The original corporate intranets were invented to facilitate internal communication, collaboration, and information sharing within organizations. They served as private networks accessible only to employees. However, they became static, cluttered platforms that overwhelmed users with information, lacked personalization, and required passive engagement, leading to low usage and inefficiency. 

These challenges gave rise to a game of Intranet musical chairs where organizations determined the problem was their legacy Intranet technology. They would carve out a budget, spin up an RFP, and go find a new Intranet technology for  “a more modern Intranet.” However, the technology that vendors delivered often offered only newer iterations of the same technology. 

Despite good intentions and improvements like better UI, collaboration tools, integrations, mobile accessibility, and search functionality, modern intranets still failed because they required employees to remember and navigate to a specific destination without guaranteeing they’d find what they needed.

Rethinking the Intranet

Many organizations believe that creating a “one-stop-shop” or “digital front door” will ensure employees find everything they need. However this strategy of “if you build it, they will come” proved ineffective for both the traditional corporate intranet and the Modern Intranet.

The fundamental flaw lies in the reliance on employees to actively seek out information by navigating to a centralized destination. In today’s digital age, where information is abundant and attention spans are fleeting, this approach will never work. Instead, the focus should shift towards delivering information to employees proactively, at the right time and through the right channels, to maximize engagement and productivity.

This approach is similar to that of many consumer brands that understand that simply having a great product and website isn’t enough. The buyers won’t come. The most successful brands are activating customer data to deliver timely and personalized messages at key moments, driving up customer engagement, customer advocacy, and brand loyalty. Take for example the couple who just purchased their new home and start to receive personalized offers for new home furnishings, moving services, or deals on home insurance. The most successful brands meet consumers where they are, at the right time, making purchasing natural and easy. 

Meeting Employees Where They Are

It’s time to rethink intranet strategy. For decades, companies assumed employees would regularly visit a designated platform for updates and resources. While some are built around HR portals, employees only use them a few times a year, making regular communication challenging. 

Instead of expecting employees to seek out information, companies should use technology to deliver personalized content when and where it’s needed the most. This shift requires placing employees at the center, with technology adapting to their needs. The intranet should be one of many communication tools, not the sole destination.

In this employee-centric approach, the organization works to understand each individual employee, including when and how they need to receive communication, so the technology adapts to the employee. The Intranet still plays an important role, however, it’s now just one of the ways organizations can communicate with their employees, but not the only way.

Moving to Intelligent Communications

When employees need intranet information, it’s often during significant life moments like performance reviews, promotions, welcoming a new child, or relocating. Organizations can enhance employee experience by recognizing these moments and proactively delivering relevant information and guidance.

An intelligent communication platform, with the intranet as a key component, supports this employee-centric approach through:

• Universal Employee Profiles: For every single employee, the system gathers key attributes from multiple people and HCM systems including job, role, location, preferred language and event data like being a new hire, or being promoted. The platform uses this data to intelligently deliver the right message to the right person at the right time. The system can also start pulling in behavioral data and continuously gets smarter making future comms even more relevant and personalized.
• Omni-Channel: From email, mobile apps, messaging systems, digital signage, and yes, even Intranets, information should be accessible across a variety of channels to ensure they can be easily consumed in the flow of everyday work.
• Intelligent Delivery: Utilizing machine learning and AI, organizations can deliver personalized messages and communication to employees based on their role, location, and behaviors. Whether it’s a company-wide announcement, a project update, or a relevant training resource, employees receive timely information without having to actively search for it. 
• Journey Automation: Automate communications for various employee moments, allowing HR and Comms teams to pre-build and trigger messages based on employee data, ensuring personalized delivery at scale.

Bidding Farewell to the Outdated Intranet

Intranets are no longer sufficient to meet the communication needs of today’s dynamic, interconnected, and information-rich workplaces. By shifting to an employee-centric model where information comes to employees proactively, organizations can enhance engagement, foster collaboration, and drive productivity across the organization. It’s time to bid farewell to the outdated intranet of yesteryear and embrace the future of intelligent communication.