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Top 25 HR Intranet Features for a Connected Workplace

Lisa Ardill

Content Editor at Workvivo

October 11 2024

If there’s one key takeaway from the rise of remote and hybrid work, it’s that keeping employees connected relies heavily on having the right digital workplace tools in place.

And no, we don’t mean digital ping-pong tables.

While various communication platforms exist to boost engagement and strengthen company culture, a modern intranet stands out as one of the most powerful and versatile options for HR teams.

From onboarding new hires seamlessly to automating performance reviews, a high-quality intranet can do more than just support communication — it can optimize, streamline, and even automate core HR functions, making your workplace more efficient and connected.

Looking for an intranet solution that will offer all of these benefits and more?

Start by learning these 25 most important features for HR intranet software.

25 must-have HR intranet features 

1. Employee directory 

An employee directory is a crucial feature of any good intranet, acting as a centralized resource for employees to access essential employee profiles, including contact details, department information, and skills.

The directory should integrate with HR systems for seamless updates, ensuring that every profile reflects the most current information. For frontline workers, having easy access to company information is critical, and this feature facilitates communication across all levels.

Key essentials:

  • People search. Employees should be able to search for colleagues by name, department, job title, or skills, enabling quick access to contact information. 
  • Integration with HR systems. Automated synchronization with HR databases ensures employee details are always up to date. 
  • Organizational chart view. Visual representation of team structures, showing reporting lines, helping employees navigate hierarchies and team compositions with an up-to-date org chart. 
  • Profile customization. Employees should have control over their profiles, allowing them to update their bios, add new skills, and highlight personal achievements. This keeps profiles current and relevant.

Use case: 

  • A team member in marketing can quickly find a developer to help with website updates without needing to ask around or sift through emails. 
  • A new employee can use the directory to find out who their direct report is and reach out with a welcome message or introduction.

Pro Tip → The People Directory is built from the data sent to Workvivo from your HR system. This is the source of truth so all employee details should be updated there before it is sent to Workvivo.

 

2. Team collaboration spaces 

These are mainly virtual workspaces where teams can come together to share ideas, work on projects, and collaborate in real time, regardless of their physical location.

Whether through chat, video conferencing, or shared documents, teams can collaborate as if they were in the same room, boosting efficiency and improving the intranet experience.

Key essentials:

  • Shared document editing. Teams can co-edit documents, presentations, and spreadsheets in real time. 
  • Task assignment and tracking. Integrated task management features allow team members to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress via the intranet calendar. 
  • Integrated communication tools. Built-in messaging, video conferencing, and discussion threads enable teams to communicate within the same space. 
  • Version control and file sharing. These spaces offer secure file storage and sharing capabilities, along with version control, so team members can access the latest files and track changes made by others. 
  • Customizable workspaces. Teams can customize their collaboration spaces to fit their needs, whether it’s adding widgets for quick access to tools, using templates for repeatable processes, or adjusting layouts to suit specific workflows.

Use case: A cross-departmental initiative, such as improving customer service, can benefit from collaboration spaces by allowing representatives from product development, support, and IT to contribute and collaborate on solving common challenges.

Pro Tip → You can create a ‘public’ or ‘private’ space on Workvivo depending on your preferences.

Public space: 

Private space:

 

3. Content management system (CMS)

A CMS serves as the foundation for organizing, creating, and distributing intranet content across the company. It enables users to efficiently manage different types of content, including documents, company news, blog posts, and multimedia, without requiring advanced technical expertise.

This gets even better when you have a cloud-based intranet, which makes your CMS accessible from any location. This enables employees to easily contribute and access essential information. An extra tip is to ensure it integrates with tools like SharePoint to support wider knowledge management efforts and other business processes.

Key essentials:

  • User-friendly interface. An intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface that enables employees from all departments to contribute content without technical expertise. 
  • Content scheduling and versioning. Scheduling tools allow for the automated release of content at specific times, while version control ensures you can track and restore previous iterations of a page or document if needed. 
  • Search and tagging functionality. Robust intranet search capabilities allow employees to easily find content by keywords or tags, making it quicker to access relevant information. 
  • Multi-media support. A CMS should support a variety of media types including videos, images, PDFs, and presentations. 
  • Permission settings. Role-based permissions allow managers to control who can view, edit, or share a document. 
  • Real-time co-editing. Multiple team members can collaborate on the same document in real time, eliminating the need to merge different versions or track changes manually.

