Companies these days are looking to make digitalization more accessible in their organization. That has always been a subject to pursue in big business, where departments, teams, and groups might live in different offices around the world across various daily jobs. Some employees would find themselves in front of desks for most of the day, while others could find themselves knocking on clients' doors or working with their hands in the company factory.

Intranet software, organization portals, employee directories, and communication solutions were always bottlenecks in the companies' software stack; these solutions were mainly desktop-oriented, narrow in features, and outdated, which sent employees back to their old habits - using email even when it didn't fit. In some cases, these software stacks have been replaced by HR software solutions that need more employee usage.

Why Employees don't communicate in HR products?

It has been a surprising trend that HR software with engagement and communication capabilities often fails to attract the organization's employees. This issue stems from several underlying reasons tied to the fundamental design and perception of these tools.

Misalignment with Employee Needs

HR software was initially designed for administrative purposes—handling tasks such as payroll, benefits, compliance, and performance management. These systems are excellent for streamlining HR processes but often fall short in fostering genuine employee engagement and communication.

Lack of Employee-Centric Design While these platforms are rich in features, they frequently lack a basic understanding of employee dynamics. Many HR tools are seen as top-down management systems rather than platforms designed to facilitate open and honest communication. According to a report by Deloitte, 80% of employees feel that their HR systems do not meet their needs for engagement and communication because they are not user-friendly and do not cater to their daily work requirements​ (Poppulo)​.

Perception of Surveillance

One of the critical deterrents is the perception of being monitored or managed. Employees often feel that these systems are tools for management to oversee their activities rather than platforms for genuine communication and engagement. This perception creates a barrier to open communication.

Trust and Privacy Concerns A study by the Harvard Business Review highlights that trust is a significant factor in employee engagement. If employees perceive that their interactions are being closely monitored by decision-makers, it hinders open and honest communication​ (Poppulo)​. Employees fear repercussions for their comments and prefer to avoid using these platforms for anything beyond mandatory tasks.

Misuse of Engagement Features

Despite having advanced features, HR platforms often misuse or underutilize these capabilities. Engagement features are frequently tagged onto traditional HR systems without fully integrating them into the daily workflows of employees.

Integration and Relevance Issues For an engagement platform to be effective, it must integrate seamlessly into the employees' daily activities and be perceived as valuable. A report by McKinsey indicates that platforms which blend communication tools into the everyday work environment—such as collaborative project tools—tend to have higher engagement rates​ (Poppulo)​. Employees are more likely to use these tools if they see immediate relevance to their work and can derive clear benefits from their usage.

Need for a Safe Communication Space

For an engagement platform to be appealing, it must be perceived as a safe space for free speech, comfort, and care. Employees need to feel that they can express their thoughts without judgment or fear of negative consequences.

Creating a Culture of Openness Creating a culture where feedback is welcomed and valued is crucial. According to a Gallup study, organizations that foster open communication and demonstrate that employee feedback leads to actionable changes have higher engagement and satisfaction rates​ (Poppulo)​. This culture can be supported by platforms designed to facilitate open dialogue, peer recognition, and collaborative problem-solving.

What has been changing in the Intranet market of 2024?

More and more companies and organizations are learning the challenges of hybrid, work-from-home, remote branches, offices, and teams. At the same time, the personal phone became the new golden standard for internal communication. Manufacturers, hospitals, airports, and business offices started to strengthen the organization's communication through various techniques, team fun-day activities, events, one-on-ones, office breaks, demo days, lunch with different teams, etc.

With these involving habits and transformations in mind, the Intranets, portals, employee directories, and communication solutions must all adapt to fit the new requirements of today's environment. Organizations want to help their employees feel as if they are at home or in their neighborhood. There's a better understanding today that building a community within the company teams creates a space that's beneficial to the employee and improves the company's productivity, motivation, and targets.

The media already speaks about the importance of good workplace communication through studies that highlight the waves of the results it brings into organizations that take steps to create a better work environment. As written in the MIT magazine research - "Employees with strong communication skills can express their thoughts and emotions clearly, making them more efficient in the workplace."

In 2024, today's intranet should provide this exact magical space. This platform must help truck drivers speak with each other and with different departments they never knew before. It should help everyone stay updated about the company's decisions and goals; hearing from the source why something has been decided and how it will affect keeps everyone aligned with no surprises that could lead to anger and negative energy.

Choosing the right solution for Your company

When it comes to communication and engagement platforms that provide a single digital hub for your employees, there's no one solution that fits all. Some will prefer Slack or Meta's Workplace as a communication or engagement platform, and some will try to mix a few different software solutions to answer their new challenges.

Here at Pebb, we designed our platform to fit today's challenges in a single unified place that embraces each and every employee to share and communicate more than ever before. Pebb solves not only the basic requirements but also turns the company culture into a community. Our clients tell that the impact translated immediately into decrease in turnover numbers, employees feel much more connected to their organization, while willing to enagdge more with their colleags and with their close or far environment.