Redesigning the company intranet to focus HR on “Me”
| Published date | 01 November 2006 |
| Pages | 4-4 |
| Date | 01 November 2006 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390680000928 |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
4Volume 6 Issue 1 November/December 2006
e-HR
,
How technology is changing the way HR works
Redesigning the company
intranet to focus HR on “Me”
W
hen Allianz Australia, an
Australian insurance provider,
set about revamping the
company intranet, the emphasis was very
much on the word “Me.” Rather than
making employee information needs fit
the technology, the Allianz site was
redesigned to meet employee
information requirements and those of
its internal and external customers.
Simplifying the intranet design
A cross-section of 120 Allianz employees
took part in intranet redesign focus
groups. Results showed that employees
wanted their intranet to be a practical
work tool with a consistent look and
feel, simple navigation tools, shortcuts
and company news. Making the intranet
an everyday work tool also created
opportunities for the HR team – an
employee-friendly intranet could serve as
a channel for cultural-change initiatives.
The intranet’s redesign team,
therefore, focused on an employee-
centric, “Me at Allianz” concept – Me as
an employee, Me as a service provider to
my customers and Me as a member of
my corporate culture.
A user-centric design
Information was categorized to mirror
the way staff would think and use the
intranet, rather than in functional silos
or to match the organization’s structure.
Some of the improvements initiated
included:
• Creating user friendly groupings (e.g,
“How Do I?,” “Staff & Pay,” “Customer
& Sales,” “Policy & Procedures”).
• Reducing the number of clicks needed
to access information.
• Converting HR forms to an electronic
format, to reduce paperwork and
administration.
• Making key communications highly
visible and accessible on the
homepage.
• Introducing online, self-paced training
programs.
Adaptable “Quickstart” button
A key change initiative was to shift
employee behaviors from a culture that
strives for customer satisfaction, to one
that engenders customer loyalty and
advocacy for the company and its
products. One way of facilitating this
change was to better empower staff to
help their customers.
A “Quickstart” menu was added on
the intranet homepage. It enabled every
employee to personalize the intranet by
providing direct access to webpages that
were most important to them. Via
Quickstart an employee could
immediately go to information of direct
relevance to their customer. Employees
could also use Quickstart to access HR
policy information like salary, benefits
and leave details.
Each major business unit was able to
develop and maintain its own sub-site to
house information relevant to its
operational needs. For example, Allianz’s
National Call Center, which has staff
working shifts, uses its sub-site to ensure
all team members are informed of
operational changes, new products and
team events.
Promoting company values
With employees spread across four time
zones and two countries (Australia and
New Zealand) the intranet is a vital tool
for exchanging information. Interactive
features such as employee polls,
competitions, internal customer surveys
and feedback mailboxes encourage
communication and employee
engagement. Intranet communications
also support the company’s values, which
include open communication, a high-
performance culture and leadership in
sales and service.
Allianz recently used the intranet as a
campaign tool regarding the company’s
new labor agreement. Employees were
encouraged to contribute comments
about employment conditions. Regular
updates kept them informed of progress
and polls gauged reactions to proposals.
Promotional banners and a running tally
of voting helped stimulate employees to
lodge their vote. The intranet assisted HR
in creating an environment of
transparency and open communication,
eliciting a positive response from both
management and employees.
ALLIANZ AUSTRALIA
Allianz Australia is part of The Allianz
Group, a finance and insurance services
provider.The Group employs 173,000 staff
in more than 70 countries. It employs 3,000
people across Australia and New Zealand.
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