Imagine the current workplace scenario. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything. Most employees work remotely, distributed across different cities and even time zones. But some employees are required to be on-site (office staff), and some have to move around daily (drivers of logistics companies). Communicating with the entire workforce at all times, and sharing expectations to be implemented evenly, can be difficult.
Most companies use an intranet to communicate with employees. But a desktop intranet is not entirely efficient when you have remote and on-the-move employees. Legacy intranets have many limitations like outdated or unusable features and do not work effectively.
With more than 90% of employers considering a hybrid workplace in 2022, how can companies connect, align, and engage with their distributed workforce? An updated intranet with a mobile app is the answer. While an updated desktop intranet makes sense in the digital workplace, is a mobile intranet app necessary? Absolutely!
Let’s consider various factors why companies should include a mobile strategy for their intranet.
Top Trends Influencing Use of Mobile Apps in 2022
Distributed Workforce
The modern workplace consists of office and remote staff distributed across the globe. Employees now can work from different cities or countries. Around 35% of the current workforce consists of millennials who prefer remote work with a mobile-friendly intranet for effective communication.
Shift in Workplace Location
Many employees are not tethered to the desktop anymore. 80% of the workforce is mobile and prefers an intranet app to connect with employees and co-workers from wherever they are working.
Preference for Content Consumption on Mobiles
The modern workforce is focused on mobile apps and finds the mobile a better medium to access important information.
Check some stats about modern mobile usage below.
- 90% = Time spent on mobile apps
- 80 = Average number of apps installed on a mobile phone
- 50% = Time spent on social and communication apps
Your New Digital HQ - Mobile Intranet App
Let's consider a few tools or apps used for work communication by most companies. The below graphic specifies the feedback for each of these tools.
You can notice the necessity for work tools or apps across an organization to communicate and engage with employees. However, these tools are not as efficient as they should be since some are not available to all employees, difficult to access, or not effective in fulfilling the purpose.
MIT states that having an engaged and productive workforce will help a company outperform its competitors by at least 20%. The one business mistake around 47% of companies make is not having an efficient internal communications strategy to engage with a distributed workforce. This mistake can cost a company millions of dollars each year.
Here are some of the outcomes that companies face without an effective internal communications tool or app.
- Slow Productivity
- A disconnect between Management & Employees
- Miscommunication with High Losses
- Low Retention Rates
- High Costs to Replace & Retain Employees
- Loss of Customer Experience
As already considered, distributed workforce and preference for mobile apps highlight the necessity of a mobile intranet app to combat the negative outcomes mentioned above. A mobile intranet app perfectly fits the requirement of today's digital workplace like a cherry on the cake.
To make the mobile intranet app more engaging, companies can incorporate social features into the apps. Social apps, such as Facebook, Instagram, & Whatsapp, are heavily used to share current events and other up-to-date content. Users check social apps multiple times a day as the apps keep refreshing with the latest social news/updates.
Including such social features in a mobile intranet app will help employees check work communications in real-time and also engage with co-workers about what's happening around them.
Formal and informal communications are effortless on a mobile intranet app. It will help companies engage better with their employees by providing social elements of personal life in work life.
So, what exactly should a mobile intranet do? It should:
- Provide up-to-date news about the company
- Share critical updates
- Reach all employees in real-time
- Enable social features like sharing world news, memes, and fun content
Top Features of a Mobile Intranet App
Engaging: An intuitive interface enables the employees to use the app without training.
Intelligent: An intelligent search option helps employees find critical information personalized to their work.
Integrated: Seamless integration to work apps, such as Office 365, DropBox, Google Drive, or any cloud-based management system, assists employees to work efficiently.
Effortless: An easy-to-use app enables employees to connect easily from anywhere.
Does a Mobile-Only Intranet Work
Since a mobile intranet app can connect better with the workforce, would a mobile-only work? No! Why? Because one size does not fit all.
A mobile-only intranet may work for small organizations without desk employees but would not work for large companies with a diverse workforce. The desktop workforce would prefer a desktop intranet to connect and communicate quickly. Also, the majority of content is created on desktops, and it is easy to share the work via the desktop intranet.
When one communication channel is available in two mediums, it is easy for employees to choose the convenient one at any particular time. Hence, a corporate intranet accessible on desktops and mobiles is the perfect solution.
Top Advantages of a Mobile Strategy in Corporate Intranet
Organizations are becoming more connected and mobile, so providing access to information on the go is important. Your employees should access the dedicated intranet app on the move while simultaneously benefitting from the functionality of accessing the intranet site.
Accessing the company intranet from mobile devices is much easier than firing up a computer and logging into the intranet. Companies also can save money without the need for additional hardware.
Employees can:
- Consume content anywhere and from any device (desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone).
- Use the same app, and view and read the information in the same manner across the company.
- Stay connected with corporate apps even on the move.
- Get access to company data securely, quickly, and conveniently at all times.
- Update additional features to the mobile app easily.
- Connect with co-workers, supervisors, and company experts quickly.
Tips to Reinvent Your Mobile Intranet App
While mobile intranet is engaging, always find ways to improve so that your employees continue to use the app. A few tips are:
- Include social and fun elements to keep the employees engaged.
- Include the company directory to connect quickly with a distributed workplace.
- Enable push notifications to notify any critical situation in real-time.
- Encourage network building to boost collaboration and teamwork.
QED42 – Build Personalized Mobile Apps
A mobile app integrated into the corporate intranet makes it easy to connect and engage with all employees. Deloitte reports that the organizations that implemented social intranets realized an 87% increase in employee retention and a 20% increase in employee satisfaction.
Incorporate a mobile strategy for your corporate intranet. Make it intuitive and integrate it with work apps to make it engaging for your employees. Leverage end-to-end mobile app development services that include design planning, development, and testing, to suit your needs and preferences perfectly.