Our 2019 wrap-up explores why work happens faster, communication is easier, and company culture is stronger when companies are connected.

We’re always inspired by the many customers who want to share how they use Workplace to connect their people. This year was no different. Here are some of our favorite stories from 2019.

10) AstraZeneca: Bringing 64,000 employees together to harness the power of community at work

The AstraZeneca pilot started in 2017. A week after the CEO joined the platform, the entire leadership team was using Workplace. Within a month, another 200 global senior leaders were using the platform to connect and collaborate.

The familiar features, ease of adoption, and Workplace’s ability to meet security and compliance standards convinced AstraZeneca to order a full rollout just a couple of months later. Take a look.

9) Telefonica: Connecting over 100,000 employees in less than two weeks

Following a successful Workplace pilot at O2 in the UK, the Telefonica team got the green light to launch Workplace globally. But with one significant caveat - they had to do it in two weeks.

What happened next was an inspiring story of collaboration that leads to a Workplace deployment to over 110,000 employees in just 14 days. Watch Yamil Martinez of Telefonica describe the journey at our Transform event in London from May this year:

8) Clarins UK Group: CEOs who lead connection efforts reap significant rewards

Debbie Lewis, Managing Director at Clarins UK Group, is passionate about connecting leadership teams and frontline staff at the beauty retailer.

We asked her to share why she believes it’s crucial for CEOs to lead these efforts and engage with technology.

7) Connecting non-profits to help them deliver their social missions

Since we launched Workplace for Good in 2017, we’re proud to have helped thousands of people at non-profit and educational organizations use Workplace to build meaningful communities and transform how they work.

And in June, we were delighted to publish our very first Social Impact Report which explored why better connected non-profit organizations are able to deliver even more social impact. Read our original announcement, or download a copy of the full report, below.

6) Connecting deskless workers and giving them a voice

We launched two “Deskless not Voiceless” reports this year that highlight the continuing disconnect between business-critical workers on the frontline, and business leaders in HQ.

Our first survey¹ of the UK and US in May, showed the alarming scale of that disconnect. The data revealed that while 86% of remote employees feel a connection to their direct co-workers, only 14% feel connected to their business HQ. Just 3% feel connected to their C-Suite. Check the results of the UK and US survey in the full report here.

5) Making video a crucial part of connectivity and collaboration

Video is one of the most effective ways to communicate with employees. At Flow 2019, we were excited to announce new ways to use video on Workplace, including Workplace on Portal.

Workplace customers will soon be able to make video calls through Portal from Facebook, giving them access to Portal’s AI-powered Smart Camera and Smart Sound.

4) Building tools to transform company culture and measure impact

Transforming culture starts with people. So we’ve been busy building features that will allow people and teams to foster relationships, celebrate successes, and share resources more easily than ever before.

With Workplace insights, we’re introducing additional consumption metrics and comment sentiment analysis, so you can measure how your key messages are resonating with people. Learn more about what’s new in Workplace right here.

3) Connecting people at Flow 2019

We continued to host global events to bring customers, business leaders, and industry experts together to explore the opportunities and potential for connected companies.

It was a theme at the heart of our biggest event in 2019. Flow, our global leadership conference, focused on “Why the Future Belongs to Connected Organizations.”

2) Connecting your organization isn’t just good for people. It’s good for the bottom line

We commissioned Forrester Consulting to explore the Total Economic Impact for organizations using Workplace. In July, we published results that support our conviction: connecting your organization is good for people and good for business.

85% of people agreed that using Workplace increases engagement with office and remote workers.³ Eighty-eight percent believed using Workplace enables staff to feel closer to their teams and their organization.⁴ And 82% of respondents told us that using Workplace helps strengthen company culture.⁵

We think these results are a great start, but we know there’s still a lot of work to do. You can read all the results and download the full report right here.

1) From 2 to 3m paying customers in less than 8 months

2019 saw even more organizations choosing Workplace to connect people and teams. In February, we announced we’d hit a new milestone of 2m paying customers. And in October, we were thrilled to announce we’d welcomed over 3m paying customers.

Just this year, organizations like BT, Sky, Petco, Prada and Kering have chosen Workplace to bring people closer together and build meaningful communities at work

They’ve joined a global movement that includes large retailers (Walmart, Starbucks, Campbell, Clarins UK Group), airlines (Delta, Virgin Atlantic, AirAsia, EasyJet), financial institutions (RBS, Sun Life Financial, Zurich, Baoviet, NAB), complex enterprises (Vodafone, AstraZeneca, GSK, Telenor) and fast-moving disruptors (Spotify, Booking.com, Lyft, Deliveroo, Hyperloop), not to mention countless local businesses.

We’re proud to serve them all.

A massive thank you

Thanks to all our customers, our partners, and to everyone we've worked with this year. We'll see you all in 2020.