When working remotely, getting to know your coworkers may be difficult, but Slack is introducing a few new elements to its user profiles that should make things a bit easier.
People will be able to record audio of themselves saying their name aloud and upload it to their profile, removing the guesswork from pronunciation and promoting a more inclusive workplace. You may also combine this with your name’s phonetic spelling.
Contact information, position in an organization chart, and an “About Me” section that might include anything from pet names to languages spoken will soon be included in Slack profiles.
What else can you do?
You’ll be able to initiate huddles, calls, or messages by hovering over names, and you’ll be able to search through profiles using “smart tags” that emphasize vital characteristics. In a nutshell, it’s more information that’s been made more accessible.
The pronunciation instructions and pop-up user cards should be accessible on June 1st, while Slack warns that specific changes may take several weeks to reach all users. Slack has already offered similar tools that promote workplace inclusivity, such as the option for users to declare their pronouns.
You don’t have to cut anyone any slack regarding your name
According to an update released at 11:50 a.m. ET on June 1st, the People module reveals people you work with, while the org chart functionality is only available in Slack’s Atlas package.
Slack is the communication centre for at least 177,000 paying users, and it continues to be critical for hundreds of individuals working in geographically dispersed teams.
Even after years of the pandemic, bridging the gap between distant employees remains a significant question mark for productivity solutions – it’s just not as frictionless as connecting in person. Even if you’ve never heard your coworker’s name uttered aloud, their Slack profile can now fill in the blanks.