Download 'Frontline Employee Engagement in 2023: the leader’s guide to strong teams in tough times' to get a head start in the new year.
Jess DeVore
Published:
September 6, 2023
Last updated:
September 17, 2023
What we'll cover
This article is part of Blink’s “frontline first” series: content created specifically for leaders of deskless or distributed teams. We know that the job of frontline leadership is entirely different from managing ‘desk-based’ teams, so this is for you and your unique set of challenges.
It's somehow nearly the end of 2022, which means it's high time to start looking ahead to the year ahead.
For leaders in frontline organizations, this can be more than a little daunting. After two years of challenges caused by the pandemic and the Great Resignation, the looming prospect of a recession promises yet more adapting and innovating in order to survive and thrive.
So we'd like to help.
After working with hundreds of frontline organizations, we've created a short guide that breaks down the core principles to building a stable and successful frontline workforce for 2023 and beyond.
You can download a copy for free here or by clicking on the image below - we hope you find it useful and inspirational as you look to the new year.
This article is part of Blink’s “frontline first” series: content created specifically for leaders of deskless or distributed teams. We know that the job of frontline leadership is entirely different from managing ‘desk-based’ teams, so this is for you and your unique set of challenges.
It's somehow nearly the end of 2022, which means it's high time to start looking ahead to the year ahead.
For leaders in frontline organizations, this can be more than a little daunting. After two years of challenges caused by the pandemic and the Great Resignation, the looming prospect of a recession promises yet more adapting and innovating in order to survive and thrive.
So we'd like to help.
After working with hundreds of frontline organizations, we've created a short guide that breaks down the core principles to building a stable and successful frontline workforce for 2023 and beyond.
You can download a copy for free here or by clicking on the image below - we hope you find it useful and inspirational as you look to the new year.
What we'll cover
Start your free trial today
See how Blink helps frontline teams stay connected, informed, and engaged.
Cut through the noise with attention-grabbing internal communications
We’ll come clean. The idea that humans have an 8-second attention span is a myth. But — as with any enduring story — it’s a myth with its roots in truth.
In a technological age, we’re bombarded with more information than ever. And people looking to convey a message — be they marketers, influencers, or internal comms teams — have very limited time to grab our attention.
As such, the 8-second rule provides a useful frame of reference when designing employee communications content, particularly if you’re aiming to engage frontline workers or Gen Z employees, who prefer short, snappy instant messaging.
By drawing employees in quickly and effectively, you’re more likely to land critical messages. You cut through the noise and improve engagement across your internal communication channels — plus, you help to build a more captivating workplace culture.
Here, we explore all the ways your internal communication strategy can stop the scroll with attention-grabbing internal comms.
The attention economy at work
How many notifications do you get on your smartphone each day? Between news alerts, personal instant messaging, and work memos, there’s a lot of information competing for our attention.
To stand out, your internal communication app needs to adopt the tactics of the most effective players in the game. We’re talking social media platforms, with their rich multimedia content and addictive algorithms.
These platforms provide ample inspiration for internal communicators. They also establish employee communication expectations.
Away from work, employees are used to content that is dynamic, interactive, and concise. They’re accustomed to mobile-first communications and content that attracts their attention in a split second.
This is the challenge for internal communications teams. How do you replicate that experience and level of engagement in the digital workplace? How do you make sure your content is seen, read, and remembered?
How to create attention-grabbing internal communications
To make your employee communications heard above the noise, you need modern internal communication tools with content that attracts employee interest within seconds. Here’s how.
Make your content snackable and visual
Short-form content is everywhere these days. And it tends to resonate well with modern employees.
Workers don’t always have time to read a long, text-based email, scan a PDF, or try to navigate your dense company intranet. Plus, this type of communication and document-sharing are unlikely to spark employee interest anyway.
With bite-sized content, employees can read and digest need-to-know information on the go. Think snappy company news feed posts, pulse checks and employee surveys, and employee recognition shout-outs — all in a single platform with a user-friendly interface.
Visuals are also key. They help you say more with less and, because they appeal to our senses and emotions much more effectively than a plain text document, they’re a surefire way to foster an engaged workforce. Try incorporating micro-videos, carousel posts, and behind-the-scenes photos into your company comms.
Hook ‘em with your headlines
With just a few seconds to convince employees to view your content, you need headlines and subject lines that do much of the heavy lifting.
Your headlines should be short and simple. They need to provoke curiosity without resorting to clickbait tactics — and they should hint at the value employees will gain by reading further.
To craft engaging headlines:
Keep it short and specific. Use a maximum of 40 characters in your subject lines. And ensure your headlines accurately reflect the rest of your content.
Adopt an employee-centric mindset. Make employees the hero of your headlines. Figure out what is most important to your workers, then lead with that.
