Food for thought: A front of house to greet your frontline

More than 80% of the global workforce is deskless. That's more than 2.7 billion people working outside of a traditional office setting, making it more important than ever to have effective communication tools in place.

This guide is designed to help business leaders keep their deskless employees connected and communicating, no matter where they are. We'll cover a variety of topics, from why communication is so important (and often challenging!) for deskless workers, to how to choose and evaluate digital communication tools to engage your deskless workforce with ease.

Why communication is important for deskless workers

With such a strong majority of the global workforce that is deskless, purposeful corporate communication solutions are crucial. This means ensuring all employees feel connected, in-the-loop and heard - even as a deskless team. As such, there are a number of reasons effective employee communication is important for frontline workers and their wider teams.

1. Reduces turnover 

With the Great Resignation still in full swing, all business leaders need to be focusing on employee retention. This becomes even more prominent for the deskless workforce, with 52% of frontline workers claiming they would leave their job over tech tools in 2022.

Additionally, according to a survey of 8,000+ global frontline workers and C-suite executives, 45% of frontline workers were planning on leaving the frontline altogether this year.

With most corporate communications tools not designed for them and frontline engagement projects lacking in substance, deskless workers are showing high turnover rates and low job satisfaction, creating an unstable workforce for your business.

Effective communication can improve job satisfaction by creating a sense of community and increasing transparency from leadership. This also helps to reduce misunderstandings and conflicts among employees, leading to better employee retention rates.

2. Increases profits

Better communication means better engagement. Indeed tells us that improved communication works to connect and keep open lines of communication between employees and other members of the organization, which ultimately works to create better engagement between employees. But did you know that this can have a further positive impact on your company profitability?

Engaged employees, who feel heard, valued and involved in communications, are more productive, and this increased productivity can often result in a more profitable business.

As we highlighted in our recent Employee Engagement Statistics Guide, highly engaged organizations achieve a 23% difference in profitability, alongside a 43% difference in turnover. By driving home your employee engagement with impactful, intuitive communication, you’re investing in the success of your deskless workforce, and the long-term success and overall profitability of your business. 

3. Drives employee experience & empowerment 

Deskless workers often have limited access to traditional channels of communication, such as email or company intranet. Providing alternative means of communication, such as mobile apps designed for the frontline, can help improve the employee experience by giving them a voice and empowering them in their work environment.

This also allows for agile, on-the-go, two-way communication that deskless employees need in their fast-paced work environments, which is where communications for deskless workers often fall short. 

Better employee experience can also boost your bottom line. HBR research shows that a shift in employee experience would result in a 45% increase in profits per person-hour, adding significantly to both individual, team and overall company success.

4. Increases productivity & organization

Effective organizational communication can increase productivity by reducing miscommunications and streamlining processes. It also allows for better frontline organization, as employees have access to important information and updates in real time. 

This helps deskless workers stay on top of their tasks and responsibilities, leading to more productive employees and a more organized frontline.

Without efficient two-way communication solutions, it can be difficult for business leaders to understand, or even acknowledge, the issues their frontline workers are facing. For example, did you know that 70% of frontline workers have either suffered from burnout or felt at risk of burning out?

With great team communication, your leaders can hear and respond directly to workers needs, implementing them into their organizational practices.

Whether that means giving employees an intuitive two-way communication solution such as a mobile employee app, an accessible scheduling tool to prevent miscommunications or an easier way to organize shift swaps, effective communication can improve the productivity and organization of your workforce. 

5. Boosts trust, engagement & morale

A lack of communication can lead to a disengaged and distrusting workforce, as employees feel isolated and disconnected from the larger company culture.

Research shows that nearly all (99%) of C-suite executives believe their frontline workers trust them, while only a quarter (26%) of workers entirely trust their organization to communicate company updates and news transparently.

Clearly, as part of the C-Suite it's important to understand how purposeful internal communications help to build a sense of community among deskless workers. By increasing transparency from leadership, you can drive employee engagement long-term. In turn, this can improve overall job satisfaction, minimize churn and build trust with your workers.

6. Improves worker safety

Proper communication can also improve safety in the workplace. Problems with communication leading to major accidents/incidents are well known, according to HSE.

Proper frontline communication includes informing deskless employees of important safety updates, as well as providing a platform for reporting concerns or hazards. In turn, this can lead to a better quality of work and decrease the likelihood of accidents or injuries on the job.

The Blink frontline engagement app offers a central Hub for storing core company policies, procedures and training documents, ensuring all teams have access to important information and updates in real time. It also includes Secure Chats, giving frontline employees the ability to report concerns or hazards directly to management for swift resolution.