Use case: HR departments can use the CMS to manage employee resources such as handbooks, policy documents, and benefits information, ensuring that everyone has easy access to the latest updates.

Pro Tip → Workvivo gives you a calendar view of all upcoming articles, posts — and even events.

 

 

4. Social intranet 

Social intranet features transform a traditional employee intranet into a dynamic, interactive platform that fosters employee experience, collaboration, and a sense of community within the organization.

By integrating common social networking elements like activity feeds, comments, likes, and sharing, social intranet encourages two-way communication and helps employees stay connected on both professional and personal levels.

Key essentials:

  • Activity feed. A live, interactive feed where employees can see the latest updates, posts, comments, and announcements from their colleagues and management. 
  • Comments, likes, and shares. These features enable users to interact with content by commenting on posts, liking updates, and sharing articles or documents with colleagues. 
  • User-Generated Content (UGC). Social intranets allow employees to post their own content, such as blog posts, videos, or project updates, encouraging knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer communication. 
  • Recognition. Integrated tools that allow employees and managers to recognize and praise achievements publicly, boosting morale and strengthening relationships within the team. 
  • Personalized news feeds. Employees can personalize their feed to follow updates from specific teams, projects, or departments that are relevant to their roles, ensuring they stay informed on matters that directly impact their work.

Use case: 

  • A new employee can introduce themselves through a post, allowing other team members to comment and welcome them, easing their onboarding process and helping them integrate into the company culture. 
  • Employees can celebrate a project completion by posting team photos, receiving likes and congratulations from colleagues across the organization.

Pro Tip → On Workvivo your activity feed is tailored to you. You will only see content that is published to everyone, space(s) that you are a member of and the team(s) you are a part of e.g. department, location.

 

5. Task management 

Task management helps employees and teams stay organized, track progress, and meet deadlines efficiently.

Integrated within the intranet software, task management tools allow for the creation, assignment, and monitoring of tasks in a centralized space.

This ensures that employees can collaborate effectively, manage workloads, and maintain visibility over projects without needing to switch between different platforms.

Key essentials:

  • Task assignment and delegation. The ability to create and assign tasks to individuals or teams, with clear roles and responsibilities outlined for each task. 
  • Deadline and milestone tracking. The ability to set deadlines, reminders, and milestones helps employees stay on top of their tasks and ensures that projects are completed on time. 
  • Progress monitoring. Visual progress tracking tools, such as Gantt charts or Kanban boards, give teams an overview of where each task stands and how the project is progressing overall. 
  • Gantt charts and kanban boards. These visual tools provide a clear overview of project timelines, task progress, and upcoming deadlines, making it easy to manage workloads and identify potential bottlenecks.

Use case: An IT department managing software upgrades can use task management to assign specific upgrades to team members, monitor progress, and keep stakeholders informed about the timeline and any potential delays.

Pro Tip → You can integrate with Atlassian Confluence and Jira. This integration will allow you to search for content on both platforms directly through Workvivo’s advanced search filters.

 

6. Instant messaging 

Instant messaging (IM) is one of the key features that enhances communication within a workplace by allowing employees to send real-time messages to colleagues.

Whether working in-office or remotely, instant messaging offers a quick and efficient way to communicate, collaborate, and share information without the formality or delays of email.

This feature promotes faster decision-making and streamlines internal communication.

Key essentials:

  • Group and private messaging. Ability to create group chats for teams, projects, or departments, as well as private one-on-one messaging. 
  • File sharing. Employees should be able to share documents, images, or links directly through the chat, making remote collaboration more seamless. 
  • Presence indicators. Real-time presence indicators (such as “online,” “away,” or “busy”) let employees know who is available for immediate communication, improving the flow of conversations. 
  • Message history and search. Storing message history and providing search functionality allows employees to revisit important conversations, ensuring that critical information is not lost.

Use case: Teams working remotely across different time zones can use IM to stay connected, update each other on progress, and share files instantly.

Pro Tip → Workvivo gives you the option to create a new chat for one-on-ones or group chat.

 

7. Video conferencing 

Video conferencing integration enables face-to-face meetings, team collaborations, and presentations without the need for physical presence.

