3 tips to take your intranet from perfunctory to collegial

The best intranets serve as the Main Street of the organization.

These internal hubs should be where employees connect, find news and get the important information they need to do their jobs. They can also foster a work community that overcomes the challenges of linking employees across job functions and geography.

[RELATED: Create a culture that inspires fearless employee innovation every day.]

However, you can’t expect employees to keep visiting your intranet if you don’t give them a reason to stay.Whether you need an intranet refresher, a redesign or a completely new start, here are three ways to upgrade your intranet in 2019:

1. Create a space where leaders can communicate with the rest of the company. This can take the form of a letter, a question-and-answer session or a live video stream. Not only does this put a face to leadership and make the conversation personal, it helps show employees what they’re working toward and whom they’re working for.

2. Design a site that reflects your external brand and your desired internal culture. Look at the design elements of the external website and the intranet. Are they of the same quality? Do they look similar? Does it appear that the company invested in both? Does your intranet reflect your desired culture, be it fun or formal? The best intranets reflect the same high standards of design and branding as the company’s consumer site.

3. If work/life balance is a priority, let employees share their personalities. Rich employee profiles enable people to connect on a more personal level and improve their relationships with their co-workers. The underlying message is that the company cares about employees as individuals, not just the skill set they bring to the workplace.

A version of this post first appeared on the Tribe Good Company blog .