Workspace 365 updates platform to boost engagement & combat isolation

Workspace 365 has introduced a major update to its digital workplace platform aimed at improving employee engagement and tackling the challenge of increasing isolation among workers.

The newly released Communication .Simplified update centres around the introduction of Communities, a feature designed to foster employee interaction and collaboration within the platform. The company has positioned Communities as a way for employees to engage over both professional and personal interests, encouraging the exchange of ideas and support amongst colleagues.

The Communities feature permits staff to ask for help, share their insights, and connect based on topics that appeal to them, such as industry best practices, sustainability issues, or finding colleagues who share extracurricular interests like sports.

Employee engagement

This update comes at a time when research into workplace engagement indicates a continued drop in communication across teams. The decline is evident particularly amongst remote and hybrid employees, with Workspace 365's own survey finding that nearly a third (31%) report difficulties with effective communication and collaboration with their colleagues.

"Our research highlighted an urgent need for more effective and efficient communication tools in order to address the rise of employees feeling isolated, disconnected or disempowered. This is even more acute with hybrid working now firmly embedded in the global workforce.

Working closely with our partners and customers, we have designed the Communication .Simplified update to empower organisational-wide team collaboration, enhance cross-team engagement, and create a better flow of knowledge and expertise right across a business."

These were the remarks made by Erik Nicolai, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Workspace 365, in response to the challenges highlighted by the company's research findings.

Knowledge and announcements

Alongside Communities, Workspace 365 has enhanced several existing features on its platform. The updated Knowledge Base is intended to give employees quick access to information such as company policies or procedures, acting as a single source of truth. This aims to reduce time spent searching through outdated folders or seeking answers from multiple colleagues, whether employees are working on-site or remotely across the world.

The Announcements feature now seeks to keep all members of an organisation informed of key business and team developments. Updates range from introducing new colleagues to company-wide news and customer updates, delivered to users on their preferred device so that no one misses significant communications or milestones.

Events and collaboration

Workspace 365 has also simplified event creation and management within the platform. Specifying event details, employee registration, and calendar synchronisation are described by the company as more streamlined, supporting more effortless participation among colleagues.

The updated Address Book provides a means for users to find team members quickly based on their availability, expertise, or department. It includes additional features, such as birthday reminders, which are intended to contribute to a more connected and collaborative work environment.

Communities is currently in a beta phase, with the company indicating further developments might follow once the feature is fully integrated. The wider suite of enhanced tools reflects Workspace 365's ongoing response to the evolving requirements for communication in modern working environments, particularly in light of the growing adoption of hybrid and remote working models.

The platform's new and improved features are expected to deliver simplified and centralised digital working experiences for businesses seeking to maintain engagement and cohesion among physically dispersed teams.