Yammer is dead, long live Viva Engage. In March 2023, Microsoft began the switchover from Yammer to Viva Engage. The Yammer Communities app in Teams was first to get a Viva makeover, while other Yammer elements including yammer.com will change later this year.
But what’s in a name? Is there a difference between Yammer and Viva Engage?
The short answer is no. Viva Engage has all the same features and functionality as Yammer. But the longer answer is worth sticking around for.
While the product hasn’t changed, the world has. This means that now is the perfect time to look again at this powerful platform.
Introducing Viva Engage: the community building tool for a hybrid world
As one of the original enterprise social networks, Yammer has been around for over a decade. So why should you revisit it now?
Building a strong, collaborative culture is more important than ever. A great company culture can boost job satisfaction and helps your organisation attract and retain talent.
According to the Microsoft Work Trend Index, employees with thriving relationships with co-workers outside of their team are more fulfilled by work. They also have a more positive outlook on workplace stress than those with weaker networks.
In the new world of hybrid working, flexible hours and distributed teams, people need a social hub. Somewhere to connect with colleagues and build a sense of belonging at work. Viva Engage offers exactly that, right within Microsoft Teams.
What’s the difference between Viva Engage and Microsoft Teams?
Viva sits as an app within your Teams interface, bringing internal communications to the tools your people use every day. Unlike the early days of Yammer, there’s no need to log into a separate site, or actively seek it out. Everything you need for Viva Engage is ready to go when you are.
So if Viva Engage is part of Teams, what’s the point in having a different app? Couldn’t you just use Teams Channels for social conversations too?
You could use Teams for work and social posts. But as your organisation grows, there are some pretty good reasons to adopt Microsoft Viva:
More features:
In Viva Engage, your people can post stories, make announcements, use topic hashtags, host Q&A events and curate their personal profile. Your Microsoft 365 licence already includes these features.
To take your internal communications to the next level, the premium version includes extra features. These include community campaigns, leadership corner, and the ability to post on behalf of someone else – finally.
More communities:
In Teams, you’re limited to five organisation-wide teams. With Viva Engage, you can create as many as you need.
Beyond your core communities, users can browse, join, and create groups to shape your company culture. From mentoring networks to running clubs, and even a beekeeping society – you’d be surprised at what connections can emerge!
Detailed analytics:
Measure engagement with insights into every community, event and thread in Viva Engage. You’ll see at a glance what works and what doesn’t, shaping your internal communications strategy through real-time data.
Improve your Teams experience:
Teams channels are great for open working, collaboration and getting stuff done. But it can be frustrating to scroll through a sea of GIFs when you’re looking for the latest project update.
Creating a home for social posts with Viva can streamline your Teams experience. You can reduce channel sprawl, tame your notifications, and find important information faster. All without sacrificing community connection.
How to adopt Viva Engage
If you’ve tried Yammer in the past and struggled to get results, it doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from Viva Engage this time.
So how do you avoid creating a digital ghost town?
New technology is only as good as your adoption plan. You can’t expect to create a thriving Viva community by simply installing the app and walking away.
Rolling out a new way of connecting with colleagues needs planning, communications and training. As with any change, you need to bring people along with you.
At Inform, we can make adopting Viva Engage a breeze. Our strategy + change specialists use our trademarked change methodology to build a plan around your people.
Our Viva Engage adoption service can help you:
- Assess your existing networks and employee engagement strategy
- Create Viva communities aligned to your people and goals
- Engage with community champions across your organisation
- Coordinate training and communications to empower your people
- Showcase visible leadership in Viva Engage
- Develop guardrails and governance to let culture and connection thrive
- Get long term results from Microsoft Viva
To find out more, check out our service details, or drop us a message using the link below.
