University of Leeds Lifts Staff News Engagement 20% by Letting 9,000 Employees Choose What They Read
Sep 25, 2026
Adding personalized newsfeeds to the institution's existing Microsoft 365 setup reduced information overload for 9,000 staff.
United Kingdom, September 25, 2026 -- The University of Leeds is improving staff engagement through a novel mechanism by changing the internal news that its more than 9,000 employees read when engaging with their feeds. Figures from the educational institution show that it was able to increase staff news engagement by 20% by building a personalized news experience inside its existing Microsoft 365 environment. This change has allowed its internal communications team to save around 4 hours per week, or half a day, on newsletter curation.
The university decided to undertake this project because of the wider problem in today's society: information overload. Large organizations that devote a lot to communication often require employees to respond to hundreds of messages and emails per day. Unfortunately, this often leads workers to wonder which communications really matter and which don't, especially as communication becomes more devolved and more teams publish their own updates.
At the university, faculties and departments often publish their own news. An interesting story: the university found that interesting stories and updates were not reaching the right people frequently enough, and staff often had to check several SharePoint sites to find stories relevant to them.
Silicon Reef, a people-first Microsoft 365 consultancy, worked with Leeds University's internal communications and IT teams. Their SharePoint intranet specialists enhanced the tools' existing offering instead of adding a new platform, enabling the news curation process to succeed.
The SharePoint Online and Microsoft 365 system uses Beacon News, Silicon Reef's news product. It allows staff to follow any topic they want, so their news reflects their choices and brings together all sources from the university into a central hub. Departments can still publish their own news using shared templates and editorial governance. Headline news stories stand out and ensure that priority messages reach all staff members.
The change has caused staff news engagement to rise by 20% and has also saved the university's internal communications team around 4 hours per week that used to go into curating newsletters. The system makes it far easier for staff to find relevant stories, including specialist updates and news from across the university, while also improving editorial oversight and ensuring that only quality information reaches people who can benefit from it.
This experience has practical implications for other universities, since staff at Leeds said they would be more likely to visit the intranet regularly when its content reflected topics they had chosen to follow. If they want to boost staff engagement, they must make sure that the stories reaching their staff are relevant, which means personalizing the news people receive rather than adding more channels.
For more information about the company use the contact details below:
Contact Info:
Name: Matthew Read
Email: Send Email
Organization: Silicon Reef
Address: New Broad Street House, 35 New Broad Street, EC2M 1NH
Phone: 07792487855
Website: https://siliconreef.co.uk
Release ID: 89204412
Should there be any problems, inaccuracies, or doubts arising from the content provided in this press release that require attention or if a press release needs to be taken down, we urge you to notify us immediately by contacting [email protected] (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our efficient team will promptly address your concerns within 8 hours, taking necessary steps to rectify identified issues or assist with the removal process. Providing accurate and dependable information is central to our commitment.
Philadelphia police receive false homicide tip from Anthropic AI model
Anthropic’s artificial intelligence model submitted a false homicide tip to the Philadelphia Police Department in July, the company disclosed on Friday. The AI firm said its Claude Haiku 4.5 model filled out a form on a website page soliciting the public's help to gather more information about unsolved homicide on July 18. The model submitted...
