How Tools like Workplace, Yammer and Slack Boost Employee Engagement

First Published Jun. 2018. Updated Mar. 2024.

Words like workstream collaboration, digital workplaces and employee engagement are increasingly more common in the digital conversation.

Collaboration was once seen as a group of people working towards achieving one goal on a higher level than teamwork and has now evolved to be associated with cloud-based programs and computer-centric office spaces.

Workstream communication and collaboration (WCC) —also known as team collaboration, workstream messaging and persistent collaboration spaces (PCS)—captures and resolves industry dilemmas that restricted many businesses throughout the twentieth century. These cloud-based tools that have emerged over the past decade include products like Yammer, founded in 2008, and more recent platforms like Workplace by Meta (formerly Facebook), Microsoft Teams and Slack.

Since the launch of digital collaboration platforms, companies generally fall into one of two camps: early adopters of these platforms or organizations who stick to email chains, paper systems and, the most antiquated form of communication, face-to-face conversation.

The Cost of Employee Disengagement

Research from Gallup indicates the average level of U.S. employment engagement hovers between 30 and 40 percent. One of the largest pitfalls of employee disengagement is fairly obvious: a high turnover rate. Employees that don’t feel connected to their company are more likely to leave after a one to two-year period. In a report by Aruba Networks, almost three quarters (74%) of employees that work in fully-enabled digital workplaces said their job satisfaction is good or very good, while 70% reported their work-life balance to be good.

Another dilemma that stems from a lack of employee engagement is lower productivity. Offices that use email as their main source of communication, spend about 20 to 25% of their day checking email.

Employees that feel disengaged from their company, more often than not, will also have a decreased brand enthusiasm. Companies with a strong culture are simply the most engaged.

According to Gallup 85% of employees are disengaged. This being the case, I think one of the biggest problems we face is organisational inertia and changing our audience from passive consumers to active collaborators. Our biggest opportunity is doing the same #CommsChat

— Leah Bowden (@humanizecomms) June 4, 2018

The Impact of Digital Collaboration on Employee Engagement

It’s no surprise companies that integrate collaboration tools perform higher in comparison to those who don’t.

• Employees working in environments with digital tools were 51% more likely to have strong job satisfaction, and 43% more likely to be positive about their work-life balance than those who have less access to workplace technology.
• 73% of employees using digital tools reported a positive impact to their productivity and 70% cited improved collaboration.
• Employees were also 60% more likely to say they are motivated at work, and 91% more likely to praise their company’s vision when using digital workplace technologies. 

Oxfam + Workplace by Facebook

Various collaboration platforms have launched over the past ten years and one of the best examples that have integrated these types of digital workplaces in their organizations is Oxfam, a global organization working to end the injustice of poverty. Oxfam has incorporated Facebook’s enterprise collaboration platform into their business, in order to supply its daily dashboard for communication and collaboration across its 10,000-staff, multilingual global workforce and all of their devices.

Dianna Langley, Digital Workplace Manager at Oxfam explains that, “Staff feel empowered when they collaborate in Workplace as equals, no matter where they are in the world.”

Success stories like these are not uncommon anymore thanks in part to the new communication technologies readily popping up at our fingertips.

Implementing tools that empower modern forms of employee communication can elevate a business’ overall productivity.

Discover how innovative leaders are harnessing the power of enterprise collaboration.

Finding the right enterprise collaborative platform can be tricky; every company has different needs and within every company, every department has even more specific needs. Aware can help you unlock the potential of collaboration for your organization today. 

Watch the Aware webinar now to learn more about what you can do with collaboration tool insights.