In the latest edition of Ask the Expert, we take a deep dive into the topic of employee communities with Tanja Laub, community strategist and founder of Walkabout Media. Tanja shares her extensive knowledge and experience in fostering and building internal employee communities.
Tanja, who are you and what is your connection to community management?
My name is Tanja Laub and I have been working in the field of communities since 2006. I support people in setting up their own communities and entering into a better dialog with the target group. The communities can be aimed at internal target groups, the employees of a company, or external target groups, such as customers, interested parties and business partners. I support companies at every step of the process, from the question "Do we need a community?" - because a community is not always the best solution for the challenges ahead - through to strategic development. This involves questions such as: What should be achieved with the community? What motivates the target group? What measures are suitable for the community and what resources are needed?
What is an internal employee community?
An internal employee community is aimed at the employees of an organization. The purpose of such a community is to promote employee engagement and loyalty, strengthen the corporate culture and ultimately increase the productivity and efficiency of the organization.
The internal employee community can be fostered through various channels and methods, such as forums, groups, analogue meetings or specialized social networking platforms designed specifically for internal use. These platforms offer features such as discussion groups, chat rooms, file sharing, project management tools and so on to meet the needs of employees.
It is important to draw a clear distinction between a community and a work team. While work teams are usually focused on specific projects or tasks, with set goals and expectations, a community is characterized by the voluntary participation and intrinsic motivation of its members. In a community, there are no fixed goals or expected outcomes. Instead, the focus is on sharing knowledge, experiences and ideas in order to learn and develop together. This open and flexible structure encourages creativity, collaboration and a stronger sense of belonging within the organization.
In your opinion, why should companies invest in building employee communities?
Companies should invest in building employee communities because they offer a number of benefits that can have a positive impact on the organization.
- Strengthening corporate culture: A committed and well-connected community promotes cohesion and employee identification with the organization and its values.
- Improved communication and collaboration: Internal communities facilitate the exchange of information, promote collaboration, and support the sharing of knowledge and best practices within the organization. This avoids duplication of work and gives employees more time for their projects. Knowledge is also not lost when a person leaves the company.
- Increased employee retention: By creating an environment in which employees feel heard and valued, companies increase their satisfaction and loyalty, which in turn can reduce turnover.
- Promoting innovation: Internal communities provide a space where ideas and suggestions can be openly shared and discussed, which increases the innovative strength within the organization.
- Accelerated learning and personal development: By sharing knowledge and experiences, employees can learn from each other and grow in their field of expertise and beyond.
- Relationship building: Internal communities promote the development of relationships and networks that are important for the personal and professional development of employees.
It is important to consider the specific challenges and requirements of the organization in order to develop a community that creates real added value and effectively supports employees.
What makes a successful employee community and what are the key factors that lead to success?
A successful internal community is characterized by several key elements and practices that contribute to promoting engagement, collaboration, and growth within the organization:
- Clear goals and vision: A successful community has clearly defined goals and a vision that gives employees a shared purpose and an understanding of the importance of their participation.
- Open communication: An open communication culture that promotes the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and opinions is crucial for a successful community to function.
- Appreciation and recognition: A successful community recognizes the contributions of its members and promotes a sense of appreciation and recognition, which increases employee engagement and motivation.
- Regular activities and events: An active community regularly organizes events, workshops, and discussions to promote collaboration, learning, and information exchange.
- Monitoring and adaptability: A successful community measures its successes and continuously adapts its strategies and tactics to respond to changes in the organization and the needs of its members.
Building a community is a long-term, strategic process. It takes time and the appropriate resources.
What types of employee communities are there, and what types of companies are they best suited to?
There are various types of internal communities tailored to different needs and goals of the organization. Here are a few examples of the most common types of internal communities:
Learning communities: These communities focus on the personal and professional development of employees through training courses, workshops, and peer-to-peer learning. They are well suited to companies that value continuous training and development for their employees.
Guide communities: Leisure communities (e.g., running groups): In these communities, experienced employees act as mentors or guides, sharing their knowledge and experience with new or less experienced colleagues. Guide communities are particularly suitable for companies that want to promote a culture of knowledge sharing and mutual support.
Leisure communities (e.g., running groups): These communities focus on shared hobbies or interests and promote the development of relationships and networks among employees outside the work environment. They are well suited to companies that value a strong corporate culture and a strong sense of belonging.
Sustainability communities: These communities focus on environmental and social issues and support initiatives to make the company more sustainable and socially responsible. They are particularly suitable for companies that want to achieve their sustainability goals and promote environmental awareness among their employees.
How can companies promote the development of employee communities?
Companies can promote the development of employee communities by creating a supportive culture that encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing, and engagement. This creates a favorable environment for communities to emerge. It also requires adequate resources and support from management.
Managers should actively promote the development and maintenance of communities and act as role models for cooperation and commitment. By recognizing and promoting the value of community initiatives, they contribute to employee motivation.
The provision of resources such as working time, budget, training, and communication platforms is another important aspect of promoting internal communities. Companies should invest in the skills development of community managers and members to equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge to collaborate effectively and achieve the community's goals.
The integration of community initiatives into existing corporate processes and structures facilitates collaboration and knowledge transfer across different departments and hierarchical levels. To leverage synergies, companies should actively support the development of internal communities by creating the appropriate framework conditions.
Ultimately, everything depends on the intrinsic motivation and commitment of employees, which is why it is important that they have enough freedom to contribute individually.
If this is the case, then communities are a win-win situation for both sides, for the organization and for each individual employee.
