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Use the Connect widget

Updated

Available for the following plans: Lite, Plus, Unlimited HR, Essentials, Engage, Elite, Unlimited HR+Payroll
Available for the following HR plans: Standard, Premium, Platinum
Available for the following User Access levels: Employees, Managers, Admin

The Connect feature allows you to create and share posts with your organisation. You can post announcements, recognise colleagues, celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries, give shoutouts, and share general updates. Posts support rich content, including images, videos, files, emojis, and hyperlinks. This fosters a culture of open communication, boosts morale, and ensures employees feel appreciated for their contributions.

Helpful Hint

Before creating recognition posts, you will need to set up company values.

Getting Started

Access Connect via the dashboard widget
  1. Log in to Employment Hero.
  2. From the Employment Hero dashboard, click on the highlighted Connect widget.
  3. Click the expand button in the top right corner of the widget to open the full-screen view.  

Helpful Hint

You can also create posts directly from the dashboard by clicking the + icon in the Connect widget.

Access Connect via the Connect icon
  1. Log in to Employment Hero.
  2. From the Employment Hero dashboard, click on the highlighted Connect button in the top right-hand side of the screen. 
  3. This will display a full-screen version of Connect.

Helpful Hint

You can also create posts directly from the dashboard by clicking the + icon in the Connect widget.

Create Posts

Create a regular post
  1. Open Connect in full-screen view.
  2. Click the + Create post button in the top right corner.
    Create post (1).jpg 
  3. Click the Regular post tab.
  4. Type your message in the text box.
  5. Use the toolbar to format your text.
  6. Select who can view the post from the Visible to dropdown:
    • Everyone - All employees can see the post
    • Teams - Only selected teams can see the post
  7. Click the Post button.

Helpful Hint

Type @ followed by an employee's name to tag them in your post. Tagged employees will receive a notification.

Create a shoutout
  1. Open Connect in full-screen view.
  2. Click the + Create post button.
    Create post (1).jpg
  3. Click the Shoutout tab.
  4. Type your message in the text box.
  5. Use the formatting toolbar to enhance your message.
  6. Select who can view the shoutout from the Visible to dropdown.
  7. Click the Post button.

Helpful Hint

Shoutouts are perfect for publicly acknowledging someone's great work or thanking colleagues for their help.

Create a recognition post

Available for the following plans: Employment Plus, Employment Unlimited
Available for the following HR plans: Premium, Platinum

  1. Open Connect in full-screen view.
  2. Click the + Create post button.
    Create post (1).jpg
  3. Click the Recognition tab.
  4. Select the employee you want to recognise from the Recognise dropdown.
  5. Select the relevant Company value from the dropdown.
  6. Type your recognition message in the text box.
  7. Use the formatting toolbar to enhance your message.
  8. Select who can view the recognition from the Visible to dropdown.
  9. Click the Post button.

Helpful Hint

If you're on the Platinum HR plan, click the star icon to use AI to help generate a draft recognition message. You can refine the draft before posting.

Create an announcement
  1. Open Connect in full-screen view.
  2. Click the + Create post button.
    Create post (1).jpg
  3. Click the Announcement tab.
  4. Type your announcement in the text box.
  5. Use the formatting toolbar to enhance your message.

  6. Select who can view the announcement from the Visible to dropdown.

    Note: If you are on the Employment Lite plan, announcements can only be visible to Everyone. Group or team restrictions are not supported on this plan.

  7. Optionally, select Require confirmation once read if you need employees to acknowledge they've read the announcement.
  8. Optionally, select Disable comments on this post if you don't want employees to comment.
  9. Click the Post button.

Important

Announcements requiring confirmation will be pinned at the top of the feed for recipients until they click Mark as read. This ensures important messages are seen by all employees.

Helpful Hint

If you're on the Platinum HR plan, click the star icon to use AI to help generate a draft announcement. You can refine the draft before posting.

Create a birthday post

Available for the following plans: Employment Plus, Employment Unlimited
Available for the following HR plans: Platinum

  1. Open Connect in full-screen view.
  2. Click the + Create post button.
    Create post (1).jpg
  3. Click the Birthday tab.
  4. Select the employee from the Celebrate dropdown.
  5. Choose a date and time to send the message.
  6. Type your birthday message in the text box.
  7. Use the formatting toolbar to enhance your message.
  8. Select who can view the birthday post from the Visible to dropdown.
  9. Click the Post button to schedule the message.

Helpful Hint

You can schedule birthday messages up to 12 months in advance. The post will automatically publish on the date and time you select. If you're on the Platinum HR plan, you can use AI to help generate a birthday message.

Important

If an employee has hidden their birthday, you will not be able to create a birthday post for them.

