Beyond EMS Week: Supporting first responders every day

The last few years brought a storm of change to the HR industry. Artificial Intelligence. The gig economy. And more recently, a global pandemic has altered our reality and redefined workflows. 

While Covid-19 has forced us to make many temporary adjustments to the way we live and work, not every new development is short-lived. There has been an influx of new trends that are here to stay.

These innovations have pushed us to view different areas of the HR function from a new perspective. And they have made us wonder: What’s in store for the future? What are the developments that will transform HR for good? Which trends will shape the new reality of work?

Read on for answers. In this post, we take a look at the top HR trends in 2021 for frontline business and HR leaders to take into account as they prepare for what’s to come. 

Top HR trends for 2022

Designing work for frontline employees’ well-being 

The line between work and home life has been blurring for some time, but the pandemic has all but erased it for many employees. In response, HR leaders have shifted from promoting work-life balance to pushing well-being into the work itself.

As per the 2020 Hartford’s Future of Benefits Study, workers are now demanding benefits like hospital indemnity insurance, additional paid time off, and employee assistance programs.

Companies, on their part, are focusing on online experiences that improve employees’ health. These include virtual team-building events, yoga and fitness sessions, and mindfulness classes, and so on. 

So organizations that thrive beyond 2021 are going to be those that integrate health-related initiatives into the design of work. This will be done at the individual, team, and organizational levels to create an environment in which employees are at peak health. 

Reskilling to unlock frontline worker potential 

During Covid, many organizations struggled to retain employees because of financial problems, sick leave, or losing workers to the virus. So managers called on remaining employees to expand their roles and fill the gaps left by their coworkers. And like the Spartans, employees rose to the challenge. 

Workers’ resourcefulness and agency in these hard times have shown that they can learn and contribute in unexpected ways. And in doing so, they have positioned their organizations to thrive in the long term.

So employee reskilling is another important trend to watch out for. According to a recent Udemy survey, the demand for building employee skills grew by 38% in 2020. The consulting company PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) illustrates this trend. It invested $3 billion in the learning and development of employees who have stayed with the business for at least 3 years. This suggests that reskilling is a lean and sustainable way to strengthen your workforce. 

Building 'Superteams' 

Organizations have been using ‘teaming’ (setting up a temporary team of people who aren’t familiar with each other) as a survival strategy to counter the impact of Covid-19. Many leaders have now begun to realize teaming as an opportunity to form “superteams.” 

Coined by Thomas Malone, the term ‘superteam’ refers to the pairing of people with technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, to rethink workflows and get faster outcomes. 

The strategy of turning teams into superteams is still in its infancy, as many companies still see technology from a limited viewpoint — more as a tool than a team member. 

According to Deloitte’s 2021 Global Human Capital Trends report, only 16% of executive-level leaders said that they plan to transform work by combining humans and machines.

But the trend is expected to accelerate, with organizations shifting to this new mindset and strategy in a strong position to realize the untapped potential it offers to drive growth and handle uncertainty. Making sure you have the right employee experience software, and the right tech stack is vital.

Rethinking governance of workforce strategies 

Covid-19 has opened our eyes to the fact that using data on your workforce’s current state to determine employee strategies is not enough. Relying solely on the metrics showing the workforce’s present situation is risky because it limits a company’s potential to survive drastic changes. This applies to all strategies, from staffing levels to employee retention. 

Some organizations are shifting their approach from strategizing for likely, minor events to planning for the unexpected. 17% of HR executives say that their companies plan to focus on the occurrence of unlikely, high-impact events, as opposed to 6% before the pandemic. 

Companies that want to handle change with confidence must address questions that force them to look into the future. It’s forward-looking insights that will help businesses accomplish new milestones. 

Shifting from managing employees to re-architecting work 

Covid-19 has positioned HR as a prominent part of surviving a crisis. And the good news is that HR has lived up to this new standard, gaining more credibility as a result. 

A survey by Deloitte has shown that both HR and business leaders are now more certain of HR’s ability to tackle future challenges. 

This creates an opportunity for HR departments to leverage their new position and transform their role from that of managing employees to re-architecting work. 

HR leaders can make the most of this by taking charge of reimagining both the workforce and the workplace to ensure future success.

The survey also found that 61% of business and HR executives are planning to reimagine work in the next one to three years. This would mean:

• Prioritizing outcomes over outputs 
• Focusing on building superteams that combine human and technological capabilities
• Managing the cultural and leadership changes that arise from the new approach to work

As a result, HR trends and goals will align better with business objectives. And HR will need to work closely with other departments to shape the new architecture of work. 

