Slack changed how office teams communicate.

But for the 80% of the global workforce who don’t sit at a desk, it was never designed to work.

Slack is a desktop-centric platform. It’s clunky (and sometimes completely inaccessible) for employees who are on their feet, moving between locations, and rarely sitting down at a desktop computer.

In 2026, this gap is impossible to ignore.

Frontline employees now expect workplace technology to feel as intuitive as the apps they use outside work. Fast, mobile, simple.

And they want to feel as connected to co-workers and company culture as their peers in the office.

So how do you get from here to there?

Follow in the footsteps of the many companies currently seeking Slack alternatives. Specifically, look for mobile-first employee communication tools and frontline messaging platforms.

Slack replacements for mobile-friendly team messaging are designed around the realities of deskless work. 

They meet frontline employees where they’re at with the help of intuitive comms tools, available on every employee smartphone. And they make a big difference to comms, culture, and connection in a frontline organization. 

In this guide, we’ll explore:

• Why Slack falls down for frontline organizations
• The internal comms shifts set to shape 2026
• Why mobile-first employee comms is now non-negotiable
• The features modern frontline messaging platforms must deliver
• How Blink supports mobile-friendly team messaging at scale

If your frontline teams currently rely on workarounds, WhatsApp groups, or word-of-mouth to stay informed — this one’s for you.

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The limitations of Slack for frontline teams

Slack is one of the most widely recognized internal communication tools in the world. But popularity doesn’t always equal suitability.

Slack was built for desk-based, knowledge worker collaboration. It has lots of great features — like desktop-first team chat, organized communication channels, and app integrations. But it doesn’t make sense for frontline workers.

Frontline workers are employees whose roles require them to work away from a desk or traditional computer. They’re the people working in manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, retail.

These employees often operate in time-sensitive, high-pressure environments. They need communication that is immediate, clear, and impossible to miss. Urgent updates. Relevant content. Highly intuitive messaging tools. And this is where Slack begins to struggle.

Here are some of the key limitations of Slack for frontline use:

• Noise and information overload from chat-based streams
• Inadequate support for push notifications, role-based broadcasts, and compliance features
• Lack of centralized, evergreen knowledge resources suited for easy mobile access
• A mismatch between desktop and mobile versions

Slack vs. frontline messaging platforms

Read more: 9 best team communication apps for 2026

The internal comms shifts driving the 2026 Slack replacement trend

Organizations are choosing to replace Slack because internal communication is changing.

In 2026, three major shifts are reshaping how organizations connect with frontline teams — and exposing the limitations of desktop-based chat platforms like Slack.

Here’s what’s happening.

Shift #1: Multi-channel strategies

Internal comms teams are adopting a multi-channel approach. This is a strategy that combines different communication types — like proactive push channels (emails, SMS) and passive pull channels (intranets, knowledge hubs).

It means sending the right part of the message through the right channel at the right time, adding links between messages where necessary. For example, an urgent update sent via SMS may link to a more detailed policy document on your content hub.

Key actions for frontline organizations:

• Implement mobile-first team communication tools
• Move permanently beyond paper memos and word-of-mouth comms for frontline workers
• Define the purpose of each comms channel to reduce noise

Shift #2: AI automation

In 2026, experts predict that HR and comms leaders will be evaluated on one key thing: how much time their tools give back.

AI is no longer about experimentation. It’s about execution. So there’s increasing demand for AI-powered engagement tools, continuous feedback, and automation in team messaging.

The aim? To drive productivity and smarter workflows. And to free up time for coaching, clarity, and connection.

Key actions for frontline organizations:

• Find productivity tools that allow you to automate routine admin
• Use AI to make sense of employee feedback, employee sentiment, and platform analytics
• Use AI to create and personalize comms platform content

Shift #3: Simplified tech stacks

App overload is real.

The average employee now uses more than 100 digital tools. And frontline workers feel that burden acutely because they’re managing all those logins and tabs on a small smartphone screen.

In 2026, organizations are seeking to simplify their tech stacks. They’re looking for unified platforms that save cost, reduce complexity, reduce cognitive overload, and improve compliance.

By moving from a patchwork of point solutions to an all-in-one mobile-first employee communication platform, see fewer missed messages and improved adoption — particularly among frontline teams.

Key actions for frontline organizations:

• Audit tools through a frontline lens
• Consolidate around a small number of multi-functional platforms
• Integrate a centralized platform with other workplace software

TL;DR: Slack is struggling to keep up with the pace of change in internal comms and the wider workplace — especially in organizations with a frontline workforce. This is why many companies are moving beyond Slack’s limitations to embrace a mobile-first employee communication solution.

The importance of mobile-first employee communication on the frontline

Mobile-first is a philosophy not a feature. A mobile-first employee communication platform is built from the ground up for smartphones. It’s not built for desktop, then adapted later as an afterthought.

For frontline teams, that difference matters. It helps to ensure simple, seamless, touch-friendly experiences for users without easy computer access.

Your retail team can catch up with company news on their lunch break. Carers can swap advice in the time between clients. Your bus drivers get urgent route updates as a smartphone notification.  

You get to ditch unreliable and inefficient methods of frontline communication — desktop tools like Slack, manager phone calls, paper memos, and unsecure WhatsApp chats.

You put company comms, culture, and connection, plus essential workplace tools, at the fingertips of every employee. So you can reach, engage, and empower your frontline workers, and the rest of your workforce, too.

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The key messaging features frontline platforms must deliver in 2026

If you’re replacing Slack this year — and seeking a better communication solution for your frontline workforce — there are a couple of non-negotiable features you should be looking for.  

The best apps for frontline workers feature the following:

Mobile-first experience

Some internal communication platforms come with a mobile app. But that doesn’t mean they’re mobile-first. Truly mobile-first employee communication tools are built with smartphone users as a priority. That means intuitive navigation, clear layouts, and simple interactions — a tool that is easy to use on the go, with minimal training and zero frustration.

Employee engagement tools

Modern frontline platforms do more than simply deliver direct messages. They actively foster employee engagement. Features like employee recognition, a culture-boosting news feed, and co-worker chat tools help employees feel connected and valued, even when they don’t sit at a desk.

Two-way, real-time messaging

Two-way communication is another non-negotiable when looking at Slack replacements. Because communication isn’t effective when it’s only top-down. Frontline messaging platforms enable instant conversations so employees can ask questions, provide feedback, and collaborate with teammates in real time.

Content tailored by role

Role-based segmentation allows you to send tailored and secure communications to specific departments, locations, or groups within an organization. It ensures relevance, reduces noise, and helps to drive platform adoption. Look for communication tools that allow you to send targeted messages to your frontline employees. That way, each time they log in, they see content that relates to them.

Searchable, evergreen knowledge spaces

Another key feature of a modern frontline messaging platform is a central hub for documentation, FAQs, and resources. This ensures employees always have access to reliable information — without having to quiz managers or co-workers. And it makes workforce alignment, onboarding, and collaboration much easier.  

