Websites for Employees: Top 20 Features and Tips

Unlock the secrets to building an effective employee website and discover 20 essential features, tips, and tricks.
May 2, 2024
19 mins to read
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Websites for Employees: Top 20 Features and Tips
Table Of Contents

What is an Employee Website?

As an employee have you ever felt lost in emails, struggling to find the latest company news or important documents? Imagine all this information all in one place, where you can connect with your coworkers, stay updated on the latest product update in your company or even have access to company resources. That is exactly what an employee website is about!

An employee website is like a digital home for your work life. Where you can find every information about your company and job. As well as having features like chat, forum and messaging systems that makes it easy to collaborate with your teams and build a sense of community

Benefits of an Employee Website

By spending time and effort into building the perfect employee website for your company, the end result will be extremely rewarding. An employee website will provide your company with many benefits:

  • Increase company awareness. Instead of sending mass emails that might not be read, an employee website allows employees to see announcements immediately as they login. This can be done through features like pinning on website dashboards.
  • All-in-one place. An employee website uses different communication features, this means employees do not have to use various systems everyday. This all-in-one approach will boost employee efficiency.
  • Knowledge sharing. An employee website is a great spot for staff to find company resources or learn about their work and industry.
  • Keep track of projects. An employee website can help  managers give out tasks and see how the work is going. For example features like “assign task”, “monitor progress”, etc. This helps make sure projects are completed on time and do not cost too much at the same time. 
  • Keeps data safe. In today’s digital age, digital security is increasingly important. Thus, many employee websites are enhanced with data protections, two-factor authentication, etc. This helps keep company information safe.

5 ways to build an Employee Website

Here is 5 simple ways to get started on building your company’s employee portal: 

1. Determine the Purpose

First off, think about what you need your employee website to do. For example:

  • Do you want to boost how everyone communicates? 
  • Are you looking to make collaborations between departments easier?
  • Streamline workflows 
  • Increase engagement

By identifying the purpose early on, this ensures that the employee website really hits the mark with what your company needs. 

2. Outline Your Needs

Once you have got your goals lined up, list down the must-have features that will help you meet them. Some things you may consider include: news feed, messaging functions, spaces for collaboration, employee profiles and secure document storage. Don’t forget to check for a smooth integration with your existing HR system and include data protection. One tip to covering all bases, would  be to gather inputs from different departments.

3. Plan the Design

The design of an employee website is very important, it is all about making sure it's user-friendly and engaging. Here are a few tips: 

  • To make sure it gets many users, make the layout intuitive and easy to navigate
  • Make sure it works seamlessly on mobile devices, as this can be essential for team members who are on the go or work remotely. 
  • Use your company’s branding to keep the look of it consistent
  • Make sure everyone can easily use the portal, no matter their needs.

While planning the design, try creating prototypes that can help you visualize your designs before starting the development process.

4. Assign Roles

You will need a dedicated team to make your perfect employee website to come true. Assigning clear roles like a project leader to oversee development, IT experts for tech-heavy aspects, content coordinators to keep the site fresh, HR representatives to ensure it meets all personnel needs. Assigning these roles help keep the project on track and make sure everyone knows what they need to do.

5. Choose or Develop a Solution

Finally, decide if you are going to go with a pre-made solution or build something custom. 

  • Pre-made employee websites: Are quicker to set up and often come with ongoing support and updates.  
  • Custom make an employee website: If you need something more tailored to your specific needs, making your own employee website might be the way to go. Though, not that it will require more resources and time but offers flexibility and customization.

For a reliable choice, check out Litespace, an All-in-one Employee Experience platform where you are able to personalize your employee experience.

Overall, building a great employee website does not have to be complicated. By following these 5 simple steps, you can create an employee website that meets you and your team's needs.

Top 20 Essential Features for Employee Website

1. Company-Wide Newfeed and Updates

Keeping your employees updated is key in a busy work environment. A company-wide newsfeed will allow your people to stay in the loop for news and events happening within your company. This will help create a more tight-knit culture within your company too! Here are some tips: 

  • Use videos, infographics, photos to make each story pop in your newsfeed
  • Make it engaging, allow people to posts through likes, comments and shares
  • Adding a calendar! This can help your employees keep track of important dates and events 

2. Internal Messaging System

Imagine a workplace where communication is as easy and engaging as your favorite social media channel. An internal messaging system included into your employee website should be just like that – a space where you can chat in real time, share files, and have both public and private conversations. Some tools can include: 

  • You can follow topics with #channels. For example, #marketing, #sales, etc.
  • Get someone’s attention with @mention 
  • An availability sign to see who is ‘available’ or ‘unavailable’ for a quick chat. This will help manage conversations effectively. 

