6 ways Yammer boosts engagement internally

Two dynamics are pressuring executives and communicators alike who wish to engage with their workforces.

Companies are growing ever more global, and employee engagement has become essential for most organizations.

“Leaders can’t be walking the floors or their halls anymore,” says Michael Holste, product marketing manager for Microsoft’s Yammer. “Corporations are large. The employees speak numerous languages. They live in different time zones. They live in different parts of the world.”

The good news is that technology can help connect communicators, employees and leaders, he adds. In fact, tech has become a cornerstone of today’s communications.

Social enterprise and social engagement tools such as Yammer—a part of the Office 365 suite—enable communicators, leaders and everyday employees to reach across distances and time differences to share knowledge.

Here are ways to use technology to bolster engagement within the ranks:

1. Offer employees a feedback channel.

Create a culture where it’s OK to criticize the organization or say, “We’re making a mistake, or we don’t agree with this social or this political issue,” Holste says.