Analytics and engagement tracking

Insights are critical if you want to understand the impact of your communications. The best platforms track message reach, engagement, and behavior patterns, giving managers the data they need to optimize communication strategies and fix gaps in understanding.

AI-based workflows

AI tools can streamline routine work. Automated reminders, shift notifications, approvals, and content summarization tools save time for managers and staff, letting them focus on higher-value work rather than repetitive tasks.

Integrations and compliance

Frontline communication tools should integrate smoothly with other workplace tools, creating a joined-up system that is easy for deskless workers to navigate — even in the middle of a busy shift. Integrations also help you maintain regulatory compliance. With features like HIPAA readiness for healthcare, secure single sign-on, and audit trails, you can stay efficient and protected while connecting teams across platforms.

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How Blink supports mobile-friendly team messaging for frontline workers

Blink is a mobile-first, social media-inspired employee experience platform, designed around the needs of frontline workers. It streamlines communication, engagement, and operational workflows with the help of:

A multimedia news feed

Real-time messaging tools

Content hub

Employee surveys

Employee recognition

Co-worker communities

Live streams and video calling

Push notifications

AI-powered automation tools

Analytics dashboard

Built-in compliance support

Integrations

Going way beyond the capabilities of Slack (and of a standard team messaging app), Blink gives you the tools you need to transform frontline communication, employee engagement, and company culture.

And don’t take our word for it. We’ve been recognized as a Challenger in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Intranet Packaged Solutions. That means we’re executing at a high level and pushing the market forward with a bold, differentiated vision.

Organizations like McDonald’s, JD Sports, Dollar Tree, and Domino’s use Blink to connect thousands of frontline employees across stores, warehouses, and healthcare settings. Through Blink, they deliver updates instantly, reduce reliance on WhatsApp or personal text groups, and bring communication, knowledge, and workflows into one mobile-first platform.

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The future of frontline communication starts now

Communication platforms are evolving fast — and 2026 marks a turning point.

This is the year mobile-first becomes the baseline for reaching a frontline workforce that’s short on time and always on the move.

It’s the year AI starts doing real work — cutting admin, surfacing insights, and giving managers more time to support their people.

It’s the year organizations get serious about simplifying bloated tech stacks.  

Organizations reviewing their frontline messaging tools in 2026 should be thinking beyond chat alone. Because the future belongs to platforms that inform, connect, and motivate your people — all from one streamlined, easy-to-use interface. 

Ready to start your search? Look for tools that provide an intuitive mobile experience, a range of comms channels, strong integrations, and clear insights into what’s actually working.

Do that, and you won’t just solve today’s communication challenges — you’ll also be ready for whatever comes next.  

Blink. And switch to a frontline messaging platform that connects your whole organization.

Unmotivated workers do the bare minimum. They can drag other team members down with them. They’re also more likely to be looking for a job elsewhere.

Given that only 23% of global employees feel engaged at work, improving employee motivation is a critical business priority. You need to employ strategies known to boost motivation and inspire better employee productivity. 

In this article, we list a range of employee motivation ideas that will help you get the most from your workforce. We’ll be looking at the following:

• Why is employee motivation important?
• Key factors in employee motivation
• 12 ways to motivate employees
• Using an employee super-app to create a motivated workforce

Why is employee motivation important?

Motivated employees tend to enjoy work. They have a sense of purpose and accomplishment. They also approach work with energy and drive.

But employee motivation isn’t just good for employees. It benefits your business, too. Here’s how:

Increased employee productivity. Motivated employees work harder. They’re more efficient and focused. They’re also more likely to take the initiative, going beyond their basic responsibilities.

Better quality of work. A motivated workforce doesn’t just produce more work. It produces better work. Workers are committed to quality. This results in fewer errors, fewer missed deadlines, and fewer workplace safety incidents.

Higher retention rate. Engaged employees are loyal to your organization. So they’re less likely to look for another job. With a motivated workforce, your organization experiences higher levels of employee retention and less absenteeism.

More profit. Gallup research on employee engagement shows that employee morale impacts a range of business outcomes. It leads to a 23% increase in profitability and a 10% increase in customer loyalty.

Key factors in employee motivation 

There are two types of motivation — extrinsic and intrinsic.

Extrinsic motivation is all about the carrot and the stick. You create extrinsic motivation with external rewards and penalties. Rewards might include an employee’s salary, bonuses, rewards, and praise. Penalties might include a poor performance review or a manager reprimand.

Intrinsic motivation comes from within. Employees are motivated to do their best work because they find it personally rewarding. This type of motivation relies on drivers like interest, purpose, pride, and curiosity.

When you have high levels of employee engagement within a workplace, you tend to get high levels of intrinsic motivation. Employees feel invested in their work and the company. So they’re driven to bring their A-game without needing constant carrot-and-stick encouragement.

As an employer, it may seem that you have more control over extrinsic motivation. You can raise someone’s salary, provide bonuses, and praise a job well done. All of these things help to motivate an employee.

But the fact is, you can influence levels of intrinsic motivation, too. Here are some of the things that prompt intrinsic motivation in your employees. 

Feeling valued

When employees feel you care about them, their wellbeing, and their lives beyond work, they’re more likely to bring their all. That means giving employee recognition where it’s due, treating people fairly, and valuing their input, too.

Making progress

Employees like to know where they’re heading — and where they’re at right now. That requires regular, positive feedback and constructive criticism. Training, development, and clear career pathing are also important.

A sense of purpose

Every job has its boring bits — the tasks that an employee is never going to be excited about doing. But when employees understand how their work contributes to organizational success and wider society, finding that motivation gets easier.

A positive company culture

Motivation is contagious. And it spreads more easily in organizations where there’s good communication and a sense of belonging. When they’re part of an open and supportive company culture, employees are more invested in company success.

The ideas we’ve included below incorporate all of the above. They also provide ways to inspire both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in your workforce. 

12 ways to motivate employees

To motivate your employees, you need to:

• Highlight values and purpose
• Communicate transparently
• Give employees the resources they need
• Use the right technology
• Provide opportunities for professional development
• Develop employee career paths
• Support employee wellbeing
• Encourage teamwork and collaboration
• Support employees to build workplace friendships
• Recognize employee contributions
• Ask employees for their thoughts and feedback
• Treat everyone equitably

Highlight values and purpose

According to Gartner research, shared purpose is one of five primary things motivating employees to stay in their jobs right now. It helps them feel invested in their work and your organization.

Shared purpose helps employees feel part of something bigger than themselves. So work becomes about more than just a paycheck.

You can support purpose in the workplace, by crafting clear company values and communicating these values regularly.

Start during onboarding. Introduce new hires to your company’s vision, mission, and values from day one. Explain how their role contributes to your goals and social impact.