The challenges of communicating with deskless workers

While the benefits are great, it can be a huge challenge to communicate with deskless workers in the modern work environment. Some key challenges of communicating with deskless workers include:

• Budget: When you're under-budgeted and under pressure, finding the right communication channels and tools for your deskless workers can be a complex and costly process for business leaders that don't know where to invest.
• Old software or no access to tech: Deskless workers may not have access to the same technology or software that office-based employees do, leading to communication disconnects, especially when using tech not designed for them.
• Implementing new software: Introducing new communication software can also be a challenge, requiring dedicated training and support to ensure adoption and success for your deskless teams.
• Easy access to the right information: Deskless workers often require easy access to essential information, such as company updates, product knowledge or HR policies. Without proper communication channels in place, there can be a breakdown in sharing important information with these teams.
• Disconnected, disengaged & distributed: With teams spread across various locations, it can be difficult for deskless workers to feel connected and engaged with the company and their coworkers. Effective communication helps bridge this disconnect.
• No sense of community or belonging: Deskless workers may not have the same office community or team spirit as traditional office-based employees, making it crucial for businesses to find ways to build a sense of belonging and connection within their remote or distributed teams.

So – how can leaders overcome these challenges and drive stronger communication between their employees? Let’s take a look.

How to improve communication with deskless workers

Build a digital culture

The pressure’s on for leaders in the frontline sector to digitize their communication efforts with deskless employees. As such, many companies are now developing digitalization strategies that enhance employee experience and drive performance.

WeForum reports:

• One key to business success in a post-Covid world is to embrace a digital culture.
• For digital culture to be successful, it must be driven from the ground up.

Clearly, it's important for business leaders to embrace a digital culture, with communication tools and processes that accommodate deskless workers. This means investing in the right technology solutions, as well as training and support for adoption of more complex tools.

For leaders of a deskless organization, digital communication can reduce the complexity of managing a dispersed team, as well as improve transparency and accessibility for employees in remote locations, making everyone's lives easier. 

Digital transformation and digital adoption are now key concepts for the deskless workforce, and a focus on digital culture can ensure deskless workers feel connected and included in company processes. With your workers able to access important information and comms from the palm of their hand, you'll have no shortage of engaged, on-the-ball and informed employees.

And remember, this digital transformation must be built from the ground up, with impactful input from deskless workers themselves on their communication needs and challenges.

Listen to and act on feedback

As important as it is to have the right communication tools in place, it's also essential for business leaders to implement processes that gather and listen to feedback from their deskless teams. Ask for input on what channels and tools they prefer, as well as how communication processes can be improved, and implement it in your communication strategy.

Direct communication with features such as surveys, polls or secure chats can make it easier for deskless workers to provide their input. And listening to and implementing this feedback can lead to more successful communication strategies with your deskless teams.

When workers know that their feedback is being listened to, and acted upon, they will be more receptive to future engagement strategies and communications. 

With the right processes in place, deskless workers can feel just as heard, connected, included as their office-based colleagues, leading to a more natural, intuitive communication flow within the entire organization.

Provide easy access to key information

By providing an easy-to-access, intuitively designed central Hub for information and communication, deskless workers have easy access to the essential information they need for their roles. This includes company updates, product knowledge, HR policies and more - all in one place, accessible on any device.

A central Hub can also promote a sense of community by allowing deskless workers to connect with their colleagues and share ideas or important information. 

This not only saves valuable time for you and your employees, but can also boost your productivity and improve communication initiatives in the long run.

Focus on building a sense of belonging and connection

Though they may not have the same office community as traditional office-based employees, there are still ways to build a sense of belonging and connection for deskless workers. 

This includes regularly scheduled check-ins with managers or team members, virtual (and meaningful) team building activities, and offering opportunities for professional development.

These efforts can help deskless workers feel included, valued, and connected with their colleagues and the company as a whole, which can improve employee engagement in a way that feels natural and earned.

Keep two-way communication channels open

As we touched on, it’s important for deskless workers to not only receive information, but also have the opportunity to share their ideas and feedback. 

Communication should not be a one way street from the top down. Employees should be engaging in two-way conversations with both each other and management in order to keep communication open and transparent.

This can be done through regular check-ins or meetings, as well as utilizing communication tools that allow for a two-way flow of information - such as Secure Chats or collaboration platforms.

Encourage real employee recognition

Recognition and appreciation are important for all employees, but can be even more impactful for deskless workers who may not have the same opportunities for team praise or company events.

Implementing a recognition program, with features such as virtual badges or “shout-outs”, can help deskless workers feel seen and valued. And don’t underestimate the power of a personalized thank you note or Feed shoutout from leadership - deskless employees can feel just as appreciated through these small gestures.

The role of technology in deskless communication & employee engagement

The right employee technology is vital for your team communication. And as the deskless workforce continues to grow, so does the need for communication technology and tools specifically designed for them.

Reports show that 75% of deskless workers spend most of their work time using some form of technology, yet 60% reported being unsatisfied with the tech they use.

This is where better employee communication and engagement apps come in. By investing in technology that truly supports and engages your deskless team, you’re able to better connect with them, reaping all of the benefits of great communication we explored above.

But what is the exact role of technology in team comms and employee engagement? Here are a few key roles great technology solutions can play:

Easy communication & real-time responses

The right tech should connect your deskless employees with ease, ensuring they have the same access to communication as their desk-based colleagues. With mobile and desktop apps, they can easily communicate no matter where they are or what device they’re using, making one key role of employee tech easy and intuitive communication.

