The Employee Communication Platform

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Updated: 22 July 2022

We’ve written a lot over the past year about the limitations of old-fashioned company intranets. We understand modern businesses need something different to bring their company together in one place. Today’s digital workplace is looking for improved employee engagement and a company culture to be proud of.

But here’s the thing.

While people have been predicting the demise of the company intranet platform for as long as we can remember, the modern intranet continues to reinvent itself.

But what is an intranet? What is a modern intranet, and what are the benefits of an intranet?

HR and IT teams worldwide still use a mix of their clunky intranet platform paired with company-wide email blasts to engage employees and facilitate workplace communication. But traditional examples of intranet effectiveness is questionable. Intranet users tend not to engage with it unless they have to, so intranet adoption rates are low.

Modern intranets are likely to have better features, like an internal job board, an employee directory, a company calendar, and, if you’re lucky, intranet analytics. However, these things are unlikely to assist internal communication and improve employee engagement.

If this sounds very much like your current company intranet, carry on reading.

We’ll explore:

Why Don’t Employees Engage with Their Company Intranet?

Most intranet platforms are top-down communication methods with a bad user experience built to deliver a message but never to start a conversation.

At their core, they lack humanity, which is now more important than ever, according to our recent State of Humanity Report. Three of every four HR leaders point to the umbrella of human communications being the key contributing factor to employee disengagement.

We offer something different here at Workvivo — a more sociable way of interacting digitally at work called a social intranet.

In this post, we’ll highlight 10 examples of intranets across 10 different industries and explore what we can learn from them and the benefits of an intranet.

Before we get to the 10 examples, let’s dive into the nuts and bolts of what makes social intranets different.

What Is a Democratized Social Experience?

A modern intranet dashboard can reduce support costs and increase employee adoption rates. Perhaps you’ve heard statistics like “90% of intranets fail before three years”.

While the current state of intranet adoption leaves much to be desired, switching to a modern intranet will solve this problem. Employees (especially Millennials and Generation Z employees) are more likely to use your intranet if the interface is modern, appealing, and up to date. But what is a modern intranet?

Think about it; in our social lives, we send videos, go live, listen to podcasts, and send voice messages. The benefits of an intranet in the workplace are similar to those of using different forms of ways to communicate in our day-to-day lives. Using a social intranet for workplace communication that includes the social consumer design we experience daily will ensure your intranet doesn’t end up collecting dust on the shelf.

But here’s the key: the social nature makes it easy to directly interact with everyone (the same way we could start a conversation with Arianna Huffington or Mark Cuban on Twitter). Employees can interact directly with each other and company leadership through a social intranet like Workvivo. This shows a commitment to transparency at all levels of the organization.

This social-first experience results in high adoption and meaningful engagement rates. Both of which traditional, top-down legacy intranets simply can’t match.

Intranet Examples 2022: The Social Intranet

You might now have a good sense of how social intranet software differs from a standard company intranet.

To bring them to life, we will explore some real life company intranet ideas and demonstrate how the Workvivo intranet platform was used effectively across 10 different industries — from IT and finance to hotels and recruitment. A modern intranet platform like Workvivo can work for any large team across any industry to motivate employees and improve employee retention.

1. Information technology intranet client

The Company

HERE is the world’s #1 location data and technology platform. They move people, businesses, and cities forward by harnessing the power of location.

The Challenge

During a global shift toward working from home, HERE noticed a gap in its ability to connect and engage with employees using its legacy company intranet. The company was concerned that new employees weren’t getting the full “HERE” experience, with company values getting lost due to poor intranet effectiveness.

 The Results

Implementing Workvivo increased visits to HERE’s intranet by over 200%, with spikes of up to 300%. The straightforward layout, intuitive nature of the tool, and copious features for engagement have added a whole new dimension to the company’s intranet.

There are two key areas of interest for information technology companies available: integrations and security. On the integrations front, having an intranet that can play nicely with others and sync with the likes of Zoom, Teams, Slack, Box, and the tools your team uses every day is key. Regarding security and privacy, look for ISO 27001 and SOC2 certifications before you get started.

You can read a full review of Workvivo from a HERE team member on G2, where they talk through what they like, dislike, and the benefits of an intranet.

2. Finance intranet client

The company

With more than 1000 employees, Taxback Group is a collection of global companies that offer corporate financial solutions.