Be consistent. Regularly reinforce your company's vision and mission in all employee communications. Make purpose a recurring theme in meetings, updates, and internal messaging.

Build a values-based culture: Create an environment where company values are lived and breathed daily. Take concrete action based on your values. That way, employees are more likely to believe in them.

Communicate transparently

Employee communication is another important element of employee motivation. Open and transparent communication builds trust. And employees who get enough information to do their jobs well are 2.8 times more likely to be engaged.

But while 87% of business leaders think their internal communications are “highly effective”, only 63% of employees agree. So what does effective communication look like?

Effective communication is a two-way conversation, where both leaders and employees get to share ideas, concerns, and feedback. It’s keeping employees up-to-date with key company developments, and it’s ensuring that you have clear channels of communication to reach all employees.  

For remote and frontline teams, this means choosing streamlined, digital communication channels. You need internal communication tools you can use to relay messages quickly and reliably, bypassing paper memos and an employee’s already overflowing email inbox. 

Give employees the resources they need

Imagine you’re setting out on a long hike. You’re excited and determined to reach the endpoint.

But you’re given a pair of ill-fitting hiking boots to wear. And a mile or so into the walk, you realize that the map you’re following isn’t 100% accurate. You decide to call the hike organizer for directions. But the number’s engaged and you fail to get through.

It’s likely that at this point in the hike, your motivation has started to dip. You feel thwarted and discouraged. You’re tempted to turn back. What felt like a promising journey now feels like an uphill struggle. 

That’s why it’s important to give employees the resources they need. They need the right tech, training, support, and information to do their jobs well. Without it, morale takes a hit.

Use the right technology

Technology is increasingly important to the employee experience. Done right, it makes life easier for employees. Done wrong, it causes friction and frustration, which harms employee motivation.

A concerning 83% of HR leaders say they don’t have the right technology at work. This is contributing to stress, burnout, and low morale. Similarly, only 10% of frontline workers say they have access to the tools, tech, and opportunities they need to connect and advance in the workplace.

All workers — those in the office, those working remotely, and those on your company’s front lines — need access to high-quality, user-friendly tech that makes their jobs easier, not harder.

That might mean using a mobile-first employee app to give frontline employees the resources and co-worker connection they crave. Or it might mean implementing a social intranet that supports workplace communication and collaboration.

You can also use tech tools that have a direct impact on employee motivation. Employee engagement tools help organizations to improve and track staff morale.   

Provide opportunities for professional development

According to O.C. Tanner research, organizations have five times greater odds of achieving employee fulfillment when they support professional development. A comprehensive training program improves your workplace retention rate, too.  

O.C. Tanner also found that organizations are more likely to make a success of skills-building initiatives when they:

• Empower employees to make their own training decisions. Supporting employees to choose training paths that align with their career goals and interests improves engagement with the learning process.
  
  
• Give employees time during work to complete training. Allocate dedicated time for training so employees don’t experience stress, trying to juggle learning with daily tasks and out-of-work responsibilities.
  
  
• Provide or reimburse hobby classes as well as work-related learning. Reimbursement for hobby classes improves the odds that a skill-building program will improve retention by 119%.

Develop employee career paths

Training is important. But unless employees can put those newfound skills to use within your organization, they’re going to become frustrated. That’s why every employee should have a clear progression path within your organization.

Sit down with employees to find out where their ambitions lie. And — as we mentioned above — personalize a training program to support their career goals.

Also, try to be realistic and open with workers about when a promotion is likely. This will depend on their current skill set and your organizational needs. If an upward move isn’t available for the foreseeable, there are other things you can do to keep staff motivated.

A lateral move helps employees to develop skills in another area of the business. You give them a new challenge and support them to become well-rounded members of your organization.

Similarly, stretch assignments are a great way to grow employee skills. They encourage workers to move beyond their comfort zone, take on new responsibilities, and prepare for higher-level roles.

Support employee wellbeing

In its State of the Global Workplace Report for 2024, Gallup talks a lot about employee wellbeing. It reveals that to improve employee lives and organizational performance, employers need to do the following:

• Make support for employee wellbeing visible and consistent
• Assign employee wellbeing counselors or coaches
• Emphasize wellbeing at work and in life
• Go beyond physical health to provide mental health and holistic support

Employee wellbeing goes beyond the odd mindfulness session. It requires a company-wide approach and a real understanding of what your employees might be struggling with.

Starbucks is a great example. They’ve been helping employees with the astronomical cost of housing. They offer a Tenancy Deposit Loan Scheme that they’ve named Home Sweet Loan. Employees can access an interest-free loan to pay the rental deposit when moving into a new home.

Starbucks is making it easier for employees to find and secure housing. This is good for their baristas. But it’s good for business, too. Because when employees aren’t worried about the roof over their heads, they’re more motivated and focused at work.

Encourage teamwork and collaboration

A 2022 Corel report reveals that 41% of employees have left their jobs or would consider leaving their jobs due to poor collaboration at work.

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Collaboration is a great way to engage employees. It helps to create a sense of belonging. It makes work more efficient because teams share knowledge and resources freely. Plus, employees motivate one another when they work together.

You can support collaboration by supporting employees to build positive workplace relationships (more on this in a moment). Praising teams, rather than individuals, for their successes is also a good idea.

For teams who work disparately, the right intranet or app is an important part of the puzzle. You need tools that support employees to collaborate in real-time and access shared resources.

Read more: 8 benefits of collaboration in the workplace

Support employees to build workplace friendships

Water cooler chat may feel like an unnecessary part of the work day. But giving employees the time, space, and, in some cases, the tech they need to develop workplace friendships is incredibly important to engagement.

Employees who feel that they belong within an organization are 5.3 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work. And those with a best friend at work are more productive, happier to innovate, and happier to share ideas.

So schedule social events. Allow time at the beginning or end of meetings for informal conversation. If your team works remotely or you have frontline workers, be intentional about creating these opportunities for connection.

That might mean letting employees create shared interest groups on the company intranet. How about a book club? Or a running club? Maintaining a news feed where employees can post, comment, and like, helps remote and frontline workers to build connections, too.

Recognize employee contributions

Employee recognition and rewards are another important pillar of employee morale. When employees feel their hard work is appreciated, they’re more likely to maintain their motivation.  

They’re also more likely to stay working for your company. According to recent Gallup and Workhuman research, a 10,000-person organization can save up to $16.1 million a year in reduced employee turnover costs by making recognition an important part of company culture.

Timely and relevant recognition from managers is essential. But peer-to-peer recognition can be just as valuable and it has a surprising benefit. 75% of employees say that giving recognition makes them want to stay at their current organization longer.

Blink’s employee recognition feature makes it easy to give every employee the appreciation they deserve. You can create personalized recognition posts in seconds. Then, share praise with the individual or publish it on the company news feed for everyone to see and celebrate.

