Workplace connections are essential. They help workers grow, develop, and find opportunities. Connections also help managers and team leaders find the best employees for specific projects.
As companies grow and more team members work in different locations, the best way to connect is through a people directory. People directories within companies have existed for years, although previous directories resembled paper phone directories. When one employee wanted to contact another, they looked up the name alphabetically and made a phone call or sent an email.
People directories today are based in the cloud and kept as secure databases. The conversion to electronic people directories helps workers connect with one another more easily, for example, through searching under different terms or for particular skills. It also provides the opportunity to integrate the directory with other enterprise software programs to ensure more accurate profiles and automate processes.
One way to find the best employee directory software for your enterprise is to rank the software based on features.
Features to Consider
Are profiles automated?
Automated profiles are a handy feature because employees will never need to fill out their profiles manually. If they don't need to complete the profiles manually, you are much more likely to have complete and up-to-date profiles of every worker in your enterprise directory. The more up-to-date and complete your profiles are, the more effectively your employee directory software will be able to connect employees with each other. You'll also save your employees time by automatically filling in the profile. The time savings will lead to increased productivity.
Instead of requiring employee input, directory software with automated profiles can pull data from your other business systems, such as your human resources system, project management software, or CRM system.
Can people find and be found for opportunities?
Employee directory software fails to fulfill one of its primary functions if employees can't find each other easily. An Opportunity Marketplace feature can make finding and being found for matching opportunities considerably easier. In today's hybrid work world, the best employee directory software will be able to connect employees regardless of where they work.
A solid search function can also help people efficiently find each other for potential projects. It can foster equality in matching opportunities with people because it breaks down traditional silos. The best software will allow searches based on skills, interests, work experience, projects, customers, and custom fields.
Does the employee directory software automatically use data science to pair people with relevant experts?
The use of data science removes any silos or unintentional bias in selecting people for opportunities. The only factors the system considers are the skills and backgrounds of the potential team members. Data science software helps improve team diversity and performance because managers and team leaders will have access to the best people for the job.
Does it include a Human-Centered Organizational chart?
A Human-Centered Org Chart is one in which relationships and networks carry more weight than hierarchies. The Human-Centered Org Chart is more in line with what the modern workplace needs: healthy collaboration rather than a rigid structure. In businesses where hierarchies are less rigid, good ideas are more likely to come from any person in the company rather than just those at the top.
However, using a Human-Centered Org Chart doesn't always mean that the hierarchical organization chart is meaningless. The best employee directory software will balance the hierarchical structure with the need for collaboration, allowing for teams to work together across departments.
Will your people actually use the software?
An enterprise directory that is human-centered and easily searchable is only valuable if individuals within your organization use it. If the software is a stand-alone product that fails to integrate with other products, employees are less likely to use it. After all, it's just one more software they must learn and remember to use.
If the software is fully integrated into another software that the organization uses, however, then your employees are much more likely to use it. For example, suppose the software integrates with the popular software, Microsoft Teams. In that case, the use of your employee directory software will explode.
Ranking the Best Employee Directory Software
With the features in mind, here's a ranking of the best employee directory software.
1. Structural
Structural is at the top of the list because of its variety of features.
- Structural builds and updates employee profiles automatically from information in your other business software. It integrates with an extensive list of major enterprise software and with proprietary systems.
- It provides features to enable people to find each other and be found easily. In addition to its opportunity marketplace, it also has a highly customizable search feature.
- It uses the data in its rich database to automatically pair people with opportunities. By automatically pairing, the enterprise directory software helps to break down silos, build the best teams possible for each project, and improve diversity.
- Structural balances the relationships and networks with the organizational hierarchy in its Human-Centered Organizational Chart system.
- Finally, because Structural integrates with Microsoft Teams, your people will use it. Using it will enable them to find the right people for projects and ultimately improve their ROI.
2. One Directory
One Directory provides some useful features, including a powerful search engine that can provide results based on smart tags, group tiles, beautiful profile cards, and responsive list views. It also includes organizational charts, a skills directory, and remote collaboration tools.
3. Bitrix 24
Bitrix 24 integrates with various other enterprise software tools. It also has a dynamic search bar, enabling searches based on name, skills, and position. It offers a mobile directory app, as well. It also allows for customization based on the company's needs.
4. Pingboard
Pingboard is widely used and allows employees to add customized features to their profiles, such as how to pronounce their names. The profiles also provide a great deal of information on employees, including who they report to, their skills, recognition, and upcoming milestones. It also integrates with other tools.
5. Friday
Friday allows supervisors to discover when employees last checked in and what they might be working on. Its profiles, which are completed manually, include various fields, including work hours, goals, recognition, and team responsibilities. It also integrates with various other enterprise software tools. It complements Slack and work chat and includes various add-ons to improve functionality.
6. Bamboo HR
Bamboo HR automatically collects information throughout the employee's career with your company. It also provides quick search filters that enable you to search more quickly. It can also tell you whether the employee is out of the office.
7. Namely
Namely is customizable. It features a hierarchical organizational chart that automatically updates when employees are promoted or hired. It also automatically approves promotions and pay raises.
8. Axero Solutions
Axero Solutions is easy to use and has information-rich profiles. It also includes an organizational chart, which it builds automatically.
9. ConnecTeam
ConnecTeam is easy to use and focuses on making employee communication easier. It features media sharing, social posts, surveys, updates, and a suggestion box. It also has a mobile app with an advanced search function.
Choosing the best enterprise directory
The needs of each enterprise are different. However, if having a variety of features is essential, then Structural is your best employee directory software choice.
Structural creates and updates employee profiles automatically, which means you'll always have updated profiles of every employee. The profile's quality doesn't depend upon the employee having time to answer questions. Because profiles fill automatically, Structural is the most inclusive and efficient directory option. Structural software also uses the data in its database to automatically match employees with opportunities, further ensuring diversity, inclusion, and effective teams.
Employees can find team members and can be found for projects that match their skills. Various search options are available, including complex ones that might find experiences and skills far back in an employee's background. The software includes an opportunities marketplace.
Structural is also a good choice because of the rich array of software it integrates with. Our engineers can also help integrate it with proprietary software.
It offers a rich array of communications options and provides internal context to ensure the receiver actually receives and understands the message being sent.
Finally, the Human-Centered directory ensures that good ideas aren't lost just because someone is near the bottom of the organization's hierarchical ladder or in a different department than the team leader. And, because Structural and Microsoft Teams are partners, employees will use Structural.
The best directory software can improve your ROI
The best employee directory software can provide many benefits for your company and make your organization more competitive and profitable. It can help you leverage hidden expertise and create internal mentorship programs. It can boost employee engagement, helping you retain employees. A good employee retention program can help you avoid an interruption in your productivity and the need to take time to recruit employees. Good enterprise directory software can make access to leadership easier. It can also enable quicker problem solving and enhance the sharing of knowledge. Employee retention, accessibility to leadership, and quicker problem solving can improve your ROI.
Structural connects people in organizations of all sizes. It has an impressive number of great reviews from clients. It offers 5 to 20 percent overall time savings and a 50 percent drop in bad turnover.
Request a demo today by filling out a form on our website. Alternatively, watch a preview of all the features of our best employee directory software.
