There are numerous internal social platforms and intranets available, each with its own purpose and functionalities. Choosing the right platform is therefore not easy. In this series ‘ under the hood’ we explore what different platforms have to offer. This way you can better determine which platform best suits your organization. This time we take a closer look at Plek, a platform for employee engagement .
Plek: from start – up to platform for various sectors
Plek started in 2015 as a start-up in Amsterdam and has since developed into a platform that is used by more than 350 organizations. The platform focuses on a wide range of sectors, such as healthcare and welfare, construction and engineering, and government institutions.
A nice feature of the platform is that there is not only the possibility that the permanent employees get access, but also external users such as volunteers and temporary workers. This makes the platform suitable for organizations with a diverse user group. An important point of attention here is whether all these different
groups really use the offered functionalities in the same way. In practice, connecting external users can pose organizational and technical challenges, especially in the areas of rights management and access control.
Internal communication and HR in one platform
The distinctive feature of Plek is that it tries to build a bridge between internal communication and HR processes, especially in the area of employee engagement and employee experience. Where internal communication is usually aimed at informing and connecting employees, Plek adds more typical HR processes such as microlearnings and sociallearnings, onboarding and finally feedback: how does a certain topic live within the organization? The platform aims to offer these two domains within a single environment.
However, this approach could raise questions about feasibility: can one platform actually meet the different, often separate, objectives of internal communication and HR? Often there remains a tension between an integrated work environment and the use of separate specialized tools. An integrated platform for improving employee engagement, such as Plek, offers many opportunities for an unambiguous employee experience. However, the functionality is often not always as extensive as that of specialized solutions, which can often be found in individual systems.
To gain insight into the user experience, Plek has developed a module that focuses on strengthening engagement and experience within the digital work environment.
Functions and modules
Plek states that the platform focuses on improving the user experience through personalized experiences and a data-driven approach. This means that Plek can offer employees tailored information and tools to do their job effectively, regardless of device. The downside of this high level of personalization is that there are limited opportunities for broadcasting various news streams. A feature that is often desired in organizations with more complex internal communication structures.
An important feature is the Employee Journey module, which helps organizations guide employees through key stages in their work journey. This starts, for example, with the onboarding process, where new employees get quick access to the necessary information, training and documents before their first day of work, possibly even before they are registered as an employee. In addition, the tool also offers the possibility to run employees through internal campaigns, for example by letting them watch videos or participate interactively in certain actions.
After guiding employees through the aforementioned module, the time comes to understand what they are experiencing. Capturing and analyzing the experiences within the organization is where the smart conversations module comes in handy, which offers a data-driven approach. The personalized and automated module allows organizations to collect targeted feedback from employees and turn it into concrete facts and insights, helping to create targeted and measurable actions. In addition, it is possible to come back to previously given answers in later conversations, so that trends become clearly visible.
The collected answers are used to create different personas, which give a detailed picture of the various employee types within the organization and at the team level, based on their opinions and experiences. For managers, this provides valuable insights as they now have a clearer picture of the personas present within their team. With this knowledge, they can set out targeted actions that match the specific needs of their team members.
With the modules that Plek offers (the Employee Journey module, smart conversations, and the social Intranet module) Plek offers an approach for internal communication and engagement, in which the employee is central. These modules can also be used separately, providing flexibility depending on the needs of the organization. Of course, the real value of these modules depends heavily on the use and thus the adoption within the organization, but the visual style and user experience used helps.
On the roadmap
The platform explores the use of AI to improve the user experience. They are currently testing an AI chatbot that helps employees find information and create content faster within the platform. This can be particularly useful in sectors such as healthcare, where time pressure and quick access to up-to-date information are important. For example, the chatbot can answer common questions or give suggestions when writing messages. However, the added value of such a tool depends on the amount of underlying data, how well it is maintained and whether the chatbot really fits in with the daily practice of users.
Cost
The cost per user per month varies depending on the number of employees and the use of the platform. For smaller organizations, a low one-time fee applies to the initial setup and configuration of the platform, while the monthly charges per user decrease as the organization grows. The cost may also vary based on the number of active users or the type of license.
Guidance is included and includes support in the implementation, such as setting up basic functionalities such as corporate identity and making important content easy to find. After launch, the focus will be on user activation and usage monitoring, deploying metrics and analytics to evaluate progress.
Want to know more?
More information about Plek, the functionalities and the available modules can be found at www.plek.co.
Can you use independent advice when choosing a platform provider? Contact Peter Haan via peter@evolve.eu or +31 6 13 98 14 27. Or leave your details via the contact form:
