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HOW AN HR INTRANET
IMPROVES EMPLOYEE RELATIONS

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Traditionally, the primary focus of the human resources (HR) department has been people and relationships.
In today’s digital world, those face-to-face relationships are changing. The Covid pandemic has accelerated
what was already a growing trend towards remote working.
HR professionals need to find new avenues to connect with staff and modernize internal
communications. They also need to discover new ways to maintain a people focus to their operations.
The HR intranet may well be the answer.
Here we explore how HR intranet portals deliver on two-way communications, relationship
building, remote working, and employee engagement.
Plus, we also examine how they can help to set you apart with a strong employer brand.

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ADVANTAGES OF HR INTRANET PORTALS
The benefits of HR intranet portals for disseminating and sharing
information quickly and efficiently are now widely accepted.
For HR departments, employees can access the full range of
information, including:
• policies and procedures
• job descriptions and recruitment processes, such as inductions and exit
interviews
• benefits and entitlements, including employee wellness initiatives
• staff appraisals and performance reviews
• annual leave procedures
• internal job vacancies
• training and professional development opportunities
• employee self-service options and online HR forms.

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This self-service approach has two significant benefits:
• First, it empowers staff with the ability to source data directly.
• And secondly, it frees HR from responding to day-to-day requests for
information. The operational efficiencies involved
can quickly translate into significant savings.
Automated processes eliminate the possibility of information going astray
or being misplaced. Streamlined HR processes are faster, paper-free,
and mean employees can get on with other more important jobs. All the
information they need is at their fingertips, and it’s guaranteed to be up to
date.
Plus, intuitive site navigation and powerful search functionality make it
easy to find that vital resource.
Alongside the operational advantages and cost savings on offer are the
‘softer’ additional benefits of the intranet portal. These are perhaps
more important to HR professionals and ensure the intranet has a real
impact on people relationships.

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Keeping the lines of communication open in the digital era is very important.
With the increasing trend towards flexible working, many staff work remotely in different locations or even different
continents. In this scenario, maintaining effective two-way communication alongside a strong company culture
is a real challenge for HR professionals.
The HR portal helps to connect HR with staff and vice versa.
An HR blog or forum is an excellent vehicle for direct communication with and between employees. Plus, the ability
to discuss or comment on current issues is empowering for employees. It reinforces that their opinions matter and
are making a difference. Furthermore, HR senior managers and executives’ active participation sends a clear signal to
staff that the board is listening and values them as employees.
Many businesses are now using instant messaging (IM) as an additional communication tool. Studies show that real-
time conversations make for speedier decision-making. Employees can ping an IM through to HR with a simple
query for a swift response. And HR can set up #channels to communicate directly with staff and update them.
Cloud HR intranets work 24/7. Therefore, employees can connect with HR, complete online tasks, and resolve issues
at a time and place that suits them. The intranet portal is working for you even when HR personnel are not available.
IMPROVED TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION WITH EMPLOYEES

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The starting point when it comes to relationship building has to be the initial contact with HR.
Usually, this involves a job application or vacancy. The HR portal should be your forward-facing
platform for all recruitment processes. A central platform provides all the answers from vacancies
to job descriptions and person specifications, interview scheduling, and references.
Moreover, the workplace is increasingly becoming globalized. HR is no longer depending on a local
talent pool. And so, the ability to connect and communicate remotely is critical. In fact, an intranet
portal enables HR to communicate and promote a great company culture for all employees.
It also makes managing recruitment an easier task internally. All tasks and interactions are
completed online without the costs associated with paper forms, printing, and mail outs.
The next important step when it comes to relationship building is employee onboarding. Use the
HR intranet to seamlessly complete all the steps required to get an employee up and running.
Furthermore, comprehensive online induction ensures recruits are well-versed in the company
culture and their contribution. And a central knowledge management hub means they can easily
tap into corporate knowledge and best practices.
Employees can complete onboarding at a time and place that works for them, even outside
standard office hours. The upshot is these new recruits are up and running more quickly than in the
past. Whether office or home-based, they can be productive members of the team from day one.
USING A HR INTRANET FOR RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

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Online staff directories are another valuable tool for building strong workplace
relationships. Bring employee profiles to life by including a personal biography,
current work projects, and areas of expertise. Putting a face to a name and knowing
something about colleagues fosters the personal relationships your business
depends on.
What’s more, employee profiles support collaboration and joint working across the
business. Staff can reach out and connect with colleagues in other teams. Workers can
also source expert help and internal knowledge directly.
The HR intranet’s collaborative project areas allow for creative vertical and
horizontal joint working, and not just on HR issues.
Brainstorming ideas, soliciting feedback, sharing ideas and information, and team
collaboration build good workplace relationships. And it ensures organizations are
more agile and able to respond to and solve problems faster.
Some companies, seeing the benefits available with strong workplace relationships,
have chosen to introduce social intranets. In addition to the standard intranet
features, companies are increasingly adding more social features. These include
instant messaging between staff, individual or team activity walls, plus follow-me
functionality.

