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Is your comms still cutting it — or has your strategy fallen behind the times?

Any comms strategy worth its salt is totally up to date — because internal comms trends and employee expectations evolve fast.

What worked even a year ago might already feel tired to employees. That means your messages land with less impact, and the engagement you were counting on slips away.

So how can you tell if your internal communication strategy is still working — or whether it’s time for a refresh?

If your frontline workers are consistently ignoring your updates, your strategy likely needs a serious revamp. However, before you tear everything down and start from scratch, it helps to review highly effective internal communications to see exactly what top organizations are doing right.

Start by watching for these tell-tale signs that your approach needs a glow-up in 2025 and beyond.

6 signs you need to upgrade your internal communication plan

#1. You’re still broadcasting, not conversing

Top-down comms were once the norm. But employees are no longer happy to be the passive recipients of company news. Why? We can point the finger firmly in the direction of social media.

Thanks to the likes of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, we’ve been publishing our own content for decades. We’ve also been interacting with big brands and celebrities who were once completely off-limits.

Employees expect a similar experience in the workplace. To the point that top-down communication now feels like a form of gatekeeping.

When you broadcast information instead of starting a conversation with your workforce, they’re left thinking: What have they got to hide? Are they scared of employee feedback? Is the organization simply uninterested in what we think? 

This lack of trust and transparency harms the employee experience. And if this sounds familiar, you need to flip the script.

How? With a culture of two-way communication — and the communication tools that can facilitate it. Think interactive news feeds, polls, surveys, and leader Q&As.

The C-suite still shares essential information. But employees can reply, react, and respond to messages. They can share their ideas via polls and surveys. They can spark conversations with co-workers and managers.

You make employee communications more interactive, improving comms engagement in the process.

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#2. Your engagement metrics are mysterious… or missing entirely

You can’t fix what you can’t measure.

If you don’t know who’s opening your messages, which channels are driving the most engagement, or how comms are actually landing across your workforce, you’re working in the dark. And you’ll struggle to make targeted internal comms improvements.

Modern communication tools give you easy access to reliable internal communications metrics. You can:

• Get real-time data on reach, employee sentiment, employee engagement, and more
• Draw links between your comms performance and company KPIs, like customer experience, employee retention, and business revenue
• Segment your data to shine a spotlight on the departments, teams, and locations where comms aren’t cutting through

With the effective tools for analytics and reporting, you can put data at the center of your internal communications plan. Which means less instinct, more insight — and meaningful comms improvements.

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#3. Everything sounds like it was written by legal

You know the tone. Overly polished, overly cautious, super-jargony corporate speak. The kind of language that makes every internal message feel like you’re wading through a set of terms and conditions.

This type of language is completely forgettable. It’s unlikely to spark interest, engagement, or interaction — particularly with younger generations within your workforce. And it takes longer for even your smartest employees to read.

So is your comms TOV giving more corporate robot than relatable human? Try reading your messages out loud. If it doesn’t feel like something you’d actually say to someone face-to-face, it’s probably way too formal for your internal communication channels.

To fix it, you can humanize your comms in the following ways:

• Use plain language — no long and complicated words, confusing acronyms, or corporate jargon
• Use a conversational tone — writing more or less as you speak
• Break up long blocks of text — this makes messages less overwhelming and easier to scan and read
• Show a bit of personality — empathy, gentle humor, and the odd personal anecdote go a long way

Above all, remember that the role of comms isn’t just to inform employees — it’s to connect with them. And it’s much easier to do that when you sound real and relatable.

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#4. Frontline workers feel left out

Frontline communication is too often an afterthought. And it’s harming the frontline employee experience.

Most legacy internal communication tools were designed for desk-based workers, so they don’t translate to a mobile format. They also require a corporate email address — something many frontline employees simply don’t have.

You can survey your frontline workers to find out what they think of your comms. And — if they’re feeling left out of the company conversation — this is another sure-fire sign your comms strategy needs some TLC.

The golden rule? If it doesn’t work well on mobile, it doesn’t work for everyone.

So in 2025, you need to go beyond paper memos, personal messaging apps, and word-of-mouth information to embrace mobile-first communication tools, suited to frontline workers.

These tools provide an exceptional experience on desktops and smartphones. And they give all employees easy and intuitive access to company comms, culture, and connection.

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#5. Your comms channels are working against you

Got a strategy that starts and ends with email? Or SharePoint? Or — on the flip side — so many channels that no one knows where to look?

Both extremes create issues. A one-channel approach makes it hard to reach everyone. But piling on too many platforms without a clear strategy leads to confusion, noise, and missed messages.

