Being informed, when used to refer to employees, is more than just being “in the know”. Informed employees don’t only suck up information like sponges, they act on it. Strong leaders create and implement systems that keep employees informed. These systems provide two primary types of information to employees:

• Current information about activities affecting the daily operations of the company.
• Information that helps employees keep current with the latest trends and developments in the industry; and helps employees understand their purpose in the organization.

Our focus is on the second type of information. This type of information is typically stored in a corporate library. BookFusion can help you create a corporate library that provides the resources your employees need to stay engaged. Engaged employees are more likely to stay, thus reducing the risk of employee turnover. You’ll have a greater appreciation for corporate libraries when you read the benefits we’ve described below.

Employees Clearly Understand their Roles

Research conducted by Alan M. Saks shows that a job’s characteristics is one of the factors that determines an employee’s engagement. Employees must have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Outlining expectations in a job description isn’t sufficient when some of the descriptors are ambiguous.

It’s your HR team’s responsibility to ensure that all staff members understand what is required and are provided with the support they need to meet key performance indicators (KPIs). Uploading the employee handbook to the corporate library can be helpful. A well-written handbook outlines an employee’s roles in the simplest terms and clearly outlines expectations with regards to conduct and deportment.

Support is Given to an Employee’s Goals

Every employee has career ambitions. Some may know these ambitions from the onset. Others may need some guidance. Each leader in your organization must know their team members goals and how these goals align with the organization. The leader should then work with the employee and the HR manager to support these goals.

Career advancement often requires further training. The level of training required depends on the employee’s skill level and previous education. Some employees may need to be enrolled in a full-time or part-time tertiary program. Others may need smaller training sessions that the HR team can provide. Content for the latter can be posted in the corporate library.

Your Company’s Specific Problems Can Be Addressed

Employees don’t want to feel like they are always the problem. Consistently labeling them as such creates a toxic work environment. However, issues that have been identified can’t be ignored.

Your company can only succeed if you have a motivated workforce. A motivated workforce will willingly help you address issues that arise. Addressing these issues may require further training. Your HR department can share valuable training resources that specifically address the issues in the corporate library.

Branded Content Can Be Stored and Used Internally

Digital marketing has transformed the way companies reach customers. There’s a growing need for companies to create a variety of content that can be used for lead generation. eBooks, guides, and e-magazines are just a few of the written content options available.

This content can be stored in your corporate library after it has been created. Your corporate library, therefore, becomes a rich resource hub. There’s no need to search through emails or Google Drive. All these resources will be in one place and effectively organized for future access.

Corporate libraries also offer more research options. A document is more credible when it has research backed sources. Relevant libraries can be linked to your company’s research library to make the search process easier.

Content Highlighting Employee Success Can Be Stored and Accessed

Have you ever thought about creating a company newsletter or magazine? A corporate library is a good place to store it. Employees have access to the library and can easily download the content for easy reading.

A feature in the company newsletter or magazine can be a good incentive for some employees. They will realize that their efforts are appreciated. Appreciation goes a long way in creating happiness.

 

You may not be convinced that a corporate library is worth the investment. How can you really know that you’ll achieve a return on investment (ROI)? Here’re 5 ways a corporate library drives ROI.

It’s Used as an Integrated Research Solution

 

A corporate library lessens the time spent searching for company files. All company related content is streamlined. Employees only have to type in the keywords in the library’s search engine to find the documents they need. This only works, however, if the library is specifically tailored to meet the business’ needs.

The resources must be readily available and easy to find. A corporate library that is an integrated research tool would allow users to access content from top research libraries.  This integrated approach can, however, become cumbersome when multiple research platforms are used. Narrowing down the research platform list by identifying the platforms employees most frequently use is helpful.

It Has a Great Impact on Employee Engagement If Used Correctly

 

Corporate libraries can increase employee engagement based on the benefits previously listed. Engaged employees are less likely to leave the organization, thus reducing employee turnover. Employee turnover can be detrimental to a business’ bottom-line.

Investing in a Corporate Librarian Generates Profit

 

A corporate library will only run efficiently if there’s an employee whose sole responsibility is monitoring it. That’s the role of the corporate librarian. A study cited by Jean O’Grady and conducted by 3 of Australia’s leading libraries in 2013 showed that “special libraries are estimated to deliver $5.43 in value for every dollar spent.”

O’Grady states that this was a conservative estimate since it didn’t factor in the value provided by information professionals. She estimates that a more realistic ratio may be earning $10 for every dollar spent. Her educated guess may just be right.

 

Putting It All Together

 

Corporate libraries offer 5 main benefits to your company. They are worth the investment because they lessen the time employees spend searching for information, reduce the risk of employee turnover, and have the potential to increase profit if used effectively. Let BookFusion help you create a corporate library.

Web: http://bookfusion.com/business/
Email: hello@bookfusion.com