I was talking with a corporate communications expert the other day who noted that many companies have a difficult time keeping the HR/benefits section of their intranet organized and relevant. Often, this occurs because the site is not managed by one person. Instead, multiple departments post information as they see fit. The result is a confusing mix of information presented in silos, rather than a cohesive, cross-referenced site that is a user-friendly resource for employees.
I saw an article adapted from HR Magazine on this subject this week, so I thought I’d pose a few questions for you to consider.
- How do you manage your HR/benefits intranet site?
- Is the content organized logically, the way an employee would look for information or is it strictly segmented by department?
- Do you highlight timely, “need to know” information?
- Do you use “benefit geek speak” or is it written in everyday language?
- How old is the information on the site? Do you post new content to keep it fresh and archive outdated content?
- Is information linked so employees can quickly find additional information or details if they need them?
- Do you promote the site so employees know where to go for answers to their questions?
Remember, employees are accustomed to accessing information 24/7 on professionally designed news, entertainment, social and retail sites. Just because your information is on an intranet doesn’t mean employees’ expectations aren’t as high. You may not have a big budget, but you can create a reliable, user-friendly HR/benefits intranet site. Like all communications, it comes down to the basics; keep it simple, understandable and up to date.