As hybrid and remote work models become more common, video conferencing tools integrated within the intranet provide seamless communication options for employees across different locations.

Key essentials:

  • One-click meeting access. Simplified scheduling and access to video meetings directly from the intranet, reducing the need for external applications and making it easy to join with a single click. 
  • Screen sharing. Users should be able share screens during meetings allowing for presentations, document reviews, or collaborative work in real time, improving collaboration and engagement. 
  • Recording and playback. Video meetings can be recorded and stored, providing an option for employees to replay important discussions or share recordings with team members who couldn’t attend.

Use case: HR can host virtual town halls or training sessions, ensuring that all employees, regardless of location, can participate, engage, and ask questions in real time.

Pro Tip → The Zoom integration enables users to add a Zoom meeting to a Workvivo event. This will automatically create a Zoom meeting linked to the event, and keep the information about the event synchronized between Workvivo and Zoom when the event is changed or removed.

 

8. Workplace analytics 

Workplace analytics provides insights into employee engagement, content performance, collaboration patterns, and overall workplace productivity.

By collecting and analyzing data on how employees interact with the intranet, workplace analytics helps organizations make informed decisions to improve communication, collaboration, and operational efficiency.

This feature is essential for optimizing the digital workplace and ensuring the intranet continues to meet the evolving needs of the workforce.

Key essentials:

  • Usage reports. Detailed reports on how employees use the intranet, including metrics such as active users, time spent on pages, most viewed content, and search query trends. 
  • Engagement metrics. Data on employee engagement with intranet features, including participation in forums, comments on posts, likes, and content shares. 
  • Customizable dashboards. Dashboards that allow managers to track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to intranet usage and employee engagement, providing real-time insights into how the workplace is performing.

Use case: HR can use workplace analytics to assess the impact of internal communication campaigns, such as announcements or policy updates, by tracking how many employees viewed, commented on, or shared the information.

Pro Tip → You can use the ‘Snapshot Analytics’ feature on Workvivo to quickly see how well your platform is performing.

 

9. Customizable dashboards

Customizable dashboards offer employees a personalized view of the most relevant information, tasks, and tools they need to perform their job efficiently.

When users can configure their dashboard based on their role, department, or individual preferences, everyone has access to a tailored experience that enhances productivity and minimizes distractions.

Key essentials:

  • Drag-and-drop interface. Employees should be able to easily rearrange elements on their dashboard by dragging and dropping widgets, allowing them to create a layout that works best for their workflow. 
  • Widget integration. Dashboards should offer a variety of widgets that can display real-time data, such as task lists, project updates, calendar events, news feeds, and performance metrics, giving users a comprehensive view of their work environment. 
  • Role-based customization. Different roles within the organization should have access to pre-configured dashboards based on their job function, with the flexibility to further personalize the content and layout as needed. 
  • Data and KPI tracking. Dashboards should be able to display real-time data and KPIs that are relevant to the user’s role, ensuring that critical performance metrics are always visible and up to date.

Use case

  • An HR professional can customize their dashboard to display employee engagement statistics, upcoming events, and recent policy updates, ensuring that they are informed about key organizational initiatives. 
  • A project manager can set up a dashboard with widgets that track project deadlines, team progress, and budget status, allowing them to monitor the project’s overall health at a glance.

Pro Tip → Use the ‘team leadership’ feature on Workvivo to compare your teams against each other based on different filter options.

 

10. Event management 

Event management is a key HR intranet feature that allows organizations to efficiently plan, organize, and promote internal events such as training sessions, webinars, meetings, and social gatherings.

Integrated event management tools streamline the process of event coordination, from scheduling to attendee registration, ensuring that employees stay informed and engaged with company activities.

Key essentials:

  • Event scheduling and invitations. Tools for setting up event dates, sending invites to specific employees or departments, and managing RSVPs, all in one platform, streamline the planning process. 
  • Event registration and check-in. Employees can easily register for events, while event organizers can track registrations, send reminders, and manage attendance through the intranet. 
  • Calendar integration. Integrate events with personal or departmental calendars ensures that employees don’t miss important activities, and makes scheduling conflicts easier to avoid. 
  • Customizable event pages. Organizers can create detailed event pages with descriptions, agendas, speaker bios, and other relevant information to give attendees a comprehensive overview of the event. 
  • Post-event surveys and feedback. After events, organizers can send out surveys to collect feedback and evaluate the success of the event, helping improve future activities and engagement.

