Last updated on April 30, 2024 at 05:19 am

Anyone who’s ever worked in a professional capacity can attest to the importance of the intranet. It’s often frustrating to experience setbacks at work because of issues like communication errors, inconvenient and inaccessible collaboration tools, and deeply flawed operational systems, and the reason for all of these problems can be traced back to a bad intranet. Just like the Internet, the intranet is a network that allows employees to use several tools, access information, and communicate with other employees in the workplace.

The main factor that makes the intranet different from the Internet is that it is a private network restricted only to the organization’s employees. The intranet is key to supporting various functions of an organization that help keep it afloat, and this is why a bad intranet can be so detrimental to a company’s daily operations.

10 Reasons to Upgrade Your Employee Intranet 

Why is an employee intranet important? Quite simply put, the daily operational duties of an organization rely on the smooth functionality of the employee intranet. Communication, tools, and various other uses have made it a necessity in the workplace, and this also necessitates the need for the employee intranet to be exemplary. Companies are always looking for ways to stand out and be the undisputed industry leader, and that requires them to fire on all cylinders, something that an employee intranet enables them to do. Here are many other primary reasons why an outdated intranet may hinder your business’s success and why you should upgrade your employee intranet.

Low Employee Engagement 

A clunky or outdated intranet is slow, inaccessible, and rife with technical issues and glitches, which can severely affect your workforce’s productivity and overall company output. In contrast, employees will be happy and stress-free when using an updated intranet.

Another crucial aspect of the intranet is that it enables employees to share knowledge and other pieces of useful information, and this ends up positively affecting employee morale and engagement. This is why it’s imperative to always have a state-of-the-art intranet.

Wasted Time and Reduced Productivity 

If an intranet isn’t well-optimized or designed impeccably, it can hinder the employee experience and even make it difficult for employees to procure information. This difficulty in accessing information can make things more time-consuming, wasting company time. Not only does this increase the amount of time wastage, but it also severely hampers the productivity of the corporate establishment. There may be great informational resources on the intranet, but if employees can’t find them easily when they need them, then they will be discouraged from using the system.

Information Silos and Knowledge Gaps 

What are the positive effects of the intranet? One primary answer that is usually attributed to this question is that the intranet helps ease communications between a company’s departments.

Inter-departmental communication must be easy and accessible to facilitate collaboration, teamwork, and organizational success. Often, companies with a poor infrastructure or intranet struggle to get this part right, which only gets worse as it causes gaps in knowledge and hinders collaboration. When employees from different departments cannot get their hands on relevant information when needed, the particular project also suffers. An upgraded intranet can ensure smooth collaboration and information exchange.

Missed Opportunities for Recognition and Communication 

A modern and comprehensive intranet acts as a platform for employee recognition and even announcements. A well-configured intranet can help increase engagement by recognizing individual and team contributions via an internal news directory. It also enables peer-to-peer recognition by enabling employees to communicate more effectively. The platform usually contains every employee’s job title, description, and contact details, making it easy to reach out and appreciate others.

Companies tend to thrive when they focus on building a strong and positive corporate culture, and one reason this is possible is a strong and stable intranet. Building up the synergy that companies require to succeed is only made possible by employee morale, workplace culture, and ease of communication.

Security Concerns and Outdated Technology 

Any form of outdated intranet or technology can make your company more prone to vulnerabilities. Potential risks include financial losses caused by data breaches, virus attacks, and data privacy issues.

Any well-established company or industry leader will always do everything in their power to minimize the potential for any damage. Thus, you should abide by all data privacy regulations to remain on top of things.

Limited Accessibility and Mobile Unfriendly Design 

One of the most prominent requirements of our time is the need to access information and communicate on the go. An outdated intranet is not mobile-friendly, which makes it time-consuming to access important information swiftly.

Companies can help employees in this regard by implementing a new and effective mobile-friendly intranet. This new system can send real-time notifications, present the latest information and news in one place, and let you connect with co-workers through your mobile. You do not need to sign up on your laptop/PC and log in to your account to access all these facilities. This, in turn, improves the employee experience and streamlines operations.

Hinders Employee Onboarding and Training 

Hiring the right personnel is easier said than done, and companies need to be savvy enough to navigate through quite a tricky recruitment process. This necessitates the need for an upgraded employee intranet.

It takes time to acclimate to a new company, and a seamless onboarding process via an upgraded intranet smoothens this out considerably. The intranet accomplishes this by providing the HR department with real-time access to onboarding resources and material. Additionally, it makes onboarding documents and team information available online to new employees. A modern intranet is also equipped with training modules to improve the onboarding process for new hires.

Weak Search Functionality and Information Retrieval 

A poor intranet tends to have weak search capabilities, making it impossible to find the correct information on time. The outdated intranet will either not have search functionality or not show relevant results.

Poor search capability can frustrate many employees, which can adversely affect workplace morale. This is where a new and upgraded intranet comes into the foray. Today’s new and improved intranet boasts a user-friendly search function that’s quick and helps retrieve information more conveniently. Employees need to type in the keyword or topic they are looking for, and many rich information sources will come up.

Lack of Analytics and User Tracking 

A modern intranet enables companies to gather valuable data on employee usage patterns. It can track which functionalities employees find easy to use and relevant to daily operations and which ones are rarely used. The data provides immeasurable value and insight that can then be used to improve the modern intranet further. Insights help companies gain context, which in turn helps them understand customer needs and even identify market trends.

Competitor Advantage and Employer Branding 

Building and upholding a positive reputation for the brand is pivotal in attracting new employees. An upgraded intranet plays a huge role in this. It can tell candidates that your business doesn’t shy away from using technology to improve processes. Candidates will know that your business cares about its employees’ happiness, satisfaction, and productivity by investing in an upgraded intranet. It also showcases your emphasis on data security and modernization.

Summing Up

Upgrading the employee intranet is crucial and a potential game-changer. Companies rely on it for a myriad of reasons, such as employee recognition, communication, feedback programs, analytics, user tracking, and so much more. All of these capabilities contribute to an organization’s holistic development. A modern intranet can also help you attract talent, retain employees, create a learning culture, improve system security, and enhance your employer branding. Consider the benefits and budget and upgrade your employee intranet today.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does an upgraded employee intranet help in employee development?

An upgraded intranet provides a private platform for employees to communicate, access learning and educational tools and resources, and provide feedback mechanisms. These facilities help employees network, learn, stay productive, and develop professionally.

How does an upgraded employee intranet enable effective communication?

Modern and upgraded intranet systems enable communication by centralizing several communication channels, such as announcements, newsletters, direct messaging, and discussion forums. Moreover, employees can easily contact co-workers or managers through the private intranet.

Does a modern intranet provide mobile-friendly software for employees?

Yes. A modern intranet enables mobile-friendly software via dedicated applications and services optimized for mobile devices. It offers company resources, communication tools, and document management capabilities, among others.

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