Think of a workplace filled with unrestricted, free-flowing ideas, instantly collaborating teams, and every employee feeling connected, no matter where they are. That is the flexibility of corporate collaboration through social networking sites. Corporate social networking sites provide employees with the opportunity to network, share ideas, and collaborate in real-time, regardless of their location.
An enterprise social network, or an intranet with social features, will provide teams with a completely new way to communicate, manage projects, and access essential resources in one location. In this blog, we will see how social networking sites like SocialEngine help in collaboration and intranet use.
What Are Corporate Social Networking Sites?
Corporate social networking sites are online sites specifically created for businesses. They include communication, collaboration, and the sharing of knowledge between employees. It differs from public social media sites like Facebook or LinkedIn in that it is private, secure, and supported with company branding and configuration based on organizational needs internally.
Common features include:
- Team and project groups that provide focused activity areas for discussions in a very online, interactive, and social way.
- Secure messaging and file sharing make employees more efficient by allowing them to complete forms and collaborate on documents and other files.
- Activity feeds for every project and employees to see the place of every colleague based on personal project updates, and allow everyone to see company information or news.
- Integration of existing business tools and software for CRM, HR, Calendars, and communication tools.
Common corporate social networking platforms include Yammer, Slack, Microsoft Viva, and even SocialEngine for intranets, which is like a social network platform with enterprise-level security and a company’s intranet. These platforms encourage a more flexible and interactive workplace culture, transforming a company’s intranet platform into a social space that encourages employee collaboration and participation.
Combine analytics with content tracking by using the Blogs Plugin and Video Sharing Plugin to see which posts, videos, or articles drive the most engagement.
Utilizing Social Networking Sites for Corporate Collaboration
Social networking sites are superior to other forms of corporate communication, such as email and static intranets, and offer many options:
- Improved Communication Across Teams: Employees may immediately network with co-workers across departments, offices, and countries to quickly pass along vital information.
- Knowledge Sharing: Sites provides employees the opportunity to provide updates, share documents, and post impressions to create a knowledge repository for anyone in the organization.
- Real-Time Collaboration: Projects may be worked on together, ideas discussed and decisions made quickly, reducing the time spent waiting for endless threads of email to allow for collaborative conversations.
- Increased Employee Engagement: With social networks, employees can be “liked”, “commented,” or recognized by management to build a sense of community within the company.
- Lessened use of email: One main place for communication means less time comfortable managing lengthy chains of email.
Encourage users to complete their profiles and boost actionable insights with the User Profile Lock Plugin, so you can gather more accurate engagement metrics.
Primary Considerations When Selecting Corporate Social Networking Platforms
When selecting a corporate social networking site, focusing on features that enhance collaboration and engagement is vital. The following are critical features to consider:
- User Experience/Interface (UX/UI) – A user-friendly and simplistic interface will encourage employees to adopt and sustain usage of the time management corporate social network.
- Secure Messaging/Privacy – Corporate social networking sites should include private messaging, group messaging, and files; therefore, there should be enterprise-level security to protect all private information.
- Documents, Sharing and Collaboration – Team members should be able to share documents and files, collaborate and edit in real-time, instead of sending everything in emails.
- Integrations – Make sure the corporate social networking software has integrations with existing software, e.g., CRM, HR, project management tools, and calendaring software. Providing existing software increases productivity and efficiency.
- Reporting/Analytics – Monitor engagement, track participation, and find opportunities for improvement to create a culture of communication and collaboration.
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Intranet vs Social Networking Sites – What’s the difference?
On the surface, traditional intranets appear to be quite similar to today’s corporate social networking sites. While intranets and social networking sites look similar, these two types of sites are different and serve different purposes, but have equal importance.
- Traditional Intranet: This is typically a more static site where employees can see company news, policies, and documents, but most communication is from management down to employees.
- Social Networking Intranet: This is typically a more interactive way of communicating and engaging with employees, allowing them to post updates, comment on them, and share knowledge, as well as collaborate in real-time. An intranet with the structure of a static corporate intranet, some of the engagement of a social network, and an overall community or group environment.
Social networking features are being adopted by modern intranets because they provide companies with the ability to diminish silos, enhance collaboration, and create a more connected workplace. The evolution of intranets to harness some social networking features only facilitates employees’ ability to communicate, innovate, and feel a sense of belonging to the overall company culture.
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Conclusion
Corporate social networking sites have gone from being a luxury to a requirement, to an absolute necessity for the work environment of today. Organizations can take advantage of enhanced communication and collaboration solutions by moving beyond static intranets and toward interactive platforms that promote vastly improved communication and collaboration and establish initial employee engagement.
Whatever it is sharing knowledge and projects, staying connected while working in multiple locations, a properly designed enterprise social network creates a platform that makes the workplace more productive and inclusive. The investment in the right platform today will create an organization that is identified as smart, connected, and future-ready.
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