Use case

  • A company-wide webinar on a new product launch can be scheduled and managed entirely through the intranet, where employees can register, view event details, and access recordings post-event. 
  • HR can use the event management feature to schedule company-wide training sessions, send invitations to employees, track attendance, and collect feedback after the event to assess its effectiveness.

Pro Tip → Workvivo allows you to create, edit, and manage social events, webinars, conferences, external events, compulsory training deadlines etc — all from the platform.

 

11. Employee polls & surveys 

Employee polls and surveys give organizations a direct line to their workforce, enabling leaders to listen, learn, and adapt based on real-time employee feedback.

This feature promotes employee engagement by providing a platform for employees to voice their opinions on various topics, ranging from workplace satisfaction to new initiatives.

With customizable and easy-to-use poll and survey tools, organizations can make data-driven decisions based on employee input.

Key essentials:

  • Customizable survey templates. Organizations should be able to create customized surveys with different question types, such as multiple-choice, ratings, open-ended questions, or scales, to gather a wide range of insights. 
  • Anonymous feedback option. Offering the option for anonymous responses encourages more honest and open feedback, particularly on sensitive topics, ensuring that employees feel safe expressing their true opinions. 
  • Real-time results and reporting. Instant access to poll and survey results, along with visual reporting tools (e.g., charts, graphs), helps leaders quickly analyze and act on feedback. 
  • Follow-up actions. Integration with other tools, such as action-tracking or HR systems, enables organizations to follow up on survey results by creating action items or improvement plans based on employee feedback.

Use case: After an internal training session, a post-event survey can be sent to attendees, collecting feedback on the content, delivery, and overall experience, which can be used to refine future training sessions.

Pro Tip → You can choose whether survey responses should be anonymous or not. Participants will be informed whether the survey is anonymous or not on the survey introduction screen.

 

12. HR self-service portal 

The HR self-service portal allows employees to handle their own administrative needs, such as updating personal information, accessing benefits, requesting time off, and viewing payroll information — all streamlining HR processes.

This also aids transparency, improves access to critical information, and helps employees feel more in control of their personal and professional data.

Key essentials:

  • Personal information management. Employees should be able to update personal details such as address, phone number, emergency contacts, and bank details, ensuring that their information is always accurate and up to date. 
  • Leave and time-off requests. The portal should provide an easy way for employees to request time off, view available leave balances, and track the status of their requests. 
  • Benefits access. Employees should have access to information about their health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits, including the ability to make changes during open enrollment periods. 
  • Payroll and tax documentation. The ability to view and download pay slips, tax documents, and year-end summaries.

Use case

  • An employee can log into the portal to update their home address after moving, eliminating the need to send emails or fill out paperwork through HR, and ensuring that all their records are up to date. 
  • Employees can submit time-off requests for vacation, view available paid leave balances, and receive notifications when their request is approved, making the leave process smoother and more transparent.

Pro Tip → With Workvivo’s HR Integrations, employees can view their upcoming time-off and available balances. In addition, employees will get notified directly in Workvivo when time-off requests are approved and when payslips are published.

 

13. Mobile access 

Mobile access ensures that employees can access important information, collaborate with colleagues, and perform work tasks directly from their smartphones or tablets.

As more organizations adopt flexible work models, a mobile intranet ensures that employees remain connected and productive, whether they are working remotely, traveling, or simply away from their desks.

Key essentials:

  • Responsive design. The intranet should be designed to work seamlessly across different screen sizes and devices, ensuring a user-friendly experience on mobile devices. 
  • Mobile appavailability. A dedicated mobile app allows employees to quickly access the intranet with a streamlined interface optimized for mobile use.
  • Push notifications. Real-time push notifications ensure that employees are alerted to important updates, tasks, or messages immediately.

Use case

  • Employees on vacation or outside the office can receive push notifications for urgent messages or approvals, allowing them to stay informed and take action when necessary. 
  • A remote employee can use the mobile app to join a video conference, review project updates, and access important documents, ensuring they remain productive without needing to return to the office.

Pro Tip → Workvivo is available for download as a native mobile app on iOS and Android devices.