Successful communication also relies on timely responses, and the right employee communication app should support this with real-time messaging and notifications. This helps to keep your deskless team in-the-loop, ensuring they have access to important information as it happens.

Easy access to important information

Employee engagement technology reduces complexity and overhead for your teams by simplifying password management with single sign on to your tools. By centralizing important information, documents and updates on one platform, employees can easily access what they need without having to navigate multiple systems or chase down colleagues, resulting in a better overall employee experience.

Easy implementation & adoption 

A key role of the right technology in team communication and engagement is simple implementation and adoption. Look for a solution that’s easy to set up and navigate, with support available when you need it. This helps make the transition smoother, leading to faster adoption and better results from your tech investment.

It can also be useful to choose a technology that feels familiar to employees in order to drive adoption of your chosen tool. By providing a user-friendly, familiar experience, such as a mobile app, deskless workers are more likely to engage and adopt the technology in their day-to-day work.

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Develop business value away from BAU IT

One core role of employee communication tech is to help your business leaders focus on driving real change and value, rather than being bogged down by day-to-day IT management. Look for a solution that is scalable and customizable, allowing you to easily adapt your communication strategy as your business grows and changes.

By developing business value away from business-as-usual (BAU) IT and into an employee communication and engagement platform fit for your frontline, you’re investing in your deskless workforce, and ultimately, your organization.

How to measure the impact of communication technology on your workforce

C-suite leaders are starting to catch on to the potential benefits employee communications technologies, tools and apps can have on their workforce. In fact, leadership trends show increased HR support of supervisors and managers with innovative processes and technology. But how can those leaders measure the success of these digital initiatives?

As part of the C-Suite, the CIO will want to see ROI on any investment made in employee communication technology. In fact, data from CIO found that 81 percent of IT leaders agree that CIOs are under extreme pressure to defend their technology investments and prove ROI.

The best way to measure and prove this is through collecting and analyzing engagement data before and after implementing the technology.

This can be done through surveys, pulse check-ins, or feedback from leaders and managers on team performance. Additionally, you should consider investing in a technology that provides real-time employee engagement analytics, like our Frontline Intelligence feature, to get live insights into how your deskless teams are utilizing the tool.

This key data can help inform and improve your internal communication strategy, ultimately leading to better, and more tangible, ROI.

It’s also important to consider other measures of success, such as improved team profitability, communication and collaboration, boosted employee engagement and satisfaction rates, increased productivity, and higher retention rates for deskless employees. These all contribute to the overall impact of employee communication technology on your workforce.

Final thoughts

At Blink, our employee communication and engagement software offers a mobile-first, intuitive solution for your deskless workforce. We support real-time communication, easy access to important information, and simple implementation and adoption – all key roles of technology in team communication and employee engagement.

Our employee app is made for the frontline, to support the needs of your deskless team and drive business value in the process. 

Interested in learning more? Request a demo today to see how Blink can drive value for your deskless organization.

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Missed our Spring 2025 release? Catch up on the details here!

At Blink, we’re continuously evolving our employee experience platform to meet the dynamic needs of organizations and their diverse teams. Our Summer 2025 product release showcases the newest features that will soon be coming to the Blink platform.

Staying true to our commitment to exceptional employee experiences — whether in the field or at the desk — we’re thrilled to introduce our latest innovations. These updates are about more than shiny features. They’re about helping you build the kind of employee experience your people deserve: personal, powerful, and actually easy to use.

From streaming that stops the scroll to governance that keeps content clean, our Summer 2025 release is all about creating smoother, smarter communication — for everyone.

#1. Live streaming: A better way to broadcast

All eyes on your next big announcement. Blink Live now delivers a high-end, broadcast-quality experience — straight to the devices your people already use.

Whether it’s a town hall or training, your live streams just got a serious glow-up.

What’s new:

• Instant replay with DVR mode: Viewers can rewind in real time — no more “Wait, what did they say?”
• Auto on-demand playback: Every live stream is automatically saved, so people can catch up on their own time.
• Captions for accessibility: Every word, loud and clear — and readable.
• Preview studio for presenters: Test your mic. Fix your lighting. Go live with confidence.
• Coming soon: Streaming on mobile — because your frontline deserves a front-row seat.

This isn’t just another video tool. Blink Live is built for scale, mobile, and moments that matter.

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#2. “Save for later” mode: Access your Hub, no WiFi needed

No signal? No problem. With new “Save for later” functionality in the Hub, employees can now save posts and resources for later — perfect for planes, underground tunnels, or dodgy breakroom Wi-Fi.

Everything syncs automatically when employees are back online. It’s a seamless experience that keeps everyone in the loop — no matter where work happens.

What’s new:

• Save any post to view offline — perfect for on-the-go teams
• Automatic syncing when connection is restored
• Built-in functionality, no extra tools or downloads required

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#3. Review cycles: Enhanced content governance

Good governance shouldn’t slow you down. This release brings built-in review cycles and post approvals to the Hub — so your comms stay compliant, on-brand, and typo-free.