Conclusion

These HR trends show the future holds both big opportunities and tough challenges for HR and business leaders. All this is pushing HR professionals to search for and leverage innovative technologies to improve employee productivity and engagement.  

In the near future, AI-based predictive and automation technologies are likely to improve all the areas under the HR function, including talent acquisition, workforce analytics, and reskilling of employees. All these ultimately help HRs role in employee engagement.

So use these trends to anticipate new developments in the human resource field, and to inform your business processes moving forward. It will give you a solid foundation to not just survive but thrive in the face of upcoming changes. 

While staying in a hotel in Belgium, I ate half a cookie with my breakfast and left for a couple of hours to explore the city on foot. It was a large cookie, so I left it in my room thinking that I’d finish it when I get back.

But when I returned, it was gone. I called the front desk and they said housekeeping threw it away because they thought serving me a fresh one would be better. I contacted the kitchen, and found that they were already informed to deliver the cookie as soon as I called.

Do you see the quality of service and convenience I experienced because the front desk, housekeeping, and kitchen staff worked together and kept each other in the loop? And do you think I’d want to stay in that hotel again? Absolutely!

That’s the potential of good teamwork and collaboration. Working as a team, your employees can merge their unique talents and give your company a real competitive advantage. On top of that, cultivating teamwork skills helps you create a happy working environment for yourself and your workers.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what it means to work as a team, the importance of teamwork skills, and the top skills your team should have for effective collaboration.

What are teamwork skills?

Teamwork skills are the traits and abilities that allow you and your employees to work well with one another on a project or task.

If you’ve played a sport in school or joined a club at work, you may already be familiar with what it means to work as a team.

Most educational institutions try to incorporate these skills in students early on, since they lay the groundwork for all your future endeavors, whether professional or personal.

So “teamwork skills” is more like a blanket term encompassing qualities such as proper communication, active listening, and conflict management.

Why work as a team?

Teamwork isn’t just a fancy term to put on your website and posters in the office. It’s an integral part of your culture and business operations. Plus, it has a direct impact on your revenue.

As per a survey by EIU, when workers are not working as a team, the impact on overall revenue is serious. Over 33% of sales lost as a result were valued between $100,000 and $999,999.

No matter your industry or job role, the ability to work alongside others is crucial for you and your workers to contribute positively to the company.

Communication and collaboration among a team are the attributes that unite a group of diverse individuals towards common business objectives. And they make it more likely for organizations to achieve them.

Teamwork skills you need to work as a team

Your ability to work as a team depends on how well you instill and demonstrate the teamwork skills mentioned below. But if a skill doesn’t come naturally to you, worry not. All of these can be improved with the right teamwork development strategies.

Communication

Clear, steady, and efficient communication is critical to consistent teamwork. When team members inform, educate, and inspire one another, amazing things happen; barriers are broken down, knowledge is shared, and productivity skyrockets. Team management tools can be used to maximize productivity while building a strong and trustworthy remote team. 

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: checking in with team members, asking clarifying questions, articulating your ideas, and sharing information in a timely manner.

Project management

Contrary to what you may think, project management skills are not just crucial for managers and coordinators, but they also benefit other team members.

Knowing the basics of project management, team members can understand and align better with the plans and processes set forth by the leader. Plus, project management best practices help employees feel more assured about the timeline and completion of the projects.

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: setting realistic goals, assigning roles and responsibilities, managing project budget, defining tasks, and prioritizing them based on their urgency and importance.

Delegation

Every team member has different strengths and capacity to accommodate the tasks associated with a project. They need to know exactly what their job is, and have a reasonable amount of work on their plate. 

So to function effectively, teams need leaders who know how to delegate. You should have the ability to clearly assign tasks to the people who can handle them. Plus, you’ll need to set deadlines that are challenging yet achievable. 

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: creating guidelines, setting expectations, showing what a successful outcome looks like with example, and scheduling.

Conflict resolution

Conflict is part and parcel of any collaborative project. Sooner or later, it’s bound to happen in your team, whether in the form of a small disagreement or a large debate.

But how you handle such a situation speaks volumes about your aptitude to work as a team. Strong team players keep their cool and look at any conflict as an opportunity for clarification, learning, and growth.