If you want to offer employee rewards as part of your recognition program, be sure to find out what employees are excited by. You may think that cash bonuses and company merchandise are great incentives. But it may be that employees would prefer something else, like extra paid time off.

Read more: 6 amazing employee appreciation ideas that your staff will love

Ask employees for their thoughts and feedback

Employees are more motivated when they feel listened to. When an employer seeks their input and insight, it makes them feel valued, which contributes to employee morale.

Ask for employee input on key decisions. Taking everyone’s opinions into account when implementing change helps to ensure buy-in.

Also, get employee feedback on a range of issues, on a regular basis. Use surveys to ask workers about the employee experience, workplace satisfaction, or workplace rewards. Their answers will help you to develop a more motivating environment for employees going forward.

Just remember that feedback is a multi-stage process that requires effective communication. You need to:

• Ask for employee feedback
• Thank employees for their feedback
• Tell employees what their feedback has revealed and what you plan to do about it
• Keep employees in the loop, informing them how your plans are going

Closing the feedback loop like this keeps employees invested in the feedback process. It shows them that you’re really listening to what they have to say.

Treat everyone fairly and equitably

Fairness is crucial to employee motivation. When employees feel that they aren’t being treated fairly or equitably, motivation takes a dive.

So all employees must be given equal access to training and career progression opportunities. Everyone should have the option to give feedback and build workplace friendships. They should get the resources and recognition they need to feel valued.  

Pay also comes into the equation. You can prevent resentment and employee churn by offering employees a fair salary. Conduct a pay equity audit. Also, regularly check to see how your wages match up with market trends and the cost of living.

But bear in mind that engaged employees look for a 31% pay increase to consider taking a job with another organization. So you don’t necessarily have to match competitors like-for-like if you provide non-monetary benefits and a company culture employees enjoy being part of.

Using an employee super-app to create a motivated workforce

Having the right tech on your team makes it easier to boost employee motivation. 

An employee super-app is particularly useful for remote and frontline employees who may feel disconnected from motivators like co-worker support, feedback opportunities, and company resources.

An employee app helps you to create an equitable experience for all members of staff, no matter where they work. It also allows you to put motivation-boosting features into the palm of every employee’s hand. 

Take a look at these employee app features, sure to improve employee motivation. 

Social features

Social features like a company news feed help to include everyone in your company culture and support workplace connections.

A resource library

A resource library gives all employees, no matter where they work, access to essential workplace resources. You can populate your library with how-to guides, company policies, and FAQs.

Recognition features

Built-in recognition features make it easy to show appreciation for employees and encourage peer-to-peer recognition, too.

Survey tools

The best employee super apps make it easy for managers to request feedback — and for employees to provide it.

A digital hub

By integrating with all of the digitals you use, you can give employees access to professional development, wellbeing, and collaboration tools, all in the same place.

Effective communication

With a news feed, group messaging, and 1:1 chats, it’s easy for every member of your organization to take part in the company conversation and for leaders to amplify company culture.  

Analytics

Analytics help you to track motivation and engagement. This allows you to make data-backed improvements to your engagement initiatives.  

In summary

Find ways to motivate your employees and you create a happier, more engaged, more productive workforce. You improve employee loyalty and talent retention. You also achieve better business results. 

There are lots of different things you can do to motivate your workforce. But all actions center around four key pillars:

• Help employees find meaning in their work
• Show employees that you value them as people as well as workers
• Support employees to make progress in their careers
• Build a positive company culture

It’s easier to do all these things when you have the right tech tools. An employee super-app brings your organization together and helps you establish a positive company culture.

It also gives employees all the communication, resources, and digital tools they need to excel in their roles. They experience more flow and less friction, which makes for improved employee motivation.

Find out what an employee app could do for your organization. Schedule a free Blink demo today.

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Beware! It’s the season of spooky internal comms.

As the nights grow longer and the shadows creep in, we can’t help but share some of the most terrifying tales from the world of internal communications.

These are the kinds of stories that send shivers down the spines of communications leaders everywhere — from abandoned intranets to the files that won’t die, each one serves as a chilling reminder of what happens when things go awry in the workplace.

But don’t worry, we’re not here to scare you for long. With the right strategies and technologies, you can avoid each nightmare scenario and ensure your employees are kept safe from the monsters of comms gone wrong.

So grab a mug of hot apple cider, curl up under a blanket, and read on, internal communicators… if you dare.

#1. The abandoned intranet

It’s a cautionary tale we hear all too often.

The company’s intranet, once a thriving hub of communication and collaboration, is now a digital ghost town. There was once a time when employees would check in daily for company news, office events, and team updates. Now, it’s a desolate, dusty corner of the office’s virtual space, where outdated files collect cobwebs and employee profiles haven’t been updated since 2016.

No one posts anymore. No one checks it. Rumor has it that some employees haven’t even logged in for years.

As workers find more convenient ways to communicate on the fly, the old intranet withers away, trapped in the past. No matter how hard HR tries to breathe life into it, the abandoned intranet remains a relic of a bygone era — an eerie reminder that if communication tools don’t meet modern employee expectations, they’re doomed to fade into oblivion.

#2. The phantom shift swap

The shift swap app was supposed to make everything easier. But for one bus driver, it felt like a terrifying prank.

She submitted a request to swap shifts, expecting a quick confirmation. But when the shift was approved, strange things began to happen. Her name appeared on two shifts at once. Overlapping schedules. Double bookings. No matter how many times she tried to fix it, she was stuck in an endless loop of conflicting shifts. Her manager said she tried to adjust the schedule, but the terrors persisted. Colleagues wondered if she’d been cursed to work two shifts at the same time, forever trapped behind the wheel.

As the errors mounted, it became clear that this was no ordinary scheduling issue. It was a haunting glitch with no escape in sight.

The only way to help her escape this scheduling nightmare was a shift management tool with real-time integration into the comms platform — no room for terrible errors.

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#3. The curse of the social scrolls

You’ve heard of the risks of “all work and no play” — but what about the other way around?

There was once a company who launched a social media-inspired internal platform to modernize the employee experience. It had it all — likes, shares, comments, and the ability to follow colleagues’ posts. Employees were thrilled, treating company updates like their favorite social media feeds.

But then, things took a terrifying turn.

It all started when a routine update on workplace safety spiraled into a viral nightmare. A sarcastic comment sparked a meme storm, and soon, the original message was buried beneath a graveyard of reactions.

Notifications haunted inboxes. Critical information got lost in the noise. Announcements became a race for likes and important deadlines were ghosted as employees spent time conjuring clever comments or trying to win thread wars.

The only way to save the team from this cursed scrolling nightmare was to strike the balance between employee engagement and efficiency — where important messages were prioritized and light-hearted engagement didn’t overshadow critical work updates.

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#4. The cursed CEO email

Legend has it that whenever the CEO sends a company-wide email, chaos ensues.