Different employees prefer different communication styles. Gen Z might favor short, social-style updates. Other generations may be happy with email. But when there’s no central system or channel clarity, employees are left asking: “Wait — where was that shared?”

Worse still, your internal communications team ends up unsure where to publish updates, and messages get scattered across tools. The result? Diluted impact, clutter, and poor reach.

The fix? Create a unified company communications hub that serves as a single source of truth and supports a mix of clearly defined channels — with audience segmentation baked in.

That might include:

• Instant messaging for real-time collaboration
• A news feed for top-down updates
• Communities for employee-generated content and co-worker conversation
• A content hub or resource center for evergreen info
• Targeted notifications based on role, location, or department

This structure reinforces important messages, helps employees find what they need, and keeps your comms ecosystem organized, strategic, and effective.

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#6. You’re still treating comms like a service, not a strategy

Your internal comms team deserves a seat at the strategy table. But in many organizations, this still simply isn’t the case.

27% of internal comms professionals surveyed by Gallagher said they lacked leadership buy-in and were left out of decision-making. Many comms teams are still treated like a message delivery service, rather than a strategic partner.

This is one of the biggest comms mistakes you can make. Because when internal communications are involved in corporate strategy from the outset, they can:

• Drive alignment across the entire company
• Improve change communications
• Super-charge company culture
• Connect boardroom and breakroom like never before

With top-level insight and input, your comms team finds it easier to achieve the metrics laid out in your internal comms plan — and achieve metrics relating to wider business performance. We’re talking productivity, employee retention, and employee engagement.

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How does your comms strategy stack up?

If you’ve identified one or more of these internal communications issues, rest assured that you’re not alone — and you’re not stuck.

Every one of these challenges is fixable. In fact, just recognizing the gaps in your strategy is the first step toward building a smarter, more effective communications plan.

What next? Upgrade your internal communications strategy and tools to reflect the needs and expectations of the modern workforce.

A modern comms plan is flexible, human, and data-driven. It supports the sharing of relevant, personalized communications to every member of your workforce. It meets employees where they are — over mobile-first tools and a rich mix of communication channels.

Most of all, an up-to-date strategy recognizes that modern internal comms is not just a service but a vital part of your corporate culture, change initiatives, and employee experience.

‍Blink. And give your internal comms strategy the makeover it needs.

If you're searching for the best Connecteam alternatives, you're not alone. While Connecteam is known for its suite of tools for scheduling, task management, and communication — especially for deskless teams — many organizations find themselves needing more flexibility, a better user experience, or deeper engagement features.

Whether you're looking to improve internal communications, streamline operations, or unify your employee experience, there are excellent platforms to consider. In this guide, we’ll break down the top alternatives to Connecteam, including detailed insights on features, pricing, reviews, and what makes each one stand out.

What to Look For in a Connecteam Alternative

When evaluating replacements for Connecteam, consider these factors:

• Ease of use for both admins and frontline employees
  
• Mobile-first experience with a clean, intuitive UI
  
• Integrated communication and engagement features
  
• Scalability across departments and locations
  
• Compliance and analytics to track performance
  
• Affordability and ROI
  

The 10 Best Connecteam Alternatives

#1. Blink – The #1 Connecteam alternative

Best for: All-in-one internal communications, task management, and employee experience — not just for frontline teams.

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Why Blink stands out:

Blink is more than just a Connecteam alternative — it’s a complete employee experience platform. Unlike Connecteam, which focuses primarily on scheduling and operational tasks, Blink brings together communication, productivity, and engagement in one mobile-first platform. With personalized feeds, real-time messaging, secure document sharing, forms, surveys, scheduling, and integrations with HR and payroll systems, Blink enables every worker — from corporate to frontline — to stay connected and informed.

What sets Blink apart is its focus on simplicity and engagement. Employees log in daily, not because they have to, but because they want to. It drives measurable increases in app usage, communication visibility, and task completion.

Key features:

• Mobile intranet, messaging, and content hub
  
• Task & shift scheduling (integrates with tools like Kronos, ADP)
  
• Surveys, polls, and digital forms
  
• Fully branded app experience
  
• Real-time analytics & compliance tools
  

G2 rating: 4.7/5
Pricing: Free trial available, start yours today!

Pros:

• Not limited to frontline use cases — ideal for hybrid and enterprise teams
  
• Rich communication tools beyond simple chat or task lists
  
• Extremely fast onboarding with high adoption rates
  
• Seamless integrations with your existing stack
  

Cons:

• Doesn’t include payroll or time tracking natively — designed to integrate instead
  
  

#2. Homebase

Best for: Small businesses needing affordable scheduling and time tracking

Homebase is an excellent choice for teams looking for straightforward scheduling, time clocks, and payroll integrations. It’s especially popular with restaurants, retailers, and small shops that need quick setup and minimal training. The platform also offers basic communication tools, like shift reminders and group messages, though it lacks broader employee engagement or content sharing capabilities.

