Role: Intranet Designer & Engagement Lead
Duration: 1 year 8 months
Tools: SharePoint · MS 365 · Lists · Canva · HubSpot · MS Teans · SurveyMonkey · Sendoso · Organimi
iTalent Digital is an IT consulting company with approximately 500 employees, specializing in SaaS products and outsourcing technical project managers and enterprise community managers. The company serves major clients including Cisco, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Autodesk, Elastic, etc.
A unique challenge faced by iTalent was that employees received W2 salaries with paid time off and medical benefits, but often perceived themselves as contract workers rather than full-time employees. The company needed to shift this perception and help employees understand they were valued full-time team members with client rotation based on business needs.
The primary objective of the iConnect project was to create a strong corporate culture through employee retention and engagement. By improving the employee experience and reducing turnover, the company aimed to:
Reduce hiring costs associated with employee turnover
Improve the company's image by reimagining corporate culture
Help employees feel connected to iTalent rather than solely identifying with client organizations
Increase awareness of company benefits, including 401k programs, tuition assistance, and learning opportunities
When I joined the engagement team, the company was using a Jive-based intranet platform with several critical problems:
Outdated UI and content: The platform had an old interface with very outdated information
Poor structure: No clear organization; employees didn't know where to find information or how to use the platform
Duplicate and confusing spaces: Multiple spaces with identical names, approximately 100 different groups and subgroups nested within superspaces
Lack of content management: HR occasionally added new files without reviewing or removing outdated documents
No SSO integration: Without single sign-on, employees couldn't remember login credentials and rarely accessed the platform
Minimal user engagement: Only HR used the platform regularly, limiting its effectiveness for company-wide communication
No unified communication channel: Employees used Teams for individual messages but lacked a company-wide forum
Isolation of remote workers: Remote employees had no way to know colleagues, learn about new hires, or feel connected to peers
Client-focused identity: Most communication occurred within client channels, causing employees to identify more with clients than with iTalent
Limited awareness: Many employees were unaware of company holidays, business expense reimbursement processes, learning programs, and tuition benefits
Teams Watercooler Channel
I created a unified Teams channel called "iTD Watercooler" and added all employees. This became the primary channel for announcements and introductions, achieving 100% adoption from day one. The channel featured:
Daily posts about employee birthdays and anniversaries
New employee introductions
Company announcements and updates
A space for employees to build community and peer relationships
Comprehensive Audit
I conducted a thorough audit of the existing Jive platform:
Documented all platform issues
Replicated the entire space structure in Excel, including names and links to all files and their titles
Identified duplicate spaces and outdated content
Content Review and Organization
Working collaboratively with HR, Marketing, and Sales departments, I:
Reviewed all outdated content
Identified documents for removal or archiving
Created a new, streamlined space structure
Removed and archived outdated documents once the new structure was approved
Made archive spaces invisible to general users while providing department-specific access to relevant archival materials
Third-Party Platform Evaluation
I researched alternative platforms with employee gamification features:
Met with sales teams for demos
Created a detailed comparison table in Excel documenting platform features, monthly prices, and customization options
Presented findings to leadership
Strategic Decision
Leadership decided to create an internal website on SharePoint as part of Microsoft 365. This solution addressed the critical login issue since employees could access the site without separate credentials through SSO integration.
Design and Development Process
Created a mockup of the future site with spaces mirroring the new Jive structure
Designed new visual assets
Planned data and file migration
Obtained leadership approval for the mockup
Dual-Site Strategy
The project took two months to complete. I created two versions of the site:
Stage/Test Version: For testing improvements, training team members on admin functions, and serving as a document archive
Official Version: The live production site for all employees
Launch Strategy
Before the official launch:
Created a teaser announcement
Made official announcements via the Teams channel and company emails
Integrated the SharePoint Intranet into the onboarding process
Created a user feedback form posted on the site's homepage
Conducted brief navigation training sessions with new employees during onboarding
Culture Page Development
I created a dedicated culture page where employees could:
Access corporate photos from company events
View and navigate the organizational chart
Participate in discussions
Learn about company culture and colleagues
Leadership Communication
A separate chat channel was created specifically for leadership communications.
HubSpot Data Quality Initiative
After completing the intranet project, I initiated a CRM improvement project to:
Remove duplicate entries
Create a unified system for adding new employees
Standardize data entry across account managers
Capture important data including reasons for employee departures
Enable accurate data dashboard creation
Implementation Process
Presented a proposal to leadership
Created a team of supporters to discuss best practices
Developed documentation for account managers to follow
Achieved 95% data accuracy following the initiative
Gift Card Automation via Sendoso Integration
To streamline employee recognition and reduce manual processes:
Integrated Sendoso with HubSpot CRM
Created text templates for various occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, gifts)
Enabled gift card sending directly from employee HubSpot profiles
Automated tracking of gift card expenditures
Standard Operating Procedures
Working alongside HR, I helped create standard procedures for:
Onboarding flows
Offboarding flows
Exit interview forms
30-60-90 day check-in forms
Employee journey roadmap
The 30-day check-in was specifically designed to provide proper onboarding orientation, where HR discussed company structure and the Engagement department introduced the intranet platform and upcoming online and offline company events.