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: being open to ideas different than yours, being fair and respectful, listening with the intent to understand, and backing up your ideas with examples and unbiased data.

Active listening

Listening seems like a simple and passive activity, but it isn’t always as easy for some people as speaking and expressing their own ideas. 

Real, active listening is much more than just sitting back and letting others talk. It takes effort and focus. It involves giving your 100% attention to the speaker and listening not just for the words, but also the intent and emotions behind them. 

Most people don’t really listen. Even when they do, they listen to prepare an instant response in their mind. But good listeners listen to understand first. And then they ask clarifying questions to validate what they understood. This whole process takes the trust and satisfaction of the whole team to another level. 

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: Giving undivided attention to the person speaking, considering non-verbal cues, making eye contact, and not making unfounded assumptions.  

Rapport building

Rapport is the informal connection you have with your team members that makes it easy and comfortable to carry out the formal responsibilities.

Being able to bond and engage in enthusiastic conversations is important for you and your team to realize their full potential. It leads to better communication, planning, and an overall more pleasant working environment. 

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: showing an interest in your team beyond what they do at work, finding common interests, empathizing with their needs and frustrations, and offering help and support.

Public speaking

How can we talk about working as a team and not talk about public speaking and presentation skills? You’ll frequently need to address your whole team to explain a process or persuade them to adopt a new approach.

It’s often scary for people to present because they expect everything to be smooth and perfect. And they want to look like a fancy orator. But a good presentation is more like a normal, friendly conversation focused on clearly communicating your points. As long as you do that much, your job is done.

Actions that demonstrate this skill include: working with MS Powerpoint or other presentation software, designing visual slides, understanding your audience, and telling stories that hook. 

Steps to improve how you work as a team

Teamwork skills are mostly soft skills. So improving them is a little more complicated than hard skills, since hard skills usually have a straightforward rulebook. Still, there are steps you can take to boost your teamwork skills significantly.

Learn from strong team players

Whether inside or outside your immediate team, you will always find people who work really well as part of teams. And you can learn a lot by observing them and their ability to collaborate.

See the behaviors and words of people who excel at teamwork and take notes about things that stand out to you. Whenever you see an example of great collaboration, jot it down and try to incorporate the lessons in your own words and actions.

Set specific goals

To truly grow yourself as a team player, you must identify specific areas for improvement and set concrete objectives. Plus, it’ll really help if you put time constraints on your goals. 

For example, saying something like, “I’ll start communicating and showing an interest in my team members’.” is not a specific goal. A better alternative is, “I’ll ask each team member if they need any help at least once every week.”

Practice teamwork

Honing your ability to work as a team takes patience and consistent practice. Once you set goals, try to find every opportunity you can to practice the skills you want to improve. 

For example, you can start volunteering to your team with small tasks, or be the first one to raise your hand when there’s a chance to work with someone new.

The more you work with a diverse set of professionals, the better you’ll get at collaboration.

Get regular feedback

We often tend to miss the little things that we need to improve the most, while berating ourselves on stuff that no one would notice. When speaking in front of a group, for example, you may be worried that you look nervous. But mostly it’s just in your mind. 

The point is, it can be hard to determine what you need to improve on your own. So the best way to get around your blind spots is to ask coworkers for feedback.

Get your mentor, supervisor, or a trusted peer within your team to evaluate your ability to work as a team member. By sharing their honest and unbiased opinion of your strengths and weaknesses, they can help you work on things that really matter. So you’ll know where to channel your time and energy.

Wrapping up: improve the skills you need to work as a team

Great teamwork does not happen by chance. Working as a team requires a lot of work from managers as well as team members.

You need open communication, clear delegation, team building, and other important skills and best practices we’ve shared above. All of them will give you a good starting point to get accustomed to the basics.

Plus, improving your teamwork skills is a journey that never ends. There will always be new things to help your team learn and get inspired. So keep researching and learning from the best businesses out there.

With adequate time and practice, you will eventually build a collaborative workplace that’ll keep you ahead of the curve for years to come. And while you’re at it, also consider using a tool that streamlines ongoing communication and collaboration at your company, such as Blink. Book a free Blink demo today.

In many organizations, the work WhatsApp group is the go-to place for company news.

The app provides a vital link between coworkers and managers. And it’s easy to see why. WhatsApp has a user-friendly interface, streamlined functionality, and a range of useful communication tools. It’s also sitting in the pocket of over 3 billion monthly active users.

