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Facebook Workplace hits 7M paid subscribers, adds features for better employee experience

The new features include live video improvements, new platform integrations, and tools that put a focus on diversity and inclusion.
Written by Stephanie Condon, Senior Writer
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Facebook is building a new Q&A feature into Workplace's live video tool.

Facebook Workplace, the social media giant's workplace communication platform, now has 7 million paid subscribers, the company announced Tuesday. That's up 40 percent from just last year. 

As the platform quickly grows, Facebook is adding a number of new features it says are focused on delivering an improved employee experience.  That includes live video improvements, new platform integrations, and tools that put a focus on diversity and inclusion. 

"Employees now have new expectations of their leaders and companies," the company said in a blog post. "The challenge is how they turn these expectations into a reality... For us, the goal of EX is to make people more connected to their company's purpose. Because we believe that people with a purpose are more invested in their work."

That effort is in part focused on live video. Facebook is building a new Q&A feature into Workplace's live video tool. The feature lets a presenter click on a question submitted by employees and bring it into the middle of the screen. From the presenters' view, the question card will include the profile information of the employee who asked the question. 

Additionally, Facebook is building on its previously-announced partnership with Cisco, delivering a simplified integration of Webex into Workplace. Hosts are able to start in Webex and easily broadcast live to their Workplace audience. 

Facebook is also adding new plugins and integrations. Users will be able to share content from Workplace onto third-party sites like Microsoft SharePoint. They can also now sync Workplace events with third-party calendars, including Outlook and Gmail. Additionally, Facebook has added new functionality to its APIs, so organizations can add content from other platforms to Knowledge Library, which is Workplace's version of an intranet. 

The EX-focused features also include tools that encourage self-expression and identity -- helping organizations emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion. This month, Workplace users will be able to add their name pronunciation on their personal profile, and it will show up on Live video Q&A experiences. Additionally, Facebook is adding new skin colors to its emojis.

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This month, Workplace users will be able to add their name pronunciation on their personal profile.

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