These tools don't just keep the team connected, it makes sure your workers are able to use it quickly and effectively. 

3. Staff Profiles

Remember how overwhelming it can be on your first day, with so many faces? Staff profiles can ease that stress especially for new hires, and also boost connections across the company. More than just names, job titles, there profiles can include: 

  • A profile picture
  • Person’s skills
  • Projects within the company
  • Personal hobbies

This can also help you find and connect with the right coworker at the right time, be it for professional collaborations or sharing a common hobby. These profiles will help strengthen workplace relationships.

4. Resource Library

Your go-to spot for everyone you need – a company’s resource library. From job policies, to statistics, everything all in one place will help you always find a “single source of truth”. This digital resource library not only saves paper, but also keeps information clear and error-free. With well-tagged and categorized resources, you can quickly find what you need. One thing to note, constantly keeping your company’s resource library updated will ensure that it is always current and reliable. 

5. Automated Workflow Management

Say goodbye to back-and-forth emails for approvals, an automated workflow management makes requesting and approving as simple as a few clicks. Whether booking a leave or purchasing equipment, this system will guide your request through necessary steps swiftly. This allows for faster approvals, fewer errors and smoother flow of information, also meaning that you can focus more on work less on waiting for responses. 

Plus, with Litespace’s feature for automated scheduling, coordinating tasks and meetings, it becomes even easier to ensure seamless integration into your daily workflow.

6. Discussion Boards

A place where everyone in your company can share ideas, ask questions and discuss important topics. That is what discussion boards on your employee websites are all about. Whether it is across the whole company or within specific teams, these forums are perfect for boosting engagement and innovation. They give everyone a voice and a platform to contribute.

7. Project Workspaces

No matter where your team is located, project workspaces on your employee websites makes teamwork effortless. These digital rooms allow you to brainstorm, share files, solve problems together in real time. It is like having a meeting room available 24/7 ensuring no one misses out on collaboration.

8. Survey and Poll tools

Want to know what your team thinks about the new office layout or where to hold the next company social? Surveys and polls make it easy for everyone to input quickly. They are not just for fun questions, you can use them to collect feedback too.

9. Training and Development Hub

Your employee website can be a powerful tool for growth with a special section for training and development. Here, employees can find all kinds of resources, training modules or workshops. This section will help build a culture of continuous learning and boost productivity. Plus, it should keep track of everyone's progress, which is key for professional development. The training and development section can be optimized by integrating tools such as the Skill Matrix tool that helps L&D and HR professionals to identify skill gaps and plan the periodic inclusion and update of new learning resources.

10. Integration with Business Applications

Make your work life easier by connecting your employee website with business tools you use everyday, like Microsoft 265 or Google Workspace. With a single sign-on, you won’t have to waste time logging into different platforms – everything will be smoother and more connected.

Plus, with Litespace, you can link up your favorite tools, making it easier to stay organized and communicate. 

11. Advance Search Functionality

Imagine trying to find something on the internet without Google. Tough, right?  That's why your employee website needs an advanced search function. It helps everyone find exactly what they need quickly—like documents or contacts, by using filters for tags, dates, or topics. This tool makes it easy to get the right information fast, saving time and reducing stress.

12. Speed up onboarding

Starting a new job can be exciting yet overwhelming. That is why a good onboarding process is essential. By putting all the onboarding resources in one place on your employee website, new hires can easily fill out forms, learn company rules, and get to know their teammates. This helps new employees settle in quickly and start work right away. Check out Litespace, if you wish to streamline and speed up your company’s onboarding process.

13. Knowledge Base

Nobody should waste time hunting for important information at work. A good knowledge base on your employee website gathers all key company details—like forums, wikis, and project spaces, all in a single place that is easily accessible. This setup saves time and makes everyone more productive by keeping essential information in just a few clicks.