The stats say it all. 1 in 3 UK workers relies on apps like WhatsApp and Telegram for workplace communication. And a huge 69% of frontline workers rely on personal text messaging apps to get their work done. 

So what’s the problem? Why shouldn’t employees use WhatsApp — or other consumer messaging apps like it?

The truth is, while these apps may be the height of convenience, they come with major risks for your organization. Risks that include data leaks, regulatory fines, legal liability, and cyber-attacks. And that’s before we even look at the dangers they pose to company culture.

In short, WhatsApp doesn’t work for work.

Here, we dive into the issues associated with consumer messaging apps and explore a safer alternative for team messaging.

The WhatsApp trap

Imagine you’re a frontline delivery driver. You spend limited time at the depot. You receive company news in a piecemeal fashion — from the depot bulletin board, from coworkers in the break room, and over phone calls with your manager.  

Your company has an employee intranet. But the mobile experience is clunky and hard to access without a corporate email address. You feel out of the loop, disconnected from your coworkers and from company culture.

So what do you do?

Option one. Do nothing. In which case, your workforce engagement is likely to take a dip and you may be tempted to hit the job boards.

Option two. Turn to the messaging tools you already use day to day. Use WhatsApp to ask about changes to today's employee scheduling, share route tips with fellow drivers, and request paid time off.

When your company experiences an internal communication tech gap, employees seek out other solutions. The most logical is always the consumer apps they use away from work.

Setup is frictionless — you can set up a group with coworkers in seconds. The app is instantly familiar. And (for employees at least) these apps do the job perfectly.

But, look under the hood, and this unofficial tech poses all sorts of problems for your organization.

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Why “shadow messaging” isn’t something you should overlook

Unofficial tech tools, unapproved by your IT team, are known as “shadow IT.” And while WhatsApp may provide a path of least resistance for employees, shadow messaging has no place within a security-conscious organization.

Beneath the convenience and (let’s be honest) that exceptional user experience, there’s no company oversight, no easy way to offboard users, and no data control. Here’s why shadow messaging tools like WhatsApp pose such a risk to your business.

Security and compliance risks

WhatsApp gives the perception of technical security. End-to-end encryption sounds pretty good, right? But that’s not the whole story.

Message backups stored in the cloud may not be encrypted. Phones can be lost or stolen. Ex-employees can continue to access conversations. And mistakes happen: Someone could send sensitive information to the wrong group, or add someone who doesn’t have the right security clearance.

If your company is subject to GDPR, HIPAA, or other data privacy regulations, consumer apps are a ticking time bomb. Sensitive customer data or internal information shared via WhatsApp can lead to data breaches and hefty compliance fines.

Reputational risks

Shadow messaging doesn’t just create compliance issues — it can threaten your company’s reputation, too.

Private chats are private…until they aren’t. A screenshot from a WhatsApp group can quickly circulate beyond the intended audience. Informal remarks may be misinterpreted when broadcast beyond a small team. Even small errors — like sharing internal updates before they’re ready for public consumption — can undermine credibility with stakeholders.

Consumer messaging apps make it nearly impossible to monitor and manage these risks. Administrative features like disappearing messages and the ability to make edits mean there’s no consistent audit trail. Organizations can’t easily verify what was said, who saw it, or when it was deleted.

These gaps raise critical questions. How long should employees retain work-related messages? What happens if group messages are deleted before they can be reviewed? How do you investigate disputes when evidence is scattered across personal devices?

Without centralized control, organizations are left exposed and at increased risk of PR headaches.

The cost to company culture

There’s a quieter risk at play here, too — the one posed to company culture. When you use WhatsApp or another consumer app for internal communication, instead of your own dedicated team chat app, there’s a cost in terms of the following:

• Oversight. No messaging analytics. No content hub. No unified inbox. No team-level access. Limited integration with other workplace tools. WhatsApp operates in a silo. So creating a connected culture is tough. What’s more, comms teams can’t track employee engagement or measure sentiment, so your organization struggles to make meaningful changes to the employee experience.

• Exclusivity. Without oversight, some employees inevitably get left out. Maybe a new starter never got added to the group, or some workers avoid using personal messaging apps for work-related chat. When some people are in the loop and others aren’t, information gaps form, resentment builds, and engagement suffers.

• Missed messages. Important and urgent updates get lost in the noise.

• Burnout. WhatsApp blurs the line between personal and professional. Managers may feel it’s fine to ping employees at any hour. Without clear boundaries, employees may struggle to fully switch off. The result? No downtime and an increased risk of stress and burnout.

