What is an Employee Intranet, and Why Does Your Company Still Need One?

The rapid advancement of the digital workplace and new technologies has had many people questioning the continuing relevance of older communications channels, such as the company intranet.

But, this misses the point, because for any organization to be successful, it needs to be able to reach all its employees wherever they work, to keep them informed and connected and feeling involved with a sense of purpose. A well-implemented company intranet can foster a strong company culture by engaging employees and providing tools to celebrate the company's values and mission.

The only way to do that is with an omnichannel approach to internal communication through all available channels, from email to mobile, digital signage, collaboration tools, and, yes, not least, the company intranet. The company intranet plays a crucial role in disseminating company news, ensuring that essential updates reach the right audience effectively.

But First, What Exactly is an Intranet?

Definition and Meaning

An intranet is a private internal website or digital workplace platform designed to facilitate communication, collaboration, and information sharing within a company. It serves as a centralized hub where employees can access company resources, documents, news, and tools, streamlining their work processes and enhancing productivity. Unlike public networks, an intranet is a private network, ensuring that sensitive company information remains secure and accessible only to authorized personnel.

By integrating various workplace tools and providing a unified platform for internal communications, a modern intranet plays a crucial role in the digital workplace.

That’s how they started out, decades ago, mainly for top-down information such as management communications, HR updates, company policies, and as a centralized place for documents depository.

Nowadays, while still fulfilling this important information distribution role, modern intranets are much more multi-dimensional, collaborative, and integrate with workplace tools like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, as well as social media. Employee intranet software plays a crucial role in enhancing productivity by facilitating quick access to information and encouraging real-time communication.

Difference between an Intranet and the Internet

The main difference between an intranet and the internet lies in their accessibility and purpose. An intranet is a private network, designed exclusively for a company’s employees and trusted partners. It is used to share information, facilitate internal communication, and support collaboration within the organization. In contrast, the internet is a public network accessible to anyone with an internet connection, serving as a global platform for information exchange, communication, and commerce. While the internet connects millions of users worldwide, an intranet is a secure, closed environment tailored to meet the specific needs of a company’s internal operations.

Difference between an Intranet and an Extranet

While both intranets and extranets are private networks, they serve different purposes and have distinct access controls. An intranet is restricted to internal use within an organization, providing a secure platform for employees to communicate, collaborate, and access company resources. On the other hand, an extranet extends access to external parties such as customers, vendors, or partners, enabling them to collaborate and share information with the organization. Essentially, an intranet focuses on internal communication and collaboration, while an extranet facilitates interaction and cooperation with external stakeholders, enhancing business relationships and operational efficiency.

What is an example of an intranet?

A decade ago, most organizations would have seen their intranet as a communication channel. The home page, ‘about us’ and main sub-sections would have been controlled by the Internal Communications department.

Other areas, such as employee guidelines, may have been produced by departments like HR, but with IC oversight. Since then, most intranets have expanded to include social media, video, forms, collaboration tools, dashboards, and even whole employee services such as room booking. In modern organizations, selecting the right intranet platform is crucial for enhancing employee engagement, streamlining workflows, and providing access to necessary resources.

An example of an intranet is SharePoint, but digital workplace expert Sam Marshall advises organizations not to view their intranet as a single channel and he points out that SharePoint is “actually a whole range of channels”. Another example would be when a company like a national rail network has an internal website that acts as an information hub to update employees on all company matters. Effective knowledge management within intranets is vital for facilitating knowledge sharing and collective learning among employees.

What is the purpose of an Intranet?

In essence, an Intranet should be a central hub of company information that can be accessed by everybody in an organization for effective workplace communications to improve employee engagement and productivity. Ensuring employee adoption is crucial for intranet success, as comprehensive training and dedicated support can alleviate hesitance and facilitate a smoother transition to using the platform. It should also streamline work processes for greater efficiency and facilitate better collaboration between employees. Integrating various tools employees use daily can enhance productivity and streamline their workflow, especially in corporate environments like finance.

Intranet for employees

A well-constructed and maintained intranet for a company's employees– one that enables and encourages two-way dialogue where the employee voice is heard, listened to, and acted on by leaders – contributes to a more positive employee experience, which in turn influences recruitment and retention through employee advocacy.

A modern employee intranet serves as a centralized platform that enhances communication within organizations by consolidating various tools and reducing information overload. It features pinning important posts and targeted internal campaigns to ensure critical messages are delivered effectively and promptly.

Key Features of an Employee Intranet

An employee intranet is a powerful tool that can transform the way a company communicates, collaborates, and shares information. Here are some key features of an employee intranet that can help drive employee engagement, productivity, and overall business success.

