In 2018 Small Giants moved from using Skype to Slack in efforts to better connect our employees who are always on the move. Whether employees need to talk to each other across states, or while they are out and about between client meetings, we have found many appealing qualities in Slack. Below are our top favorite features:
- Channels: Slack allows users to set up channels that act as chat rooms with an assigned topic. These channels organize and streamline communication by signaling to our employees where to look for certain information (projects, invoicing, expenses, etc.).
- Search: Instead of scrolling through your entire message history to find what you want, Slack features a search function that allows users to look through previous conversations by using keywords.
- Keyword Notification: Users can set up a keyword notification to become notified whenever a keyword(s) is used throughout different channels. This allows you to monitor or jump into the conversation in a more timely manner.
- Tagging: In addition to keyword notifications, users can also tag each other in Slack messages or channels to ensure that the person the message was intended for is notified.
- Statuses: Our employees are often out and about meeting with clients, but on Slack we are able to change our status to active/away or something more specific such as “in a meeting until 11 a.m.” or “out at lunch until 1 p.m.”
- Mobile App: Our team can stay connected with those on the go (e.g., when our visual team is out taking photos) for real-time updates to projects.
Small Giants recognizes that internal communication between employees can be just as important as monitoring your external image. By using Slack we are able to communicate more openly and fluidly. Having strong internal communication allows us to embrace our core values of synergy and delivery. When we use Slack, we are able to collaborate in a timely fashion and contribute to project excellence, which in turn helps our clients.