Facebook Workplace: a revolution for your internal communications?
The Facebook Workplace platform, formerly known as Facebook at Work, was launched last October after 18 months of testing. The Californian firm developed this corporate social network on its London premises. How do you form your opinion on a corporate social network? How does it revolutionise internal communications within companies?
Facebook Workplace: a new professional social network
A new kid on the corporate social networking block
This recently launched version of Facebook, the most famous of all social media, is dedicated to the professional world, like LinkedIn. As a CSN (corporate social network), like Yammer, blueKiwi or Slack, it aims to centralise, streamline and manage internal collaboration and communication. It's cross-functional, breaking down silos. Teams, particularly those that are geographically dispersed, can share their intelligence and questions so that they can work together. This stops the retention of information and facilitates collective decision-making. It's a great innovation that helps improve team productivity!
The features of collaborative instant messaging
All the technology of Facebook, the leading social media expert founded by Mark Zuckerberg, can be found here. Event management, instant messaging, video broadcasting, audio calls and video conferences for several people, simultaneous translation, etc.: it's all there in this new intranet. It's all there in this new-generation intranet. The only difference is visual: a predominantly grey colour replaces the blue.
A professional social network
Although almost identical to Facebook, the professional platform is completely disconnected from it. This means that a user's private and professional accounts are in no way related. Your sessions are clearly separate, including your profile photo. And there's no need to create a new Facebook account on purpose: your work email is all you need to join the professional social network.
The advantages of the Facebook Workplace platform
Familiar ergonomics
There's no need to teach or train your staff. Firstly, because the tool is intuitive. And secondly, because it's very similar to what they already know as Internet users in their personal lives. Facebook has 1.7 billion users worldwide. By comparison, Slack has 3 million. A real asset when you consider the human barrier to the adoption of an RSE by certain audiences.
The global impact of its launching
A few figures? Workplace is already available in 100 languages. The tool has been tested by a thousand companies and is proving a huge success. Among the top 5 most receptive countries are India, Norway, the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Its market is estimated at 2.5 billion potential users.
Commitments to confidentiality
Workplace is aimed at all businesses, from start-ups to multinationals. In particular, the platform offers the possibility of creating secret groups with partner companies or individuals. The data exchanged remains the property of the companies. In terms of security, the solution has been awarded SOC2 certification.
Why adopt Facebook Workplace in your company?
A price that is anything but a deterrent
The pricing policy is very attractive. Companies are billed on the basis of active users, with no commitment and no advertising. And the price is on a sliding scale: from €3 per user per month, it drops to €1 above 10,000 active members. That's less than most CSRs. What's more, the first three months are free and the platform is even free for NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and students (school & university).
A medium conducive to mobility
With this digital platform, Facebook is endeavouring to respond to the omnipresent issue of mobility in the professional world. People are travelling more and more, and so is homeworking. Some people are constantly on the move: delivery drivers, salespeople, waiters, etc. It is increasingly common to work without access to a computer or in a coworking environment. Colleagues, customers and suppliers are located in different countries, with the resulting time and space differences. It's in our interests that work tools should no longer be confined to the physical office, but should be accessible in real time on smartphones and tablets in the form of mobile applications. Facebook advocates "mobile first" and its platform is available on iOS and Android.
A vehicle for management commitment
Facebook Workplace is an agile way of adapting to new ways of working. And its great strength is that it is participative. Employees are given a voice and the initiative: an opportunity to get them involved and share their expertise, while ensuring that their colleagues develop their skills more quickly. This is a strategy that should not be overlooked: a post from the manager publicly thanking the team or a like from the CEO on a publication, and motivation is at its peak.
How can we improve interactive performance within the company?
Social media and your internal processes
The collaborative flow reduces the number of emails exchanged. And information is consolidated within a discussion thread, so that the company's memory is unified and preserved: it no longer disappears as people leave. For young people, social networking is a more familiar way of communicating. It is easier to integrate new recruits and propagate a corporate culture thanks to this tool, which enables fluid and effective conversations. The CSR is therefore a marketing asset for managers and helps to create a positive perception of the company's reputation.
Prioritising information
It is possible to weight the importance of shared messages. The CEO's message can be highlighted, for example, or targeted content can be offered to everyone. However, the flow logic has its limits when it comes to structuring information or managing tasks.
Change management
The successful implementation of a CSR in your company may require support from both employees and managers, who must dare to trust their teams. There are a number of consultancy and communications agencies that have been certified by Facebook.
Workplace by Facebook is a tremendous opportunity for companies. This powerful tool is immediately familiar to a large proportion of users. Enhanced last December with a number of integrations, Workplace can now be integrated with G Suite and Salesforce. So this corporate social network has a bright future ahead of it! Just out of curiosity, we invite you to discover a French equivalent that competes with Workplace by Facebook.
Article translated from French