Intranets – they aren’t all created equally.
One of the major challenges in employing millennials is understanding their professional needs to increase involvement and active participation. In one of its articles, Forbes expressed that “91% of recent college graduates don’t expect to remain at a job for over three years.” Employers typically want to engage employees and hold on to them longer. There is great expense in recruiting, onboarding and training new staff.
A Pew Research Center study found out that more than 35% of American employees are Millennials, making them the biggest contributor in the U.S. workforce. Millennials also make up the majority of organizational teams, and expectations show that twenty to thirty-year-olds will make about 75% of the workforce by 2030. Now is the ideal time for executives and founders to understand and strategize around how this change may affect their businesses.
Let’s take a step back and see how millennials are unique from the older generation of employees:
- Divergent corporate and social needs
- Different workplace expectations
- Inclined toward an open coordinated team efforts
- Interested in flexible working hours
Given the tendency towards strong preferences, it makes sense that the digital tools used in the office – specifically the intranet is something this group would have opinions on.
The company intranet impacts the experience staff has on a day to day basis. It’s a tool that is used by many and one that tends to draw feedback from all employees – not just millennials.
A company’s intranet is not just a communication platform; it is a digital experience that educates, provides relevant feedback, and engages teams across time zones. The intranet experience acts as the foundation of the work environment. It offers a one-stop solution and resource that caters to your organization’s most important asset: your employees!
What are the Expectations of a Millennial as an Employee?
Intranet Feature: Two-way communication
Straightforward, valuable, and relevant input from employers have always been the most appreciated form of communication. However, today millennials expect the lines of communication to run both ways. As the main medium of interaction at work, a company intranet should not just focus on the executive perspectives but should also provide the freedom of expression and a common platform for dialogue.
Training and development opportunities
Bringing educational and skill development content on the intranet reflects the company’s long-term interest in employees’ careers. Developing a corporate intranet that streamlines onboarding and training is the virtual workplace millennials expect. An intranet with learning and professional development opportunities signifies that the company recognizes and nurtures the needs of its employees
Intranet Feature: Personalized experience
A company intranet that fits all is an old notion. The new age workforce expects a more personalized communication medium. Organizations need to modify their current intranet to assist employees based on their position and job role. A new hire can be notified to access the learning and benefits programs, and an update can be sent to the manager that a new employee has accessed the required programs. This can be achieved by creating profiles in the existing CMS to personalize who sees what and support them in every step of their career growth.
Latest company developments
The content of a company intranet is a key component that distinguishes a good intranet from an exceptional one. Employees, especially millennials, have become accustomed to more timely and authentic communication channels. Organizations can share news and stories with their employees first. New job openings and company initiatives can be sent on the intranet. Millennials see it as an insider perspective and feel more connected to their work-family and the organization’s operations and developments.
Easy access
All employees working in any size of company want easy access to files, documents, and resources any time they need. Many intranets are disorganized and make it difficult to find information that is relevant to them. A millennial-friendly intranet has an easily accessible, streamlined content portal with proper governance.
Organizations must focus on safe and secure data storage, which employees can trust with their profile related sensitive information. Moreover, the intranet must ensure an extra level of security for individual documents, based on the employee’s position in the company.
Understanding employee interest
For Millennials, it matters that they are inspired by what they do. So, the company’s intranet must motivate employees and make them feel part of a big corporate culture that shares the same values as they do. This is even more important now, with many people working remotely. It is important to create more engagement in the modern workforce and fulfill their desire to contribute towards society positively.
Summary:
Intranet Features
Intranet Feature: Two-way communication, Training and development opportunities, Personalized experience, Latest company developments, Easy access
