How an intranet can help you build a successful hybrid workplace

The pandemic has changed many aspects of life. And it certainly changed our way of working. At the beginning of 2020, remote working or working from home was a new experience to most of us, but now it has become our new normal.

Both employees and organizations got used to remote working and quickly realized a lot of benefits came with it. That doesn’t mean bricks-and-mortar offices are no longer necessary though. Both working from home and from the office have their own advantages to offer.

In a lot of surveys, many people responded that they prefer working part-time from the office and part-time from home. Allowing employees to choose where to work seems to be the right approach that many organizations take.

And that’s how a new way of working is emerging: the hybrid workplace.

What is a hybrid workplace?

A hybrid workplace is a model of work environment that combines remote and in-office working. Its goal is to provide employees with flexibility and autonomy, allowing them to work where they feel most productive and comfortable.

Companies with a hybrid working model allow employees to choose where they work, dividing their time between working from home and working from the office.

Benefits of a hybrid workplace

More companies are turning to the hybrid workplace model as it offers employees so much flexibility –a very important factor in improving employee satisfaction and productivity.

Working from home also brings some more flexibility when it comes to working hours. People no longer have to rush to the office by a specific time each day. This is a massive advantage to employees. For many, it helps to improve work-life balance and helps to reduce the stress and tiredness that a long commute can bring.

Not only employees but also organizations benefit from a hybrid workplace. When it comes to hiring people, it enables organizations to expand their talent pool. Proximity is no longer a crucial factor.

Hybrid workplaces also mean a lower operating cost as the number of employees at the office reduces. Organizations find themselves in need of less office space, fewer office supplies and a decrease in commute expenses.

Now, how can organizations successfully implement a hybrid workplace?

It all starts with choosing the right tools and technology. A company intranet is essential for ensuring a smooth-functioning hybrid workplace. Here’s why.

7 ways an intranet is essential for your hybrid workplace

The intranet plays an important role in the success of the hybrid workplace as it helps to solve many challenges associated with remote working.

1. Connect everyone, no matter where they work

In the hybrid workplace, employees are dispersed, yet connected by using the company intranet. Maintaining contact with colleagues regardless of where they are becomes easier than ever with intranet features likes a people directory, org chart, user profiles, upcoming birthdays, etc. If your intranet has a mobile app like Involv does, your non-desk employees can access the company intranet via the intranet app on their smartphone.

2. Reach all employees with targeted communications

In a hybrid workplace, there are many variations in locations, working hours and communication methods. It’s necessary to have a modern communication tool to reach and engage all employees. A modern intranet platform is perfect for this, as it allows you to reach every single one of your employees with real-time information. With Involv, you can send targeted messages to a specific group of employees based on their location, team or department.

3. Promote leaders’ visibility

Many organizations struggle with increasing leaders’ visibility. In a hybrid workplace, this problem may become more significant. An intranet is the perfect platform for leaders to reach and communicate to all employees no matter where they work. You can create a dedicated space on the intranet homepage for the senior level managers to post news, updates and to receive feedback from employees.

4. Centralize everything in one single place

An intranet facilitates the hybrid workplace since it acts as a feature-full employee portal that offers everything your employees need for their best workdays. By integrating every collaboration tool and business application they use, the intranet provides access to what they need, when and where they need it.

5. Facilitates remote onboarding

Ensuring effective onboarding is a challenge in the hybrid workplace. But with an intranet, onboarding is no longer an issue. You can post a wide range of training, introductory videos, blogs, documentation and communication tools within your intranet to provide a remarkable, immersive experience to new employees.

📄 Read also: 7 ways your HR intranet boosts employee engagement

6. Plays as a virtual office

With a hybrid workplace, the office space is now partly virtual. The company intranet can fulfill the role of a virtual office. It enables people to work wherever they want while keeping updated on everything that happens within the organization, to collaborate with colleagues and build communities. There are plenty of ways to ensure the liveliness of your company culture with features like blogs and updates, forums, groups, ideation, commenting and liking.

7. Provides impactful insights

Implementing a hybrid workplace may be a big change for many organizations and employees. Which is why analyzing data on the employee experience is vital. A modern intranet software like Involv offers a range of engagement analytics, helping you to understand how engaged your employees are with your communications. The Involv Analytics center shows you important KPI’s such as page visits, top authors, top contributors and top-performing content.

Summing up:

By leveraging the benefits of both the office and remote work, the hybrid workplace appears to be the future of work. It aims to empower employees to do their best work regardless of where they are.

The role of a company intranet in this – today more than ever – is hugely important. It is designed to help organizations and employees adopt this new way of working. By providing employees with a well-designed and feature-full intranet, you give them the essential tools to be successful in a hybrid workplace. It helps to unite your dispersed workforce by enabling everyone to stay in touch, to keep updated on important company news, share files and documents securely and have access to all the internal information, data, etc.

Interested in knowing how Involv intranet can support your hybrid workplace? Schedule a demo with us.

(Photo: Business photo created by pressfoto)