Remote work was unthinkable for many of us. Now, schools are closed, major events have been postponed, and businesses are directing their entire workforce to work from home. As a result of COVID-19, almost all of our leisure activities and day-to-day work have been suspended, and we now face new challenges, such as improving internal communication. Internal communication has never been more important, especially when it comes to employee engagement and productivity, whether it's ensuring that employees are informed as quickly as possible, providing emergency plans, or sending data securely from one's home office.

Internal communication is a challenge that can be overcome with the help of a social intranet. A social intranet can be used to effectively work together from your home offices to maintain productivity and motivation in spite of COVID-19, and we'll show you how to do that.

Social intranet platforms

The social intranet platforms can best be described as a network of satellites that serves as a portal to services like AgilityPortal, Slack, as well as chatbots, which have been shown to increase adoption rates. One popular theory suggests the intranet can be replaced by Microsoft Teams because it has 75 million users. This is not necessarily true. The social intranet is a component of what we're doing.

Proponents of the intranet believe it can provide the ideal platform for employee engagement. Remote workers cite isolation as their biggest challenge, and they believe this new democratic ecosystem can help them avoid it.

A consultant who has worked with companies like Yahoo and Workday says: "Companies are trying to figure out how to recreate the office and its culture in a virtual environment. They require a location where people can come together, communicate, express themselves, and share ideas. As is customary for them."

Modern intranets have a ton of new features, and therefore they can fill this void. You can expect them to work as a virtual water cooler. Thus, you can get two-way communication features that are transparent. For example, you can include social networking and news section. It will help you to improve employee engagement and workplace connection.

Furthermore, the social intranet platforms of today are mobile-friendly. Therefore, today's companies can reach their entire workforce in a way that works for them because of this recent breakthrough.

Intranet platform and COVID-19 

Intranet platform and COVID-19 have got significant attention from experts in recent months. All of the companies are working hard to make the transition back to work for their employees easier as we loosen COVID-19 restrictions. As a result of COVID-19, some employees now work from home while others are based in the office.

Intranets have become even more critical for organizations in light of the rapid changes taking place in the working world. Workforce management and communication are more manageable when you have them on your side.

A social intranet is a lot more than just a way to communicate with coworkers. They are sociable, interactive, searchable, and collaborative, as well as secure. They're simple to use, which is the most important feature.

How to improve employee satisfaction during COVID-19 

Your intranet is an important communication tool for your employees, but in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, it's even more so. An intranet can be a lifesaver and a powerful crisis management platform if used correctly.

Internal communication during an emergency situation

Internal communication is essential in an emergency situation. Setting clear communication touchpoints and aligning teams will help you make the most of your intranet during COVID-19. Tools and applications that are simple to use take care of the most critical types of communication in your organization, such as regular alerts/announcements/notifications, critical alerts, and knowledge sharing. In addition, the right communication touchpoints can be found to give your employees the information they need.

Empower your employees

Employees are no longer internal in today's digitally transformed world. Every employee has the potential to become the company's public face and ambassador. So, why not empower your employees rather than silence them? Employees are subjected to a wide range of stressors during a crisis, including physical, emotional, situational, and even monetary ones. And we urgently require a human response that is ready at all times.

Having a social intranet during COVID-19 can assist you in creating a dedicated area for support and assistance, which can be extremely beneficial in responding to the needs of employees.

Improving engagement via social intranet 

It's your intranet's job to bring together workers at specific project locations so they can stay current on important information. It enables a safe exchange of project information as well as a content permission system based on roles.

Nobody enjoys working under duress and making decisions at the eleventh hour. Therefore, a major challenge is preparing them for an emergency situation while avoiding panic and poor information management.

There are a variety of tools on a social intranet that can assist you in managing the crisis.

An intranet can be put to many different uses in an emergency. Always keep in mind that the intranet provides value to employees during a crisis and uses it accordingly. A well-run company will have its employees coming back time and time again because they trust it. You should take this as an opportunity to increase employee engagement by empowering your remote workforce.

Employee wellbeing and social intranet 

Productivity cannot be achieved without a healthy and happy workforce. In addition to supporting your formal health and wellbeing program, social intranets can aid in the healthy living of your employees. Health and wellness support for employees is now an agenda item for companies. It should come as no surprise.

Social intranets help build communities and can be a great place to get people involved in physical activity. You could, for example, encourage the creation of an intranet community for games such as running, cycling, swimming, baseball, and so on.

Members of a community can organize, connect, and publicize their activities on a site designed for them. Having a social intranet will encourage people to join an informal organization that already exists, such as a group with members scattered across the country.

Future of work: the potential of remote work in different businesses

 The ability to work remotely is determined by the mix of activities performed in each occupation, as well as the physical, geographical, and interpersonal setting. Many physical or manual tasks, as well as those that necessitate the use of fixed equipment, are impossible to perform remotely.

The opportunity for remote work is focused on a few industries. Finance and insurance have the most potential, as three-quarters of their time is spent on activities that may be done remotely without sacrificing productivity. The next biggest potential sectors are management, business services, and information technology, with more than half of employee time spent on activities that could be done more effectively remotely.

Remote work potential varies from country to country, depending on the sector, vocation, and activity mix. The UK economy, for example, is heavily reliant on business and financial services and therefore has the largest potential for remote employment among developed countries (i.e., United States, Germany, Japan).

Employment in emerging economies is biased toward vocations that involve physical and manual labor in industries such as agriculture and manufacturing. As a result, in emerging economies, the potential for time spent on remote work shrinks to 12 to 26%. Consider India, where the workforce could work remotely for only 12% of the time without a significant efficiency loss.

Is working from home beneficial to boost productivity? Given the extended period of declining worker productivity that was preceding the epidemic, the response may ultimately determine its popularity. There is little clarity — and a lot of confusion — concerning the impact on productivity. According to a McKinsey consumer survey from May, 41% of employees stated they were more productive working remotely than in the office. Employees' confidence in their productivity has improved as they acquired experience working remotely during the pandemic, with the number of workers stating they worked more productively jumping by 45 percent from April to May.

Long after COVID-19 is conquered, some forms of remote work are likely to remain due to various benefits. This needs various changes, including remote work culture, increased investment in digital infrastructure, the release of office space, and structural changes in cities, food services, commercial real estate, and retail. It also runs the risk of exacerbating disparities and causing additional psychological and emotional pressures, including isolation among employees. For most businesses, allowing workers to work outside of the office will necessitate the re-invention of numerous processes and regulations.