Business connectivity is no longer simply about keeping employees in contact. It's about making sure people can access the information, tools and colleagues they need to do their jobs effectively, regardless of their location, role or working pattern.
As organisations expand across multiple locations, departments and time zones, maintaining strong corporate connectivity becomes more challenging. This is particularly true for frontline and deskless employees who may not have regular access to a computer or company email address. A modern company intranet platform helps address these challenges by centralising workplace information, improving knowledge sharing and giving employees a consistent way to stay connected.
Finding information is another important part of business connectivity. Research from Microsoft's Work Trend Index found that surveyed employees estimated spending 27% of their working day searching for information. Features such as AI-powered intranet search, centralised document access and integrations with existing workplace systems can help reduce unnecessary searching and make everyday tasks easier.
However, effective corporate connectivity goes beyond access to information. Employees also need to understand company priorities, feel included in workplace conversations and have opportunities to contribute. By combining targeted employee communications, recognition, feedback and mobile access for frontline workers, organisations can create a more connected employee experience.
The following strategies explore how businesses can strengthen communication, collaboration and employee engagement through their intranet.
The role of business connectivity in the workplace
Successful business collaboration is built on the premise of connectivity and being able to connect employees. Business connectivity not only dictates how we work, but how quickly we are able to get things done and how well we are able to collaborate with one another.
Without effective internal communications, efficient processes and engaged staff, companies are quickly reduced to a chaotic free-for-all, rife with miscommunication, misalignment and mix-ups. At its most obvious business connectivity can be understood as how employees interact with other colleagues: verbally, digitally or otherwise. To connect staff isn't as one dimensional as we're led to believe. Connectivity can also be understood as how we interact with our company as a whole, interpret its values and engage with our work.
For employers, it’s incredibly important to understand what connectivity means for today’s digital workplace. This helps employers to maintain healthier relationships with their employees and create a more positive working environment as a whole.
A common challenge of the global workforce: disconnected teams
With companies and employees working differently in the post-pandemic era, it’s becoming more of a challenge to improve business connectivity. Whether employees are working in different offices across the globe, or they’re on the road all day without access to a computer, one thing is clear; connection is the fuel to better engagement and productivity.
To keep employees connected, having a central company intranet is the most successful solution. At Oak, our intranet software gives you all the tools you need to connect your workforce, wherever they are.
So, let’s tackle this common workplace challenge and get straight into the top 10 tips for improving your business connectivity with an intranet.
Connect the disconnected:
10 top tips for improving business connectivity with an intranet
1
Communicate core company values
For your employees to feel connected to your company,
they must resonate with the company's core values.
Ensure your employees know, understand and remember
the core values by making them easily accessible.
A great place to start is by sharing them on your
company intranet homepage.
2
Celebrate and recognise employees
Employees need to feel appreciated. Employee recognition
should be a vital part of a company's culture.
In today's work environment, companies with satisfied
and productive employees often invest in training,
development and recognition.
Whether you're celebrating an employee's work anniversary
or recognising a job well done, showing appreciation
helps employees feel more connected to the company,
improving business connectivity as a whole.
3
Provide opportunities for feedback
Allowing employees to provide regular feedback
helps your team contribute and stay connected.
Give employees a voice by offering various ways
for them to share their feedback. You can do this
through online forms, employee satisfaction surveys
or quick polls, to name a few.
4
Make company resources easily accessible
Business connectivity is not all about messaging or calls.
In today's modern workplace, not every employee has
a stationary workspace. Many are deskless or regularly
travel for work.
For these employees, it's important to access
company resources and communication channels
easily to stay connected to their organisation.
Having remote intranet access provides employees
with the tools they need to do their jobs effectively,
while staying connected to their colleagues.
6
Drive collaboration
Collaboration is essential in every modern digital
workplace, especially one that includes remote,
hybrid and frontline workers.
Your company intranet should provide tools that
support team collaboration and business connectivity,
regardless of where employees work.
While your intranet serves as a main collaboration
portal, social intranet tools can help employees
feel more connected to the company and their peers
through personalised experiences and opportunities
to interact.
7
Secure mobile capability
Having access to your company intranet through
a mobile device is essential when it comes
to business connectivity.
By allowing employees to access information
on the go, organisations can enhance engagement,
productivity and collaboration.
It is critical that employees, especially
dispersed frontline colleagues, can access
the information they need wherever they are.
8
Market to each other
In large companies, various departments often
have little idea about what's happening in
other areas of the organisation.
This is especially true for remote workers,
who may only regularly engage with the handful
of people they need to do their jobs.
To improve business connectivity, use your
intranet to feature articles and videos
describing interesting events, achievements
and projects happening in each department.
9
Encourage a social intranet
A powerful feature of an intranet is that
it gives everyone in the company a voice.
Social features can include posting blogs,
commenting, contributing to the company
homepage timeline and instant messaging.
These tools also make it easier to discuss
what's happening across the company, whether
through group chats or direct conversations
with colleagues in different departments.
10
Create a personalised experience
If users see the information they want and
need on an intranet platform, they are more
likely to enjoy using it, ultimately improving
enterprise connectivity.
This could be as simple as showing company
news relevant to a particular department or
team, or suggesting internal content based on
employees' interests and skills.
Oak's Smart Delivery of tailored news
can help organisations achieve this.
11
Market to each other
In large companies, different departments
often have little idea about what's happening
elsewhere in the business.
This is especially true for frontline and
deskless workers, who may only interact with
the people they need to do their jobs.
Your intranet is the perfect place to feature
articles and videos describing exciting events
and activities happening in each department,
helping employees better understand the wider
organisation.
12
Encourage a social intranet
A powerful feature of the intranet is that
it gives everyone in the company a voice,
through blogs, comments, homepage posts
and instant messaging.
This is especially important for connecting
employees who otherwise feel disconnected
from the wider organisation.
Social intranet features also make it easier
to discuss company developments with colleagues,
whether through group chats or by messaging
someone from another department directly.
13
Create a personalised experience
When employees see what they want and need
on an intranet platform, they are more likely
to enjoy using it, ultimately improving
business connectivity.
This could involve showing company news
specific to a particular department or team,
or suggesting relevant internal content
based on an employee's interests and skills.
The future of work
Your company intranet is the key to developing flexible working and remote workforce while maintaining high levels of employee engagement. Furthermore, those who take the time to effectively leverage their intranet will ensure your workforce is strong, collaborative and productive. At Oak, we provide digital workplace solutions that boost business connectivity. Designed to power productivity, collaboration and connectivity, we help some of the world’s largest and most successful brands bring their businesses together and work better as one. Being the future of work, our goal is to tailor our intranet in line with your core company values, giving you a next-generation digital solution with your people in mind.
Want to find out more?
Get in touch with one of our experts today and see how Oak could help you improve your business connectivity.