The challenge

Prior to rolling out Workvivo, Taxback Group had an outdated intranet and relied heavily on emails to communicate. Its legacy intranet was only accessible via a network connection. Taxback also struggled to connect its many employees at different offices worldwide. They weren’t using any of the benefits of having an intranet.

The results

After partnering with Workvivo, the Taxback Group employees can now consume content at their convenience, access important information on the go, and see all employees globally through Workvivo’s People Directory.

When asked what the Taxback Group liked best about Workvivo, it highlighted the user-friendly layout and recognition features.

“The ability to make amendments on the back end without the help of IT, real-time usage reports, and the option to schedule posts.”

You can check out their Head of Employee Experience’s full review of Workvivo on G2, where Workvivo is noted as the “future of employee communications”.

3. Telecoms intranet client

The company

Cubic Telecom is one of the leading technology enablers to automotive OEMs, mobile device companies, and pioneering IoT players across the globe.

The challenge

The main problem Cubic Telecom faced was its organization’s over-reliance on email. The company felt this discouraged conversation and struggled to understand whether it was getting through to people. They were looking for a company intranet idea to replace email and reach everyone equally while improving communication and engagement.

The results

After implementing Workvivo, Cubic found employees felt connected to the business and people they work for seamlessly.

Pranjal Singh, Cubic’s UX designer, complimented the software’s user interface: “It doesn’t flood the timeline with so much content. I don’t know how they do it, but it’s just so perfect, it’s apt, exactly what I want to see. Pictures, stuff happening, updates, etc.”

You can watch the full video case study here.

4. Higher education intranet client

The company

Staffordshire University is a public university in Staffordshire, England, with one main campus based in Stoke-on-Trent and three satellite campuses. As a leading university for digital technologies, Staffordshire was looking for new and innovative ways to connect staff across its different locations.

The challenge

Staffordshire’s main priorities for its new solution were user-friendliness and engagement. The university had multiple communication channels, leaving the potential for updates and messages to get lost. Encouraging employees was important to Staffordshire, and it wanted one cloud-based intranet where all employees could communicate efficiently in a single channel — a major benefit of an intranet.

The results

The university particularly appreciated Workvivo’s ‘shout-outs’ and ‘company goals’ features, making employee recognition and communication much easier.

Andrew Proctor, the university’s Head of Digital Services, said, “We had so many different disparate channels where people could receive updates, information and communicate with each other. There was a lot of fragmentation in what we were doing and we wanted to consolidate it into one channel.” Workvivo helped make this consolidation process possible.

5. Industrial services intranet client

The company

Kent is a privately-owned energy and industrial services provider that aims to responsibly bring the world its energy.

The challenge

With employees located in many places around the globe with differing cultures and languages, Kent needed to create a communal experience.

It’s ‌common for frontline workers in some industries to feel distant from their colleagues – for example, sales reps who may be on the road and engineers who are away from a desk much of the time.

What is an intranet solution that can benefit this size of business? How do you ensure every worker has the same intranet user experience when your intranet portal isn’t set up to work for remote teams or teams with no desktop access?

The results

Kent found success with a social intranet solution. Workvivo helps Kent easily communicate with all its employees, including those at remote manufacturing facilities and those without a company email address. Mandy Kennedy, Kent’s Head of Talent and Communication, said, “Workvivo has been right at the center for us in how we’ve shaped our culture.”

You can watch the full video case study here.

6. Media and entertainment intranet client

The company

A+E Networks is a leading media network formed by Sky and Hearst. Its range of great shows and channels has seen the company providing entertainment to more than 60 million homes for over 20 years.

The challenge

A+E mainly used email to communicate with its employees. It became dissatisfied with email as a communication tool and wanted an alternative way of communicating with its employees. They were looking for company intranet ideas that would change the way they communicate.

Many businesses like A+E find email ineffective as, while it’s designed to be a two-way method of communication, it often ends up being a top-down way to send company news. Rather than being a way to encourage discussions and engage employees, it often becomes a one-way conversation that is quickly skimmed and discarded.

The results

Having rolled out Workvivo, A+E Networks’ employees feel more connected to the people they work with and the organization as a whole. Karl Burnett, VP of Human Resources EMEA for the company, said, “We told our employees we were replacing our old intranet with Workvivo and almost had a standing ovation!”