It’s easier than ever to manage content at scale — without needing extra tools or workarounds.

What’s new:

• Set custom review and approval workflows directly in the Hub
• Assign reviewers and approvers by team or content type
• Track post status in real time — draft, in review, or approved

#4. Translations & localizations: Speak their language

Whether you’re global or just growing, Blink now supports seamless translations and localized experiences across the platform.

From Hub posts to notifications, your people will see content in the language that works best for them — automatically.

This is more than a translation tool. It’s a step toward a more inclusive employee experience.

What’s new:

• Automatically deliver content in your employees’ preferred language
• Support for global teams with localized experiences across the platform
• Built-in translation tools — no copy/paste or third-party apps needed

#5. Post approvals: Open the feed, keep the control

The best content often comes from the frontlines — but without controls in place, organizations often lock down the Feed to avoid risk.

Post Approvals let you safely open up content creation to a wider audience. When enabled, user-generated posts require approval before they go live. Group Admins and Org Admins can review posts for quality, tone, and relevance — so you can encourage participation without compromising your message.

It’s moderation without micromanagement.

What’s new:

• Control content at the group level by enabling “Requires Approval” in the Admin Panel
• User-generated posts are held for review when targeting approval-enabled groups
• Group Admins or Org Admins approve posts, depending on the audience
• No edits after submission — approved or declined posts are final (for now!)

#6. Ghostwriters: Your voice, their words

Sometimes, the person with the message isn’t the one with the time to write it. Enter Ghostwriters — a smarter way to keep leadership visible, consistent, and active on the Feed.

Now, trusted users (like your comms team) can post and comment on behalf of others — say, your CEO, a store director, or anyone else who needs a hand shaping their message. It’s transparent, trackable, and totally above board — everyone involved gets notified and stays in the loop.

It’s like sharing a voice — not a password.

What’s new:

• Assign trusted users to post or comment on behalf of others — like execs or team leads
• Posts appear as the original author, with their name and profile photo
• Authors and ghostwriters are notified, and ghostwriters can only post where they have access
• Setup is simple via the Admin Portal under “Publishing Profiles”

#7. Voice notes: A new era of workplace communication

Not everything needs to be typed. Sometimes, the fastest way to explain, empathize, or just say thanks is with your actual voice.

Voice Notes let your team send audio messages in chats and channels — perfect for fast updates, shift changes, or a quick “you’ve got this” before a big day. They’re human, easy to use, and ideal for mobile-first teams who work with their hands, not keyboards.

Now your comms can sound a little more like… you.

What’s new:

• Record and send voice messages in chats or channels (mobile only)
• Listen on mobile or web with full playback controls
• Pause, scrub, reply, forward, or report — just like a regular message
• Messages can be up to 15 minutes long

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Blink. And see how these new features can upgrade your employee experience.

Balancing employees’ happiness with their alignment to your company’s direction is not easy. And the most noteworthy example of this is Apple in its early days.

The company had positioned itself as an unconventional, new-age brand where creatives and rule-breakers flocked to work. So, as the company grew larger, cultivating the required discipline became a challenge. The more control senior management tried to exert, the more frustration it caused them and the employees. 

What happened at Apple shows that a brilliant business model alone isn’t enough to push a business forward. In fact, none of it matters if your workers aren’t happy. Because if they aren’t, they won’t be engaged at work or receptive to new initiatives.

The good news? You can prevent this from happening at your organization. Not to mention boost productivity and build a strong employer brand. This article will show you why ensuring employee happiness and well-being is a must and ways to implement them at work.

Why is employee happiness important?

Research by Oxford University has found that happy workers are 13% more productive than unhappy ones. And that’s not the only perk of employee happiness and well-being. Let’s see the rest.  

Happy employees equate to happy customers: Happy workers transmit their positive emotions to customers and prospects they encounter every day. And this helps nurture leads and makes them more likely to buy from you, or work with your business.

Happy employees collaborate better: Happy workers get along well with one another, boosting teamwork and effective communication. So projects run smoothly and meet deadlines.

Happy workers are healthier: Happy employees are more likely to remain physically and mentally fit. When you invest in employee well-being, you minimize workers’ sick days and loss of work output.

Happy employees are more loyal: When workers are happy in their jobs, they are less likely to quit or switch jobs. This helps you reduce the turnover rate and save money on new talent acquisition.

Top ways to ensure employee happiness

Use the following list to check whether you’re doing all you can to boost employee happiness and well-being at work. If you are, you’re on the right track. If not, it’s not too late to get started.

Value and respect your workers

In a survey of 129 large and midsize US businesses, 87% of leaders said that they are focusing on building a culture of dignity in the next three years.

Downtrodden workers can never consider themselves happy. If your company culture can’t assure dignity at work, then there is no hope for employee well-being.

That’s why respecting your workforce is not just a strategy for employee happiness, but a core principle that can set a solid foundation for all the other steps we have outlined below.

A happiness-driven company culture ensures that everyone is treated with dignity, and that respect is not being given selectively based on seniority, experience, color, gender, or any other factors.