• Informality. Here at Blink, we talk a lot about the value of authentic, human communication. But authentic and unprofessional are two very different things. When employees chat over a personal messaging tool, there’s a chance they drop their professional filter. The work chat becomes a place to vent frustrations or spread gossip, damaging the cultural values you’re trying to uphold.
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What safe employee messaging looks like

So if WhatsApp is too risky, what does good team messaging look like?

Safe, compliant messaging tools go beyond WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption. They give organizations the control and visibility they need, in one digital source of truth without sacrificing the speed or familiarity that employees crave.

Here’s what to look for.

• Centralized mobile access and identity management. Single sign-on (SSO) gives employees secure, frictionless access to group messaging and other workplace software, without juggling multiple passwords.
  
  
• Automated user management. With the help of SCIM (system for cross-domain identity management), you can automate the user lifecycle, creating accounts for new employees and automatically ending access when someone leaves your company.
  
  
• Moderation and governance tools. Admins can flag, review, and remove inappropriate content, protecting both employees and the business.
  
  
• Secure file sharing. Instead of forwarding PDFs and customer data over WhatsApp, files stay encrypted and traceable within your organization’s approved environment.
• Customizable notifications, read receipts, and acknowledgements so you know who got the message and can manage compliance and critical comms.
  
  
• Integrations. The best messaging tools connect seamlessly with workplace software — like Workday, ServiceNow, and Microsoft 365 — offering secure access to all the tools your teams need in real time.

Security features like these are paramount. But your tools need to go even further:

Remember all those reasons employees like using WhatsApp? 

• Mobile-first and simple. It’s instantly accessible.
• A second-to-none user experience that feels as intuitive and familiar as Instagram or TikTok. This is key for adoption.

The best team messaging solutions replicate this kind of consumer-grade user experience.  They give employees a streamlined, user-friendly way to chat with managers and coworkers. And they give them all the cutting-edge team communication tools they’re used to. 

The bigger picture: Using team messaging to build meaning

When you move beyond WhatsApp, you’re not just switching to a more secure tool. You’re opening up a world of employee communication possibilities. Because team messaging was never just about chat. It’s about connection, trust, and belonging.  

With a customizable, company-branded app, you can create a messaging experience that feels distinctly yours — one that supports your business goals and reflects your values.

By offering a mobile-first solution, you show frontline teams that they’re a valued part of company culture. You show everyone that easy, open communication is a foundation of your employee experience. And you create a space where respectful, inclusive, and collaborative communication is the norm.

Every message — from a company update to a simple “thanks for your hard work” — acts to reinforce what you want your organization to stand for.

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Transitioning from WhatsApp to a team messaging tool that’s built for work

Moving your teams away from WhatsApp is easier than you might think — particularly when you choose a secure, mobile-first platform like Blink.

Blink was built to replace risky, fragmented comms. It’s a mobile modern intranet platform, with all the channels you need for an effective internal communication strategy and beyond.

Our consumer-grade team messaging tool comes with notification controls, GIFs, emojis, the option to favorite your most frequently used chats, and the ability to highlight messages you want to return to at a later date.

Elsewhere on the app, you’ll find a content hub, news feed, coworker communities, modern social features, employee surveys, journeys workflows, recognition, digital forms, and integrations with the other workplace software you use.  

Most importantly, Blink uniquely combines consumer-grade UI and intuitive, flexible features with enterprise-grade automation and data security, ensuring compliance without compromising on adoption and engagement. 

Our app was built for everyone, particularly those who do not sit at a desk. And with a customer experience team on hand to provide support every step of the way, you can hit the ground running from the first day your app goes live.

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Use internal communications to create a sense of belonging and community at your organization

When you’re surrounded by people who just get you, it feels good, right? We all love to experience that sense of belonging. And it’s no different in the workplace.

Employees who feel they belong within an organization are 5.3 times more likely to do their best work. They’re also happier and less likely to look for a job elsewhere.

So what makes the difference? Why do some company cultures feel inclusive while others leave employees feeling like they’re on the outside looking in?

The truth is a truly inclusive workplace isn’t just about policies and the right training. It’s about how employees experience the workplace environment day in, day out. And a lot of that comes down to employee communication.

Done right, an effective employee communication strategy ensures every employee — regardless of their age, language, identity, or role — feels heard, valued, and part of something bigger. Done wrong, it can unintentionally exclude people, which is bad for them and bad for business.