14. Search functionality 

Search functionality is essential for maintaining an organized, accessible, and user-friendly intranet. In organizations where employees are frequently navigating large volumes of data, quick and reliable access to the right information is crucial.

A powerful search tool not only improves productivity but also enhances collaboration and knowledge sharing across the organization. By making information easy to find, search functionality ensures that the intranet remains an efficient and effective resource for all employees.

Key essentials:

  • Advanced search filters. Search functionality should allow employees to filter results by various criteria, such as date, document type, author, department, or tags. 
  • Full-text search. This feature ensures that search results are not limited to document titles but also include the content within documents, making it easier to find relevant information based on keywords or phrases. 
  • Search suggestions and auto-complete. Intelligent search tools that provide suggestions or auto-complete search terms help employees find what they’re looking for faster. 
  • Search history and bookmarks. The ability to save frequently searched queries or bookmark specific resources allows employees to easily revisit important information without needing to conduct a new search each time.

Use case: HR can easily pull up old policy documents or employee records by searching for specific keywords or filtering by date, helping them quickly access critical information without combing through multiple folders.

Pro Tip → You can refine your search on Workvivo using multiple filter options.

 

15. Employee recognition system 

Integrated into the intranet, the employee recognition system allow both peers and management to recognize individual or team accomplishments, creating a more engaged, motivated, and collaborative workforce

Key essentials:

  • Public and private recognition. The system should offer the option to publicly recognize employees in company-wide announcements or provide private acknowledgment for more personal achievements, allowing flexibility in how recognition is delivered. 
  • Customizable recognition programs. Managers can create customized recognition programs aligned with company values or specific performance metrics.
  • Badges, awards, and points. Employees can earn digital badges, awards, or points for accomplishments, which can be displayed on their profiles. 
  • Integration with social intranet features. The ability to integrate recognition with social features, such as likes, comments, and sharing, allows for more interactive and widespread engagement with recognition posts.

Use case

  • HR can set up a monthly “Employee of the Month” recognition program, where employees are nominated and recognized based on their performance and contributions, with the results shared across the organization. 
  • A manager can publicly acknowledge a team for successfully completing a major project by awarding them badges and sharing a recognition post on the company’s intranet homepage, allowing colleagues to like, comment, and congratulate the team.

Pro Tip → If you have Workday for your organization, we can work with your IT team to set up the Workvivo Workday integration.

When you post a shout-out on Workvivo, the shout-out contents (value, text, recipient and sender) are all added to the Feedback section of your colleague’s Workday profile. Magic!

 

16. Knowledge base 

A knowledge base serves as a centralized repository of information, resources, and documentation accessible to all employees.

It allows organizations to store and share vital knowledge—such as company policies, technical guides, FAQs, and best practices—ensuring that employees can quickly find the information they need.

Key essentials:

  • Searchable database. A robust search function that allows users to quickly find articles, guides, and documents based on keywords, topics, or tags. 
  • Content categorization. The knowledge base should organize content into categories, subcategories, and sections, allowing employees to navigate the database intuitively and locate information relevant to their needs. 
  • Multimedia support. Supporting various formats, such as text, images, videos, and downloadable files, ensures that the knowledge base caters to different learning styles and provides comprehensive documentation. 
  • Threaded discussions. Threaded discussions help organize conversations by topic or question, making it easier for employees to follow the flow of the discussion and contribute relevant insights. 
  • Upvoting. Employees should be able to upvote helpful responses, allowing the most useful or insightful answers to rise to the top. 
  • Expert moderation. Forums can be moderated by subject matter experts or team leaders to ensure that discussions stay on topic and that accurate, reliable information is being shared.

Use case: A product development team can document best practices, development workflows, and design guidelines in the knowledge base, ensuring that new team members or departments can easily learn and adopt established processes.

Pro Tip → If a user is creating content containing inappropriate language, when they click ‘Post/Publish’, a pop-up will alert that user that there may be inappropriate words or phrases contained within the text.

 

17. Notification system

The notification system provides instant alerts for essential updates, ensuring that employees receive timely information about meetings, task assignments, new documents, or organizational announcements. This keeps everyone aligned and responsive, even in busy work environments.