Workvivo achieved an increase in employee retention of 40% and a massive 92% adoption rate for A+E Networks.

Read the full case study here.

7. Recruitment agency intranet client


The company

Morgan McKinley is a specialist recruitment agency providing jobseekers with career advice, job opportunities, and market insights.

The challenge

Morgan McKinley was looking for a way to help employees easily communicate, provide recognition, and share business updates interactively. With 850 employees placed in 19 offices across the entire globe, the business was looking for a way to connect a multicultural, multinational team through a company intranet.

The results

The company specifically wanted a mobile-first approach, so Workvivo felt like a good fit.

They particularly appreciated the survey feature as it was key for them to understand how every team member was feeling, whether based in India or Europe.

Aldagh McDonogh, Morgan McKinley’s CEO, said, “Workvivo is the personality and the pulse of this business. It really puts the people front and center. It says that people matter. I can’t imagine an organization that it would not work for.”

Workvivo improved staff retention by 50% for Morgan McKinley and showed its employees that they really matter to the company. This is a great example of an intranet working to it’s potential.

You can watch the full video case study here.

8. Resort intranet client


The company

Seneca Gaming Corporation operates four resorts and casinos in New York State. It prides itself on providing comfort and entertainment for clients, and it’s just as important to the company that its employees get a great experience at work.

The challenge

The company understood well the importance of employee satisfaction and was looking for a communications platform to connect employees across its resorts. With employees ranging from chefs to hotel managers and office staff, Seneca’s employees are often on their feet and busy, so ease of use and engagement were essential to them.

The results

With Workvivo, Seneca team members can check updates on their phones and stay engaged with their teams in real-time. Holly Gagnon, Seneca’s President and CEO, said, “Our team members are our first customers, and in order for them to provide excellent customer service, they need to be informed. We were looking for a new platform to increase employee engagement and strengthen our communication, and Workvivo was the best fit for our needs.” 

9. Hotel intranet client

The company

Trigon is a hotel chain comprising three exceptional hotels in Cork, Ireland. It has fostered a strong culture of being warm and personable for its staff and customers.

The challenge

Trigon wanted to build community across its hotels as a vital component to providing high levels of guest satisfaction. The company understood that when employees feel listened to and valued, their standard of work improves along with staff retention. Trigon was looking for a way to continue this strong ethos.

The results

Workvivo is the perfect intranet example to complement Trigon’s strong in-person culture. Through wellness committees, employee shout-outs, and surveys, the new company intranet helps showcase the staff’s genuine pride in the business.

Aaron Mansworth, Managing Director of Trigon Hotels, said, “We are a people-centric organization, and employee engagement and effective internal communication is a key priority for us. Workvivo is a fundamental part of helping us successfully achieve this.”

10. Customer experience intranet client


The company

TELUS International designs, builds, and delivers high-tech, high-touch customer experiences. It works with global and disruptive brands to provide end-to-end innovation.

The challenge

TELUS was looking for a ‘one-stop shop’ for all its employee communication that needed to integrate with its existing communication and HR systems across a global team of around 50,000 employees.

With such an enormous workforce for a discerning business that understands what makes a great customer experience, TELUS was looking for the benefits of an intranet to provide an outstanding experience and would improve engagement and enhance company culture.

The results

Workvivo replaced two legacy custom-built intranets at the company. The results speak for themselves.

TELUS International considers Workvivo a game-changer. Steph Cooke, Internal Communications Manager at Voxpro (Powered by TELUS International), said, “Workvivo has been a vital ingredient in enhancing our employee experience and improving engagement for our business worldwide.”

Read the full case study here.

What’s the Solution for Your Company?

What is an intranet example that can work to the needs of your business?

No matter the size, scale, or industry of your business, Workvivo can improve retention and save your business time and money.

If you work in HR or internal communications, employee engagement and retention are likely important metrics for you. Workvivo can help you improve both.

Most businesses come with their own set of challenges. It might be a disparate workforce, a global workforce, or a team switching from an office-based role to hybrid or even fully remote.

You might also have an existing company intranet. If switching to something else seems like a monumental challenge, we get it. Many of the wonderful businesses we’ve worked with have been there too.

The team at Workvivo is here to help you discuss and work through the challenges your business faces, no matter your industry.

Book a free demo now to chat with a member of the team and discover what Workvivo can do for you.