Introduction

The chat function on your platform lets you communicate quickly and securely with your colleagues. You can have a private one-on-one conversation, chat with several people at once, or talk in a group chat. This way you share information immediately, without needing an email or a meeting.

In this article you'll read how chat works, how to start a chat, how to enrich your messages with formatting, emojis, GIFs and @mentions, and what happens to your chat history within a group.

How chat works on your platform

Chat is designed for direct communication. Depending on who you want to talk to, you can choose one of the following options:

• One-on-one chat: a private conversation with a single colleague.
• Group chat: a conversation with several colleagues you select yourself.
• Group chat within a group: all members of the group communicate with each other in one shared chat.

When someone posts a message in a group chat, all other participants receive a notification.

Starting a chat

You can start a one-on-one chat in two ways: from the chat bar on the left of your screen, or directly from a colleague's profile.

Via the chat bar

1. In the left chat bar, click Groups and one-on-one +.

2. Select the colleague you want to chat with.

   

3. Type your message and press Enter or click the send icon.

Via a user profile

1. Go to the profile of the person you want to chat with.

2. Click Chat.

   

3. Type your message and send it.

Enriching your message

You can make your chat messages more readable and personal with formatting, attachments, emojis, GIFs and @mentions. The corresponding buttons are located around the text field in the chat bar.

Formatting text

Use the editor in the chat bar to make your message easier to read. You can:

• Make text bold, italic or strikethrough.
• Add hyperlinks.
• Use bulleted or numbered lists.

Adding an attachment or GIF

1. In the bottom-right of the chat bar, click the + icon.
2. Choose a file, image or GIF to add.
3. Indicate whether the file is shared in the chat only, or also stored as a document within the group.

Inserting an emoji

1. Click the emoji icon to the right of the text field.
2. Select an emoji from the list.

The emoji appears as a text code in the message field, for example :smiley:. You can also type this code directly to insert the same emoji.

Inserting a GIF

1. Click the GIF icon to the right of the text field.
2. Choose a GIF from the overview or type a search term.
3. Click the desired GIF to add it to your message.

Using an @mention

Use an @mention to draw someone's attention to a message or to refer to a colleague.

1. Type @ in the message field or click the @mention icon.

2. Select the user you want from the list.

   

Group chat and chat history

When group chat is enabled in a group, the chat appears as the front page of that group. The timeline can then be found on the second tab.

If a group administrator temporarily disables the group chat, the chat history is preserved. As soon as the chat is enabled again, you can read previous messages once more.

Troubleshooting

I can't start a chat with a colleague

• Check whether the colleague has an active account on the platform.
• The colleague may have disabled the chat function in their personal settings.
• Try starting the chat via their profile instead of via the chat bar.

I'm not receiving notifications from a group chat

• Check that notifications for the group are enabled in your profile settings.
• Check the notification settings of your browser or mobile device.

I'm missing messages from a group chat

• Check whether a group administrator has temporarily disabled the group chat. The history will return as soon as the chat is enabled again.
• If the group has been fully deleted, the chat history is permanently lost.

The problem persists

Contact support at support.plek@bcs-hr.com.