New intranet delivers HR info and more to employees of newly separate company

American Express Global Business Travel transitioned from a business unit to a joint venture (GBT), leaving its sizable workforce in need of a replacement intranet that not only continued to serve its day-to-day needs but also helped employees navigate the waters of being part of a stand-alone organization. The success of the transition has won the organization first place in the “Human Relations” category of Ragan’s 2017 Intranet Awards.

To complicate the problem, most employees worked remotely in 120 different countries rather than in central office locations. The new intranet, UConnect, met their needs admirably, employing a variety of tactics to engage employees and support their buy-in.

A social intranet software package let the intranet team establish a number of features that would inspire employees to engage. Gamification hands out points for participation in intranet activities, while employees are free to add their own original content. 

Rather than set up a collaboration tool and wait for people to use it, GBT created 400 groups for both geographic and departmental teams. The intranet became the platform for the new CEO to introduce himself and to report on his early days, including the feedback he got from employees. 

Employees took to the intranet in a big way, with major increases in views and engagement, demonstrating that UConnect is delivering real value while building a strong culture. 

The HR page itself is comprehensive and easy to navigate. A simple, clean email newsletter informs employees of important content available on the intranet, driving even more traffic. UConnect is a solid intranet, a notable achievement given it was built from scratch. 

Congratulations to the entire UConnect team.