Key essentials:

  • Real-time alerts. Notifications should be sent in real time for key activities, such as new messages, announcements, task updates, or content shares, ensuring that employees are always informed. 
  • Multi-device support. Notifications should be accessible across devices, including desktop, mobile, and email, ensuring employees stay updated whether they are working from their computers or on the go. 
  • Customization options. Employees should be able to customize their notification preferences, choosing which types of alerts they receive (e.g., only critical updates, task reminders, or messages from specific teams or colleagues).

Use case: HR can send notifications about important policy changes or company announcements, ensuring all employees are alerted, regardless of whether they are in the office or working from home.

Pro Tip → On Workvivo, Email and Push notifications are enabled for all the below activities. Users have the ability at any time to select and unselect which activities they wish to receive notifications for.

 

18. Onboarding portal

An onboarding portal simplifies the process of welcoming and integrating new employees into the company.

It serves as a central hub for training materials, company policies, introductions, and essential resources, allowing new hires to quickly and efficiently get up to speed.

This is especially beneficial for remote or geographically dispersed teams, ensuring that each new team member receives a consistent and thorough onboarding experience.

Key essentials:

  • Centralized resources. The portal should provide access to essential documents, such as company policies, employee handbooks, benefits information, and training materials, all in one place for easy reference. 
  • Task tracking and completion. New hires can track their progress through the onboarding process, completing tasks like submitting documents, watching training videos, or meeting key team members. Managers can monitor progress to ensure that all tasks are completed. 
  • Interactive training modules. The portal should include interactive training modules, such as videos, quizzes, or hands-on tasks, that help new hires learn important processes, company culture, and tools. 
  • Welcome messages and team introductions. The portal can feature welcome messages from leadership and introductions to team members, helping new employees feel connected and integrated into the company culture from day one, especially if they are working remotely. 
  • Personalized onboarding plans. Depending on the role, new hires can receive personalized onboarding plans tailored to their job function, ensuring that they receive relevant training and resources.

Use case

  • A new hire in the marketing department can use the portal to access training on company marketing tools, review brand guidelines, and complete a checklist of onboarding tasks, all from a single platform. 
  • HR can use the portal to track each new hire’s progress through the onboarding process, ensuring that they complete required paperwork, understand company policies, and finish necessary training modules.

Pro Tip → Want an exciting way to introduce new and existing employees? Workvivo’s “Say Hi” feature is an essential tool for any company that values a connected and engaged organization.

 

19. Access control and permissions 

With granular control over who can access sensitive files or sections of the intranet, organizations can protect critical data and prevent unauthorized access. This is particularly important for confidential information such as financial reports, HR records, or proprietary business documents.

In addition, organizations that must comply with industry regulations (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) can use access controls to ensure that only authorized employees can access sensitive data. This helps meet regulatory requirements and avoid potential fines or penalties related to data breaches.

Key essentials:

  • Role-based access control (RBAC). Employees are granted access to documents and resources based on their role within the organization, ensuring that they have the necessary permissions to do their job while limiting access to irrelevant or sensitive information. 
  • Granular permissions. Organizations should be able to control access at a detailed level, such as view-only, edit, or share permissions, ensuring that users have the appropriate level of control over data and resources. 
  • Audit logs and activity monitoring. These tools provide detailed reports of who accessed what information and when, helping to monitor suspicious behavior, track changes, and ensure data integrity. 
  • Integration with SSO and MFA. Access control should integrate with single sign-On (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) systems to provide an additional layer of security when employees access sensitive areas of the intranet.

Use case

  • HR can control access to employee records, allowing HR staff and supervisors to manage the files, while limiting access for other employees to protect confidentiality. 
  • The finance team can restrict access to sensitive financial reports so that only senior management and finance staff have permission to view or edit the documents, ensuring that the data is protected from unauthorized access.

Pro Tip → If anyone needs an additional role or permission, an Admin can grant it through the Administration Dashboard.

 

20. Training and eLearning tools 

Training eLearning tools on an intranet enable employees to access materials and courses anytime, anywhere, allowing them to continuously develop new skills that are critical to their roles. This supports employee growth and keeps the workforce up to date with industry trends and company-specific processes.

