Social intranet platforms have become indispensable for businesses, facilitating communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing among employees.  Picture this: a dynamic digital ecosystem where employees seamlessly exchange ideas, get instant access to workplace feeds and communication boards from their mobile devices, communicate through collaboration apps on the go, and interact on group channels, anytime and from anywhere, and access vital information—all within a secure, centralized platform. This transformative technology has become ubiquitous in everyday corporate life, especially in today’s hyper-competitive business landscape.

Consider the staggering statistics: According to a recent survey by Deloitte, organizations with effective communication practices are 50% more likely to report lower employee turnover rates. Moreover, businesses prioritizing internal communication are 3.5 times more likely to outperform their competitors. These numbers underscore the tangible impact of social intranet platforms on employee engagement, productivity, and ultimately, the bottom line. From fostering a sense of belonging among remote teams to unlocking innovation through cross-departmental collaboration, these platforms have become indispensable tools for forward-thinking businesses. 

Let’s look at some trends redefining how social intranets operate in today’s era.

1. Mobile-First Approaches

With the increasing reliance on mobile devices, social intranet platforms are adopting mobile-first approaches to ensure access anytime, anywhere. Trends like responsive design, dedicated mobile apps, and push notifications enable employees to stay connected and productive on the go. For example, employees can collaborate seamlessly on projects and access important updates from their smartphones, enhancing flexibility and productivity.

Here are some innovative use cases that drive home the point of how transformative mobile-centric strategies within social intranet platforms are:

• Responsive Design Revolution: Gone are the days of pinch-and-zoom frustration. Social intranet platforms adopt responsive design principles to ensure seamless user experiences across various devices, from smartphones to tablets. 
• Power of Standalone Mobile Apps: In a fast world, convenience is king. Recognizing this reality, social intranet platforms are investing in dedicated mobile apps to provide employees with instant access to essential tools and resources right at their fingertips. 
• The Power of Push Notifications: In the age of information overload, staying informed can be a daunting task. That’s where push notifications come into play. Social intranet platforms are leveraging push notifications to deliver timely updates, alerts, and reminders directly to employees’ mobile devices, keeping them informed and engaged, even when they’re on the move. 

2. Emphasis on User Experience (UX)

Intuitive interfaces, customizable dashboards, and seamless navigation contribute to a positive user experience, driving adoption and engagement among employees. For instance, a user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy for employees to organize and access information, improving efficiency and satisfaction.

According to a study by Forrester Research, every dollar invested in UX design yields a return of up to $100 in increased revenue. UX-driven strategies are reshaping the digital workplace landscape, empowering employees to thrive in an environment that prioritizes simplicity, efficiency, and user-centricity.

• Customizable Dashboards for Personalization: Personalization is the cornerstone of a superior user experience. Social intranet platforms are embracing customizable dashboards to empower employees to tailor their digital workspaces according to their preferences and workflows. Similarly, employees are more likely to engage with social intranet platforms that offer personalized experiences. 
• Seamless Navigation: Social intranet platforms are prioritizing seamless navigation to ensure that employees can find what they need quickly and efficiently. Almost 73% of organizations depend on SaaS applications today to drive operational success. Seamless navigation, thus, is critical to ensure work efficiency. Therefore, the importance of intuitive navigation cannot be overstated. With features like predictive search, contextual menus, and breadcrumb trails, employees can navigate intranet platforms effortlessly, maximizing productivity and satisfaction in the process.

3. Integration with External Tools and Applications

Social intranet platforms are increasingly integrating with external tools and applications, such as project management software and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, to streamline workflows and enhance productivity. Seamless integration allows employees to access relevant information and collaborate more effectively across different platforms – all through a single sign-on. For example, integrating the intranet with project management tools enables teams to track tasks, share documents, and communicate effortlessly, improving project outcomes.

4. Focus on Data Security and Compliance

Data security and compliance are crucial for social intranet platforms, particularly in light of evolving regulations like GDPR and CCPA. Implementing features such as end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and granular access controls ensures the protection of sensitive information and maintains regulatory compliance. For instance, role-based access controls restrict access to confidential data, reducing the risk of unauthorized exposure. Security is non-negotiable, and it is important to take it seriously. Investing in private IT infrastructure provides an extra layer of protection, shielding sensitive data from external threats. Additionally, a dedicated server system translates to optimized performance. CEOs can rest easy, knowing their organization’s information is safeguarded within a secure enclave.

5. . Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI has transcended the realm of science fiction to become a driving force behind the evolution of social intranet platforms. Harnessing the power of AI technologies such as Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML), these platforms are undergoing a revolutionary transformation, reshaping how organizations communicate, collaborate, and innovate. AI algorithms analyze user behavior, preferences, and interaction patterns to deliver personalized content, notifications, and recommendations. For instance, an employee frequently engaging with marketing content may receive tailored updates from the marketing department, ensuring they stay informed and engaged with relevant information. AI can also highlight trending topics and content, ensuring that important information is prominently displayed and accessible. This not only improves content discoverability but also aids in knowledge management and retention within the organization. What’s more – AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants on social intranet platforms can answer queries, provide support, and even facilitate project management tasks. These tools are available 24/7, offering immediate assistance to employees across different time zones, thereby enhancing productivity and reducing downtime.

6. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) Experiences

Emerging trends in AR and VR integration are revolutionizing the way employees interact and collaborate within social intranet platforms. Virtual training simulations, immersive onboarding experiences, and virtual meeting spaces are just a few examples of how AR and VR technologies can enhance employee engagement and productivity. For instance, employees can participate in virtual meetings with colleagues from around the world, fostering collaboration and innovation regardless of geographical boundaries.

Conclusion

As social intranet platforms continue to evolve, embracing innovation and staying ahead of the curve is essential for businesses to maximize their potential. Organizations can create a dynamic and engaging work environment by just adopting mobile-first approaches, emphasizing UX design, integrating external tools, and prioritizing data security. Investing in these trends will enhance collaboration and productivity and position businesses for future growth in an increasingly digital world.

Empower your team with a modern social intranet system like InfinCE. InfinCE is built to enable C-suite leaders to cultivate an environment where teams seamlessly collaborate and share ideas, stay informed on key organizational and team updates, access documents securely from one place, and contribute collectively to the organization’s goals. InfinCE isn’t just a social intranet platform; it’s also a productivity enabler. Explore InfinCE today!

In today’s hyper-connected digital landscape, communication is not just a tool; it’s a strategic cornerstone for organizational success. The world of work is evolving, and so are the dynamics of how employees communicate within an organization. In 2024, embracing the latest internal communication trends isn’t just a choice; it’s a necessity.

Let’s delve deeper into why these trends matter for digital workplaces with real-life examples that highlight their significance.

1. Personalization and Targeted Messaging

Salesforce reports that 62% of employees expect their employers to deliver the same level of personalization they experience as consumers. Generic mass emails are becoming a thing of the past. Modern internal communication tools allow for personalized and targeted messaging. When employees receive communications that are specifically curated for them, it cuts through the noise and ensures that important messages don’t get lost. InfinCE’s capabilities allow organizations to segment their employee base, enabling HR and communication teams to send targeted updates, policies, or announcements to the relevant groups. For example, a finance department might receive updates on financial regulations, while the marketing team receives news about the latest campaigns. This targeted approach ensures that each group gets the information they need, when they need it.

2. Video Content as a Communication Medium

According to Forbes, employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than to read documents, emails, or web articles. Cisco predicts that by 2024, video content will make up 82% of all internet traffic.

Video is gaining prominence as a powerful internal communication tool. Live broadcasts, video newsletters, and recorded messages from leadership are becoming the norm. Studies have consistently shown that visual content is more memorable and emotionally impactful than text-based communication. 

Accessibility and inclusivity: The video caters to diverse learning styles and accessibility needs. It allows organizations to communicate with employees who may prefer visual or auditory information over text.

Visual and emotional impact: Video enables organizations to convey complex messages, share company culture, and celebrate achievements in a compelling and emotionally resonant way.

Global Reach and Consistency: For organizations with a global presence, video offers a scalable and consistent means of communication. Whether it’s training materials, updates from leadership, or company-wide announcements, video ensures that the message remains consistent across different time zones and cultures.