Employee directory and people search for easy connection and collaboration

An employee directory is a crucial feature of an employee intranet, allowing employees to easily find and connect with colleagues across the organization. This feature enables employees to search for coworkers by name, department, location, or job title, making collaboration and communication more efficient. With an employee directory, employees can access important contact information, such as email addresses, phone numbers, and job descriptions, fostering a more connected and collaborative work environment.

Document management and storage for secure and organized content

A document management system is another essential feature of an employee intranet, providing a secure and organized way to store and share company documents. This feature allows employees to access and share documents, such as company policies, procedures, and guidelines, in a centralized location. Document management systems also enable version control, ensuring that employees always have access to the most up-to-date information. This not only enhances productivity but also ensures compliance and consistency across the organization.

Internal communications tools for streamlined information sharing

Internal communications tools are vital for enabling companies to share information and news with employees in a streamlined and efficient manner. This feature allows companies to create and share news articles, announcements, and updates, ensuring that employees are always informed and up-to-date. Internal communications tools also enable companies to target specific groups of employees, such as departments or locations, with relevant information, enhancing the effectiveness of internal communication efforts.

Collaboration tools and social features for team engagement

Collaboration tools and social features are essential for team engagement and productivity. These features enable employees to work together on projects, share ideas and feedback, and collaborate in real-time. Social features, such as discussion forums and social media-style updates, also enable employees to connect with each other and build relationships. By fostering a sense of community and encouraging open communication, these tools can significantly enhance employee engagement and collaboration.

Personalization and customization options for a tailored experience

Personalization and customization options are critical features of an employee intranet, enabling employees to tailor their experience to their individual needs and preferences. This feature allows employees to customize their homepage, set up notifications and alerts, and access relevant information and tools. Personalization and customization options also enable companies to create a more engaging and interactive experience for employees, increasing employee adoption and overall satisfaction.

How does an intranet fit in the digital workplace?

Digital Workplace Framework - Intranet Role

This is a question that is asked frequently, but it misses the point because it’s not a question of the intranet fitting into the digital workplace, the intranet is an integral part of the digital workplace. Just like other essential internal communications channels such as mobile and email. Making information accessible to the entire company through the intranet facilitates updates from leadership and enhances alignment across teams.

The company intranet should be considered in the context of the digital workplace as a whole: think about what the organization needs in terms of the entire spectrum of communication and collaboration tools and channels, and then come back and ask “What should the role of the intranet be within that?”. The variety and functionality of intranet platforms are crucial for employee engagement, transparency, and support in remote and hybrid work environments.

The complexity of the modern diverse workplace and the personal preference of employees means there is no silver bullet when it comes to internal comms. There is an increasing requirement for a multiplicity of communication channels operating in a fully integrated way.

Why Should the Intranet be Part of an Omnichannel Internal Communications Strategy?

Organizations must make sure employees are given information that’s relevant to them on their preferred channels and devices, wherever they are and whenever they need it. Employee intranets play a crucial role in an omnichannel strategy by providing centralized access to information and fostering collaboration among teams.

Not all employees like to receive communications in the same way. Some prefer mobile, some email, others the intranet. Either way, employees are used to being able to access consumer-grade information on a variety of platforms in their private lives, so they’re not going to accept anything less in the workplace.

And given the shift to hybrid working models, the “one-size-fits-all” approach to employee communications is more ineffective than ever before. While some employees will spend most of their time in the office and be more likely to look at the intranet, email or digital signage for important messages, remote and deskless workers will rely primarily on their mobile devices and email for company updates. Company news is essential in intranets to keep employees informed about important announcements and events, ensuring that updates reach the right audience effectively.

The key to ensuring that communications are received revolves around the ability to choose the right channel for the right audience, at the right time – and manage the content publication and performance analytics for each channel on a single, fully integrated omnichannel platform.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of an Intranet?

Like all communication channels, there are pros and cons to the company intranet.

First, intranet advantages:

1. Increases employee engagement and productivity:

A good company intranet can be a unique hub to foster connection between employees and engagement with the organization and its culture and goals, leading to higher productivity. Intranets can also play a crucial role in fostering a strong company culture by providing tools for employee recognition, inclusive communication, and celebrating the company's values and mission. The benefits of higher employee engagement have been proven time and again: higher productivity, lower absenteeism, lower employee churn.