The Marcos family has a knack for banning video games
CEBU, Philippines — Does the Marcos family have something against video games? I ask simply because the father and the son seem to have a knack for banning them during their respective presidential terms. The Philippine government has been mulling over banning certain video games and related platforms. Why? That’s because they have been cited
Korea Post to issue Faker commemorative stamps
The Korea Post will issue commemorative stamps honoring esports player Lee Sang-hyeok, better known as Faker, on Oct. 23, celebrating his career and contributions to Korean esports. The state-run postal service under the Ministry of Science and ICT said on Saturday it will release 140,000 stamp sheets alongside stamp albums and other commemorative products. The stamps depict milestones in Lee’s career, including portraits of him celebrating at award ceremonies. Lee, who debuted in 2013, has won six League of Legends World Championships, 10 League of Legends Champions Korea titles and two Mid-Season Invitational titles, according to the authority. He also won gold at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, defending the title he won at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. In 2024, he became the first player inducted into the game's Hall of Legends. In January, Lee became the first esports player to receive the Cheongryong Medal, the highest honor of Korea’s Order of Sport Merit. To mark the release, Korea Post opened a special exhibition dedicated to Faker at its stamp museum inside Seoul Central Post
Fast food fulfills dreams in aging society
One thing Shin Jeong-ok, a team leader at a McDonald’s restaurant in Seoul’s Seongbuk District, enjoys about her job is being looked up to by friends and acquaintances in their 60s and older. In Korea, where the population is rapidly aging, seniors face increasingly fierce competition for employment as they outnumber younger job seekers. As of this year, more than 11 million people in Korea, or 21.6 percent of the population, are aged 60 or older. Many are baby boomers born between 1955 and 1963, a generation larger than those that came before them. Now entering retirement, they are increasingly seeking jobs, but age-related health issues and physical limitations restrict their employment options. Fortunately for Shin, her current job title is a hard-earned position she began in her early 50s. Now, the 63-year-old says she cannot imagine a life without working five times a week at McDonald’s Jongam SK branch in northern Seoul. “When I tell my neighbors or friends that I work at McDonald’s, I see the envy in their eyes. Being able to say that I have a job and seeing their admira
Why are we playing games that make us work?
MANILA, Philippines — Games are turning chores and repetitive tasks into something players willingly return to, offering the satisfaction of cleaning a surface, stocking shelves or completing a routine without the pressure that comes with doing the same work in real life. Ask people how they like to spend a free evening, and few will
Kalshi investigating suspicious bets tied to White house press secretary pick: Report
Prediction market Kalshi has opened an investigation into suspicious bets related to President Trump’s selection of his next press secretary, The Wall Street Journal reported. The company said that it was looking into at least three trades placed on its platform shortly before news outlets began announcing the appointment of Katie Zacharia to the White...
Acer Predator League 2027 PH Qualifier announces P1M prize pool
MANILA, Philippines – The road to the Asia Pacific Predator League 2027 has begun! Acer has announced the Predator League 2027 Philippine Qualifier, giving esports teams the chance to compete, prove their skills, and push beyond their limits. With a total prize pool of Php 1 million, the qualifiers will feature tactical FPS VALORANT and
Half the market will not take your money: The access problem for regulated startups
Across 231 Canadian publishers, the outlets that accept restricted categories charge less than half as much for ordinary articles. That discount measures who has already left the room, and founders in crypto, lending and gaming are shopping in that half without knowing it. The cheapest quote in a media plan is usually the one worth […] The post Half the market will not take your money: The access problem for regulated startups appeared first on e27.
The F1 Exhibition opens in Singapore with F1 cars, racing sims and an SG-centred gallery
The F1 exhibition will run until 18 October.
Kurt Campbell on US’ China focus, the Indo-Pacific Quad, risks of AI
Kurt Campbell is a veteran US diplomat and strategist who has played a leading role in shaping Washington’s approach to China and the Indo-Pacific for more than a decade. He served as the White House coordinator for Indo-Pacific affairs from 2021 to 2024 and as US deputy secretary of state from 2024 to 2025. Previously, he served as assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs from 2009 to 2013 and was a key architect of the Obama administration’s “pivot to Asia”. Often...
Toyota boosts its electric lineup with the Cat A Urban Cruiser
The new Urban Cruiser is smaller, not just in size, but also in price.
Southwest Airlines says 'brief' system outage affected boarding, checked bags
Southwest confirmed the news shortly after travelers began to report delays on Friday morning.
US partnerships vital to Korea's tech industry
Incheon airport to host Sky Festival in November
YOUR NEWS, OUR NETWORK.
Do you have Great News you want to tell the world?
Be it updates about your business or your community, you can make sure that it’s heard by submitting your story to our network reaching hundreds of news sites across 6 verticals.