3. Remote Work Communication Integration

A McKinsey study reveals that employees spend 20% of their time searching for internal information or colleagues. With remote work becoming a permanent fixture, companies are integrating communication tools that cater to a dispersed workforce. The Remote Work Statistics 2022 report states that 79% of employees say they would like to continue working remotely, at least part-time.

Effective communication is the cornerstone of remote work success. Remote work communication integration enables real-time collaboration through tools like video conferencing, instant messaging, and document sharing.

4. AI-Powered Chatbots for Employee Support

A study by Deloitte found that organizations with high-maturity AI capabilities for HR are twice as likely to report better business outcomes. IBM reports that companies using AI for employee engagement have seen an 11% increase in employee productivity. Following through on this trend, several companies are increasingly using AI-powered chatbots to provide immediate and round-the-clock support to employees. These bots can answer common HR questions, assist with onboarding, and even provide training materials. 

How InfinCE Helps Tackle Common Internal Communication Challenges and Keeps You Up with Trends

InfinCE, a cutting-edge platform, plays a pivotal role in addressing the challenges associated with internal communication and keeping your organization aligned with the latest trends:

Streamlined Communication Channels

InfinCE provides a unified communication platform, bringing together chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and more into one centralized hub. This streamlines communication, making it easier for employees to connect, collaborate, and stay informed.

Video Conferencing

With video becoming a vital communication tool, InfinCE seamlessly integrates video conferencing and live streaming capabilities, ensuring your organization can harness the power of visual communication.

Remote Work Enablement

With the proliferation of communication tools, employees often find themselves juggling multiple platforms, leading to communication fatigue and reduced productivity. Remote work communication integration simplifies this landscape. 

InfinCE is designed to support remote work, offering secure access to company resources from anywhere. This feature is vital in the current landscape, where remote and hybrid work arrangements are the norm.  InfinCE’s integrated chat and collaboration features empower remote teams to connect instantly, host virtual meetings, and collaborate on projects, fostering efficient teamwork even when employees are geographically dispersed.

Remote work communication integration helps break down communication silos that can arise in dispersed work environments. InfinCE ensures that information flows across departments and teams, promoting cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing. This integrated approach prevents information fragmentation and promotes a more connected and informed workforce.

Wrapping up

As we embrace these exciting trends in internal communication for 2024, it’s clear that InfinCE is the solution that can help your organization thrive. In conclusion, the importance of internal communication cannot be overstated. Staying on top of the latest trends and leveraging innovative solutions like InfinCE is essential to fostering a connected, engaged, and productive workforce in 2024 and beyond. 

Embrace these trends and watch your organization thrive in the world of internal communication. Ensure that your internal communication strategies align with the evolving needs of your workforce, ultimately driving success, productivity, and employee satisfaction in 2024 and beyond. Embrace the future of internal communication with us today! Sign Up with InfinCE now!

Your company’s internal communications can say a lot about your organization, culture, and prospects. When all your team members feel connected and part of a single, unified structure, it denotes a positive and efficient work environment. If done rightly, internal communications can be the powerful engine that can drive productivity, collaboration, workforce engagement, and employee advocacy in your organization. Research shows that business leaders report positive effects when communication is done right – 60% notice more employee confidence, and 72% say it increases employee productivity. 

Internal communication, however, isn’t as simple as greeting your coworker in a busy hallway. It takes a lot to deliver the right message to the right people in the right place at the right time with the right tone. From ineffective and unproductive day-to-day operations to a lack of proper cross-departmental communications and disengaged or disconnected staff, the impact of poor internal communications can be wide-reaching. Recent data shows that 72% of employees do not fully understand their company’s strategy, while 54% of employees believe they’d be more productive if they had more access to leadership.   

Many organizations struggle with a confusing array of business communication issues that impede their development and productivity. Our essential guide will help you navigate the complex web of internal communications, explain its importance in the modern workplace, and offer tips for setting up or improving your organization’s internal communications strategy. 

IN THIS GUIDE:

What is internal communications?

Why is internal communications important?

Tips to improve internal communications

Setting up a successful internal communications strategy

Using the right internal communications software

How InfinCE can enhance your internal communications process

Keep your team connected and informed with effective internal communications

What is internal communication?

