How to Encourage Employees to Actively Use Your Company’s Org Chart

Q: Is employee directory software secure?

Most solutions offer role-based access control (RBAC), encryption, and compliance with security standards to protect sensitive employee information.

Q: Can remote teams benefit from employee directory software?

Yes, remote and hybrid teams can easily search, connect, and collaborate with colleagues using cloud-based directories and interactive org charts.

March 20, 2025
3:09 pm

7 min read

In many organizations, the org chart is created, updated once or twice, and then left untouched. Employees often forget it exists, don’t see the value in using it, or simply find it too cumbersome to navigate. But an effective org chart can enhance team collaboration, improve communication, and streamline workflows—if employees use it.

So, how can you encourage your workforce to engage with the company’s org chart? Here are three practical strategies to make it a valuable resource rather than just another HR document.

1. Make It Accessible and User-Friendly

One of the main reasons employees ignore the org chart is that it’s difficult to access or navigate. If your org chart is buried in an outdated intranet or exists only as a static PDF, employees won’t bother using it.

How to Fix This:

Use Interactive and Digital Tools: Invest in a dynamic, cloud-based org chart tool that allows employees to search, filter, and explore the company structure easily. Modern platforms like Employee Directory 365 make org charts interactive and visually engaging.

Integrate with Daily Workflows: Embed the org chart in tools employees already use, such as Microsoft Teams. When employees can quickly look up colleagues within their existing workflow, they’re more likely to use it.

Ensure Mobile Accessibility: With a remote and hybrid workforce, employees need to access the org chart on the go. A mobile-friendly org chart ensures they can find the right contacts whether they’re at home, traveling, or in the office.

2. Show Employees Why the Org Chart Matters

An org chart isn’t just for HR or leadership—it’s a tool for everyone. However, if employees don’t see its relevance, they won’t use it.

How to Fix This:

Highlight Real-World Benefits: Show how the org chart can help employees:

Find the right person to contact for specific tasks, reducing back-and-forth emails.
Understand team structures and reporting lines, especially in large organizations.
Learn more about new colleagues after hiring sprees or reorganization.

Use Real-Life Scenarios: Run quick team training or send out internal communications with examples, such as:

“Need IT support? Here’s how to use the org chart to find the right team.”
“Looking for the project manager in another department? Here’s how to search by role.”

Encourage Leadership to Set an Example: When managers and executives actively use and reference the org chart, employees will follow. If leaders say, “Check the org chart to find John in finance,” rather than just forwarding an email, it reinforces usage.

3. Keep It Updated and Engaging

A static, outdated org chart quickly becomes irrelevant. If employees find incorrect titles, missing names, or outdated departments, they’ll stop using it.

How to Fix This:

Automate Updates: Use an org chart solution that syncs with your HR system, ensuring real-time updates whenever employees join, leave, or change roles.

Encourage Employee Profiles: Make the org chart more engaging by allowing employees to add bios, skills, and photos. This helps foster connections, especially in remote teams.

Gamify Adoption: Consider running an internal campaign where employees earn points or recognition for updating their profiles, using the org chart, or helping colleagues navigate it.

How Does Employee Directory Software Help with Org Charts?

Employee directory software plays a crucial role in creating, managing, and updating organizational charts. By centralizing employee data and automating chart generation, it ensures accurate, real-time visualization of company hierarchies.

1. Automated Org Chart Generation

Employee directory software automatically builds org charts based on HR records, eliminating the need for manual updates. Whenever a new hire joins, an employee is promoted, or teams are restructured, the org chart reflects these changes instantly.

2. Clear Visualization of Reporting Structures

Org charts help employees understand who reports to whom, departmental relationships, and leadership hierarchies. This improves internal communication, reduces confusion, and streamlines decision-making processes.

3. Improved Collaboration Across Teams

By providing a searchable directory linked to the org chart, employees can quickly find colleagues, view job roles, and connect with the right team members for collaboration.

4. Integration with HR and IT Systems

Modern employee directory software integrates with HRMS, payroll, Active Directory, Microsoft 365, and ITSM systems, ensuring the org chart remains up to date without manual intervention.

5. Customization & Role-Based Access

Organizations can customize org charts to highlight specific teams, departments, or leadership structures while ensuring access is restricted based on role permissions to protect sensitive data.

6. Enhanced Workforce Planning & Decision-Making

With an up-to-date org chart, HR and management can make data-driven decisions about workforce planning, succession planning, and restructuring efforts with a clear overview of company roles.

By leveraging employee directory software, businesses ensure that their org charts are always accurate, accessible, and aligned with their organizational structure, enhancing both efficiency and collaboration.

Conclusion

An org chart isn’t just an HR tool—it’s a critical asset for communication, collaboration, and efficiency. By making it accessible, relevant, and dynamic, you can turn it into a resource employees genuinely rely on.

Start by integrating the org chart into daily workflows, showing its value, and keeping it fresh. With these small but impactful changes, your company’s org chart can go from being ignored to being an essential tool that employees actually use.

Try to start using our Employee Directory Software, which is centralized digital solution that helps organizations manage, store, and access employee information, including contact details, job roles, department structures, and reporting hierarchies, to improve communication, collaboration, and workforce management.