G2 rating: 4.2/5
Pricing: Free for 1 location; paid plans from $24.95/location/month

Pros:

• Simple and affordable for hourly teams
  
• Built-in payroll options
  
• Good for managing time-off and attendance
  

Cons:

• Not ideal for larger organizations or multi-department collaboration
  
• Limited internal comms and engagement tools
  

#3. Workjam

Best for: Large retailers and service-based enterprises

Workjam is a workforce orchestration platform designed to help large organizations manage shifts, training, and frontline operations at scale. It offers micro-learning, task management, scheduling, and internal communications, all tailored for deskless environments. Unlike Connecteam, Workjam emphasizes compliance and labor optimization with a more enterprise-focused stack.

G2 rating: 4.4/5
Pricing: Custom pricing based on organization size and needs

Pros:

• Advanced compliance and labor rule support
  
• Strong task and learning modules
  
• Enterprise scalability
  

Cons:

• Steeper learning curve and implementation time
  
• Overkill for small to mid-sized businesses
  
  

#4. Sling

Best for: Businesses needing quick scheduling without the bells and whistles

Sling is a lightweight tool that helps teams schedule shifts, manage availability, and reduce scheduling conflicts. It also includes basic messaging and task assignment, making it a suitable option for teams that want an affordable scheduling tool without investing in a broader platform like Blink or Connecteam.

G2 rating: 4.6/5
Pricing: Free for basic features; paid plans from $1.70/user/month

Pros:

• Very low-cost and intuitive to use
  
• Good for basic scheduling needs
  
• Available on web and mobile
  

Cons:

• Limited communication and engagement features
  
• No surveys, onboarding, or learning tools
  

#5. When I Work

Best for: Hourly teams with focus on labor cost control

When I Work focuses on scheduling, attendance, and time tracking for shift-based workforces. It includes features like labor forecasting and payroll integrations, making it a strong tool for restaurants, healthcare, and retail. While it includes messaging, it lacks a comprehensive content or engagement platform like Blink provides.

G2 rating: 4.5/5
Pricing: Starts at $2.50/user/month

Pros:

• Strong scheduling and attendance tools
  
• Built-in labor cost forecasting
  
• Easy mobile experience
  

Cons:

• Minimal engagement and internal communication capabilities
  
• Limited to frontline use cases
  

#6. Deputy

Best for: Compliance-heavy industries like healthcare or hospitality

Deputy offers detailed scheduling, time tracking, and compliance support. It’s particularly useful for industries where managing certifications, availability, and labor law compliance is critical. While its core is operational, Deputy also offers tasking and announcements—but it's not built to foster engagement or culture.

G2 rating: 4.6/5
Pricing: Starts at $4.90/user/month

Pros:

• Excellent compliance and shift planning features
  
• Smooth integration with payroll systems
  
• Real-time mobile check-ins and updates
  

Cons:

• Lacks survey, form, and intranet functionality
  
• Focuses more on operations than employee experience
  

#7. Beekeeper

Best for: Frontline-first communication in manufacturing and logistics

Beekeeper is a mobile-first platform aimed at connecting frontline workers who may not have email addresses or daily computer access. Its chat, announcements, and workflows are designed to replace bulletin boards and walkie-talkies. It’s strong for communication but less comprehensive in areas like scheduling, forms, and surveys compared to Blink.

G2 rating: 4.5/5
Pricing: Starts at $3/user/month (custom pricing for enterprise)

Pros:

• Great mobile chat and announcement system
  
• Offline functionality for field teams
  
• Secure and compliant
  

Cons:

• Narrow focus on communication
  
• Requires multiple integrations to handle full operations
  

#8. Microsoft Teams (with Shifts)

Best for: Companies already using Microsoft 365

Teams with the Shifts module can provide some of the functionality found in Connecteam, especially for businesses already embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem. You can use Shifts for scheduling and Teams for chat, files, and meetings. However, it often requires IT support and lacks built-in engagement tools like Blink’s journeys or forms.

G2 rating: 4.3/5
Pricing: Included with Microsoft 365 Business (starts at $6/user/month)

Pros:

• Great for knowledge workers already using Office tools
  
• Includes chat, video, file sharing, and calendar
  

Cons:

• Not intuitive for frontline or hybrid workers
  
• Requires configuration and third-party add-ons for full functionality

#9. 7shifts

Best for: Restaurants and hospitality teams looking for labor optimization

7shifts is purpose-built for restaurants and hospitality businesses, combining scheduling, attendance, tip management, and labor forecasting. It’s ideal for managing high-turnover environments where shift swaps and last-minute changes are common. Unlike Connecteam, which targets multiple industries, 7shifts focuses deeply on the challenges of restaurant operations—offering POS integrations, compliance tools, and even engagement tracking like employee sentiment surveys.