In its simplest form, internal communication (IC) refers to processes and strategies used to communicate information and messages within an organization. 

Announcements from executives and leadership, team or department updates, casual chats among colleagues, updates on projects or initiatives, company news, feedback on performance, and all other information relevant to the organization and its employees can fall under the broader term of internal communications. 

In short, internal communications is the heartbeat that keeps all employees in-sync and in-the-know within your organization. Effective internal communications provide employees with more clarity about your organization’s objectives and goals.     

Why is internal communication important?

“Internal communications can build a strong and cohesive culture, improve employee engagement, and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.” – Business Dictionary

Internal communication brings together employees and helps them make sense of the company’s goals. More than employers putting out messages, internal communications is part of a dialogue that helps a company better know what employees need. Here’s why it’s important to fundamentally incorporate internal communications into your overarching business strategy.

• Keep employees informed: Effective internal communications can ensure that everyone in your organization is on the same page and working towards the same goals. By staying up-to-date with the latest company news and changes in strategy, your team will be able to execute their jobs efficiently and maintain better relations with other staff. 
• Improve employee engagement: Effective internal communications can help you keep your employees engaged and motivated, which most often leads to higher productivity and loyalty. Higher levels of employee engagement create a positive domino effect on your business performance.   
• Build a positive workplace culture: Messages communicated from the leadership to your staff will influence how they interpret your company’s values and beliefs. A positive workplace culture has a considerable impact on your people and their levels of engagement with work, which in turn leads to higher staff retention.
• Facilitate feedback and discussion: Internal communications can create a healthy space for dialogue within your organization. By encouraging effective feedback,discussion,n and debate, your company can identify ways to improve and also avoid making the same mistakes in the future. 
• Provide clarity into roles and expectations: A clear internal communication strategy helps provide clear expectations to your staff about what they are supposed to do. This can prevent a possible disconnect between your staff and customers, and even improve customer service.
• Foster innovation and new initiatives: Effective internal communication can create a culture of innovation, where employees feel empowered to share ideas and collaborate on new initiatives. A work environment that encourages the exploration of different viewpoints helps create a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
• Retain the best talent to stay competitive: A robust internal communications strategy helps take a more proactive approach to employee engagement by creating a work environment that fosters growth, creativity, and a sense of purpose. It helps your company to remain competitive by retaining the best talent.   

Tips to improve internal communications

Let’s take a look at some of the internal communications best practices that can help you build a productive, well-informed, and engaged workforce. 

• Optimize your communication channels: Choose communication tools, channels, or methods depending on the message that you want to get across. For instance, social media can be a good choice to advertise your job openings, while an online chat tool can be the best option for instant messaging or to quickly share internal documents. Adopting a unified, multi-channel approach facilitates better workplace collaboration and co-creation. 
• Incorporate feedback loops: Feedback is imperative to building a great culture at work through improved internal communications. People want to know that their ideas and perspectives are valued. Evaluate your internal communications plan regularly. Gather employee feedback on what they think about your internal communications process through anonymous online surveys, group discussions, or one-to-one meetings. 
• Celebrate wins and achievements: Making your staff feel valued for their contributions will help motivate them to work harder to accomplish your organizational goals and objectives. Sharing the successes and milestones achieved by your team through a common internal communications platform, such as intranet software, will help build a positive workplace culture and inspire employees to actively connect with the work they do.   
• Break down information silos: When employees are unified in their understanding of the company goals, they will be able to communicate with one another more effectively in order to reach them. Take time to explain the company’s values and mission, whether as part of corporate training or as a regular reminder to employees. When employees are instantly informed about the latest business news and are connected with the rest of the team, they feel less frustrated or isolated. 
• User-friendly intranet software: Modern workforce requires a robust internal communications solution that reflects the world they live and work in. Use a cloud and mobile-friendly intranet software branded to your requirements. It will provide your employees with all the information and collaboration tools they need to do their jobs efficiently. 

Setting up a successful internal communications strategy

Developing an effective internal communications strategy requires careful planning and consideration. These six steps will ensure your internal communications plan unites your employees with your core business goals.

1. Analyze your current IC strategy

Before developing a new internal communications plan, take a look at your current strategy to identify what needs to be improved, discarded, or retained. 

