SharePoint Comms Site or Viva Engage Community to host HR polices and procedures.

Question

QUESTION: What would be the best employee-friendly experience to host HR policies, procedures & benefit details, SharePoint Communication site or create a Community in Viva Engage? What would be the benefits and disadvantages? CONTEXT: I work for a company of 200 people. We moved from Google to Microsoft 365 last year and we want to use Viva Engage in MS Teams and unsubscribe from 'Workplace' (Facebook for business). We currently host our HR policies, procedures & benefit details in a 'Knowledge Library' on 'Workplace' which also provides guided context to the documents to support employees. As we are moving away from Workplace, do we create a SharePoint Comms site or a Viva Engage community?

Points to note: People are currently not using SharePoint like an intranet, they barely know its functionality. We do not have an intranet. Thank you for your support.

Answer 1

Hi @Hannah G,

Thank you for posting in this community.

1. SharePoint Communication Sites:
   • Purpose: Communication sites in SharePoint are designed for broadcasting information, announcements, and news to a wide audience within an organization.
   • Features:
   • Content Publishing: Communication sites allow you to create and share content such as news articles, announcements, and events.
   • Customizable Layouts: You can choose from various layouts to present your content effectively.
   • Integration with SharePoint Services: Communication sites can include a SharePoint Online team site, a document library, a OneNote notebook, and a plan in Planner.
   • Access to Microsoft 365 Services: Integration with services like Power BI and Stream.
   • Global Address List: Communication sites appear in the Global Address List in Outlook.
   • Usage Monitoring: You can monitor group usage through the Microsoft 365 Groups activity report.
   • Group Naming Policies: Optional Microsoft 365 Groups naming policies.
   • Group Expiration Policy: Helps clean up unused groups.
   • Connected Groups: Provides features like local data center residency for newly uploaded files stored in SharePoint.
   • Use Case: Ideal for corporate news, announcements, and official communications.
2. Communities in Viva Engage:
   • Purpose: Viva Engage communities foster collaboration, engagement, and knowledge sharing among employees.
   • Features:
   • Collaboration and Engagement: Communities encourage discussions, sharing of ideas, and interaction.
   • Microsoft 365 Group Integration: Communities connected to Microsoft 365 Groups offer additional benefits:
     • SharePoint Online Team Site: A central place for files.
     • Document Library: Store and manage files.
     • OneNote Notebook: Collaborate on notes.
     • Planner: Organize tasks.
   • Live Events: Create and host live events within Viva Engage.
   • Microsoft 365 Connectors: Add apps to enhance community functionality.
   • Dynamic Groups: Automatically update group membership across Microsoft 365 apps.
   • Native Mode: Align your network to Native Mode for all communities to be connected.
   • Use Case: Employee communities, interest groups, project teams, and knowledge sharing.

In summary, while SharePoint communication sites focus on broadcasting information, Viva Engage communities prioritize collaboration, engagement, and integration with Microsoft 365 services.

You can choose the option that is right for you based on the descriptions of the SharePoint Communication site and a Community in Viva Engage above.

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