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5 Tips to Enhance Engagement Post-Meta Workplace Closure

Boost engagement for deskless workers with 5 key strategies after Meta's Workplace closure. Learn how to improve HR communication and technology integration.

Sean Nolan

October 1, 2024

As Meta shifts its focus from Workplace to other AI initiatives, thousands of companies around the world are now seeking alternative platforms to keep their collective millions of employees connected and engaged. This transition presents a unique opportunity for HR leaders to not just swap out employee platforms but rethink and enhance their employee engagement strategies — especially for deskless workers who make up 80% of our global workforce and serve as the backbone for many industries.

5 tips for HR leaders navigating this change

1. Understand your workforce’s needs
When was the last time you thoroughly assessed your workforce’s communication and engagement requirements? The workforce is constantly changing, and so are the tools and support that will help employees be most successful in their roles.

Consider how much of your employee population is deskless, and how their needs — such as mobile-first communications and easily accessible HR tools — may differ from those of their desk-based counterparts. It’s important to regularly analyze your changing workforce mix and evaluate their diverging needs to ensure your strategies and offerings align with your people.

2. Evaluate integration capabilities
What systems and apps do your employees want access to regularly? If you’re investing the time, energy, and resources into adopting a new employee communications platform, be sure it can seamlessly integrate with your existing systems, like payroll, benefits, and HR software. This integration is critical to maintain operational efficiency and user satisfaction.

3. Prioritize feedback functionality
Real-time communication with your workforce is vital, especially for deskless employees who may not have regular access to email. During a time of significant internal change, such as switching to a new communications platform, communication across teams and departments is even more important. Look for platforms that offer instant messaging and real-time updates so that everyone is connected and informed, throughout the technology transition and beyond.

4. Focus on customization
Choose a platform that is customizable so that it can meet the unique requirements of your organization. Customizable features ensure the platform can support the specific workflows and processes you’ve designed over time, increasing overall effectiveness.
Better yet: When evaluating new platforms, be sure to gauge their capabilities to migrate data seamlessly over from Workplace. If you can easily move users, groups, and content across platforms, that’s time restored back in your day and user interface consistency maintained for your employees.

5. Don’t scrimp on security
In today’s era of cybersecurity and risk mitigation — let alone in the event of a companywide data migration project — data security and regulatory compliance are more important than ever before. Make sure your new platform offers robust security features to protect sensitive information and comply with industry regulations.
Additionally, be sure to ask vendors about their data migration teams or additional support measures: Your new platform should serve not only as your technology of choice, but also as a partner in your organizational security and success.

Beyond technology: Rethinking employee engagement
When beginning to explore platform alternatives, evaluate broader HR strategies that you may enact in combination with the new technology itself. Are there any people initiatives and change management approaches you can apply to your new platform to maximize its value and extend its impact?
Two places to start might be:

Investing in training and development

Transitioning to a new platform is an excellent opportunity to invest in training and development programs — both to ensure the platform can support employee education and to ensure they can succeed in using the new platform itself. Give your employees the skills and knowledge they need to make the most of the new tools.

Fostering a culture of engagement

The right technology is only one part of the equation. It’s equally important to cultivate a culture of engagement and open, two-way communication within your organization. Encourage your HR team members and people managers across the company to use the new platform to share regular feedback, recognize achievements and milestones, and create an inclusive environment where every employee feels valued.

Transform challenges into opportunities
The discontinuation of Meta’s Workplace presents both challenges and opportunities. It is also a perfect moment in time to revisit, reevaluate, and re-energize your company’s approach to employee communications and engagement.
By thoughtfully and strategically addressing both the human and technological sides of this transition, HR leaders can create a more cohesive and supportive work environment that mitigates disruption and maximizes productivity and satisfaction across their organization.

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