Avoid corporate language and jargon. Use simple, easy-to-understand language and your headlines will be more engaging and quicker for employees to digest.
Create urgency or intrigue. When crafting urgent updates, mention upcoming deadlines to improve message open and read rates. Also, pique employee curiosity by hinting at what lies within.
Here are a few examples of high-impact internal message headlines:
Create a sense of exclusivity and intrigue
Not this: What you need to know about the new product launch next week.
But this: Be the first to see our new product!
Empower action and counter known hesitations
Not this: Please fill out the latest employee engagement pulse check survey.
But this: Have your say — share your feedback in minutes.
Focus on clear benefits with simple language
Not this: Sign up for our newly implemented training programs to improve your productivity.
But this: Career goals unlocked! Discover new training programs.
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Embrace the Stories format
The Stories format has been popularized by Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. It provides an easy way to share short-form video content, a current favorite among social media users, in a way that highlights human connection.
The beauty of this type of video format is the ease with which you can create it. It doesn’t have to look polished and professional. In fact, DIY, smartphone-filmed content has an air of authenticity that boosts employee engagement and trust, particularly with Gen Z employees.
When exploring this format with your internal communication tools, you can feature daily updates, employee recognition and spotlights, and even shift announcements. Make Stories available on mobile and give your deskless employees a quick and engaging way to access the latest company content, too.
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Make your communications a two-way conversation
Interaction and engagement go hand in hand. So — to create compelling internal comms content that positively impacts the employee experience — you need to prioritize two-way communication and team collaboration.
You can do this with the help of key features like:
Polls and quizzes. Quick, easy, and engaging. Polls and quizzes allow you to gather instant employee feedback and insights while giving employees the chance to make their voices heard.
Emoji reactions. A simple way for employees to interact with your news feed content, emoji reactions allow them to express opinions and show support on company updates.
Employee-generated content. The ultimate in interaction, employee-generated content is sure to attract the attention of co-workers and offers a centralized platform for employee content creators too.
Manager video updates. Leadership and management posts break down barriers and make comms more personal, particularly if you throw in the occasional Q&A.
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Harness the power of FOMO and urgency
The best marketers understand consumer psychology. They know what makes prospective customers sit up, take notice, and take action.
Internal comms teams can harness this psychology to maintain high levels of employee engagement across communication channels. Here are a few ideas:
Time-limited content. Content — like Stories — that disappears after 24 hours is great at grabbing employee attention. It also encourages regular use of your employee app or internal communications platform, because employees don’t want to miss out on the latest company news. A quick video from the CEO, a behind-the-scenes look at an event, or a snapshot of a team milestone feels more valuable when it’s only available for a limited time.
A sense of urgency. As with the 24-hour news cycle, regularly posting real-time updates creates a sense of urgency. Employees want to check in with your internal comms to find out what’s new. Deadlines are also effective. So launch limited-time challenges — and use time-sensitive language like “now,” “today,” “don’t miss out,” and “last chance” — to spark interest and encourage participation when it comes to urgent updates.
Exclusivity. We’re drawn to content that creates a sense of prestige. So offer “sneak peeks” and “first looks” at new products, initiatives, or instant messaging from leadership. Positioning messages to employees as exclusive makes employees feel valued and part of an elite group. It also taps into employees’ natural curiosity and desire to stay in the loop.
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Adopt a mobile-first approach
The best internal communication tools are mobile-first. They make it easy for employees to comment, react, and participate in real-time conversations.
For a mobile workforce without desktop access and for Gen Z workers who live on their smartphones, mobile-first communication approach supports quick social interactions without a significant time investment.
Make your internal communication platforms available on employee smartphones and you also have the option to use push notifications — the ultimate attention-grabber.
But be careful — don’t overdo it. To prevent notification fatigue, reserve alerts for priority messages and allow your employees to customize their notification preferences, particularly when it comes to lower-stakes content like internal newsletters and direct messaging.
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Measure, learn, and iterate
When adapting your comms so they catch the attention of employees, it takes more than guesswork. You need to measure your success by tracking engagement metrics, views, and interactions.
You can also make like your marketing team by A/B testing your internal content. Switch up images, thumbnails, colors, headlines, and calls to action to find and roll out the most eye-catching options.
Using the data on employee behavior and gathering feedback you get from your internal communication tool — along with real-time feedback from employee surveys — you can evolve your internal communications strategy to better spark the interest of employees.
Does your comms content meet the 8-second rule?
Attention-grabbing internal communications are short, visual, interactive, and mobile-first. They communicate key information — and draw recipients in — in a matter of seconds.
In a time when it’s hard to maintain the edge in the attention economy, content like this stands out. It helps you share important information and urgent updates with employees and keep everyone on the same page.