The email arrives without warning. Employees feel a chill run down their spines as they open it. Suddenly, meetings are scheduled, projects are assigned, and urgent tasks appear out of nowhere. Everyone has that sinking feeling — you’ve just been “voluntold” for something new.

But the worst part? The email sits in your inbox, lingering, waiting for the poor soul who dares to click “Reply All.” And when they do, chaos breaks loose — a flood of unnecessary responses, confusion, and frantic attempts to undo the damage.

It’s a curse that haunts the office every time, and no one seems to learn the lesson. Some say that targeted messaging and group filters are on their way, ready to rid the company of frightening follow-ups… but then another all-employee email arrives and all hope of progress is lost.

5. The forgotten frontline worker

The newest member of the shipping team was excited to join the company — but something was off.

As the weeks passed, he couldn’t shake a deep feeling of total isolation. He never received the onboarding checklist that he was told to complete. He sent messages to his colleagues, but no one responded. The company’s communication channels were a maze he couldn’t navigate. He tried joining the team’s video call, but every attempt resulted in error messages.

The more he tried to reach out, the more he realized — he was completely alone in the company’s communication void. It was as if no one knew he existed.

As he worked the quiet aisles of the fulfillment center, he began to wonder if he was doomed to wander the similarly empty virtual hallways of the company, disconnected and invisible.

A simple mobile-first comms platform, intuitively designed to onboard frontline and remote workers smoothly, could have saved him from this forgotten fate.

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#6. The jump scare alert

Every time the company intranet sends a new notification, employees flinch.

It’s never good news. The dreaded ping of a new notification means another last-minute all-hands meeting, a new policy change, or another round of mandatory compliance training. No one is safe from the frenzy of pings, dings, and buzzes, each one causing a ripple of jump scares throughout the employee base.

The never-ending notifications aren’t just constant, they almost feel cruelly timed — catching workers off guard during lunch breaks, late-night shifts, or right when they’re about to clock out.

Each alert leaves employees with a sinking feeling. What fresh horror awaits?

The employees often look into the distance and share stories of friends whose employers use message segmentation and smart notifications to personalize alerts and reduce irrelevant pings. “If only we were so lucky,” they whisper into the abyss.

#7. The files that won’t die

It started with an innocent attempt to delete an outdated HR file.

But no matter how hard the HR team tried, the file kept coming back, plagued by ghostly glitches. They uploaded a newer version, yet “Benefits2024” turned into “Benefits2024_v2,” then “Benefits2024_FINAL,” then “Benefits2024_FINALFINAL.” It didn’t matter how many versions she created — the old files returned to haunt the intranet, filling up space and confusing employees. Soon, the page was cluttered with so many versions, no one knew which file was the real one anymore.

It was a digital graveyard of files, and there seemed to be no way to stop the nightmare.

These haunted files could only be put to rest in a dynamic content hub where other systems and tools integrated with ease — leaving the intranet free from undead debris.
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#8. The dreaded “let’s split up” slip-up

In an effort to cover more ground and engage employees where they are, the internal comms team made a fateful mistake: they split up into different task forces.

They had specific groups for HR updates, operations, and company culture. Instead of coming together to create a unified message, each team worked in silos, unaware of what the others were doing. Emails flooded employees’ inboxes — some with safety updates, others with event invites, and still more with policy reminders.

Before long, messages contradicted each other. Employees grew confused, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of communications. They didn’t know whose emails to prioritize, which deadlines were real, or where to turn for accurate information.

The split had fragmented not just the comms strategy, but the workforce itself.

If only the team had used a modern all-in-one comms platform, where unified company-wide and targeted messages could be sent with ease, they could have avoided this chilling fate altogether.

#9. The faceless leader

There’s a chill in the air whenever a company-wide message arrives from… The Leader.

No one knows who they are. No one’s seen their face or heard their voice. All they know is that every few weeks, a cold, impersonal email appears in their inboxes, filled with company updates, policy changes, and new directives. The messages are distant, robotic, and completely one-sided. Employees can’t reply. They can’t ask questions. They can’t even tell if The Leader knows what’s really going on at the frontline.

The faceless leader simply delivers information, never seeking feedback, never engaging in conversation. It feels like a ghostly figure hovering over the organization, whispering commands from the shadows.

The team grows frustrated, morale dips, and engagement begins to vanish into thin air.

With a comms platform that encourages two-way dialogue, maybe The Leader could finally step out of the shadows, engage with employees directly, and build trust. Until then, employees are left haunted by the eerie silence on the other end of the message.

Don’t let internal comms frights keep you up at night.

While these spooky stories may send a chill down your spine, they don’t have to haunt your workplace.

With the right internal communication tools — from mobile-first apps that keep everyone in the loop no matter where they work, to message segmentation that prevents information overload — you can save your employees from these hair-raising horrors.

This Halloween, don’t let outdated technology, disjointed messaging, or phantom notifications haunt your team. After all, internal comms should unite — not cause fright.

Blink. And deliver all treats — no tricks — with your internal comms this Halloween season.

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What's Considered a Small Business in America's Fastest-Growing Cities?

A small and medium-sized business (SMB) in the U.S. is generally defined as an independently owned and operated company with fewer than 500 employees. But that number is the starting point, not the whole answer. Industry size standards, measured by headcount or annual revenue, vary widely depending on the sector you operate in, and the cutoffs matter more than most business owners realize.

Especially if you're in one of the top US cities for small businesses. In Austin, Nashville, Charlotte, or Raleigh, "small business" isn't just a label - it's a qualifier for grants, tax credits, and city-funded incentives that can directly affect your bottom line.

Get the definition right, and doors open. Get it wrong, and you may not even know what you're missing.

What is the Definition of a Small Business?

According to the U.S. Department of State, a small business is an independently owned and operated company that is not dominant in its field on a national basis. In practice, that means it's not a subsidiary of a larger corporation, not publicly traded, and not the market leader in its sector.

For businesses with on-the-go workforces such as construction, hospitality, healthcare, and logistics, "small" tends to describe organizational culture and agility more than actual reach. A 200-person home care agency, a restaurant group spread across three cities, a construction outfit running multiple sites at once: all SMBs by standard industry definitions, all dealing with the same core problem. Keeping a dispersed, deskless workforce connected, informed, and performing.

What Qualifies as a Small Business?

Qualifying as an SMB comes down to two things: your industry classification and where your business sits relative to the size threshold assigned to that industry.

Industry size standards use the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to assign a size threshold to every business type. Most standards work in one of two ways. The first is average annual receipts (revenue), averaged over your most recent three to five complete fiscal years. The second is the number of employees, averaged across each pay period over the preceding 24 months. Full-time, part-time, and temporary workers all count equally.

How Many Employees Does a Small Business Have?

The 500-employee figure is the one that often gets quoted. However, the actual number varies quite a bit by industry.