The best way to find out what could be improved is by asking your team, the people who use the internal communication tools like intranet every day. Identify their pain points to understand what could be made better. 

Employee surveys and group discussions involving representatives from diverse teams or departments are some of the best ways to find out what people think. 

2. Determine the key metrics

Identify the most important metrics that can help define your internal communication goals and measure the success of your strategy. We recommend looking at these metrics:

• Employee engagement: Do your employees feel heard, share their ideas and feedback, receive and discuss internal content and updates, and share company values?
• Project management: Are your employees happy with your current project management tool/ process? What are the constant issues faced?
• Social shares: How often are your employees sharing your content and business updates that make them feel more connected with your brand’s goals?
• Employee referrals: How many candidate referrals do you currently receive from your employees? 

3. Decide if technology could improve your IC

If you aren’t using a company intranet or require a robust tool to streamline your internal communications, now’s the time to invest. 

A modern workplace intranet helps integrate many different tools to make your internal communications easier. For instance, an intranet can integrate with and leverage a horde of workplace collaboration and productivity tools such as instant messenger (chat) app, cloud-based file storage drive, project management tool, video meeting software, business phone system, online Office tools, and so on.

Consider technology that:

• Delivers a rewarding and unique communication experience to your staff
• Keeps everyone in your team updated with the latest information
• Facilitates adequate communications planning and tracking
• Offers social capabilities to encourage employee interaction and engagement
• Guarantees ease of use without posing any potential barriers to adopt and use additional technology 

4. Set a realistic timeline and budget

Timelines and budget will influence how far things can change. 

For example, your company may require a completely new intranet or may need to only update parts of the existing intranet, such as adding a social network, a mobile application, or an integrated search solution. The decision depends on how much your budget allows for. 

Similarly, timelines should be set in a realistic manner to ensure that changes take place on time. Are there other projects that this might be contingent upon? What’s the status of staff availability? And how much time do you need to incorporate the necessary changes? All these should be considered. 

5. Inform employees, so they can adapt quickly

Inform employees about what’s happening so they can easily align themselves with the new internal communication strategy. Employees need meaning and a clear vision in order to fully engage with the job and to understand why their input is valuable to the company achieving its goals.

Run a contest among your teams to come up with an interesting name or a creative design theme for your new IC strategy. Create a diverse group of champions who can promote adoption, usage, and engagement. These are some of the great ways to put the new internal communications plan in place. 

6. Review and improve

Evaluate your key performance indicators (employee engagement & feedback, project management, social media metrics, content reach, etc.) regularly. Learn from them and continually optimize what you are doing for the best results possible. 

Run routine pulse surveys to understand how employees are feeling about your communication content and cadence. Some questions that you could ask include:

• Can you rate the effectiveness of our internal communications on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being poor and 5 being the best)? 
• Are our business communications and updates making our company vision transparent enough for you?
• Are there any setbacks that prevent you from working with others on projects?
• Do you believe we could improve cross-departmental communication?
• What barriers prevent you from communicating internally each day?
• Where can we improve the most on company communication?

Regular evaluation of your internal communications strategy will help people know that you’re listening to them. It will also allow you to plan on adjusting your strategy to promote transparency and trust.

Using the right internal communications software

As more and more teams move to remote and hybrid working models, the need for effective internal communications is growing.

Internal communications software can help everyone stay up-to-date on the latest company news, announcements, updates, events, content, projects, and documents. There are different types of internal communication tools that can facilitate a strong communication strategy within your company. 

1. Company Intranets

A company intranet is a centralized information sharing hub where employees can access all the information and tools they need in a single platform. One of the most important benefits of an intranet is that it connects all employees from multiple locations (remote/ hybrid/ in-office teams), so they can stay up-to-date on company news and events. 

Company intranets often come with features like social feeds, instant messaging, secure file sharing, and integration with other enterprise tools. Teams and departments can use a company intranet to share relevant documents, articles, charts, etc with large groups of employees.

2. Online Collaboration Tools

Online collaboration tools offer a variety of features, including instant messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing, making it easy for teams to chat, share files, and work on projects together. 

Collaboration tools facilitate more effective teamwork by linking teams from different departments or even time zones, so they can work together, track task progress, and stay in sync to reach their common goal.

