Facebook Inc. has entered the enterprise market with the launch of its intra-office communication platform: Workplace by Facebook. After a lengthy beta phase, which included Workplace being used by more than 1,000 organizations across various industries, it is now available globally to all interested businesses.

Here’s a look at how to get started with Workplace by Facebook, including inviting coworkers, creating Workplace groups as well as multi-company groups.  

Get started with Workplace by Facebook

Before employees can start using Workplace by Facebook, a business will need to sign up by heading to the Workplace site and entering their business address.

Once your company has signed up you can start using Workplace by clicking the link in the email or go to [YourCompanyName].facebook.com on your PC.

Download either the iOS or Android app for Workplace by Facebook.

Workplace profile

When your Workplace account is set up it will automatically contain information, including name, job title and work contact details, provided by your employer. You will be unable to change any of this information and will need to go via your HR department if any of the information is incorrect.

You can, however, personalize your work profile with additional details in the About section, as well as a unique profile and cover photos.

Invite coworkers to join Workplace

Not all employees will have access to invite other coworkers to Workplace and will need to be granted the necessary permissions by a system administrator.

To do this, a system administrator must click the down arrow in Facebook in the top right > Company Dashboard > Settings > check the box next to Allow employees to invite other coworkers > click Save.

Invite coworkers individually or in bulk

Once you have the necessary permissions you can invite coworkers individually or in bulk, but you will only be able to invite people if they are employees of the same company.

Invite coworkers individually: Under Invite Coworkers, type in their work email address > click Invite. To invite multiple coworkers, simply enter multiple email addresses.

Invite coworkers in bulk: Under Invite Coworkers, click Import > click Choose File > select the file, click Open > click Invite All.

Any coworkers listed in the bulk upload that have already been invited to Workplace will be displayed under the heading Already Here. Alternatively, if any of the coworkers listed don’t have a company email domain they will be listed under the heading Failed.

Create a Workplace group

In Facebook, click the down arrow > Create Group > select a group type, name and description > click Customize to change the privacy settings > click Create. You will now automatically be the admin of the group.

Tip: To make another coworker the admin of the group, click Members in the Group > click the Settings icon (gear icon) next to the relevant person’s name > click Make Admin

Privacy settings

Under Customize you can select one of three privacy settings: Open, Closed or Secret.

• Open: This group will be visible to all employees of the company and anyone can join or be invited by a member.
• Closed: This group will be visible to all employees of the company, but only members of the group will be able to see what is posted in the group. Coworkers will need to request to join this group or can be invited by a member.
• Secret: This group is visible to current and former members, but only current members will see what is posted in the group. Anyone can join the group, but they will need to be added or invited by a member.

Add coworkers to a group

Add coworkers individually: In the group, click the More icon (three dots) > Add People > type in your coworkers’ names > click Add.

Add coworkers in bulk: In the group, click the More icon > Import > Choose File > select the file and click Open > click Invite All.

Multi-company groups

A unique feature of Workplace by Facebook is the ability to create multi-company groups allowing people from different companies, with Workplace accounts, to collaborate on a single project. Multi-company groups are by default Secret groups and are only visible to company admins, group members and people who have been invited to the group.

Create and add people to a  multi-company group

To create multi-company groups, your system administrator needs to submit a support request to gain access, stating they would like to “opt in to Multi-Company Groups.”

Once you have access you will follow the same process when creating a group, but will select Multi-Company when selecting the group type.

You will also follow the same process when inviting people to your multi-company group as you did with the normal group using their Workplace-linked email address. However, by default, the group admin will need to approve any new members who are invited to a multi-company group.

Source: Facebook Help Center

Images via: Facebook