How to target content to groups in Jostle

These article introduces these three key filters:

• Locations
• Org Units
• Custom Filter (e.g. Employee Type)

These filters exist throughout the platform. When used via the List Selector they make it easy to target content. The groups defined in these Filters are dynamic. When a new user joins a group, such as a location or department, they will automatically get access to the content published to that group. 

Table of contents

1. Why it's important to configure these filters

2. Introduction to the List Selector

3. Introduction to the Locations Filter

4. Introduction to the Org Unit Filter

5. Introduction to the Custom Filter (often used as Employee Type)

1. Why it's important to configure these filters

It's important that the three primary filters match the structure and nature of your organization. The best place to view your current setup of these filters is to open the Filter Panel in People:

Configuring these filters to reflect how your company is organized makes it easy to target (or restrict) information to specific groups of people. This reduces “noise” for all your users, as each individual will only see information that is relevant to them. That's important for creating an engaging platform.

2. Introduction to the List Selector

Throughout your platform, Jostle employs a List Selector that makes it easy to dial up the intended audience for a News Article, restrict access to a Library Volume, include people in a new Discussion, or invite selected guests to an Event. As the List Selector works off of the three primary filters, its effectiveness is directly tied to how well these filters are configured.

 Using the List Selector, you can:

• Select a specific Team, Location, Org Unit, or other defined groups
• Choose a specific User
• Dial up an Intersection of two or more of the three filters
• Combine any combination of the entities listed above

Intersections allow you to use the filters in combination. For example, an Intersection could be defined in the LIst Selector for a new Discussion that includes everyone who is:

a) Located in California (a Location)

b) Also in the Marketing Org Unit (as defined in Teams view)

c) Also tagged as a customer-facing employee (via the Custom Filter which is being used here to show Employee Types)

The resulting eight people who appear in all three of the Filters settings will make up this Intersection and will all be able to participate in the Discussion.

For more details on using the List Selector see this article.

3. Introduction to the Locations Filter

System Admins can customize the Locations Filter so it works best for your organization. It can be a flat list of locations (if you only have a few) or a hierarchical list (for example organizing your locations by the State or Country they are in).

Notes:

• Users can be in multiple Locations.
• The Locations Filter is optional. If no Locations defined, it will not appear.
• The Locations Filter can be renamed and used for some other purpose.
• The Locations Filter is the only Filter that can organize its entities into a hierarchy.

Click here to learn more about setting up Locations.

4. Introduction to the Org Unit Filter

Org Units are defined in the Charts that make up Teams view. Org Units automatically include everyone below a particular position (Role) in a Chart. For example, if you define the Org Unit “Sales” at the VP Sales Role in Teams, this Org Unit will automatically include the European Sales Director reporting to her, and the recently-hired intern on one of the teams reporting to that Sales Director. Everyone reporting up to the VP Sales is in the Org Unit, top to bottom.

Notes:

• Users can be in multiple Org Units.
• The Org Unit Filter is optional. If you don't have Teams view Enabled, or there are not Org Units defined in Charts, it will not appear.

This article will help you understand Org Units in more detail.

5. Introduction to the Custom Filter (often used as Employee Type)

The Custom Filter can be used for any other employee attribute that is not captured by Locations or Org Units. It's most commonly used to capture employee groups that "cut across your org chart horizontally".  Most often it reflects employee types, such as "customer facing" or "sales".

Notes:

• System Admins can rename the Custom Filter, so that it reflects its purpose.
• A User can belong to multiple Custom Filter Categories.
• The Custom Filter is optional. If no Categories are set up for it, it will not appear.

Learn more about setting up the Custom Filter here.