G2 rating: 4.6/5
Pricing: Free for single-location use; paid plans start at $29.99/location/month

Pros:

• Deep restaurant-specific integrations (Toast, Square, etc.)
• Tip pooling and labor cost tracking included
• Mobile app for quick shift edits and team comms

Cons:

• Narrow industry focus (not suitable for corporate or hybrid teams)
• Communication tools are more basic compared to Blink or Connecteam

#10. Zoho Workerly

Best for: Staffing agencies and temp workforce management

Zoho Workerly is designed for staffing agencies or companies managing temporary workers and shift-based contracts. It includes candidate matching, shift scheduling, timesheet approval, and invoicing—making it particularly useful for agencies needing back-office automation. While it doesn’t offer robust internal communication or engagement features, Workerly excels in logistics and workforce coordination.

G2 rating: 4.3/5
Pricing: Starts at $25/user/month

Pros:

• Ideal for temporary and contract worker scheduling
• Strong administrative and invoicing features
• Integrates with Zoho suite and external calendars

Cons:

• Not suitable for engagement or communication-heavy use cases
• Interface can be clunky compared to mobile-first platforms like Blink

‍Final Thoughts: Blink vs. Connecteam

While Connecteam is a well-regarded tool for managing operational tasks, it can fall short for organizations seeking a more holistic employee experience. Blink not only covers the basics — like scheduling and communications — but goes beyond with features that build engagement, culture, and productivity across your entire workforce.

If you're looking to consolidate tools, simplify workflows, and drive real impact, Blink offers the most complete and scalable solution on the market today.

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Why teams choose Blink over Connecteam

Connecteam is a strong choice for scheduling and task management, but if communication, engagement, and a genuine social-style employee experience matter just as much as ops, Blink was built specifically for that combination — mobile-first, no corporate email required, and used daily by teams at McDonald's, Domino's, and Chick-fil-A. See how Blink compares.

Today, Blink announced its partnership with McDonald’s. As the leading mobile-first employee experience platform, Blink will aim to connect McDonald’s employees within their restaurants and organizations across the globe.

Through Blink’s social media-inspired employee app, McDonald’s, or its independent franchisees, will be able to provide its respective restaurant crew members with news about their restaurant or organization, improve team collaboration, and offer a platform for real-time celebrations right at their fingertips. Not only will this create a more interactive and inclusive workplace, it will also give employees the tools and information they need, when they need them, to be productive and successful.

This partnership will help to build a strong, close-knit culture within restaurants and organizations to keep restaurant crew members engaged and empowered.

“Our mission is to help every company deliver digital experiences that elevate their business and unlock the full potential of their people. Our partnership with McDonald’s marks a monumental step toward bringing that mission to life,” said Sean Nolan, CEO and co-founder at Blink. “We’re proud to power the digital employee experience at McDonald’s and make it easier than ever for crew members to communicate, collaborate, and connect with each other — all from their mobile app.”

Together, McDonald’s and Blink will redefine the restaurant team experience.

About Blink

Blink is the mobile-first employee experience platform that connects your people, systems, and culture in one super-app. It bridges the digital divide between deskless and desk-based workers, supercharging employee communication and engagement at industry-leading companies like Nokia, Holcim, JD Sports, RATP Dev, and Stagecoach. Blink is the top-rated Employee Communications Application on Gartner Peer Insights and a Leader in the G2 Grid for Best Employee Engagement Software. Learn more at joinblink.com.

About McDonald’s

McDonald’s is the world’s leading global foodservice retailer with over 40,000 locations in over 100 countries. Approximately 95% of McDonald’s restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business owners. These franchisees set their own employment policies for the people working in their restaurants, are the exclusive employer of their employees, and are solely responsible for all employment-related matters in their restaurants. For more information, visit www.mcdonalds.com.

Media contact

press@joinblink.com

5 practical ways to prove internal comms ROI (and finally unlock budget)

If you work in internal communications, you’ve probably been asked some version of:

“But what’s the actual impact?”

Whoever’s asking the question — an executive, a stakeholder, a budget approver — isn’t looking for engagement. Or reach. Or clicks.

They want to see tangible impact of internal comms on the business. And that question exposes a gap. Because, as digital communication and collaboration expert Sharon O’Dea put it in our recent webinar:

“It’s not that leaders don’t care about communication. It’s that the value isn’t always framed in terms they prioritize.”