So make sure to shape your work policies, communication, and every aspect of work in a way that each worker matters. Recognize employees for what they bring to the table and the contributions they make for your business.

Even simple gestures like high-fiving quick wins and taking their concerns seriously go a long way in making workers feel valued. 

Encourage and act on employees’ feedback

Employees who feel heard at work are approximately five times more likely to perform their best work, according to research by Salesforce.

No workplace is perfect, and no employees expect it to be. But they do expect at the least that their problems and suggestions will be heard and acted on.

Yet in many workplaces, workers feel dissatisfied because their concerns are often brushed under the carpet. The result is diminished employee happiness and morale.

If you want to ensure employee well-being in the workplace, go out of your way to let your employees freely express how they feel and contribute new ideas.

Take group meetings, for example. Usually, the extroverts do most of the talking and introverts remain quiet. So it’s important to have weekly one-on-ones too to make sure everyone has a chance to be heard.

Develop your employees

A LinkedIn report states that 94% of employees would stay longer at a company if it invests in their professional growth. Knowing that you care about their development, workers will feel happy and more motivated.

Make sure to support them with adequate training and provide deserving workers with a clear roadmap and opportunity for promotion. Show them that their efforts are valued and will lead to their future growth. Plus, you can sign them up for seminars and conferences relevant to their work and ambitions.

Share positive feedback and constructive criticism

Data from 150+ countries and 1000+ organizations has found that 96% of employees appreciate receiving feedback regularly.

So you can imagine how important it is for workers to know how they are doing, what they are doing right, and if there’s something they can do better.

When you’re candid with your employees about their work, you demonstrate that you have faith in their skills and you care about employee well-being.

For example, if a worker has shared some great ideas in a group meeting, don’t wait to let him know how much you value the contribution. Even a small acknowledgment like below can have a great impact.

"Thank you for your suggestions, Jack! You came to the meeting prepared with well-researched ideas, and you're really helping us move forward with the project. Keep up the good work."

And don’t forget to set up weekly or biweekly meetings with your staff to go over their work. You can use this opportunity to give specific feedback that helps them excel in their roles. 

Pay and treat workers fairly

Your employees may be enjoying what they do. But they should also get fair compensation for their work.

So don’t let any contribution slip through the cracks. Recognize and pay workers for every big and small investment they make at work. For example:

• If they work overtime, pay for it.
• If an initiative helped grow the company, give out bonuses to people involved.
• Don’t underpay female employees for jobs similar to male employees.

Plus, there should be a transparent system that makes it easy to understand and reduce the pay gap among different employees.

You can even hire an external agency to avoid any bias or favoritism. This company will audit your performance review process and offer recommendations based on objective measures such as the current market value for job roles.

Reward workers’ accomplishments

We already touched a bit on rewarding your employees. But it warrants more attention. Having a reward and recognition program at work is crucial to employee happiness.

And rightly so. Your workers spend considerable time and effort in fulfilling your business mission. But if they feel their work isn’t acknowledged, they are more likely to be dissatisfied. So if you are serious about employee well-being, leave no stone unturned to show them what they do matters.

Apart from putting a formal reward system in place, there are plenty of small, informal things you can do to reward good work. These include a free meal, a company-wide update on what the employee is being recognized for, an extra day off, and even just a heartfelt thank you. Having these as little tactics as part of your overall employee engagement strategy will have a big impact.

Ensure proper communication

78% of US workers say that improving employee communication should be a high priority for their employer.

Workers are less likely to be happy if their responsibilities are not clearly communicated to them. And this is just one small example. Not communicating effectively with your staff can lead to a whole host of challenges, like frequent misunderstandings, workplace conflicts, and poor peer-to-peer relationships.  

But just any type of communication isn’t enough. You can’t bombard employees with a ton of emails or unnecessary meetings in hopes of keeping them happy. You need to have the right channels, tools, and training.

And one of the best ways to tackle all these three areas is to use a single, unobtrusive communication platform like Blink. It follows a mobile-first approach. So it can reach workers wherever they are.

Not just that. It also requires minimum training. The social-media style interface ensures that workers know how to use it from the get-go.

Implementing such a solution can help you establish communication norms without isolating both desk-based and front-line workers.

Conclusion: ways to improve employee happiness and well being

Overall, workplace happiness is a significant factor in employee engagement.

But at the end of the day, there is no shortcut or magic recipe to make your employees happy. It’s about the cumulative impact of the small steps you take and the culture you build.

Use the strategies and employee engagement best practices outlined above to encourage a happiness-oriented company culture. Plus, look for your own creative ways to delight your workers and make them feel valued. In the long run, you’ll see that the payoff for such efforts really makes them worthwhile.

Also, the right employee engagement app can make a big difference in the success of your initiatives to boost employee happiness. So book a free Blink demo today.

Exploring alternatives to Beekeeper? You’re not alone.

Since Beekeeper was acquired by LumApps last year, there’s been uncertainty over the future of the platform. 

The stated intention? To blend the features of Beekeeper and LumApps tools. But what this means for users during the transformation process (and beyond) is still to be seen. 

