Building a User-Engaging Employee Intranet: Step-by-step Guide
Introduction
An employee intranet is a powerful tool for organizations to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity among their employees. It provides a centralized platform for employees to access important information, documents, and resources, as well as engage with their colleagues and stay updated on company news and events.
Step 1: Define Your Objectives
Before starting the development of your employee intranet, it is important to clearly define your objectives. What do you want to achieve with your intranet? Are you looking to improve internal communication, streamline processes, enhance employee engagement, or all of the above? Identifying your objectives will help you determine the features and functionalities you need in your intranet.
Step 2: Choose the Right Platform
When it comes to building an employee intranet, SharePoint is one of the most popular and widely used platforms. SharePoint offers a range of features and capabilities that can be customized to meet your specific requirements. Whether you choose SharePoint on-premise or SharePoint Online, it is important to select a platform that aligns with your organization’s needs and IT infrastructure.
Step 3: Design and Structure Your Intranet
The design and structure of your intranet play a crucial role in its usability and user engagement. Consider the needs and preferences of your employees when designing the layout and navigation of your intranet. Keep it simple, intuitive, and visually appealing. Organize the content in a logical manner and provide easy access to important resources and tools.
Step 4: Develop and Customize Your Intranet
Once you have defined your objectives, chosen the right platform, and designed the structure of your intranet, it’s time to develop and customize it. If you have the necessary expertise and resources in-house, you can opt for custom SharePoint development. However, if you lack the technical skills or prefer to focus on your core business activities, outsourcing SharePoint development to a specialized agency is a cost-effective and efficient option.
Step 5: Launch and Promote Your Intranet
After the development and customization of your intranet, it’s time to launch it and promote it among your employees. Create awareness about the intranet through internal communications channels such as emails, newsletters, and company-wide announcements. Conduct training sessions to familiarize employees with the features and functionalities of the intranet. Encourage feedback and continuously improve the intranet based on user suggestions and requirements.
Conclusion
Building a user-engaging employee intranet requires careful planning, design, and development. By following the step-by-step guide outlined above, you can create an intranet that not only meets your organization’s objectives but also enhances employee communication, collaboration, and productivity. Whether you choose to develop your intranet in-house or outsource it to a SharePoint development agency, the key is to prioritize user experience and engagement to ensure the success of your intranet.