Throughout the project, my role included:
Managing the intranet platform
Content writing and creation
Meeting with vendors for online events
Organizing in-person employee meetups
Managing and tracking the annual budget
Creating reports for leadership
Employee Retention: Increased by 18%
Company Trust Level: Increased 2x
Engagement: Increased 5x
Cost Savings: Saved the company $30,000 by avoiding external intranet web designer costs and yearly platform fees
Data Accuracy: Achieved 95% accuracy in CRM data after the HubSpot initiative
Overall Satisfaction: Based on HubSpot data and employee listening programs (30-60-90 day check-ins and exit interviews), 92% of employees reported being happy with the company
Employee Satisfaction Drivers
Employees' main criteria for satisfaction were:
The people they worked with
Their leadership
Enhanced Platform Usage
HR could update documents regularly on the intranet
Employees could easily find documents based on survey feedback
Increased attendance at online events
High engagement in the Teams channel
Strengthened Community
Employees regularly wished each other happy holidays and birthdays
New employees received warm welcomes
Remote workers felt less isolated and more connected to peers
Employees better understood company culture and identified with iTalent rather than solely with client organizations
Improved Benefits Awareness and Utilization
Increased enrollment in company 401k programs
Greater participation in tuition assistance and learning programs
Better understanding of business expense reimbursement processes
Improved awareness of company holidays and policies
For going above and beyond on this project, I was awarded the company WOW award.
Throughout this end-to-end community and engagement project, I maintained an employee-focused mindset, consistently thinking about ways to help employees feel welcome and valued. The content strategy was developed with careful consideration of what types of news and information would best serve employees and increase their engagement with both the platform and the company culture overall.
"Ana is hardworking, enthusiastic and detail-oriented.
She is always prepared to go the extra mile on any initiative and she cares deeply about delivering great work. She helped to stand up our consulting organization's employee engagement group under dynamic circumstances, and was consistently willing to do more than what was initially required to help the team. Thank you Ana!"
— Polo Crosbie
"In many ways my start at iTalent was shaped by my early interactions with Ana. As Head of Employee Engagement, she was one of the first points of contact I received when I started. Ana proved to be helpful beyond words, and was always willing to go the extra mile to listen to ideas I had or solve issues I encountered. She made the initial experience seamless.
One of the last occasions I saw Ana was for a local employee event. Holding events for a fully WFH workforce in person can be a challenge, none-the-less she made it appear effortless. The event went off without a hitch, leaving employees who attended happy and engaged.
Ana always left a positive impression. Those she worked closely with would see her as a strong communicator, collaborator, and someone worthy of their trust. Those who didn't work as closely would still easily recognize her by her positive attitude and attentiveness to their needs.
If asked directly, I would not hesitate to recommend Ana for a role in the employee engagement space.
She would be an asset to any organization."
— Eric Ruhl
"I had the pleasure of working closely with Ana during her tenure as Head of Employee Engagement at iTalent Digital, and I can confidently say that she is a highly skilled and dedicated professional. Ana and I collaborated on a variety of projects, ranging from streamlining the new hire experience to updating Hubspot fields and workflows, as well as planning offsites, among others.
What stood out most to me about Ana was her collaborative approach and unwavering commitment to excellence. She consistently demonstrated strong leadership skills and a keen ability to drive projects forward while fostering a positive and inclusive team environment."
— Cody Blue Gardner
"I had the pleasure of leading Ana as she spearheaded many of our employee engagement initiatives. Ana brought a unique blend of analytical prowess and strategic thinking to the table, which significantly elevated our approach to fostering a positive and productive workplace environment.
Throughout our collaboration, I was continually impressed by Ana's ability to dive deep into data and extract meaningful insights. Her analytical mindset allowed us to uncover underlying trends, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions to enhance employee engagement initiatives.
Ana consistently went above and beyond expectations, demonstrating a strong commitment to excellence in everything she did. Her meticulous attention to detail, coupled with her proactive approach, ensured that our employee engagement initiatives were not only effective but also continuously optimized for maximum impact.
In summary, I wholeheartedly recommend Ana for any role that demands a highly analytical and strategic approach to employee engagement. She is a consummate professional who brings a wealth of expertise and a relentless drive for success to any team fortunate enough to have her onboard."
— Christie Burdick