That’s the real problem.

Of course internal communications drive impact across the business — but too often, the function is positioned in a way that feels disconnected from the outcomes leaders actually care about.

In the session, Sharon unpacked how to close that gap, with a practical framework for connecting comms to real business problems, measurable outcomes, and ultimately, investment.

Here are five takeaways you can apply immediately.

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1. Start with the business problem, not the comms ask

What’s leadership actually worried about?

Hint: It likely isn’t comms metrics, channels, or formats.

What keeps leaders up at night are the things that can make or break the success of the business over the long term.

Attrition. Productivity. Compliance. Change adoption.

That’s where your case needs to start. If you lead with a solution, you’re asking for budget. But if you lead with a business problem, you’re positioning comms to solve something that already has a cost attached to it.

This is where many business cases fall down early. They jump straight to the tactic — a new platform, a new channel, a new campaign — without anchoring it in a clear, existing problem.

Sharon’s advice was to slow down and do some light-touch discovery first. What’s actually getting in the way today? Where are people struggling to access information, complete tasks, or understand what’s expected of them?

Sometimes the issue isn’t a lack of tools — it’s a mismatch between what exists and how people actually work.

When you start there, your business case becomes much easier to land.

2. Find the friction — that’s where your ROI is hiding

One of the most practical prompts from Sharon points to one of the biggest unlocks:

“Where are poor comms creating measurable drag?”

Because comms teams know that ROI doesn’t live in dashboards. It lives in the day-to-day friction employees deal with.

You see it in:

• Managers repeating or clarifying missed updates
• Onboarding that takes longer than it should
• Change initiatives that stall or never fully land
• Safety issues linked to missed or inaccessible information

This is what good communication actually impacts. And more importantly, this is what the business is already paying for. They’re just not calling it “comms.”

One example Sharon shared brought this to life: An employee who said the only time they read company emails was when they were in the bathroom — because that was the only uninterrupted moment in their day.

That’s not an engagement problem. That’s an access problem.

And when you frame it like that, it becomes much easier to connect communication to productivity, efficiency, and performance.

3. Stop reporting activity, start proving impact

“We improved reach by 20%” isn’t a business case.

It’s a metric. It’s useful. But on its own, it doesn’t mean much.

Instead, Sharon encourages internal comms teams to reframe comms metrics in terms of operational outcomes:

• We reduced onboarding time by three days
• We cut policy clarification tickets by 18%
• We improved shift-fill speed

Now you’re speaking the language of the business — and building credibility for the internal comms function along the way.

This doesn’t mean you need perfect, direct ROI for everything. But it does mean connecting your metrics to something tangible.

• If reach improves: What did that enable?
• If engagement increases: What changed as a result?
• If access gets easier: What friction disappears?

The strongest cases don’t just show what happened. They show why it mattered.

4. Build a case that reflects reality, not assumptions

Comms teams are often more plugged into the business than they realize. Or as Sharon puts it, “You probably know where the bodies are buried.”

You know:

• Where people are blocked
• What leaders actually care about (even if they don’t say it directly)
• Where things break down between HQ and the frontline

But that insight, typically gathered through informal or educational conversations across the business, often remains as a qualitative input.

Building a business case is the perfect opportunity to put this invaluable knowledge to work. Use what you already know, and back it up with real examples. Pair data with lived experience. Combine survey results with actual employee stories.

This is what makes a case land. Not a 40-slide deck, not a long list of features, but a clear picture of what’s happening today — and what it’s costing.

And importantly, this is also how you build alignment across stakeholders.

Internal comms initiatives rarely get approved in isolation. Your case needs to resonate with finance, HR, IT, operations — each with their own priorities. The more grounded your case is in real business challenges, the easier it is to bring those groups with you.

5. Treat comms like infrastructure

“These things are treated as one-off programmes… and then you have to fight for them every time.”

Sound familiar?

A new tool gets funded. A project gets approved. And then two years later, you’re back at square one — rebuilding the case from scratch.

Sharon’s reframe: Good comms should be a staple of business hygiene.

When comms is positioned as a project, it’s easy to cut — but when it’s invested in as infrastructure, it becomes essential.

That shift doesn’t just change how you get budget. It changes how the business sees your role. Internal comms is no longer just a support function, but a part of how work actually gets done.

How to make the move from comms team to business translator

This is the shift.

As Sharon put it, we need to connect what we do to “specific and measurable” impact.

That means:

• Translating engagement into performance
• Translating comms into operational outcomes
• Translating investment into dollars saved

Because the value is already there.

And if you don’t make that shift, the business still pays, just quietly — in lost time, slower onboarding, missed information, and duplicated effort.

That’s the cost of doing nothing.