The challenge facing internal communicators? A one-size-fits-all approach no longer works. To create the type of employee experience everyone feels part of, your internal communication strategy has to enable flexible, personal, and transparent communication with employees.

Here’s how.

How to include everyone in the company conversation with inclusive employee comms

#1. Bridge the generational gap with multi-channel comms

Different generations have different internal communication preferences. 

Older employees may feel more at home with email. Gen Z and Millennials, on the other hand, expect mobile-first, social-style updates.

Gen X came of age in an era of top-down communications. Leadership spoke and employees listened.

But the digital natives in your midst grew up with interaction baked into their digital experiences. They want the option to like, share, and comment on the information they receive — and expect to engage in conversation with the powers that be.

To ensure messages cut through with every generation in your workforce, you need a way to reach all employees in the way they prefer.

The fix

By using a wide range of digital tools — from email and instant messaging, to internal newsletters and social news feeds — you can reach every generation effectively.

With employee communication apps, you can share traditional text-based communications, while also getting creative with graphics, photos, videos, and company news feed content. You can offer both asynchronous email communication and instant messaging tools.

Importantly, you need to ensure employees have access to two-way communication channels. It should be easy to share, track, and take action on employee feedback.

Diversifying internal communication channels, while still retaining one source of truth, ensures every generation feels included in company comms.

How Blink can help: Blink is a social media-style employee app that mirrors the key features and user experience of consumer tech, like Instagram and TikTok. As a centralized platform, it also supports traditional email updates — so your older employees don’t have to be down with the kids to receive crucial company updates.

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#2. Support a multilingual workforce with built-in translation

If you’re part of a global company — or have a large population of frontline workers — you may have employees who don’t work in their first language.

Language barriers exclude employees from critical information and conversations. They make it hard — if not impossible — to foster a fully engaged workforce. Workers have to work hard to understand essential internal communications. So they’re likely to gloss over them and miss vital information.

The fix

Pick internal communication tools with real-time translation features. Give employees control over their settings so they can see company content in their preferred language.

They can even respond in their preferred language, enjoying two-way communication with peers and managers, who can then auto-translate content back into their preferred language.

With modern employee communication platforms, you can break down language barriers and build connections between every member of your workforce.

How Blink can help: Blink’s automatic translation feature lets employees read and engage with content in their preferred language, increasing accessibility.

#3. Recognize and respect pronouns in employee tech

Inclusive language may be a given when you speak to employees face to face. But — to build a truly inclusive employee experience — you need digital tools that use inclusive language too.

Many workplace systems still lack pronoun options or force binary gender selections. The result? Some employees don’t feel they fit within the system or organization. And they can’t help but feel alienated from company culture.

The fix

Pick workplace tech that reflects company values. Ensure employee directories, employee profiles, and internal communication tools allow employees to display and use their preferred pronouns. And if your systems ask for data on employee gender or titles, make sure fields reflect the identities of your entire workforce.

How Blink can help: With Blink's employee communication software, you have access to user-friendly customization tools. So employees can use their preferred pronouns and your company can reinforce a workplace culture of inclusion and respect.

#4. Personalize communication for different locations and teams

Employees in different locations have different policies and cultural norms. Employees in different teams have different priorities and daily operations. But these differences aren’t always reflected in company comms.

When you deliver the same messages, in the same standard channels, to employees across a large and diverse organization, you try to speak to everyone. But this can mean you end up speaking to no one.

Internal communications tend to be impersonal and corporate. And — with a one-size-fits-all approach — it’s difficult for comms teams to inspire the employee engagement and positive employee experience you’re striving for.

The fix

Don’t blast everyone with the same messages. Segment your audience by location and team. Then, personalize and regionalize your content. Create tailored communications, hyper-relevant to each section of your workforce.

Send information about your new shift swap tool to retail staff. Share details of the next office coffee morning with your team at HQ. Reference local holidays and events — and make sure every employee sees themselves in the story you’re telling.

The same overarching company values and vision can run through everything you do. But by making your internal messages specific to particular groups of employees, you make it easier for them to relate to company culture. Which means a more inclusive employee experience.

How Blink can help: Blink’s smart targeting feature allows you to segment employees based on their location, role, and team. This makes it easy for you to craft and send relevant and inclusive messages.

#5. Cater to every work environment — frontline, remote, desk-based, and hybrid

Without careful thought for inclusion, employees working in different environments get a very different employee experience.

