When we talk about intranets today, a two-tier society quickly emerges. Employees who are at their permanent workplace every day and employees who are on the move and rarely or never sit at a PC. The former have the privilege of being able to access an intranet and obtain information, while the latter are denied this information. Conclusion: Only some employees are adequately informed and are aware of what is happening in the company on a daily basis. You may be thinking to yourself that this only affects a small number of employees. Unfortunately, the reality is different. According to the Emergence study, only around 80% of employees worldwide have the privilege of always being at a workplace. This means that the remaining 20%, so-called non-desk employees, will still not have access to an intranet in 2020.
What are the consequences of these facts?
Non-desk employees are poorly informed as a result of the lack of access to information sources. Some are lucky enough not to have access to the intranet, but they do get information in the form of a bulletin board or an info screen. However, by the time non-desk employees are able to consume the information, it is often outdated and no longer current.
As we know today, poorly informed employees are often less motivated and consequently less productive. In addition, the lack of direct and timely communication means that non-desk employees are less integrated into the corporate culture and therefore less aligned with the corporate strategy. These employees are quickly unsettled, especially when major changes are made in companies, as they are not sufficiently informed about current events and do not know what is happening and why. They are also unable to share their opinions and thoughts on certain issues. The result: low motivation and great uncertainty leads to higher staff turnover.
What is the solution?
Basically, there is no reason why non-desk employees should not have access to an intranet, even if they do not have a PC or laptop. The reason for this is quite simple: nowadays, almost everyone has a smartphone and would therefore already have all the necessary prerequisites for using an intranet. The real problem is that many intranets are still not mobile-enabled. However, our ahead intranet is fully mobile-compatible and therefore also easily accessible for non-desk employees.
What conclusion can be drawn from this
Non-desk employees should also have simple and uncomplicated access to a reliable source of information from which they can obtain important and up-to-date company information. They should also have the opportunity to take part in company discussions or exchange information digitally with other employees. This not only ensures that all employees have the same level of information, but also significantly increases internal communication and the associated exchange of knowledge. Corporate communication is also about equality. If this can be guaranteed, employees will be more satisfied and motivated. Conversely, this leads to greater productivity, from which customers and therefore the company will also benefit.