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HR PORTAL BUILDS STRONG
EMPLOYER BRAND
A strong employer brand gives you a head start on recruitment and
retention. And the HR intranet is the vehicle to promote your company
brand. A shared sense of values, culture, and mission is critical.
In addition, make sure the intranet aligns with your external brand. Be
consistent in your choice of colors, fonts, and ensure your intranet matches
the corporate website’s look and feel. A recognizable, coherent approach
will reinforce a strong employer and customer brand.
Another way to enhance your employer brand while also reducing costs is
to recruit more internal candidates. Use your HR intranet to retain the
great talent you already have and save on external recruitment and
training costs.
Furthermore, the intranet allows you to talent scout and identify
potential leaders. Keep an eye on comments posted to internal blogs.
Feedback and comments can be a useful indicator of an individual
employee’s ability to rally colleagues on a particular topic.

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ABOUT
There’s plenty of evidence suggesting engaged employees are
more productive. And engaged employees are also less likely to
take time off work due to sickness or absenteeism. Furthermore,
companies that have highly engaged workforces tend to have lower
levels of staff turnover.
And so, it’s important HR takes the lead. Improved
communications, increased collaboration, and more efficient
sharing of information are all drivers of employee engagement.
However, there are other ways HR portals contribute to increased
employee engagement. Quizzes, surveys, and opinion polls are a fun
way to gather staff feedback on important issues.
Employee development is another top priority. Not only is this
essential for the individual employee, but it also impacts the
organization as a whole. Employee development is fundamental to
staff retention and talent management; a skilled workforce helps to
future-proof your business.
HR intranets support the administrative side of employee
development.
Use the HR intranet for online form filling, tracking of progress, and
collecting and analyzing feedback. Develop a learning and
development portal with links to external resources and platforms
that support upskilling.
Also, showcase any internal opportunities, including mentoring
arrangements, webinars, videos, and quizzes. Finding ways to
celebrate the successes of workers on the intranet portal will
impact employee engagement.
When it comes to measuring employee engagement
performance, the HR intranet is a valuable source of evidence.
Monthly tracking of key performance data, including sickness rates,
absenteeism, and staff turnover, will help the early identification of
any underlying trends and early warning signals for problems
management need to address.
Similarly, qualitative data gathered from exit interviews can
inform the organization’s state of health on employee engagement.
Conduct online exit interviews through the HR intranet rather than
face-to-face consultations with a manager or HR professional.
INCREASE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT WITH YOUR HR PORTAL

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The modern face of HR has indeed changed for good. The challenge
for today’s HR professionals is maintaining their traditional people-
building role in the technology-dependent workplace. And the shift
to remote working brought about by Covid has intensified the
challenges for HR.
As companies grapple with continued lockdowns, supporting remote
workers’ wellbeing is more important than ever. Many remote
workers report feelings of isolation and loneliness alongside health
concerns around the pandemic. It’s a toxic recipe that can quickly
impact productivity.
HR has a role to play in supporting remote workers and promoting
wellness.
Ramp up internal communications and use the intranet to educate
and inform employees. Publicize wellbeing resources and tools on
the HR intranet. Start the working day off with a Zoom 5-minute
workout. Encourage staff to vent their fears and frustrations on
a team chat #channel. And above all, check-in on remote workers
regularly.
MORE EFFICIENT PEOPLE FOCUS
FOR REMOTE WORKERS

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The best thing about HR intranets is that staff can access all the great features
we’ve identified through just one platform. Employees don’t have to switch
between different apps with multiple logins. Just one login ensures workers
have access to all apps in a fully integrated, company-wide intranet portal.
Super-easy to set up and manage, a company-wide intranet offers excellent
flexibility and streamlined, seamless operations. And with unlimited data
storage and numbers of users, it’s also a cost-effective choice.
Are you considering introducing an HR intranet portal in your office? Or
perhaps you are interested in exploring the efficiencies on offer across your
business as a whole?
If so, then contact the team at MyHub for a no-obligation demo or sign up
for a 14-day free trial.
HR INTRANETS: GATEWAY ACCESS TO ALL ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS