Using HipChat for Internal Communication

If you work as a team, chances are you use some form of messenger to communicate with team members. Here at LevelTen we use Google Hangouts and HipChat. I should mention that we once used Slack, and as much fun as we had creating emoticons, it just wasn’t quite what we were looking for when working with developers.

As an agency that allows for telecommute days, finding a tool that allows for easy and fast communication is key. Considering we all work on different projects, we found Google Hangouts to be a great tool for group video communication during morning standup, but not so great for when we wanted to chat with a group on different projects throughout the day, rather than video messaging the group all the time.

In comes HipChat. With HipChat, we can seamlessly work from multiple offices, i.e. our homes, or for those in other states. We like HipChat because it allows us to have public, private, and one-on-one chats. A plus about HipChat is that it works on Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and even on Linux computer. We happen to be Apple users so it’s great to be able to download the app and also having it on our phones, when we are on the go.

As a company that builds websites, we have a variety of chats rooms labeled after each client project we work with. We have integrated Bitbucket to each of our project rooms in order for developers and project managers to see individual project commits.

Commonly used Slash Commands:

• /code – displays message with code syntax.
• s/– Fixes spelling mistakes by using the substitution command. You only have one minute before you’ll no longer be able to correct your mistake.
• #<color hex> show the actual color inside the HipChat messenger, which is great when working with designers.

What some our team members have to say about HipChat:

“Apart from getting blown up about every conceivable topic running through the shop ... I can't imagine where we would be now without the collaborative power of chat rooms. Isolated rooms/topics are incredibly helpful when I am multitasking and need to have multiple discussions, separately. I can properly connect resources and get answers quick. ” –Kristin Yang, Project Manager

“I love the way they reluctantly include memes that allow me to express my frustration in just one symbol. All jokes aside, it is actually very convenient for team communication and virtually eliminates the need for emails. Short messages that gives me the information I need quickly to get things done.” – Kyle Taylor, Drupal Developer

We don't like "bulk" email unlike Bill Lumbergh of Office Space:

What does your team use for internal communication? Have any HipChat hacks you use? Share them in the comments below!