Despite substantial investments in corporate social networks (CSNs), they often remain underutilised. Employees tend to view CSNs as another task on their to-do list, rather than a beneficial tool. This lack of engagement is primarily due to the failure of CSNs to fulfil three critical criteria: relevance, ease, and rewards.
Relevance is the ability of a CSN to provide content that is important to an employee’s work. If the content is not directly related to their tasks, they are less likely to engage.
Ease refers to the simplicity of using the CSN. If the platform is hard to navigate or understand, employees will avoid using it.
Rewards are incentives that encourage employees to use the CSN. These can be tangible, like bonuses, or intangible, like recognition.
To increase engagement, CSNs should be integrated into employees’ daily workflows, making them easier to access and use. Additionally, they should provide valuable content that is directly related to employees’ tasks. Finally, companies should incentivise usage through a rewards system.
In conclusion, for a CSN to be successful, it must be relevant, easy to use, and offer rewards for engagement. Otherwise, it will remain another unused tool in the corporate toolbox.
Go to source article: https://hbr.org/2015/04/why-no-one-uses-the-corporate-social-network