Yammer – Social Media in the Modern Workplace
We live in a connected age, where social media is not just a frivolous way of wasting time, but a genuinely important method of communication in the modern workplace. As a business owner, you understand the importance of communication just as we do here in OfficeLabs — that’s why we are committed to our no-jargon policy.
Stripped to its fundamentals, a business is simply a group of people working together to achieve a goal. Microsoft believes that social media can achieve this too, and with Microsoft 365 it has created Yammer for exactly this purpose. It may often be referred to as “Facebook for business”, but this does Yammer a great disservice, since it is a far more powerful and effective tool than you may realise.
A powerful way to deliver organisation-wide messaging – and allowing access at all levels
Employees often feel disconnected within the organisational structure. When you are working under layers of management, you may feel disenfranchised and not heard. Furthermore, if you are working on a project and need a skillset that isn’t in your team, it may feel like the quickest solution is to look externally. Yammer solves both of these issues. By connecting all areas of an organisation, the newest intern can engage directly with the CEO through the platform – promoting not only accessibility but openness and trust. And if you need help with a specific issue, the company hive mind can often help more quickly, and with better results. Someone in HR may actually be a PowerApps programmer as a hobby. Someone in sales may be incredible at creating SharePoint sites. Yammer lets you post your questions and get answers, often from unlikely places.
More knowledge, more engagement, a better work culture
A knock-on effect of this is that the often-painful process of training new starters can be minimised – Yammer will allow them to access the company’s wealth of knowledge on any given topic, as well as understanding how teams are structured and who the specialists are. People love to help, as solving problems is incredibly fulfilling – which means that you have lots of opportunities for your staff to grow, share their knowledge, and feel happier doing so. Happier staff means a higher retention rate. At OfficeLabs, we use a Yammer group for everything from arranging social events to solving technical questions as a group. Cementing that engagement both in and out of the office will bring your teams closer together. They’ll collaborate more freely and easily, and be far more productive than companies who make it difficult for their staff to integrate.
How Can OfficeLabs Help?
We’re a big fan of Yammer at OfficeLabs, and we believe that when you book a consultation with us, our enthusiasm for both Yammer and Microsoft 365 as a suite will shine through. We can explain exactly how best to use it in your business, and offer tailored training and Microsoft Yammer support as part of your package. We’ll also discuss the other aspects of Microsoft 365 and how you can take advantage of the whole suite to drastically improve your efficiency and business revenue.
