Intranets are not known for their dynamism, employees do not gleefully consult them when they get into work, but all that is set to change with the advent of the Interactive Intranet
An Intranet is a private computer network that uses Internet technologies to share any part of an organisation’s information or operational systems with its employees. In the past Intranets were created as a form of hierarchical communication between the organisation and its employees, but with the advances in the web, modern Intranets are becoming dynamic communication systems for organisations and their employees to engage and collaborate with each other. This has important implications for the business.
The Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is a term used to denote the balance of the rewards and benefits that are received by employees in return for their performance at the workplace. Personal job satisfaction is increasingly becoming a major factor where financial factors were key motivators in the past. EVP is critical to attracting, retaining and engaging the right people. This is where the power of the modern web comes in, in creating Interactive Intranets that foster job satisfaction and productivity.
Frederick Herzberg’s two-factor theory of intrinsic/extrinsic motivation distinguishes between: Motivators; (e.g. challenging work, recognition, responsibility) which give positive satisfaction, and Hygiene factors; (e.g. status, job security, salary and fringe benefits) that do not motivate if present, but, if absent, result in demotivation.
The factors that motivate people can change over their lifetime, but “respect for me as a person” is one of the top motivating factors at any stage of life. Interactive Intranets enable employees to profile themselves and build their personal brands within the organisation. Knowledge Workers, are motivated if they feel they are seen and heard and recognised for making a contribution. They require ongoing accurate informative feedback for performance management.
When organisations recognise that the Intranet is the strategic backbone to their business, then they can use individual employee profiling, linked to their performance metrics to manage, recognise and communicate with knowledge workers more effectively.