So the goal isn’t to make comms sound more impressive. It’s to make it visible, measurable, and undeniably fundable.

When you do that, you’re not asking for budget. You’re making a case the business can’t ignore.

What makes him awesome?

Tom has been with Realise Training, a leading provider in the apprenticeship, adult learning and vocational training market, since October 2018. Realise supports people to fulfill their potential and help businesses upskill their workforce, and this year around 16,000 learners benefit from apprenticeship and adult education programs through Realise. Most of their training is done onsite, so their tutors are often traveling and working remotely.

Tom is part of the operational support team. There is not a job he doesn’t do — and if there is, he still gives it a go to try and help someone else out. What makes him awesome? EVERYTHING! He literally keeps the business moving from events to transport to decorating, his talents are endless. He even took up modeling some new Realise-branded clothing at one point… We need more Toms in this world!

How has Blink helped in his role?

Blink really aids in communication, from those quick instant messages when you need some last-minute train tickets to Tom being able to notify the business of operational notifications.

What does he want to do next?

I think building our own driving school sounds like something he would like to participate in! All those vehicle insurance documents and building regulations… he'd love it!

Nominated by: Aimee Mcvittie, Performance Manager

9 ways to boost employee engagement in manufacturing organizations

The manufacturing industry has an engagement problem. Just 25% of manufacturing employees are engaged at work, making it one of the least engaged occupations in the US.

Employee engagement is the extent to which workers feel satisfied with their jobs and are aligned with organizational values. It also influences how able and willing they are to give 100% to their work. 

So the stat above is worrying. But it also presents an untapped opportunity for forward-thinking firms.

When you improve employee engagement, you create a stronger connection between employee and organization. This leads to better retention, productivity, and business results.

With Deloitte’s 2024 Manufacturing Industry Outlook listing skilled staff shortages as one of the industry’s primary challenges over the coming year, there’s never been a better time to put an employee engagement strategy into action.

Take a look at our ideas for manufacturing employee engagement to swim against the tide, attract additional employees and motivate the ones you already have.  

The importance of employee engagement in manufacturing

It is without question that employee engagement is important to every organization in every industry.

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Engagement has a direct impact on talent acquisition and retention. Staff are less likely to take time off sick and productivity sees a 14% uptick. Happier, more satisfied staff produce better, more cost-effective results for your company.

But in manufacturing, employee engagement can help you to overcome a range of industry-specific challenges. There’s a link between manufacturing employee engagement and all of the following:

• Quality management – engaged employees care more about company goals – they’re more likely to spot and report quality issues
• Safety and risk management – engaged employees pay more attention to the critical comms sent out, which can often include safety and risk management documents. Engaged employees also hold themselves accountable for their impact on the team and work environment, which will lead them to paying more attention to health and safety. 
• Customer experience – there’s a link between employee experience (EX) and customer experience CX) – engaged employees manufacture better products and provide a better service
• Business results – when quality, safety, and CX improve, you improve overall business results – costs go down, sales go up

Key factors influencing employee engagement in manufacturing

If you want to improve the manufacturing employee experience at your organization, you need a strategy. This plan sets out how every part of your company – not just your HR team – is going to work together to improve engagement.

Your strategy should also consider the key factors that affect employee engagement in the manufacturing workplace.  

Communication

Internal communication within a manufacturing organization can be tricky. 

To start, the majority of manufacturing frontline employees don’t have business emails. This creates an initial barrier to cross —of how to even communicate with these workers. 

Then you have teams in the office and on the factory floor, plus a variety of login, language, and time constraints. To give updates on safety protocols and equipment issues, and to share company culture, you need communication channels that deliver the right information to every employee.

The physical work environment

Your workplace should be a safe and comfortable environment for employees. Equipment and protocols have to support the physical wellbeing of workers. And staff need easy-access communication channels so they can report hazards and safety concerns.

Training and development  

Training and development are key in a fast-changing sector like manufacturing. So employees can deliver products to the expected standard. And so you can retain more of your workers by giving them new challenges and a clear career path.

Manufacturing employees are often responsible for repetitive tasks. And it can be hard for them to see how their work fits into the bigger picture. Workplace leaders bring meaning to employee work by recognizing their efforts and sharing company goals and values.  

9 ways to improve employee engagement in manufacturing

Looking to improve employee engagement at your manufacturing firm? The following ideas will help you enhance the employee experience and reap business rewards.

1. Invest in technology

AI, automation, robotics – manufacturing tech is coming on leaps and bounds. But technology doesn’t just improve manufacturing processes. You can use it to boost employee engagement, too.

An employee app like Blink supports easy communication across your organization. As a mobile-first solution, available via smartphone, you can put mandatory reads, new safety protocols, and essential company updates at the fingertips of every employee.