That’s why some organizations are viewing this as the perfect opportunity to move away from Beekeeper and find a new employee communication app. A more intuitive and scalable platform — a solution with more customization options, better search functionality, and an improved backend experience for admins.

We’re here to help — with a shortlist of 11 Beekeeper alternatives for 2026.

From modern intranets to all-in-one employee experience (EX) platforms, these software tools can help you improve internal comms, unify dispersed teams, and upgrade digital employee experience.

Features include real-time messaging, content management, social news feeds, and analytics. You can also expect robust integrations that ensure a streamlined and productivity-boosting experience for employees.

Ready to find your Beekeeper alternative? Take a look at the best employee communication platforms for 2026, along with their pros and cons.  

Top Beekeeper alternatives for 2026

1. Blink

2. Staffbase

3. Workvivo

4. Simpplr

5. FirstUp

6. Unily

7. Microsoft Viva

8. Haiilo

9. Happeo

10. MangoApps

11. Speakap

#1. Blink (best overall Beekeeper alternative)

Best for: Companies with frontline and desk-based workers looking for unified communication, engagement, and operations.

Blink is the leading alternative to Beekeeper. It’s an employee experience platform that combines communication, engagement, and productivity tools in one easy-to-use app.

Unlike Beekeeper, which focuses primarily on messaging, Blink has everything your workforce needs — chat tools, a personalized news feed, surveys, a content hub, employee recognition, digital forms, HR integrations, analytics, and more.

These tools are available via one unified dashboard, which — crucially — contains exactly the same features and functionality across both desktop and mobile devices.  

As a joined-up solution, Blink drives engagement and transparency while reducing noise and tool overwhelm. Its intuitive UX, rapid deployment, deep integrations, and enterprise-grade security make it ideal for large-scale organizations across industries.

And you don’t need to take our word for it. Blink customers — including McDonald’s, JD Group, Children’s of Alabama, and Go North West — report high app adoption rates and measurable improvements in employee engagement, retention, and operational efficiency.

Pros:

• All-in-one platform for two-way communication, resources, and operations
• A social-style news feed, co-worker communities, surveys, and recognition tools
• Intuitive mobile-first design with high employee adoption
• Integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365, Workday, ADP, and more
• Includes analytics, AI automation, and broadcast tools
• Trusted by global brands including McDonald’s, JD Group, and Domino’s

Cons:

• Enterprise plan required for advanced customizations

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#2. Staffbase

Best for: Large or global enterprises with formal comms teams

Staffbase is a popular internal communication platform that caters primarily to enterprise businesses — those with complex communication needs across multiple regions. It provides branded employee apps, newsletters, and intranet tools and places a strong emphasis on content distribution and corporate messaging.

While its visual editor and content scheduling features are a plus, some users find the platform content-heavy. Its pricing model is geared towards larger organizations, and the platform may take a while to configure and fully roll out.

Pros: Strong branded experiences

Cons: More focused on top-down messaging than interactivity

#3. Workvivo

Best for: Large, multilingual organizations

Workvivo blends communication features with a social media-style interface. It allows employees to post updates, engage with leadership, and access key resources in one space. Workvivo excels at driving culture and engagement, especially in hybrid or dispersed workplaces.

The platform is backed by Zoom and integrates with major HR and collaboration tools. But there are a few downsides to bear in mind. Workvivo can be hard to customize when it comes to operational use cases like task management or process automation.

Pros: Highly engaging UI, good for culture-building

Cons: Limited operational features compared to all-in-one platforms

#4. Simpplr

Best for: Companies looking for a modern intranet and a centralized knowledge hub

Simpplr positions itself as a modern intranet with a focus on employee communications and engagement. It provides a clean UI, AI-powered content recommendations, and analytics to help internal comms teams measure impact.

It’s especially effective in large enterprises with a high proportion of knowledge workers. Smaller organizations may find that some features are unnecessary and that prices are higher than budgets allow.

Pros: Streamlined UI and good customer support

Cons: Limited customization options

#5. Firstup

Best for: Global enterprises looking for advanced audience targeting and automated message delivery

Firstup is a digital employee experience platform designed to deliver personalized content at scale. It focuses on intelligent content delivery, helping large enterprises reach the right people with the right message at the right time.

With AI-powered targeting, automated employee journeys, and email tools, Firstup works well for complex internal comms strategies. However, the platform is heavily focused on broadcast and campaign-style messaging, with limited collaboration features.

Pros: Smart targeting and analytics

Cons: Complex backend; limited features; limited customization

#6. Unily

Best for: Large and complex organizations looking for an AI-native intranet

Unily is a platform that combines intranet functionality with employee experience tools. It supports rich content creation, content translation, and broadcast email across a user-friendly interface.

Unily is often praised for its design flexibility and advanced features, but it takes time and developer expertise to set up. This Beekeeper alternative is best suited to companies with dedicated IT and comms teams.