Manufacturing businesses are assessed on headcount, with standards ranging from 250 to 1,500 employees, depending on the sub-sector. Wholesale trade and retail businesses have thresholds between 50 and 250 employees. Construction, healthcare, and hospitality businesses are typically assessed on revenue rather than headcount, so the question of employee count is slightly beside the point for them.

Some industries are classified as small with 100 employees. Others allow up to 1,500. The 500-employee figure is a midpoint. Your specific NAICS code is what actually matters.

This distinction catches a lot of frontline-heavy businesses off guard. A growing healthcare provider or a multi-site hospitality group can cross a headcount milestone faster than leadership realizes. Checking your standard before you hit that threshold keeps you on top of what you qualify for.

Why the Small Business Definition Matters

Getting your classification right isn't a compliance formality. In the fastest-growing cities in America, it's a direct route to funding and advantages that most businesses never fully pursue.

City and State Grants 

Fast-growing cities actively compete for small business investment. Austin's Business Expansion Program ties performance-based funding to job creation thresholds and local hiring criteria. Charlotte, Nashville, and Raleigh run comparable programs. You need to certify your size to get in the door.

Government-Backed Financing 

Federally backed loan programs are only available to businesses that qualify as small. These typically carry lower rates and more flexible terms than conventional financing, which matters when you're scaling.

Federal Contracting. 

For healthcare providers with public contracts, construction businesses bidding on infrastructure, or facilities management companies on public-sector sites, small business designation determines which contracts you can actually compete for.

Tax Credits. 

Federal and state tax credit programs frequently use official size standards as an eligibility filter. Miss your classification and you could be leaving credits on the table, or applying for programs you don't qualify for.

In markets where rents are rising, the talent pool is competitive, and grant windows close on fixed dates, your classification is a commercial decision.

Importance of Small Businesses in America's Fastest-Growing Cities

Small businesses are the engine of the U.S. economy, and in fast-growing cities, they're what make a main street worth walking down.

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), there are over 33.2 million small businesses in the U.S., making up 99.9% of all American businesses. They employ more than 61.7 million people, nearly 46.4% of the entire private workforce, and account for 43.5% of U.S. GDP. Between 1995 and 2021, they created over 17.3 million net new jobs.

In healthcare, construction, hospitality, retail, and logistics, small businesses aren't on the margins of those industries. A regional home care network. A family-owned construction firm running public infrastructure contracts. A restaurant group across a booming food district. These businesses employ their neighbors, shape their communities, and set the tone for what frontline work actually feels like day-to-day.

They're also the businesses most exposed to today's retention pressures. Frontline turnover in hospitality runs around 19%. Healthcare is comparable. Replacing one frontline employee costs anywhere from 33% to 200% of their annual salary - manageable for a large business, genuinely destabilizing for a 50- or 100-person operation.

Small Business Resources

Knowing your classification opens the door to a lot of programs designed specifically for small businesses.

Government-Backed Loans

Federal financing options cover most stages of business growth. General-purpose loans handle working capital, equipment, and real estate. Fixed asset loan programs are designed for larger purchases. Microloan programs cater to smaller funding needs, typically under $50,000, and are often the right entry point for early-stage businesses. Federal mentorship programs and Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) also offer free one-to-one advisory services at any stage of growth

Grants

City and state-level funding is also worth exploring. Many cities run dedicated SMB grant programs, offering everything from performance-based funding tied to hiring and wage targets to training programs and business expansion support. State governments typically maintain searchable databases of tax credits, workforce development grants, and industry-specific incentives, most of which use official size standards as the eligibility baseline. Your city's economic development department and your state's business incentives portal are the two places to start.

Government Contracting

SMB status opens doors in federal and local contracting that aren't available to larger firms. Federal set-aside programs reserve a portion of government contracts specifically for qualifying businesses. Registering as a verified small business makes you visible to federal procurement officers actively looking for SMB suppliers.

Workforce Tools

Classification and funding matter. So does having the right infrastructure to actually run your team. For businesses with distributed or deskless workforces, the right communication platform reduces the real cost of keeping people connected and informed. Blink's Small Business offering gives growing teams a communications hub, HR tools, documents, IT support and team chat in a single mobile app, accessible from wherever people are working, not just from a desk.

Types of Small Business Structures

Your business structure matters alongside your size classification. When you apply for grants or financing, the two are often assessed together. For a deeper look at how structure affects your options in fast-growing markets, see our guide to the four types of small business structures for high-growth hubs.

The four most common structures in the U.S.:

• Sole proprietorship: One owner, no legal separation between the person and the business. Simple to set up, but all liability is personal. Common in consulting, trades, and freelance work.
• Partnership: Two or more people share ownership, profits, and responsibility. General partnerships split liability equally; limited partnerships let some partners cap their exposure. Standard in professional services.
• LLC: The most popular structure for small businesses that want personal asset protection without corporate overhead. Flexible on taxes, low administrative burden, and relatively easy to run.
• Corporation (C-Corp or S-Corp): More complex to establish, but stronger liability protection and more options for outside investment. S-Corps have pass-through taxation and a 100-shareholder cap; C-Corps don't have either restriction.

For frontline businesses, the LLC is the most common starting point, with many transitioning to C-Corp structures as they bring on investors or scale. Beyond liability, your structure shapes how grant programs, lenders, and city incentive schemes assess your application.

How to Determine If Your Business Qualifies as Small

Three steps.

First, find your NAICS code via the U.S. Census Bureau's lookup tool and run it through the federal Size Standards Tool to get the threshold for your industry.

Second, calculate your size. For revenue-based standards, average your annual receipts over the last three to five complete fiscal years. For headcount standards, average your payroll over the preceding 24 months, including part-time and temporary staff. If another business can control yours through majority ownership or a contractual arrangement, include their employees and revenue too.

Third, re-check annually. Federal size standards are reviewed on a rolling basis. Growth moves fast, and size status can shift between grant cycles.

Benefits of Small Businesses

For workers, the benefits of working for a small business are often personal in ways that don't show up in a job listing. 

Smaller businesses move faster in hiring, communicate more directly between leadership and workers, and give people a clearer sense of their own contribution - things large employers genuinely struggle to replicate. For a practical look at how small businesses in growth hubs can use creative benefits to compete for frontline talent, see our dedicated guide.

Agility matters too. Small businesses change course faster than large ones. Schedule adjustments, role changes, new tools, responses to local market conditions, all without the inertia that slows larger organizations. 

And there's a community dimension that doesn't show up in a Profit and Loss statement. Small businesses in fast-growing cities hire locally, source locally, and tend to reinvest locally. That builds customer loyalty and earns goodwill from city administrations that are actively trying to support growth in their markets.

Challenges Facing Small Businesses

Running a small business in a fast-growing market is an opportunity. It's also a grind.