14. Employee Recognition Platform

Everyone likes to be recognized and appreciated for their hard work. An employee recognition platform on your website can give shoutouts, celebrate 'Employee of the Month', or even have a #shoutout channel for peers to recognize each other. This recognition goes a long way in making employees feel valued and can keep them happy at work for longer. By using Litespace, your company enhances this experience with its Peer Recognition feature, allowing you to celebrate team and individual achievements through public shout-outs and awards, making recognition even more impactful.

15. Social and Fun Elements

Work shouldn't be all about work! Adding fun and social elements to your employee website can liven it up. Celebrate birthdays, share personal achievements, virtual team activities or set up sections for sharing recipes or finding gym buddies. These fun features help build a strong community and make using the website more enjoyable every day. With Litespace, you can effortlessly organize team-building, DEI, and social activities. It can also help you build and manage communities that connect employee resource groups and interest-based groups.

16. Mobile Optimization

It is important for your employee website to work well on phones and tablets, not just computers. Mobile optimization means you can access all the features easily, no matter where you are, on any type of device you have. Whether you are checking updates on the go or catching up during your commute, a mobile-friendly site ensures that your employees stay connected at all times.

17. Searchable Blog 

Other than a newsletter, you can keep everyone informed and engaged with a searchable blog on your employee website. This can include in-depth articles, detailed guides, expert advice, and long-term initiatives that can be published and easily accessed. The main feature here is that the blog is easy to search. Employees can quickly find specific information using keywords and tags. This makes the blog a very useful tool for learning and looking up information whenever needed.

18. Helpdesk or Support System

Got a problem with the employee website? No worries!  helpdesk or support system on your employee website means help is always just a click away. By choosing Litespace as your company’s employee website, a dedicated 24/7 support is always on standby. You can be sure that you will get the assistance you need at any time making the most of your platform. 

19. Mobile App

Take your employee website to the next level. This means you can tap into all the great features of your website directly from your phone through an app instead. This is perfect for staying connected and getting things done no matter where you are or what you’re doing. Plus with an app, the user experience will be better than ever. 

20. Gamification

What better way to make work more fun with gamification! This is by adding game-like elements into your employee website to boost participation and motivation. From earning points for completing tasks to competing in friendly challenges, gamification makes every day at work a little more interesting and a lot more rewarding.

5 Tips to Optimize Company Employee Website

Discover 5 strategies to make your company's employee website even better.

Tip #1: Have a FAQ Section

Start by setting up a Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ) section. This is where you can answer repeating questions teams often have. For example, onboarding details, everyday work queries. A good FAQ section can be very effective and can save everyone a lot of time. It is also about giving everyone accurate and standardized information without confusion.

Tip #2: Keep it Organized

Think of your employee website as a digital workspace – it should be neat, tiny and well organized. Create specific areas for different departments. An organized employee website can help everyone find what they need quickly, reducing frustration and increasing productivity.

Tip #3: Personal Touch

Make your employee website more than just a place to find information, it could also be a community hub. Feature employee’s success stories like an employee’s ‘Work Anniversary’ or ‘Employee of the Month’. By adding this personal touch, it will help build connections and strengthen your company’s culture.

Tip #4: User-Friendly

To keep your employees engaged, your employee website must be user-friendly. This can be done by ensuring a design is simple and navigation is easy to understand. The quicker your team can learn to use the website, the more likely they will use it as part of their daily routine.

Tip #5: Share Company Mission

Your employee website is a great place to immerse your team in the company’s mission and values. By simply pinning the company mission at the top, can help employees feel connected to the bigger picture and motivates them to reflect these values in their work.

Conclusion

Wrapping it all up, building an engaging employee website is about more than just work, it is also about building a community, and fostering a connected, well-informed workplace culture. Now, it is your turn to use all the tips and tricks to make your workday easier, more connected, and a whole lot more fun. 

Why wait? Start integrating an amazing employee website into your company today! Check out Litespace – an all-in-one platform to personalize employee experiences, enhance engagement, accelerate onboarding, and much more. Give it a go and see the difference it can make in your workplace!

Leona Tan
Leona Tan

Leona is a content writer at Litespace with a background in marketing. She is passionate about digital marketing and product management. She is excited to share her knowledge in the HR world with you all.

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