You also bring together the tech tools your teams already use. With next-level integration capabilities, Blink puts information and resources in one easy-access location. You provide a friction-free, user-friendly interface that your employees enjoy using.

Technology streamlines work – and keeps employees in the loop. Just be sure to choose tools suited to both frontline and desk-based workers, and accessible for those with a company email or without. In doing so, you create an equitable working environment and raise the engagement bar for everyone.

2. Open communication

In workplaces that prioritize honesty, personal openness, and mutual respect, workers are 80% more likely to report high emotional wellbeing. Open communication helps keep employees happy.

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You can put the rumor mill out of action and adopt a more open communication style by letting information move freely between all members of your organization:

• Leaders keep employees in the loop, sharing key updates and supporting workers to understand the bigger picture.
• Managers have an open-door policy and regularly connect with their employees, offering feedback, updates, and – crucially – listening to what they have to say, too.
• Workers are encouraged to contribute – they collaborate with each other and feel comfortable raising issues and ideas with decision-makers

So how do you make this kind of communication a reality within your manufacturing organization?

Firstly, you need the right communication channels. These should be suited to your way of working and link every member of the workforce. In a large, modern workplace, a noticeboard crammed with paper memos simply won’t cut it.

Secondly, leaders need to leave egos at the door. Open communication means sometimes hearing things you don’t want to hear. Remember that negative feedback is often more valuable than good as it highlights areas for improvement. And encourage managers to lead by example.

Lastly, bear in mind that open communication can be taught. So train employees in information sharing, active listening, empathy, and teamwork. Teach them which communication channels are the most appropriate – and how often they should be using them. 

3. Translation capabilities

Most manufacturing organizations have a diverse, multinational workforce. And many frontline employees don’t speak English as a first language. So if you’re not already translating company comms, this is a really easy way to boost employee engagement across the board.

Resources, information, and internal communication should be available in the languages your workforce speaks. That way everyone receives the same message and enjoys equal access to information. This also eliminates the bottleneck that managers create, having to be the translator themselves and spending their hours on managing the communication channels that their employees don’t have access to.

For example,The Blink app supports over 100 languages. Contributors can translate posts and resources at the click of a button, making all of your content accessible to everyone on your team, regardless of the language they prefer to use.

With effective, accurate translation, you get everyone on the same page – and include everyone in your company culture.

4. Recognition programs

Recognition makes employees feel valued. When you appreciate and reward employees who go above and beyond, you motivate them and inspire other employees to follow suit.

So when an employee hits a professional or personal milestone, when someone highlights a safety issue before it becomes a hazard, or when a team consistently meets their targets, give them the public recognition they deserve. And encourage co-workers to praise one another, too.

You can give recognition in company meetings, on the blog, or in the newsletter. Or ensure you reach every member of staff with recognition updates by using a digital solution like Blink.

With Blink’s recognition feature, you can post instant, personalized messages to highlight staff achievements. You add a recognition post to the company news feed and start building recognition into your company culture in just a few clicks.

Praise goes a long way. But you may also like to consider perks and prizes. Gift vouchers, an extra paid day’s leave, or a catered team lunch can all incentivize your teams. For manufacturing firm, JFE Shoji Power, sweepstake competition prizes helped them to fill overtime shifts.  

But before you put a reward program into place, survey your staff. Find out what they really want in terms of recognition and reward. That way your recognition program stands to make the most impact.

5. Opportunities for advancement

It’s not just your office-based team who are keen to advance in their careers. 70% of frontline employees have applied for advancement opportunities. But this group doesn’t always get the resources or support they need to move up the career ladder.

When you’re looking to improve employee engagement in a manufacturing organization, allowing all employees to learn and advance within their roles is crucial. It gives employees something to work towards and feel excited about. And it makes them much more invested in doing a good job.

There are lots of things you can do to support career growth.

• Map out clear career goals with employees, offering training and mentor support to help them achieve them
• Give workers more responsibility during the standard work day, encouraging them to take ownership and make decisions where appropriate
• Cross-train and rotate jobs to bring variety to an employee’s workplace experience
• Ensure everyone is aware of training and career opportunities within your organization, highlighting typical career pathways and the perks of promotion

6. Regular, two-way feedback

As we mentioned earlier, open communication is an important part of employee engagement. You can facilitate this type of interaction by providing regular opportunities for two-way feedback.

Regular 1-to-1s between employees and managers help to maintain open lines of communication. These meetings are an opportunity to align goals, resolve conflicts, and identify areas for development.

Crucially, employees get the chance to raise queries and issues, too. They can provide insight into the manufacturing employee experience and any challenges they’re currently facing.

