We don’t have to tell you more about how a mobile intranet app benefits your organization and employees, especially the non-desk workers. In a nutshell, it enables everyone – no matter where they are – to stay informed and connected.
These benefits are often clear to the management. But the real challenge is to get end-users to actively use the app. For them, it’s another tool in their toolbox and they will need to know it makes their lives easier if you want to maximize user adoption.
To help you out, we share five best practices for successfully launching a mobile intranet app and making it stick.
1) What’s in it for them?
“What’s in it for me?” is the first question everyone asks themselves.
Why should employees use the app? How will the app make their work easier? Before asking your employees to download the app, make sure that you communicate the values of the app to them.
It’s essential to explain why you’re rolling out the app so that everyone understands its benefits for their job and the organization. Without knowing why, using the app seems just like another task they have to do on top of their other responsibilities.
Some benefits you can communicate are:
- Check important news and updates directly from your smartphone
- Open and edit files and documents without accessing a PC or laptop
- Get push notifications for incidents or emergency information
- Manage emails and meetings while on the go
- Have immediate access to the contact details of all your coworkers
- Easy access to all your apps
2) Regularly promote the app
Consistent plans for attracting and encouraging the ongoing use of your app should always be a primary part of your strategy. Roll-out day is not the only day that employees in your company should hear about the intranet app. It’s necessary to regularly promote the app, its features, and values to employees. This should be done before, during, and after the launch.
A few effective ways include:
– Inform employees about the launch of the app (one company attached information about the app launch to the payslips of its employees to make sure that no one missed this event)
– Organize a company-wide event to roll out the app
– Onboard new employees with a tour of the app on their first day
– Create posters, videos, articles, use cases for the app and send these to employees using the current internal communication channels
– Implement contests such as top most active users, teams or departments
3) Provide plenty of training, how-to resources and support
Providing training on how to use the app is necessary, no matter how intuitive and easy to use it is. It will make users more confident to use and interact more with the app.
Besides, it’s important to keep your employees informed when an app update is launched with new features or changes. If needed, schedule an extra brief training session on how to get the most out of these new possibilities.
Also, make sure people know who to contact when they need help with the app.
4) Get managers and leaders to set examples
How managers and team leaders adopt and use the app is critical. Their participation is a great way to prove employees its benefit and get them engaged in using the app.
Make sure the management team buys into the app and communicates its value to their team, in addition to sharing best practices for making the most of the app. Get them involved in every activity or campaign for promoting the app.
5) Do a survey to get employee feedback
If the app is supposed to help your employees’ work/lives better, ask them for feedback and opinions. Consider using surveys to find out:
- What employees like/dislike about the app
- What features can be improved
- Any challenges/struggles they have when using the app
By listening to users’ feedback and involving them in making the app better, you will make them feel that the app is really made for them.
The bottom line:
Again, getting employees to adopt a new technology takes time and continuous communication. It means handling the human psychology of accepting and adapting to change. We are sure that these best practices will help you boost user adoption for your mobile app.
Learn more about the Involv mobile app by watching a quick demo video below👇
(Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels)
Tim Bogemans
Your Plan for Maximizing Employee Engagement
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STEP 1. SCHEDULE YOUR DEMO
Get a demo and gain valuable insights in how the Involv intranet builds adoption.
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STEP 2. CREATE A ROLLOUT PLAN
Together we co-create a rollout plan tailor made for your organization.
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STEP 3. LAUNCH YOUR INTRANET
You’re all set to launch your intranet and get everybody involved.
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STEP 4. ACHIEVE HIGH EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
Use your Involv intranet to communicate effectively and engage employees.