Pros: Powerful and customizable

Cons: A steep learning curve; a time-consuming setup process

#7. Microsoft Viva

Best for: Microsoft-centric organizations looking to improve employee experience

Microsoft Viva is a suite of employee experience tools within Microsoft 365. It includes modules for insights, learning, and communications, and it’s a strong choice for knowledge-worker companies already using the Microsoft ecosystem.

As you’d expect, Microsoft Viva integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft products, including Outlook and SharePoint. But it can be overly complex — and overly corporate for those wanting to develop a dynamic company culture.

Pros: Deep integration with Microsoft 365

Cons: Can feel fragmented; requires additional configuration

#8. Haiilo

Best for: Culture building, employee advocacy, and brand amplification

Haiilo is another Beekeeper alternative that provides employee communication and intranet capabilities. It features multiple communication channels, plus tools to amplify employer branding and build a more connected culture.

Despite the platform’s strengths, some users state that it’s overly complex, particularly for smaller businesses and less tech-savvy teams.

Pros: Great for advocacy and culture building

Cons: A complex tool with a steep learning curve; expensive for smaller companies

#9. Happeo

Best for: Google-centric organizations

Happeo is a Google-based, AI-powered intranet that acts as a centralized hub for all internal comms. It puts company news, documents, and collaboration tools in one easy-access location.

Key features include pages, channels, a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, and an intuitive user interface. But this platform lacks several useful communication tools — like direct messages, audio and video messages, and @mentions.

Pros: Easy and intuitive interface; easy integration with Google Workspace

Cons: Limited integrations beyond the Google suite; limited search functionality

#10. MangoApps

Best for: Mid-sized businesses seeking to connect dispersed teams

MangoApps provides a unified platform for communication, collaboration, and HR workflows. Key features include instant messaging, file sharing, task tracking, and employee recognition.

Users praise the platform’s ease of use but complain that the user interface — particularly on the platform’s mobile app — feels outdated compared to more modern tech tools.

Pros: Comprehensive comms features in one place

Cons: Less intuitive UI compared to newer competitors; integrations are limited

#11. Speakap

Best for: Frontline-only teams

Speakap is a communication app built for non-desk workers. It focuses on reaching employees who don’t have a corporate email or regular access to company systems. The app supports secure messaging, announcements, and integrations with payroll or scheduling tools.

Speakap is a good fit for retail or hospitality environments but offers fewer features for knowledge-based collaboration or enterprise-scale analytics.

Pros: Tailored for frontline teams

Cons: Limited scalability for enterprise-level requirements; limited team messaging functionality

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Which Beekeeper alternative is right for your organization? 

The right Beekeeper alternative will depend on your organization's size, structure, and goals. But if you're looking for a platform that goes beyond messaging to deliver a truly unified employee experience, Blink stands out as a top choice.

Blink meets the needs of both frontline and desk-based teams, by bringing communication, collaboration, and productivity tools into a centralized, mobile-first hub.

With social-media-style comms tools, a consumer-grade smartphone app, and proven impact on employee engagement, it has everything you need to improve internal comms and employee experience.

Other tools on this list each offer value in specific areas — from top-down communication to culture-building to knowledge management — but Blink leads the way as a complete, scalable solution for internal comms and employee experience in 2026.

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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Learn the difference between internet, intranet, and extranet. And discover how to use each for your business.

Internet, intranet, extranet — the words sound similar but these terms refer to very different types of networks.

These networks have very different security implications and business uses. So before you share essential company documents on any of them, it’s important to know the difference.

Understanding how to use the internet, intranet, and extranet helps to keep your resources secure and in the right place.

What’s the difference between an intranet and the internet?

An intranet is a local, private network that only people within an organization can access. It’s a restricted network mainly used to share files and information securely within an organization. 

The internet is a global collection of computer networks known as the World Wide Web. This network is accessible to anyone.

What is the difference between the internet and intranet?

The internet and the intranet are both online networks. Their core framework is provided by internet protocol and World Wide Web standards.

The main difference between the intranet and the internet comes down to access.

The internet is a global collection of computer networks. It’s an open network, accessible to anyone with a device and an internet connection.

In contrast, the intranet is a closed, online network, only accessible to company employees. Employees use some form of login to access the company intranet. 

What’s the difference between an extranet and an intranet?

As explained above, an intranet is a local network that only the employees of an organization get to access. And the internet is an open network that anyone can access.  

Extranets fall somewhere in the middle. They allow for some connections outside of the company but, like intranets, they’re not available to the public. 

Extranets are a way to give third-parties — including vendors, suppliers, partners, and customers — access to restricted information.

Internet vs intranet vs extranet: what’s the difference?

These three network types support a range of business activities. The information you decide to put on each of these networks depends upon the level of security required.   

Information you share on the internet is suitable for public consumption. Highly confidential information is best reserved for your intranet. And less sensitive data can be shared with trusted third-parties on an extranet. 

Why do companies use an intranet?

Intranets have come a long way since the days when they lived on a server in the office. Many organizations have now moved beyond a traditional intranet. They’ve replaced clunky, outdated, desktop-based systems with a modern alternative.

Now, companies use intranets to share internal communications, support collaboration, and offer easy access to workplace resources. 

