Too many companies have operated with the assumption that people don’t have a computer in their pocket. However, many possess the ability to access any information anywhere. Nearly 85% percent of the US owns or has access to a smartphone. It’s time to change that misconception.
Employers can quickly embrace modern technology by adopting mobile accessibility. After all, the transition to mobile communication is hardly new. The groundwork has been laid for decades. Yet, it is in this transition that we begin to see problems.
Ever try to load a website on your phone that seemed to work perfectly on your desktop or other device, only to find it’s completely inaccessible? The menu links are off center and fonts are overlapping like something out of a horror movie. It is incredibly frustrating to be ceaselessly tapping a button that worked just fine on a desktop computer.
While not an uncommon occurrence, that lack of accessibility can be very telling of an application or even the company itself. It feels outdated and shows a lack of attentiveness from higher ups, making employees less likely to use the app or engage with the organization altogether. If you think this doesn’t affect a corporate intranet, then you couldn’t be further from the truth.
It’s important to adopt mobile accessibility without bringing in more problems.
Constant Availability Leads to Reliability
In 2021, 45% of full-time U.S. employees worked from home at least part of the time. This doesn’t necessarily include the countless workers who travel from site to site, work directly with clients at their place of business or have other jobs that don’t allow for time in front of a computer. Many Americans may not even have a computer in the first place, making desktop only sites and apps obsolete and inaccessible.
As of 2019, 74% of American adults owned a laptop or desktop computer. Compare that to the fact that in 2020 a staggering 97% owned a cell phone and 85% a smartphone, and it’s clear where company priorities should be in terms of accessibility.
Sure, some employees may prefer to be directly in front of a computer when engaging in any sort of work-related tasks, but the inconvenience of it is enough to turn off countless others. To increase participation in employee communication, it is crucial that this intranet be accessible at any time and on any device.
Enhanced Organization and Search Functionality
The main point of smartphones is to have easy access to computer functions right in our own pockets. We can’t expect everyone to drop what they’re doing, go find a desktop and check the virtual company bulletin board.
Even more importantly, studies have shown that email can be just as challenging of a marketing tool as physical mail due to the constant bombardment of digital messages we receive on an hourly basis. Consolidating all that information so it can be easily accessed by anyone at any time is crucial for maintaining employee engagement.
When people think of an organized way to digitally communicate, they usually immediately think of social media platforms like Facebook. What many don’t realize is that “The Facebook” was actually a physical concept long before it turned digital. It served as a tool for introducing new students like a yearbook. Now that the world is online, numerous other platforms take a similar approach to employee management.
Live feeds can distribute personalized information. There can be a mix of both new messages and older announcements. And if you need to find a post from before, the search functionality is invaluable.
Mobile intranet can be a great way to not only keep your business organized but to encourage employee engagement. Take surveys among your staff to see what sort of formats people would prefer to use.
Employer Brand Considerations
As with all of the above concepts, it is crucial to consider the specific needs of your employees when deciding on a mobile intranet app.
Aside from internal communication, what other elements will you need to keep track of? Are you in need of an easy way to track the hours of your field workers, or a place to store employee references such as company policies or events? Maybe your business has only had two or three employees until this point and now you need to expand your staff. Whatever the case, there is a system out there that will work for your company’s needs.
Consider the workplace demographic. As technology continues to advance, so do the expectations of future generations. Millennials have made up a majority of the workforce for several years now. With Gen Z following up, the workplace definitely skews younger. It is important to stay informed about what these generations expect and how they prefer to communicate. It is even more important, however, not to alienate workers of other generations. The system you put into place must be accessible to all.
Leverage Training and Gain Buy In
As with all new company concepts and policies, training is crucial for success. While you can implement an accessible company intranet that suits the needs of your employees, enforcing usage is impossible if they don’t know how to use it. Dedicating a training seminar to help launch the system helps workers gain a better understanding of the basic functions, increasing the likelihood of usage. This is also an opportunity to make it fun and engaging. Show off the benefits of the app and cover why it is important and easy to use.
Likewise, make sure your leadership team is on board. If they don’t lead the charge in using the intranet, then your employees won’t either. HR is taking a lot of time and energy to implement a system, so make sure it has proper buy in. After all, nothing is worse than rolling out an app that nobody believes in.
Once your intranet is accessible, organized and ready to meet the needs of your employees, you should notice the effects on productivity, efficiency and collaboration. The results will speak for themselves.
But let’s be honest, most business owners and leaders don’t have the time and resources to build out an intranet from scratch. There are countless solutions out there, but if you’re looking for a one-stop-shop app with tons of customization options then consider our system. You can be up and running in as little as 60 days!
