Using Yammer to Stay Connected
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A Message from Falecia Williams, President, West and Downtown Campuses
Looking for a way to stay connected to your colleagues while working remotely? Yammer is a free social networking service by Microsoft used for private communication within an organization.
Think of it as a social media platform akin to Facebook, but exclusive to your work team. Since it is a part of the Office 365 ecosystem, Yammer is conveniently connected to your Valencia College account and integrated with Outlook, Microsoft Teams and SharePoint. To start using Yammer, visit https://www.yammer.com/ or download the Yammer desktop or mobile app. Just log on with your Atlas credentials and you’re ready to go.
Valencia College’s School of Allied Health (SOAH) has actively used Yammer with the mission to create a safe space where coworkers and colleagues can share stories, photos, personal achievements and tips for mindfulness and personal wellness.
Lovingly calling their group “SOAH Quaranteam,” administrative assistants within the School of Allied Health created a group that includes all Allied Health leadership, staff, and full-time and part-time faculty. The social networking platform allows colleagues to express deep human connection during a time of physical social distancing. Engagement within the group has been exceptional — with members sharing photos of their new home offices, inspirational songs, quirky family photos and photos of pets “assisting at the office.”
The School of Allied Health is also using Yammer in creative ways to stay engaged. For the group’s first week on Yammer, Marie Vasquez-Brooks, dean of the School of Allied Health and the SOAH administrative team mailed prizes to the top five group members who actively posted and reacted to posts within the group. During the last Zoom division meeting, the two most creative group members (based on Zoom backgrounds, outfits, hats and other accessories used during the meeting) were awarded Amazon gift cards. The SOAH team is also planning future Yammer events, such as livestream yoga/meditation classes and group sing-alongs to celebrate birthdays.
For more tips on how to start using Yammer, click here.
