The shift from intranets to intelligent HR experiences

For years, intranets have been the go-to place for storing company information, policies, and HR forms. Most organisations have one. Yet, if we’re honest, many intranets are rarely visited and even less frequently trusted. Pages are out of date, navigation is confusing, and employees often resort to emailing HR directly instead.

That’s not because people don’t want to self-serve — it’s because the tools they’ve been given aren’t built for it. Today, HR teams are moving beyond static intranets towards dynamic portals and, increasingly, intelligent AI-powered experiences.

Why intranets fall short

The traditional intranet is essentially a digital noticeboard, often hosted on tools like SharePoint or managed through HRIS systems that store policy documents and manual forms. Policies, forms, and announcements are uploaded, but even with clear ownership they can be hard to keep current, especially when updates require extra steps or support from others. Without easy editing, they quickly become outdated. HR teams often rely on IT to make changes, which slows everything down.

This leads to three common problems:

• Out-of-date information: employees don’t trust the intranet to be accurate.
• Low engagement: clunky design and confusing navigation put people off.
• Manual work for HR: employees bypass the intranet and send emails instead.

For HR, the result is frustration and lost time. For employees, it’s a poor experience.

Enter portals: self-service made simple

Modern HR portals are designed to solve these problems. Instead of being a static library, a portal is an interactive front door to HR processes. Employees can submit requests, access forms, and complete tasks in one place — and HR can manage it all without needing IT support.

There are many types of portals available on the market, but the 50skills portal stands out with specific benefits designed for HR teams:

Some of the key benefits include:

• Always up to date: the portal automatically connects to underlying workflows. If a form or process changes, the portal reflects it instantly. No broken links, no manual edits.
• HR-managed, not IT-owned: drag-and-drop editing, branding options, and simple publishing make it easy for HR to stay in control.
• Self-service for employees: no more “can you send me the form for X?” messages. Everything is in one clear place.
• Consistency and trust: when employees know the portal is accurate, they use it — and HR gains credibility.
• Multi-portals for different audiences: create separate portals for employees, managers, or specific teams, ensuring each group has access to the information and workflows they need.

Beyond forms: connecting to workflows

Portals can go further than simply storing forms — they can be the bridge into the workflows that keep HR running.

The 50skills portal is designed with this in mind, connecting forms directly to workflows. This means when an employee submits information, it doesn’t just sit in an inbox — it triggers an action.

Examples include:

• Submitting a request that kicks off an approval process.
• Completing an onboarding form that automatically generates a contract.
• Logging a change that updates other systems without duplicate data entry.

For HR teams, this reduces admin, removes errors, and creates a smoother experience for employees. Crucially, if workflows are updated, the portal updates with them automatically — there’s no need to go back and fix links or reupload documents.

Where AI adds value

Not every workflow needs AI, but when layered in, portals become even more powerful. Imagine an employee filling in a form to request parental leave. Instead of HR manually drafting a response, AI could generate the correct letter instantly, check compliance requirements, and update related systems. Or consider an employee searching for a policy — AI can summarise the key points in plain language, giving them an answer right away.

Some ways AI can add value include:

• Generating personalised documents (contracts, letters, policy summaries) from submitted forms.
• Answering employee questions by summarising policies or explaining processes.
• Triggering compliance checks automatically as part of workflows.
• Providing insights that highlight what’s working well and where improvements may be needed.

This isn’t about replacing HR. It’s about giving teams smarter tools so they can focus on people, not paperwork.

A glimpse of what’s next

Portals are already a huge step forward from static intranets. But the next step is even more exciting. With new developments in AI tooling, employees won’t just click through links — they’ll be able to chat directly with AI.

Imagine an employee typing:

• “I need to update my emergency contact.”
• “How many days of annual leave do I have left?”
• “Please start my parental leave request.”

The AI can then guide them, submit the relevant form, and trigger the right workflow — all in real time.

That’s the direction HR is heading: from static intranets, to dynamic self-service portals, to intelligent, conversational experiences that feel natural to employees.

How HR leaders can prepare

Shifting from intranets to intelligent experiences doesn’t have to happen overnight. A few steps to get started:

1. Audit your current intranet: what’s outdated, what’s unused, and what’s causing the most questions for HR?
2. Launch a portal for your most common requests: focus on high-impact workflows like onboarding, leave, or policy access.
3. Test and learn: gather employee feedback and use analytics to refine.
4. Explore AI selectively: connect one form or workflow to AI where it adds real value.
5. Plan ahead: explore how conversational AI could soon become part of everyday HR interactions, reshaping how employees engage with their workplace.

The bigger picture

The shift from intranets to intelligent HR experiences is about more than technology. It’s about trust, efficiency, and giving employees the confidence to self-serve.

With portals, HR teams can deliver resources that are always accurate, easy to use, and directly connected to the processes behind them. With AI, those processes can become faster, smarter, and even conversational.

The future of HR isn’t about keeping up a static library of documents. It’s about creating dynamic, intelligent experiences that empower employees and free HR to focus on strategy. Now is the time for HR leaders to review how their current systems compare and consider where portals and AI could add real value.