Key essentials:

  • Self-paced learning modules. eLearning tools should offer self-paced courses and modules, allowing employees to learn at their own speed and revisit materials as needed. 
  • Interactive content. Engaging training materials, such as videos, quizzes, simulations, and assessments, make the learning process interactive and help employees retain information more effectively. 
  • Certification and progress tracking. Employees should be able to earn certifications for completing specific courses, while managers can track learning progress and ensure employees are meeting required development goals. 
  • Integration with LMS (Learning Management System). eLearning tools should integrate with an organization’s LMS, enabling seamless course creation, deployment, and tracking of employee training progress.

Use case: A technical team can continuously update their skills through training on new software tools, coding languages, or cybersecurity best practices, ensuring they remain competitive and knowledgeable.

21. Multi-language support 

In multinational organizations, seamless communication is key to effective collaboration. Multi-language support ensures that important announcements, policies, and resources are available in all relevant languages, preventing misunderstandings and ensuring that everyone is on the same page.

This type of inclusivity boosts engagement, and enhances productivity, enabling all employees—regardless of their location or language proficiency—to interact with the intranet efficiently.

Key essentials:

  • Automated content translation. The intranet should include automated translation capabilities that allow content to be easily translated into multiple languages. Advanced translation tools should also offer high accuracy and context-based translations. 
  • Localized user interface. Multi-language support should extend to the intranet’s user interface, ensuring that buttons, menus, and navigation elements are presented in the employee’s chosen language, providing a consistent and intuitive experience. 
  • Content Localization. Beyond just translation, multi-language support should allow for content localization, adapting cultural nuances, time zones, currency, and other regional specifics to ensure that the content is relevant and accessible for each audience. 
  • Language Switcher. Employees should be able to easily switch between languages from a language selection menu, allowing them to choose their preferred language without navigating away from the page.

Use case: A product development team with members in different countries can collaborate on projects more effectively, as project documents, timelines, and updates are available in each team member’s preferred language, preventing delays due to language differences.

Pro Tip→ You can set your preferred default language on Workvivo, — and all posts, content, company news, etc. will display in that language.

Alternatively, you can opt for translating selected content to your preferred language.

 

22. Third-party app integrations 

Third-party app integrations enable seamless connectivity between the intranet solution and external applications that employees use daily.

These integrations allow employees to access and use collaboration tools, project management software, CRM systems, file storage services, and communication apps directly from the intranet, streamlining workflows and enhancing productivity.

Key essentials:

  • Seamless integration with popular tools. The intranet should support integrations with widely used business tools, such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Office 365, Salesforce, Jira, Trello, Dropbox, and others, ensuring that employees can access the tools they need within the intranet. 
  • Real-time syncing. Data and updates from third-party apps should sync in real time with the intranet, ensuring that employees always have the latest information, whether it’s project updates, calendar events, or customer data. 
  • Task automation. Integrations with task management tools should enable automated workflows, such as setting tasks, sending reminders, or updating statuses.

Use case

  • A project management team using Trello or Jira can integrate their boards and tasks into the intranet, enabling team members to update project status, assign tasks, and track progress within the same platform. 
  • Employees can access cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox through the intranet, making it easier to upload, share, and collaborate on documents without leaving the intranet environment.

Pro Tip → You can integrate your top social channels (Twitter (now X), LinkedIn, and Facebook) with Workvivo, and share posts directly.

 

23. Virtual town hall tools 

Virtual town hall tools provide a way for leadership to communicate directly with the workforce, especially in large or distributed organizations. These tools facilitate company-wide meetings, updates, and Q&A sessions, ensuring that employees are informed, engaged, and able to interact with leadership.

Virtual town hall tools are particularly important for connected workplaces where employees may be working remotely or in different locations.

Key essentials:

  • Live streaming and recording. The ability to live-stream town hall meetings while recording them for later viewing ensures that all employees can participate, either live or on-demand. 
  • Interactive Q&A. Employees should be able to submit questions to leadership in real time, fostering an open dialogue and giving employees a voice during important company-wide discussions. 
  • Chat and polling tools. Chat and polling features allow employees to engage more actively during the meeting, providing feedback or participating in real-time polls on important topics.

Use case: HR hosts a virtual town hall on the company’s new benefits plan, using polls to gather real-time feedback from employees and a live chat feature to answer questions as they arise.

Pro Tip → You can livestream straight into Workvivo using Zoom, Microsoft Team, Wirecast, OBS, and several other platforms.