Create a work anniversary post

Available for the following plans: Employment Plus, Employment Unlimited
Available for the following HR plans: Platinum

  1. Open Connect in full-screen view.
  2. Click the + Create post button.
    Create post (1).jpg
  3. Click the Anniversary tab.
  4. Select the employee from the Celebrate dropdown.
  5. Choose a date and time to send the message.
  6. Type your anniversary message in the text box.
  7. Use the formatting toolbar to enhance your message.
  8. Select who can view the anniversary post from the Visible to dropdown.
  9. Click the Post button to schedule the message.

Helpful Hint

You can schedule anniversary messages up to 12 months in advance. The post will automatically publish on the date and time you select. If you're on the Platinum HR plan, you can use AI to help generate an anniversary message.

Managing Posts

Edit a post

Important

You cannot edit recognition posts. All other post types can be edited after publishing.

  1. Locate the post you want to edit in Connect.
  2. Hover over the post to reveal the three dots menu in the top right corner.
  3. Click the three dots menu and select Edit.
  4. Make your changes to the post content.
  5. Click the Post button to save your changes.

Helpful Hint

Edited posts will display an "Edited" label with the date and time of the last modification.

Delete a post

Important

Only admins and post creators can delete their own posts. Admins can delete any post in Connect.

  1. Locate the post you want to delete in Connect.
  2. Hover over the post to reveal the three dots menu in the top right corner.
  3. Click the three dots menu and select Delete.
  4. Click Delete Post to confirm.
Search and filter posts
  1. Open Connect in full-screen view.
  2. Use the search bar at the top to search for keywords in posts.
  3. Click the filter dropdowns to narrow your results:
    • Type - Filter by post type (Regular, Shoutout, Recognition, Announcement, Birthday, Anniversary)
    • Author - Filter by who created the post
    • Date - Filter by when the post was created
  4. Click Reset to clear all filters and return to the default feed view.

Reactions and Comments

Add a reaction
  1. Locate the post you want to react to.
  2. Hover over the post to reveal the reaction options on the right of the post, then click the emoji that represents your reaction.

Helpful Hint

Clicking on a post or its reactions will open a side pane showing the full post details, all reactions, and comments.

Add a comment

Available for the following plans: Employment Plus, Employment Unlimited
Available for the following HR plans: Premium, Platinum

  1. Locate the post you want to comment on.
  2. Hover over the post to reveal the interaction options, then click the Comment icon.
  3. Type your comment in the text box.
  4. Click the Send button.

Helpful Hint

Type @ followed by an employee's name to tag them in your comment. Tagged employees will receive a notification. Clicking the comment icon will open a side pane where you can view all comments and add your own.

Important

Comments are not available on posts where the author has disabled comments.

Delete a comment

Available for the following plans: Employment Plus, Employment Unlimited
Available for the following HR plans: Premium, Platinum

Important

Any user can delete their own comment. Admins can delete any comment.

  1. Locate the comment you want to delete.
  2. Click the three dots button next to the comment.
  3. Click Delete.
  4. Click Delete Comment to confirm.

Further Information

Supported file types and sizes

You can attach the following file types to posts:

Images: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif

Documents: .pdf, .doc, .docx, .csv, .txt, .ppt, .pptx

Videos: .mp4, .mov, .webm, .avi, .wmv, .mkv

Important

You can attach up to 10 files per post. Each file can be up to 1 GB in size. The ability to attach files is available on Premium, Platinum, Plus, and Unlimited plans.

How acknowledgement works for announcements

When you create an announcement and select Require confirmation once read:

  • The announcement is pinned at the top of Connect for all recipients.
  • Recipients see a Mark as read button on the post.
  • Once a recipient clicks Mark as read, the post is removed from the top of their feed and appears in chronological order.
  • Only active employees at the time the post is created are required to acknowledge it.
Can I schedule posts in advance?

Yes, you can schedule birthday and work anniversary posts up to 12 months in advance. When you create these post types, you select a specific date and time for the post to be published automatically.

How do I hide my birthday from Connect?

If you don't want your birthday to appear on Connect, you can hide it in your personal settings.

  1. Click on your profile icon and select My Profile.
  2. Navigate to the Employment records section.
  3. Click on Personal details.
  4. Locate the Hide birthday in Connect option.
  5. Click Edit.
  6. Check the box next to Hide birthday in Connect.
    image (11).png
  7. Click Save.

Helpful Hint

When your birthday is hidden, other employees will not be able to create birthday posts for you on Connect.

Who can see my posts?

Post visibility is controlled by the Visible to setting when you create a post:

  • Everyone - All employees in your organisation can see the post.
  • Teams - Only employees in the selected teams can see the post. (Not supported for announcements on the Employment Lite subscription plan).

For shoutout posts, you can also choose Mentioned only, which means only the people tagged in the post and their managers can see it.

 

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