Office-based employees often have access to the best tech and the most appealing benefits. They get more contact with business leaders and more opportunities for co-worker connection.

If you have employees working beyond the office — at home or on the frontlines of your organization — it’s easy for these workers to feel excluded from the best that your company culture has to offer.

Without mobile-first, employee communication tools, they’re left adrift. They don’t have reliable access to company updates, they don’t build connections with co-workers, and they get little opportunity to join the company conversation.

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The fix

To connect and include employees working in different locations, you need to take company culture digital. You need an employee experience platform that works across all devices.

(Not sure what your different employee groups — from remote workers to the mobile workforce — are looking for? Ask them via employee surveys or other employee feedback tools!)

Frontline employees deserve special consideration. This segment of your workforce doesn’t always have a company email address or a workplace computer.

But with mobile-first software, you create a digital hub for your organization and bring a stellar employee experience to every employee smartphone.

Employees can count on the same consumer-grade experience and extensive features no matter their location or the device they use. And the entire workforce gets easy and inclusive access to workplace communications and collaboration tools.

How Blink can help: Blink is a communications platform designed for mobile-first employee engagement. It provides the same great user experience for frontline, hybrid, desk-based, and remote employees, ensuring everyone stays connected — wherever they spend their work days.

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A more inclusive employee experience starts today

True inclusion goes beyond sound bites and sensitivity training. It’s a value embedded within company culture and the employee experience — and shared with the help of effective employee communication.

With tailored, multi-channel communication, you deliver content in a way that all employees can relate to. Comms tools that offer auto-translation break down language barriers. Inclusive, mobile-first tech supports every employee in every location to feel part of company culture.

A few tweaks to your employee communication strategy can make all the difference to employees. You help them to feel valued, respected, and that they truly belong within your organization.

What makes her awesome?

Chandi has been instrumental in representing the company and its bus drivers in cases related to traffic penalties. By thoroughly reviewing and addressing these cases, she has substantially reduced costs for both the business and individual drivers.

It is very common for bus drivers to face fines and prosecutions while doing their essential job for the communities of London. Chandi appears in Courts and Tribunals to represent the business and has successfully challenged almost 50% of the cases that come in. In years gone by the business was facing charges of up to £10k per month which have now been reduced by 70%. This is a massive saving both financially and reputationally to the business.

Most importantly, Chandi’s work provides crucial support to drivers, alleviating their stress and ensuring they feel valued. She is a quiet and meticulous professional who has created so much good in the department since her arrival in April 2024.

How has Blink helped in her role?

Blink has been used to advertise “money boxes” YBJ where fines are received. Chandi has also used the platform to share guidance and resources about observing traffic regulations, as well as demonstrating the team’s support for drivers. 

What does she want to do next?

Continuing to reduce penalties, with the ultimate goal of eliminating them, would be a massive achievement, maybe seen as impossible — but what Chandi has achieved would have been seen as impossible six months ago. Chandi is keen to communicate with drivers using Blink as well as garage roadshows to raise awareness and help bus drivers avoid fines and better serve the communities of London.

Nominated by: Phil Thornton, General Manager Central Operations

What are the best Microsoft Teams alternatives in 2026?

Microsoft Teams is a powerful tool for messaging, meetings, and document collaboration—especially if you're already invested in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. But for many organizations, Teams is clunky, overcomplicated, and poorly adopted by employees who aren’t sitting at a desk.

It’s not built for frontline workers. It’s not intuitive for non-technical users. And it tries to do too much—without doing any one thing particularly well.

Whether you're looking for a cleaner UX, faster communication, mobile-first design, or just less frustration, here are the 12 best Microsoft Teams alternatives in 2026 to consider—ranked and reviewed for ease of use, collaboration, and adoption.

#1. Blink

Best for unifying internal communication across the entire workforce

Blink is an employee experience platform that offers real-time chat, announcements, document sharing, scheduling, and forms—all in one simple, mobile-first app. Unlike Teams, which struggles with adoption outside of office environments, Blink is designed for everyone, from corporate HQ to field teams and shift workers.

Why Blink is better than Teams:

• Intuitive UX—no training required
• Works seamlessly across desktop and mobile
• Built-in tools for messaging, alerts, surveys, and forms
• Designed for high engagement and daily usage

Ideal for: Companies that want all employees—desk-based, remote, and frontline—on the same page.