Employee Retention

Frontline retention is the biggest pressure point right now. Hospitality turnover runs around 19% annually. Healthcare is in a similar territory. Replacing one frontline employee costs between 33% and 200% of their annual salary, and that math compounds fast when you're losing three or four people in the same quarter. 

Rising Costs

Rising costs add pressure on top: commercial rents in booming cities, labor cost increases, and supply chain volatility. Businesses already running lean don't have much room to absorb any of it. According to Indeed's Global Work Wellbeing Report, workers in healthcare, transport, and hospitality are reporting declining wellbeing even as their workloads stay high. For small operators who depend on stable frontline teams, that shows up in the weekly schedule.

Communication Gaps

Communication gaps are costly and common. Most workers in construction, healthcare, and hospitality don't have a company email address. Updates land on notice boards nobody reads, or in WhatsApp groups that create compliance risk and give you zero visibility. Critical information doesn't reach the right people. The technology to fix this exists.

Multi-site and distributed workforce management adds coordination complexity that grows faster than headcount. For more on the operational side, see our guide on how to manage employees in a small business.

How Blink Supports Small Business Operations

The businesses doing well in high-growth markets right now have invested in systems that keep their people connected and in the loop. A frontline team that actually hears from leadership, gets clear shift information, and feels like part of the organization performs better, stays longer, and tends to recruit for you.

Blink is a single mobile app where every worker gets the news feed, shift briefings, HR forms, team chat, and recognition they need, on the phone they already carry. For small businesses managing frontline teams in fast-growing cities, that's the operational foundation. The rest gets built on top of it.

Get started with Blink today.

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Searching high and low for the perfect employee to fill a complicated role can be difficult. It stresses you out if you’re already short-staffed and in a rush to get more hands as quickly as possible.  

Of course, it would be preferable not to worry about hiring at all. Retaining employees you already have can be a lot simpler than constantly hiring. And it can benefit your business too. 

While you’re probably familiar with some of the benefits of employee retention, there are several hidden advantages of employee retention that you may not have considered. 

If you’re ready to get motivated to kick your retention efforts into high gear and retain your top talent, keep reading and learn some of the lesser-known benefits of staff retention.

Why employee retention is important

Employee retention is important because it can improve the productivity of an organization.

Organizations with high employee retention profit from increased employee engagement, higher employee morale, more experienced employees, and lower employee turnover costs.

That’s why 91% of Human Resources leaders are concerned about employee turnover in the near future. 

Besides the revenue, companies with a lower turnover rate can spend time on their employees, build a cohesive company culture, and achieve innovations that outperform their high-churn counterparts. 

Employee retention’s effect extends beyond your annual revenue or quarterly performance reports — it improves each day for your workers, managers, and customers. 

In short, it’s hard to overstate the importance of effective employee retention strategies as they can impact just about every aspect of your business, including revenue, service, and company culture. 

1. More quality hires

Hiring typically increases when employees leave your company. So it should decrease as your retention goes up. 

The hidden benefit of high retention is that you can allocate more resources to the time-consuming job of sourcing new hires. You can be more selective in finding candidates with relevant experience and perfect cultural fit instead of rushing to fill a vacancy.

The candidates you hire this way are more likely to stick around and better fit your organization, which further improves your retention rate. 

Ultimately, more employees staying means more business growth and more new positions. You can focus your hiring efforts on adding to the team rather than replacing previous talent. 

2. Better employee training

Hiring new employees takes up a significant portion of your company’s HR budget and time. It’s estimated that replacing an employee costs anywhere from 50% to 200% of their annual salary. 

Retaining just one extra employee means thousands of dollars saved you can use in other areas. 

One often-neglected management area is training, with 78% of workers saying they want more training. By saving on hiring, you can spend on training. 

With more time for training, your employees will be happier, more skilled, and even more likely to stay with your organization. 

3. Improved customer relationships

Most of your return customers and clients don’t think of your business as a logo or physical store. They think of the person with whom they interacted. Your employees are the face of your business, from frontline workers up to account managers. 

Your customers rely on your employee’s knowledge of their needs and history with the company to deliver the highest level of service. So when an employee leaves, the relationships they built with your customer base leave with them. 

A PWC report found that 80% of Americans think a knowledgeable staff is the most important element to customer satisfaction, along with speed and convenience. They also pay more for things when they experience a positive customer experience. 

The benefits of employee retention reach beyond your current staff and bottom line and impact the customer experience. A high employee retention rate ultimately improves your clients’ and customers’ perception of your business.

4. Faster progress

While onboarding and formal training programs are essential for satisfied, efficient employees, these resources are hardly the only way employees learn on the job. 

One of the most valuable sources of guidance and information is your current employees. Studies show that 91% of employees with a workplace mentor are happy with their jobs. 

By retaining most of your employees, you get:

• Strong relationships between your employees that impact their performance
• Employees who possess in-depth knowledge in their fields
• Great mentors who have the technical skills and know little-known tricks in the field to help the newcomers

You benefit from the perks of high employee retention: Employees have a wealth of team members to turn to when they have a question or need advice. This turns your newest employees into your best employees.

Also, when turnover is low, you keep the work environment of cultural cohesion and the know-how of experienced employees. This results in less stress and high productivity. 

Final thoughts: 4 hidden benefits of employee retention you should know

Why retain employees? The answer is clear. 

The benefits of employee retention are wide-reaching for your entire organization. Employees, management, and customers all reap the benefits of employee retention.  

Employees benefit from greater satisfaction, higher productivity, and better support on the job. Employers can enjoy greater profit and less uncertainty. And your customers can rely on consistently high-quality and personalized customer service. 

These benefits are well worth the expense of managing incentives like healthcare, training, and work-life balance. 

If you’re ready to improve your employee retention, an all-in-one employee communication tool like Blink can maximize your organization’s initiatives.

Jessica is a customer assistant in a retail store. She started the job six months ago, enjoys supporting customers, and has been consistently meeting her monthly targets.

But Jessica doesn’t get acknowledgment from her manager or other staff members. Not just that. The store recently hired another person in the exact same role as Jessica and — according to the grapevine — at a higher salary than her.

Jessica’s co-worker, Marco, has been working at the store for a couple of years. He knows the job like the back of his hand and is feeling bored and underutilized. But, as far as he knows, the organization doesn’t have progression or training pathways suited to him. So he’s started looking for a job elsewhere. 

Jessica and Marco came into the organization with high levels of morale — and they’ve been putting in the work. But they aren’t getting what they need from their employer. So their morale dips. Customer service and productivity suffer. Employee turnover ticks upward. 

This makes it harder for the organization to achieve its goals. And it’s why every company should be working to build and sustain employee morale.

Here, we look at how to boost employee morale and motivation in 2025.

What is employee morale and why is it important?

Employee morale is how employees feel about their jobs and work environment. It’s linked to employee engagement, job satisfaction, and staff retention.

What does low team morale look like?