3. Project Management Tools

Using a project management tool, employees can not only share files, but also track projects, set deadlines, and assign tasks. Many organizations integrate their employee communication software with a project management tool to make their workflow more efficient and streamlined. Project management software is ideal for organizations that need to manage complex projects and large teams.

4. Instant Messaging Tools

Instant messaging or online chat tools facilitate real-time exchange of messages between team members working from anywhere. Instant messengers are frequently used by employees at all levels on a daily basis to ask questions, confirm meeting dates, clarify queries, or share ideas quickly.

Instant messages are a convenient way to quickly exchange information and are sometimes more practical than picking up the phone for a quick question. Modern instant messaging tools offer features such as emojis (or graphical smileys), file transfer, chatbots, voice over IP, and video chat capabilities to make conversations more effective and engaging.

How InfinCE can enhance your internal communications process

InfinCE isn’t just another internal communications software. At its core, it is a complete digital workplace designed to support and enhance your internal communications processes. InfinCE combines multiple workplace tools and components into a single suite, so your employees can perform their best with minimal obstacles.

Here’s a closer look at what InfinCE offers and how it could be the game-changer for your organization’s internal communications plan:

• Collaboration Apps for employees to coordinate at work more efficiently, including employee directory, live chat, video conferencing, and private email.
• Productivity Tools that help perform your day-to-day organizational activities like task management, calendar, document creation, and sharing. 
• Ready-to-Use Online Office Tools: Documents, Spreadsheets, and Presentations raise your employees’ productivity. Employees can easily share and collaborate on documents and get the work done quickly.
• Secure File Sharing: Files can be securely shared between employees, but also between employees and non-employees using options like upload-only folders and password-protected files.
• Data Visualization Dashboards: Users can create custom dashboards to help them keep track of what’s happening in their project or team. It provides an effective way to communicate key business information in real-time and simplifies team collaboration.
• Employee Engagement Mobile App: Stay on top of your work, view dashboard updates, access work files, find contacts, join video meetings, and do a lot more with the intuitive InfinCE mobile app.

Keep your team connected and informed with effective internal communications

A highly engaged team that comes to work every day with excitement and purpose will have a direct impact on your bottom line. The ultimate purpose of an internal communications plan is to drive cultural change, break down communication barriers, transform employee experience, boost workforce engagement, and foster innovation and growth.  

From integrating email and instant messaging to virtual meeting software and custom business dashboards, InfinCE offers all the tools you need to implement an entirely new working environment that replicates your employees’ changing work experience.

If you’re looking for new internal communications software for your business, InfinCE is here to help. Book a demo of InfinCE and see for yourself how it can help your business.

Workplaces are becoming truly digital post the pandemic. According to Accenture, 83% of workers across the world envision a hybrid work model as optimal for work in the future.

We too had joined the shift with – InfinCE, a digital workplace suite that embraces the new normal with utmost ease! And what better platform to showcase it than GITEX GLOBAL – a massive digital universe where the global industry leaders, innovators, tech enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and other audiences from the niche participate in extensive knowledge sharing & exhibition of the tech-products.

Stop by our parent company Fingent’s stall H9-B20.29, at Dubai World Trade Centre, from OCT 10-14 where it will be displaying, along with its services, how InfinCE can enhance your organization’s employee experience through real-time collaboration, better data accessibility, and improved transparency at work.

In this visit, you’ll come across the entire spectrum of services that InfinCE offers – 

• Customizable dashboards that will display all the key insights in one place
• Collaboration apps that help your teams connect faster via video meetings, business phone, live chat & employee directory
• Comprehensive suite of productivity apps including secure file sharing, drive, business email, calendar, tasks, & more for enhanced efficiency at work 
• Android/iOS workplace apps that can be customized with your branding elements and help you work on the go
• App marketplace with open-source and commercial business software options like Kanboard, Bookstack, Mautic along with Skill Lake – a competency-based learning & training platform to upskill your workforce.

All on your own dedicated virtual private server for absolute data security.
Feel free to communicate with Mr. Jim Peter, (Senior Manager Business Development ) at [email protected] to arrange a meeting or fill out the form below to book a demo with us right away!