2. Better communication and collaboration:

With workforces increasingly dispersed and many organizations opting for a range of hybrid models, internal company communication and collaboration has never been more important – and the intranet is perfectly positioned to achieve this. Employee intranets play a crucial role in enhancing communication and collaboration by providing centralized access to information, breaking down silos between departments, and fostering a sense of community through features such as discussion forums and document sharing. Even if colleagues are working in different locations they can easily collaborate, share documents and streamline workflows through the intranet.

3. Easy-access depository for company policies, documents, and key information:

CMS Software

Outdated content management system software is a nightmare for employees forced to waste precious time looking for the company information they need. However, the beauty of a modern intranet with search-engine capabilities is that not only is all essential documentation stored in one centralized location, anything can be accessed with a search and click.

Intranet disadvantages:

1. Security vulnerabilities

When a company puts all its information in one place it by definition creates a vulnerability risk. Because intranets run on web servers, intranet providers need to go to appropriate lengths to protect the security of their intranet portal, with adequate technical safeguards and user protocols.

2. Old, outdated and costly technologies

Intranets are old technology and in many organizations, they are outdated and incapable of fulfilling the communication and collaboration requirements of today’s complex and distributed workplace. For example, many intranets were built before the current move to increased remote and hybrid working environments and are, therefore, to a lesser or greater extent, not fit for purpose in this regard.

A modern employee intranet serves as a centralized platform that enhances communication within organizations by consolidating various tools and reducing information overload. It features capabilities like pinning important posts and targeted internal campaigns to ensure critical messages are delivered effectively and promptly.

That said, modern purpose-built intranet systems can play a key role in the overarching need to bake best-in-class communications into a superior employee experience.

3. Information can be difficult to find, and inaccessible for deskless workers

While modern intranets with powerful search engines make it simple for employees to access the information they are looking for, that's not the case with many older intranets that populate organizations around the world. This is not only frustrating for employees and wastes their time, it's also a ‘switch-off from the intranet as a whole, because of the poor experience.

4. Intranet software

Also, many older intranets are built on software that is not mobile-compatible and are therefore inaccessible and out of bounds to deskless and frontline workers – and updating older intranets is a costly and time-consuming process.

What Should a Company Intranet Look Like?

Here are the top components common to most company intranets:

1. Company policies and other essential company documents.
2. Company mission, culture, and values.
3. HR policies, documents, and forms.
4. Company announcements and newsfeed.
5. Up-to-date and well-populated profile list of employees; specific site for new hires. An employee directory is essential for transparency, allowing workers to easily search for coworkers, view their profiles, and access their contact information.
6. Integrated enterprise search engine, for quick and easy access to information. Company news plays a critical role in keeping employees informed about important announcements and events, enhancing engagement and ensuring essential updates reach the right audience effectively.
7. Tools for easy team and cross-department collaboration and document sharing.
8. Facility for broadcasting company accomplishment and peer recognition.
9. Forum for commenting and employee feedback and dialogue.
10. Integrations and apps directory.

What Should be Included in an HR Intranet?

Here are the top HR components common to most company intranets:

1. Policies required by law to be shared with employees. These will vary depending on location, but will frequently include workplace policies on:

• Labor law
• Anti-Racism
• Anti-Discrimination
• Anti-Harassment

Effective knowledge management within HR intranets plays a crucial role in internal communication and document management, facilitating knowledge sharing and collective learning among employees.

2. Company policies, e.g:

• Employee conduct, attendance, and punctuality
• Performance and discipline
• Security compliance
• Treatment of company property
• Maternity/Paternity Leave and PTO benefits
• Corporate Social Responsibility

3. Forms and documents, e.g

• Hiring forms
• Leave applications and expenses claims

4. Job Vacancies

5. Calendar of holidays and training events

6. An FAQ facility

Choosing the Right Intranet Solution

Choosing the right intranet solution is crucial for a company’s success. When selecting an intranet solution, it’s essential to consider the onboarding and support process. Look for a solution that offers a user-friendly interface, comprehensive documentation, and dedicated customer support. A good onboarding process should include training and guidance to help employees get started with the intranet quickly and easily. Additionally, the solution should provide ongoing support to ensure that employees can get help when they need it.

A modern intranet should also offer a range of features to support employee engagement, including social collaboration tools, employee recognition programs, and personalized content. The solution should be scalable and flexible to meet the evolving needs of the company, and it should integrate with existing tools and systems to streamline workflows and improve productivity.

Ultimately, the right intranet solution should be designed to meet the unique needs of the company and its employees. By considering the key factors outlined above, companies can choose an intranet solution that supports their goals and objectives, and helps to drive employee engagement, productivity, and success.