How to build more inclusive enterprise social communities

Diverse teams are 87% better at making decisions (People Management). More inclusive enterprise social communities mean a more diverse workforce, which drives better decision-making, increases employee satisfaction, and reduces employee turnover.

Employees who feel included in the workplace increase team performance by 17%, decision-making quality by 20% and effective collaboration by 29% (Deloitte).

Around 86% of large enterprises in the EU have social communities (Eurostat). And with the Meta announcing its closing of Workplace, it’s time to look at how an enterprise social migration can make those communities more inclusive.

In our most recent webinar, our expert panel discussed how to build more inclusive enterprise social communities. Watch the full webinar, featuring Julien Brain, Global Director, AWS Partner Funding Programs & LGBTQ+ Charter at Wipro, Amy Halls, Product Marketing Manager at Unily, Kaz Hassan, Community & Insight Lead at Unily, and Mark Chevis, Vice President Solutions Engineering at Unily:

What are the benefits of stronger and more inclusive enterprise social communities?

Stronger and more inclusive enterprise social communities offer several key benefits for organizations.

• Enhanced employee engagement: Inclusive communities foster a sense of belonging among employees, allowing them to connect and engage with colleagues across departments and locations. This leads to higher participation and more meaningful contributions.
• Better collaboration and knowledge sharing: Stronger communities encourage cross-functional collaboration, with studies suggesting it’s boosted up to 29%. Employees exchange ideas, insights, and expertise, which can lead to greater innovation and quicker problem-solving, as the organization can tap into diverse perspectives and knowledge.
• Increased innovation: Diverse teams are 6 times more likely to be innovative. When employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and engaging in discussions, organizations can harness a wider range of creative solutions and insights. This can drive innovation and lead to more agile decision-making across the organization.
• Improved employee well-being and retention: Inclusive communities provide support networks, particularly for underrepresented or remote employees. When employees feel valued and included, their sense of job satisfaction and loyalty increases, which can improve retention rates. 39% of employees would leave their employer for a more diverse company.
• Support for organizational initiatives: Stronger communities help organizations implement and communicate key initiatives effectively. Leaders can use these platforms to gather feedback, promote transparency, and ensure alignment with company-wide goals.

Case study: Wipro’s increased inclusivity through social communities

Background: Wipro, a global leader in IT, consulting, and business process services, recognized the need to build more inclusive communities within their organization to foster engagement, collaboration, and a stronger sense of belonging among employees.

Challenge: Before the migration, Wipro’s old platform, Yammer, hosted over 700 fragmented and poorly managed communities. Many of these communities were dormant, lacked governance, and struggled to engage employees effectively. The disconnected experience made it difficult for employees to find relevant content or participate in conversations meaningfully.

Solution: Wipro’s migration to Unily brought a more structured and inclusive approach to their internal communities. By reducing the number of communities from 700 to 80, the company streamlined participation and governance, allowing for more focused, active engagement.

Building more inclusive enterprise social communities: Wipro’s use of enterprise social networking has been particularly impactful in building more inclusive communities, especially through the establishment and growth of their Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). One such example is the Pride Wipro group, created to foster inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. Through the Unily platform, the Pride Wipro community became a central hub for sharing information, organizing events like Transgender Awareness Week, and providing a safe space for employees to share their stories and experiences.

Julien Brain from Wipro emphasized how this community gave a voice to those who might not have been heard otherwise:

Wipro also replicated this success across other ERGs, including groups focused on women in leadership and employees with disabilities. These inclusive communities have become central to Wipro’s efforts in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across their vast workforce.

How to build more inclusive social enterprise communities

1. Create communities with community managers

Stronger engagement within communities is driven by regular content updates, monthly connects, and leadership involvement. Community managers can help guide these practices, encourage employees to stay involved and keep communities thriving.

It’s important to codify volunteer roles, create events for community managers to share best practices between teams, and implement a training and onboarding process for new community managers.

2. Include frontline workers

Frontline workers have long been forgotten by larger organizations. 53% of frontline workers say they’re leaving their role because of a lack of appreciation from management or peers (HR Reporter). Making technology accessible to all employees is a key part of inclusion. Amy Halls mentions: “Part of that strategy needs to be thinking about the mobile experience and adoption for frontline workers. We need to capture frontline workers, who are often some of the most disengaged and doing that with tools that are integrated, that are consumer grade”.

3. Global organizations need global enterprise social communities

Making enterprise social truly inclusive includes adding language capabilities and fostering connections between employees who speak a variety of languages.

In summary

Creating more inclusive enterprise social communities fosters a diverse workforce. This means improved decision-making, higher employee satisfaction, and lower turnover rates. When employees feel included, team performance increases, decision-making quality improves, and collaboration becomes more effective.