You’re about to have a shiny new digital workplace. Now it’s time to help your employees understand what’s coming so they can get the most out of your investment. It’s human nature to feel suspicious of change. People tend to be content with the status quo, so introducing a new digital workplace solution can seem like giving everyone extra homework, learning new (and better) processes, and ways to network and communicate.      

This is where Beezy’s Customer Success Managers come in. We guide our customers through a successful launch that helps employees go beyond accepting the change, to getting them excited about it. A key part of this program is a campaign that involves employees in the naming of their Beezy solution. The name conveys your digital workplace's goal and identity. It’s a technique that works to gives staff a sense of ownership, as well as generating conversation about, and helping them get to know and love their new employee hub.   

Over the years, our customers have run successful campaigns to name their digital workplaces. They tend to fall into three camps:   

1. Employees pick the name, with no direction from the leadership    
2. Employees provide suggestions and a shortlist is chosen by the leadership and put to a vote    
3. Leadership picks the name, often due to concerns that employees won’t pick a suitable name.   

While the third option may feel like the safest – remember Boaty McBoatface? – we’d argue that letting employees decide has huge benefits, and risks can be mitigated. (And Boaty is now a core part of the National Oceanography Centre’s fleet, arguably the most famous!)   

Here’s why we think you should let employees decide:

• It builds a sense of ownership and affection for the new intranet    
• It increases uptake and adoption of your digital workplace    
• It generates conversation around the launch and provides a platform for discussion about the benefits and features of the new digital workplace 
• It creates a sense of shared purpose.     

How to run a successful campaign to name your digital workplace     

1. Be brave – You want your employees to make the most of your new digital workplace by using it every working day, so let them own it    
2. Write a brief – To avoid the more outlandish or downright unsuitable names, start with a brief to staff outlining the aims of the new digital workplace as well as how they fit within the company’s vision and values 
3. Offer a reward for the winner – This could be anything from a special congratulations notice on the new intranet to a slap-up meal or an afternoon off 
4. Open submissions to everyone – Be transparent. Show what names are being entered into the mix so people can share ideas    
5. Create a shortlist – Shortlist the most popular names. If yours is a global organization, consider what the shortlist names might mean in different cultures before you make your final list   
6. Vote! – Put your shortlist to a company-wide vote. You could include different voting options to get a better feel for how strongly people feel about each choice: love it; like it; it’s ok; don’t like it   
7. Create a new logo – Come up with a new look and feel for your newly named digital workplace. Keep it simple and on brand, but distinct from your company website. 
8. Celebrate the new name – Get people excited about it. You could give staff mugs, T-shirts or sweatshirts with the new style: “I ❤️ [your digital workplace name]”    
9. Use the new name – Ditch the unfriendly-sounding “intranet” and use the new name in all internal comms to promote uptake. Chances are that your teams will be doing that anyway! 

Good luck!    

Want to know more about Beezy’s Customer Success team? We’ve worked through thousands of intranet replacements over the past decade, and have a wealth of experience. We’ll provide you expert guidance throughout every stage of transforming your business to a modern digital workplace.