Facebook’s Workplace launches range of new features, including tool for drafting exec comms
Facebook has unveiled new features for Workplace – the social media giant’s version of internal collaboration tools like Slack – in response to COVID-19, including a knowledge library, a tool for drafting executive communications, and safety alerts.
The platform said the new tools are focused on information sharing and employee wellbeing. The safety alert function, for example, allows organisations to send standalone incident alerts to keep employees safe.
The knowledge library is a searchable space that centralises company knowledge and documents, including policies, employee handbooks, and benefit information, while the ‘Draft for’ tool means people can write posts on behalf of executives to review, approve and publish in the same ecosystem.
‘Campaigns’, available in May, will track audience reach, engagement and sentiment for content, including, Facebook says, giving a sense of employee morale towards COVID-19 communications.
Q&A posts (where people add and up-vote questions), care reactions, and work-from-home themed ‘profile frames’ are also among the features roll out, which Facebook said are aimed at connection.
“COVID-19 has drastically changed the way Australian businesses operate as they try to navigate through remote working journeys,” Workplace’s head of growth ANZ, Vicky Skipp, said.
“Our customers are constantly looking for new ways to keep their workforce connected and to ensure their employees feel supported while working remotely. Businesses can support their employees during the pandemic by ensuring remote work policies are easily accessible, regularly checking in on employee morale, or finding ways to help colleagues show solidarity while apart.
“The features we’re launching today are aimed at helping workers connect with each other, receive the information they need and most importantly keeping them safe during this time of remote working.”
In addition to the Workplace updates, Facebook has also launched Messenger Rooms, a group video calling feature that mirrors the functionality of popular app Houseparty. Messenger Rooms will use video links that those without a Facebook account or the Messenger app can use, and include lighting filters, 360 degree immersive backgrounds, and Messenger’s existing AR filters.
Messenger Rooms responds to the lockdown trend of people connecting via group video calls
“We know people are turning to video experiences now more than ever to stay connected with their friends, family and communities, and Messenger want to make it even easier to connect virtually for anything from birthday parties to game nights – even if you don’t have a Facebook account or the Messenger app,” Facebook said in a statement.
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