Just remember, this type of interaction needs to take place regularly, not just once or twice a year. To build trusting, open relationships, you need to build this type of communication into every single week.

That means managers spending time on the factory floor, seeing for themselves what excites, challenges, and frustrates workers. It means creating impromptu feedback opportunities. And it means using digital solutions to make feedback and communication easy, even when managers and workers aren’t based in the same location.

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7. Create a safe environment

The manufacturing industry in the US has some of the highest rates of occupational injury and illness. But you don’t get high rates of manufacturing employee engagement unless staff feel safe at work.

When employees feel safe:

• They can focus on their work
• They feel a greater sense of morale
• They feel valued and supported
• They trust in workplace leadership

Prioritize workplace safety and you also create a virtuous circle. Safe environments lead to better employee engagement. And engaged employees help to improve workplace safety going forward. There are 70% fewer safety incidents in the most engaged workplace environments than there are in the least.

Leaders and managers should regularly reassess the safety performance of equipment and protective wear. Careful plant design can help to mitigate safety risks, while clear risk assessment and safety protocols help workers identify and rectify issues before they lead to a safety incident.

But workplace safety isn’t just about having the right equipment and protocols. It’s about fostering a company culture with safety at its core.

To do this, you need psychological safety in addition to physical safety. This is where people feel safe voicing their opinions because they’re not worried about being judged, blamed, or punished.

Give employees a sense of psychological safety – and the right communication tools – and they’ll be more likely to report safety issues. Digital tools, rather than pen and paper methods, help safety information to travel both ways, reaching decision-makers and factory floor workers quickly.

8. Invest in training and onboarding

Manufacturing processes are prone to change. Employees need to keep their knowledge of tech and equipment, as well as their skills, up-to-date. This helps to create a safe environment for everyone working on the manufacturing team. And it boosts employee engagement, too.

Research from 2023 reveals that:

• 71% of manufacturing employees say that training and development is important to them in their work life
• 35% say they aren’t getting the quality of training and development they expect
• 28% said they would leave their employer soon because of poor training and skills development

Onboarding is not to be overlooked either. When new hires start working for a company, there’s lots to learn. Safety protocols. How to use equipment. Company values. Who they can turn to for feedback and support.  

Some organizations, lacking manpower, don’t put enough time and effort into onboarding. But this is where you lay the foundations of employee experience. And it can make or break an employee’s engagement with your firm.  

You can maximize onboarding benefits without spreading their staff too thin, with the help of a digital onboarding process.

Employees access guides, rules, and resources via the company portal. They can refer back to resources as and when they need them. It’s also easy for your teams to update resources with the most up-to-date information.

Managers and co-workers can then supplement this online learning with face-to-face input ensuring a positive experience for new employees.

9. Implement employee surveys

You can never really be sure how your staff are feeling unless you ask. So before you implement an employee engagement strategy for your manufacturing organization, it makes sense to conduct surveys.

As well as listening to employee concerns during manager 1-to-1s, surveys allow employees to give feedback on specific aspects of their role and on what they feel could be better within the organization.

Follow up with a regular schedule of surveys and you build a complete picture of the employee experience:

• Annual surveys give you insight into employee engagement progress
• Quick and easy pulse surveys give you an up-to-the-minute snapshot of employee sentiment
• Lifecycle surveys help you understand the challenges facing employees at each stage in their journey

To get feedback from as many employees as possible, you need to communicate openly. Tell employees about the insights your surveys have uncovered. And share your plan for acting upon their feedback as well as any results.

By engaging employees in every stage of the feedback process, they’re much more likely to respond next time you send out a survey request.  

You’ve read the tips. Now get some real-life inspiration! Aggregate Industries has already put these employee engagement tips into action. Find out how this manufacturing firm improved digital engagement across their frontline with Blink. Watch the webinar now.

In conclusion

In manufacturing, employee engagement can be transformational. When you improve the employee experience, you improve product quality, workplace safety, and customer service. You also find it easier to attract and retain staff in a tough labor market.

In an engaged workplace, information flows between all members of your workforce. Work is more meaningful thanks to clear company values and a sense of the bigger picture. Employees are empowered to do their best work, every day.

Getting to this point may feel like a challenge, particularly if you haven’t given much thought to employee engagement up to this point. But it’s a lot easier to make engagement improvements when you harness the power of technology.

With the help of a mobile-first employee app, you connect every employee, from your HQ office to the factory floor, regardless of their access to a company email or not. You can conduct surveys, give recognition, and provide easy-access training resources. You can translate information into a variety of languages.

Get an employee app on your team and you’ll find it easy to reach and engage every member of staff, whatever their preferred language and whatever their role.