#2. Slack

Best for real-time team collaboration and integrations

Slack is the original team chat platform that changed how businesses communicate. It’s fast, intuitive, and integrates with almost every productivity tool you can name.

Why teams choose Slack:

• Channels for projects, teams, and topics
• Powerful third-party integrations
• Searchable message history
• Simple, user-friendly interface

Limitations: Can get noisy at scale; no built-in video calling beyond basic functionality.

#3. Zoom

Best for video-first collaboration

Zoom rose to prominence during the pandemic as the go-to platform for video meetings. While it lacks native chat and file management, it’s ideal for high-quality video calls, webinars, and virtual events.

Best features:

• Reliable, high-definition video
• Breakout rooms and whiteboarding
• Webinar hosting tools
• AI summaries and recordings

#4. Google Chat & Meet

Best for Google Workspace users

Google Chat and Google Meet are tightly integrated with Gmail and the broader Google Workspace ecosystem, making them a natural fit for organizations already using Google Docs, Calendar, and Drive.

Why it's better than Teams (for Google users):

• No need to switch platforms
• Simpler UI for messaging and meetings
• Seamless calendar and doc collaboration

#5. Cisco Webex

Best for secure video collaboration at the enterprise level

Webex offers a suite of tools including messaging, calling, meetings, and event hosting. It’s often favored by large enterprises in finance, healthcare, and government.

What sets it apart:

• Enterprise-grade security and compliance
• AI features for transcription and noise removal
• Contact center and webinar add-ons

#6. Discord

Best for informal, community-style collaboration

Originally designed for gamers, Discord has evolved into a powerful chat and voice platform for startups, education, and tech teams that value speed and informality.

Why it works:

• Always-on voice channels
• Threads, emojis, and community features
• Free for most use cases

Limitations: Not built for enterprise or regulated environments.

#7. Mattermost

Best open-source alternative to Teams and Slack

Mattermost is a secure, self-hosted messaging platform used by teams that need full data control, including developers and government agencies.

Key benefits:

• Open-source and customizable
• On-premise or cloud deployment
• DevOps and workflow integrations

#8. Flock

Best for small teams that want simplicity

Flock is a lightweight collaboration tool with messaging, video calls, and productivity tools baked in. It’s a simpler alternative to Teams, especially for startups and growing businesses.

Top features:

• Shared to-dos and reminders
• Notes and polls
• Lightweight video calling

#9. Rocket.Chat

Best for companies needing full control over data

Rocket.Chat is another open-source platform used by privacy-conscious organizations. It offers messaging, video conferencing, and multi-channel communication with full customizability.

Why it’s chosen over Teams:

• 100% data ownership
• Omnichannel support (email, WhatsApp, SMS)
• Developer-friendly APIs

#10. Chanty

Best for team chat with built-in task management

Chanty offers a focused chat experience with integrated task tracking. It's ideal for teams that want to combine communication and lightweight project management in one place.

Why it's appealing:

• Tasks and Kanban view
• Threaded conversations
• Budget-friendly pricing

#11. Zoho Cliq

Best for businesses already using Zoho

Cliq is part of the broader Zoho productivity suite and integrates seamlessly with other Zoho tools, offering team chat, calls, and app integrations.

Strengths:

• Role-based access
• Video calls and bots
• Custom workflows

#12. RingCentral MVP

Best for unified communications at enterprise scale

RingCentral MVP combines messaging, video, and phone in one solution. It’s ideal for enterprises looking for an all-in-one UCaaS platform with robust admin controls.

Key features:

• Cloud-based calling and messaging
• Enterprise security
• Integrated analytics and call routing

How do you choose the right Microsoft Teams alternative?

Microsoft Teams can be powerful—but for many companies, it’s simply not the right fit. Cluttered UX, low mobile adoption, and integration complexity make it a poor choice for fast-moving teams and distributed workforces.

The good news? There are plenty of modern alternatives—whether you need internal messaging, video conferencing, or an all-in-one platform.

Need one app for comms, docs, alerts, and tools—without the sprawl?
Blink delivers a beautifully simple platform that your whole workforce will actually use.

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Why teams choose Blink over Microsoft Teams

Teams works well if your whole organization already lives inside Microsoft 365 — but frontline and deskless workers rarely do. Blink is mobile-first, requires no corporate email, and is used daily by teams at McDonald's, Domino's, and Chick-fil-A. For a closer look at exactly how the two compare on adoption, pricing, and mobile experience, see our full breakdown.