For example, with Zoom — From your Zoom meeting or webinar, look for the “More” option on the bottom toolbar. Click this to reveal an option “Live on Custom Live Streaming Service”, as shown in the following screenshot:

 

24. Employee wellbeing hub 

An employee wellbeing hub is a dedicated section within the intranet that provides employees with access to resources and tools that support their mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing.

In situations where employees may experience stress, remote work challenges, or work-life balance issues, a wellbeing hub offers a centralized space to promote wellness, provide support, and encourage a healthy work environment.

This feature can include health tips, mental health resources, fitness programs, and more, helping employees stay engaged and healthy.

Key essentials:

  • Mental health resources. Access to articles, videos, and guides on mental health topics such as managing stress, improving work-life balance, and dealing with burnout. The hub could also provide information on counseling or therapy services. 
  • Fitness and health programs. Interactive tools or apps that help employees create fitness plans, track physical activity, or participate in wellness challenges. These programs can be customized to individual fitness levels and health goals. 
  • Employee assistance program (EAP) Integration. Employees should be able to access the company’s EAP services directly through the hub, making it easier to seek help for personal or professional issues that may be affecting their wellbeing.

Use case: An employee can participate in a company-wide wellness challenge, where teams compete to reach certain fitness or health goals, earning badges and points that can be redeemed for rewards like gift cards or extra time off.

25. Crisis communication center 

A crisis communication center is a specialized intranet feature designed to facilitate rapid and clear communication during emergencies or critical events.

Whether it’s a natural disaster, security breach, or urgent company-wide announcement, the crisis communication center ensures that employees are informed and can access important resources quickly.

Key essentials:

  • Emergency contact lists. The crisis center should provide easy access to emergency contact information, including HR, safety officers, or external support lines, so that employees can quickly get in touch with the appropriate personnel. 
  • Document and resource library. A central location that houses crisis-related documents—such as evacuation procedures, cybersecurity guidelines, or health and safety manuals—should be readily available to employees during emergencies. 
  • Two-way communication. Employees should be able to report their status, ask questions, or provide feedback during a crisis, ensuring that management can track employee safety and respond to concerns in real time.

Use case: During a data breach, IT and security teams use the crisis communication center to issue immediate instructions on how to safeguard company systems, shut down certain services, and secure sensitive data, with alerts sent to all employees.

Connect your team, remote or on site, with Workvivo’s intranet platform 

As the workplace continues to evolve, so do the demands placed on HR teams to maintain a connected, engaged, and productive workforce. A modern intranet offers far more than just communication capabilities — it can revolutionize how you manage key HR functions, from onboarding to performance management, making your processes smoother and more efficient.

Not only that, it helps you streamline the mundane tasks that drain your time and reserve more energy for the parts of your job you’re passionate about – this is really important for people managers.

Workvivo goes beyond the basics of communication. It empowers your team with personalized spaces, real-time feedback, and interactive social features that keep everyone informed and connected.

Whether you’re onboarding new employees or sharing company-wide updates, Workvivo helps bridge the gap between remote and on-site teams, creating a unified workplace culture.

Don’t let distance or disconnection hold your team back. With Workvivo, you can build a stronger, more connected workplace that enhances collaboration and keeps your people engaged, wherever they are.

 

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FAQs: HR intranet features

What is an HR intranet?

An HR intranet is a private, internal website or portal designed to facilitate communication, collaboration, and information sharing within an organization, particularly for HR-related activities like employee management, onboarding, and performance tracking.

What are the main benefits of using an HR intranet? 

The main benefits include:

  • Improved communication
  • Streamlined HR processes
  • Enhanced employee engagement
  • Easy access to HR resources
  • Better data management
  • Increased workplace productivity

Key features of an HR intranet? 

Some key features include employee directories, onboarding portals, time-off management, performance tracking, document management, social networking, and self-service portals for payroll and benefits.

Can an HR intranet be customized for my company’s needs? 

Yes, most HR intranets are customizable, allowing businesses to tailor the platform's features and interface to suit their specific HR processes, culture, and employee needs.

How can an HR intranet assist in employee onboarding? 

Onboarding portals provide new hires with all necessary documents, training materials, and orientation programs in one place, making the process more organized, efficient, and accessible.