a new email, they lose focus on the task at hand.<\/p>\n

Email communication should be reserved for external conversations with customers, prospects, vendors, and partners. Centralizing all messaging into an intranet team page makes it easy for employees to see big announcements and policy changes. It also reduces the chance of someone being left off an important email thread.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner equal_height=”yes” column_margin=”30px” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” bottom_padding=”5%” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_spacing=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]\n

6. Accessing resources and tools<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Most people don\u2019t want to send an email to their colleague with a quick question \u2013 then wait 4 hours to get a reply which, hopefully, answers their question. Instead, store answers to most questions on your intranet. If you allow employees to add documents or comment on posts, your resources will be even more contextual and up to date.<\/p>\n

Resources and tools you should have in your intranet include: [\/vc_column_text]

\n