In a workplace with low morale, employees do the bare minimum to ensure their paycheck while keeping one eye firmly on the job boards.

And unfortunately for employers, low morale is contagious. If one demoralized employee fails to pull their weight — or badmouths leadership — they hurt the morale of co-workers, making it increasingly difficult for an employer to reset the tone.

What does high team morale look like?

In contrast, in a workplace with high morale, employees are loyal, happy, and engaged in their work. They’re productive and more likely to go above and beyond their prescribed duties. These workers also tend to pitch in during times of crisis.

Employees with high morale are happy with the employee experience at their organization — and they help to set the mood. They create a wave of positivity that inspires improved morale and performance among their peers.

What’s the situation in 2025?

When we look at the current state of employee morale, the news isn’t great.

According to recent Glassdoor research, almost 2 in 3 employees feel stuck in their current roles. They might not be heading for the door just yet, but these “quiet quitters” are feeling dissatisfied and unmotivated — and they’re having a negative impact on the morale of co-workers.

It seems there’s never been a better time to boost staff morale in the workplace. Let’s find out some strategies you can use at your organization.

How to boost employee morale in 2025

Whether morale has been slowly declining or has taken a hit due to workplace changes, here are some employee morale boosters to use in your organization.  

Master change management

In today’s workplace, change can feel like the only constant. But that doesn’t mean employees are used to it. If change isn’t managed and communicated sensitively, it can damage workplace culture and employee morale.

For example, imagine you’ve just announced a hiring freeze. Existing workers may assume that a downsizing initiative is on the way and start worrying that their jobs are at risk. Workforce morale suffers.

You can avoid this dip in morale by clearly communicating with employees. It could be that the hiring freeze is helping to ensure the safety of existing roles. Or that budgets are being diverted to training and development.

When implementing change, consider what employees need to know, demonstrate empathy, and follow change communication best practices to give employees the information and assurances they need.

Challenge your team

When a job is too easy, employees become bored. But a job that is too difficult causes problems, too. Employees can become discouraged.

To build staff morale, you need to strike a balance. Give employees the tools, training, and support they need to fulfill their roles. And challenge them with new tasks that push at their limits, so they develop new skills and grow their confidence.

Recognize hard work

Imagine you put a ton of effort into a project. Or you go out of your way to give a co-worker the support they need. Or you ace a presentation you’d been feeling really nervous about.

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You probably (deservedly) feel really proud of yourself. But what if your actions don’t prompt any praise from leaders, managers, or peers? You may end up feeling deflated and demoralized.

Employees who don’t feel recognized for their hard work, are two times more likely to say they’ll quit within the next year. But those who receive regular, authentic, and meaningful recognition are more likely to bring their A-game.

So, to raise employee morale, bring recognition into the mix. Take a look at these employee appreciation ideas for inspiration.

Invest in training and development

Progression is a key driver of employee engagement. You can raise engagement and morale by helping employees to progress in their roles and careers.

When employees get the training they need — through thorough onboarding, ongoing professional development, mentoring, and coaching — they feel more confident and less stressed. They feel valued by the organization and their performance improves.

Lay out career progression opportunities at your organization and there’s even more incentive for employees to do their best. When they can see a future with your company, they become more committed and less likely to look for a job elsewhere.

Create a sense of community

A positive and connected workplace culture is an effective employee morale booster. 83% of employees want their workplace to provide a sense of community, with more than a third willing to trade a bigger pay packet for stronger friendships and social enrichment at work.

When thinking about workplace connection, it’s worth spending a little extra time thinking about remote and frontline employees. These workers can be hard-to-reach and often end up feeling isolated from company culture.

So how do you create a sense of community for workers who don’t spend a lot of time together IRL? An employee app is an increasingly popular solution.

An app acts as a digital water cooler. With an engaging news feed and instant messaging tools, it gives employees access to conversation and company culture via their smartphones. You can also encourage workers to find their tribe, connecting with like-minded colleagues via digital Communities.

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Give health and wellbeing a boost

Show concern for employee health and wellbeing and you’re more likely to achieve high levels of morale. Workers see that you care about them as people — not just as employees — which makes them feel valued.

Here are a few ideas for how to support employee health and wellbeing:

• Create a volunteering program, so it’s easy for employees to give back to the local community
• Encourage employees to take a full lunch break and use their full PTO allowance
• Offer flexible work options and shift swap tools to support employee work-life balance
• Keep fit with exercise challenges and fitness subscriptions
• Talk openly about mental health and ensure employees know who to turn to if they need to talk

Initiatives like these help prevent stress and burnout while improving employee motivation and productivity.

Communicate, communicate, communicate

Having and communicating an inspiring vision is crucial for employee morale. In many organizations, workers don’t know the “why” behind business objectives. Nor are they aware of how their own work ties in with those goals.

Poor communication leads to increased stress, lower productivity, and strained relationships. It also harms the trust employees have in their leaders. Hardly a recipe for workplace motivation.

To keep employees motivated and on the same page, open communication is essential. And with the right internal communication tools, you can share consistent and engaging messages with all employees.

You can keep employees up to date with company updates via a multi-media news feed. You can store essential documents relating to policies and mission in an easy-access content hub. Across all internal communication channels you can amplify company culture and the values that guide it.  

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Improve internal communication and you make everyone aware of company goals and the latest company news. Everyone understands what is expected of them — and they pull in the same direction — increasing employee morale in the process.

Give employees a voice

When employees feel heard, they feel valued and are more likely to do their best work. Gathering employee feedback helps in other ways too.

You can use employee surveys, listening tours, and one-to-one chats to find out what helps and harms the morale of your workforce. Let employees have their say and you’ll find meaningful ways to improve the employee experience.

As part of a well-executed employee voice strategy, you then close the feedback loop. You share your findings and your plan of action with employees. This builds trust in the feedback process and means your workforce is more likely to engage with future surveys and listening events.

Measure employee morale

You can supplement the qualitative data you gain from employee listening with quantitative data gained from analytics tools. Employee morale metrics include:

• Absenteeism rates
• Employee turnover rates
• Productivity
• Employee net promoter score (eNPS)

Benchmark and track these KPIs over time and you’ll build a better picture of employee morale. Keep your finger on the pulse and you’ll also be able to spot and address issues in real-time before demoralized employees impact their teammates.

The secret to sustained staff morale?

Building and sustaining employee morale is essential — to attracting and retaining top talent, and to getting the most out of your teams.

When employees feel valued, informed, and connected to the wider company, they’re more likely to feel motivated and engaged.

And when you understand the needs of employees and the state of morale in your organization, you’re better able to make meaningful changes to the employee experience.

With remote or frontline employees in the mix, you may need the help of morale-boosting tech tools. The right software allows you to reach all employees — giving them a voice, connecting them to co-workers and company culture, and recognizing the work they do.

Blink. And watch morale soar with the help of smarter workplace tech.

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