Intranets are helping to streamline the work of HR teams and improve employee engagement. They’re also helping organizations to share information securely with remote teams and frontline workers. 

For example, employees may need to access customer order details, review financial reports, or collaborate on new product development. In all these cases, an intranet supports productivity while keeping sensitive data secure.

Here’s a look at some of the ways a modern employee intranet can benefit your company:

• Streamlined knowledge management. Companies can securely store and share important documents. Everyone — including remote and frontline workers — has the information they need to get their work done.
  
  
• Network security. The best intranet software and web servers offer excellent levels of security. An internet firewall, data encryption, secure login protocols, and private servers protect intranet connections. So only approved personnel can access the network and its data.
  
  
• Effective internal communications and collaboration. With a secure intranet, you make sure all workers receive company-wide updates. You give them the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with one another, too.
  
  
• Improved employee engagement. The best intranet software supports employee engagement. It features employee feedback, recognition, analytics, and two-way communication tools.

Modern company intranet solutions, like Blink, keep employees connected. You can even track user activity and use workforce insights to measure employee engagement.

Read more: How to set up your employee intranet

Why do companies use an extranet?

An extranet is a platform via which you can share resources and collaborate with partners. So companies use extranets to give trusted customers, partners, and vendors access to sensitive information. 

For example, if you have a customer who places regular orders with your business, they could use your secure extranet to update orders, process invoices, and message your team. It’s a reliable way to streamline your interactions while keeping data secure.

Some specific use cases for an extranet platform include:

• Sharing financial data with your auditors and key stakeholders
• Providing customer support via a help desk
• Sharing access to key software with external partners
• Collaborating on product development with engineering teams

In all these cases, an extranet solution supports productivity and helps you stay aligned with your partners.

What is an internet-hosted platform used for?

Aside from the obvious day-to-day usage of the internet for browsing and email, many companies depend on the internet for vital employee functions.

For example, many businesses rely on cloud-based software to run their business and manage employees. That software often requires an internet connection.

Additionally, frontline teams may access a specific web portal to communicate with vendors and customers. They may also rely on the internet to access critical business information, such as customer databases or product manuals.

Here are some specific examples of when a company might use an internet solution:

• Providing customer support via live chat or phone calls
• Hosting virtual meetings and webinars with employees, partners, and clients
• Delivering training materials to remote teams or workers in the field
• Collaborating on projects with teammates and vendors across multiple locations

In all these cases, having reliable access to the internet can help your team stay connected and productive.

Intranets and extranets: which is right for my organization?

Intranets and extranets are part of many company workflows. But which solution is right for your organization?

If you’re looking for a platform that lets you securely share information with customers or vendors, an extranet is probably the best choice.

Extranet software allows you to collaborate with multiple external partners across different locations. And it’s ideal when you want to improve outbound or customer-facing comms.

However, if you need a way to share information internally with your workforce, an intranet is a better fit. This closed network offers the best level of security for sensitive company data.

An intranet can also support your wider organizational goals. It can act as an employee engagement tool, using comms and connection to drive employee engagement and retention. It can support workplace productivity, collaboration, and efficiency, too.

Intranets and extranets are both communication and collaboration tools. But they’re designed for very different groups of people. It may be that you need one or both of these solutions to meet your business goals.

Have you considered a mobile app?

Mobile employee apps are a kind of modern intranet, available on both desktop and mobile devices.

These apps are well-suited to frontline organizations, where workers don’t always sit behind a desk and don’t necessarily have a company email address. 

That’s because, when you use an app, frontline workers can access all modern intranet features on the go, from their personal smartphones.

They can take part in real-time communication, get critical company comms, access workplace resources, and use a variety of workplace software — all via a user-friendly interface.

Just bear in mind — some desktop intranets come with a mobile app. But unless you choose a mobile-first intranet, the mobile experience often lags behind that of the desktop version.

Mobile-first intranets offer exactly the same features and functionality on mobile devices as they do on desktops. So both frontline and office-based employees enjoy the same, great digital employee experience.

With a mobile-first employee app, you improve internal communication, employee productivity, and engagement for the whole organization, not just your employees based at HQ.  

Read more about the features and uses of Blink’s employee app.

Final thoughts: internet, intranet and extranet — what’s the difference?

You may use the internet, intranet, and extranet for company comms and operations. But think carefully about which information you put on each of these networks.

Use the internet when you want to share information with everyone. Use an extranet for collaboration with partners, customers, suppliers, and vendors.

And use an intranet as your secure digital workspace. This is a platform where employees can access resources, connect with one another, and follow company news. And where your comms and HR teams can easily and efficiently give workers all the information and resources they need.

How can Blink help?

Blink’s employee app is the ultimate employee network solution. With this cloud-based software platform, you can securely manage a range of business functions.

Communications, collaboration, HR functions, workplace resources — our super-app gives employees secure, mobile access to everything they need for their day-to-day work. 

In doing so, it helps frontline organizations improve employee productivity, retention, and engagement.

To learn more about how a modern intranet solution can support your digital workforce, explore Blink today.

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