Not only does this foster more effective communication, it also improves the employee experience. When people feel informed and connected to their organization, they enjoy higher levels of employee satisfaction.
So do you accept the challenge? Will you strive to meet the 8-second rule with your internal comms?
Audit your current content, explore the capabilities of your internal communication software, and experiment with new formats to find out what works for your entire organization. Because, by going beyond old-fashioned, text-based comms, you stand to make a big impact on your audience and create a more engaging company culture.
Inbox zero has always been the dream. But maybe it’s time to dream bigger.
It once defined workplace comms. But today, email is slow, unengaging, and clunky — as anyone lost in a “reply all” chain will tell you. It’s fallen so far out of favor that, for an increasing number of employees, an inbox isn’t even part of the job anymore.
A new generation of employee experience platforms is rewriting internal communication rules. They’re making inbox zero the default — not because people are managing email better, but because they don’t need email at all.
These platforms are introducing faster, more interactive, and more human channels of communication. And they’re transforming how organizations reach their people. Here’s why email can’t carry your internal comms strategy anymore — and the benefits of building a workplace that thrives without an inbox.
The pitfalls of email for internal communication
So why has email fallen behind the times? Because email communication comes with some serious drawbacks.
It’s overwhelming
The reason people dream of inbox zero? Because their email account is overflowing with messages. Employees receive hundreds of emails every day.
What’s more, there’s no clear message hierarchy. Meeting invites, newsletters, urgent safety updates. They all compete for space in the same inbox. It’s hard for employees to see what’s most important at a glance, so critical messages get lost in the noise.
It’s unengaging
Scroll through a social media feed and you’ll see videos, polls, and interactive content designed to grab and hold your attention. Now think about the last email you read. Did it land with the same impact? Probably not.
In a world of TikTok, WhatsApp, and Instagram, static text feels flat. Emails are competing with these highly visual, highly engaging formats — and they just can’t keep up with audience expectations.
It’s hard to measure
Unless you send all emails via an email platform, it’s impossible to know if employees are actually opening, reading, and acting upon your updates. Are employees skimming? Ignoring? Misunderstanding?
Without robust analytics, it’s impossible to know. It’s then hard to make meaningful improvements to the internal comms experience.
It excludes the frontline
83% of frontline employees don’t have a company email address. Even if they do, logging into a shared portal in the break room is hardly practical.
Email isn’t an effective way to reach frontline teams. So you end up excluding an important segment of your audience — and have to resort to inefficient and unreliable methods of communication, like paper notices and manager phone calls.
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The rise of alternative employee communication channels
Email communication has its limits and alternative internal communication tools are on the rise. These platforms are built to make comms faster, more engaging, and more accessible. And some companies are now ditching email entirely, shifting all workplace communication over to these modern tools.
Today, 70% of comms professionals say they use chat tools and 73% say they use an employee app to communicate as an organization. Here’s what employees at those organizations are experiencing:
A mobile-first platform
The best mobile-first communication and intranet platforms provide the same seamless user experience across all devices, including small smartphone screens. Employees can access updates, resources, and workplace tools wherever they are, without needing a corporate email address.
Notifications + social feed
Instead of digging through their inbox, employees get instant notifications when a critical message lands. They can then head to the platform dashboard to view mandatory reads — or scroll the dynamic social feed, where news is organized and personalized by role, team, or tenure.
Channels for every type of communication
Modern platforms give structure to internal communications. Teams, communities, leadership updates, and company resources all have their own clearly defined channels. So employees know exactly where to go for official memos, knowledge sharing, and details of the latest team social.
Two-way communication
Employees have lots of ways to interact with internal content on a modern comms platform. They can comment on a news feed post, respond to a poll or survey, react with emojis. They can even — depending on the permissions you set — create their own community-building content for your internal channels.
Engaging communications
The best employee intranets borrow from the apps your workers already love. Photos, videos, reels, memes, and visually-rich content make updates short, memorable, and enjoyable to consume. Your messages land — and stick — without adding to inbox overload.
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The productivity + engagement upside of a zero-email comms approach
With modern internal communications software, it’s possible to adopt a zero-email strategy. And the benefits go far beyond clearing inboxes. Here’s what this approach can do for your organization:
Faster information flow. No more waiting for employees to log into a shared workstation to view the latest company email. Critical updates reach everyone through push notifications, ensuring your messages are seen and read quickly.
Clear messaging. The comms experience is personalized to each employee. So people only see what matters to their role, team, or location. This reduces unnecessary noise and helps your messages cut through more effectively.
A stronger sense of belonging. Email wasn’t built for culture-building. But internal communications platforms create shared spaces, where employees can celebrate wins, recognize peers, and feel part of the bigger picture. The result is greater engagement and loyalty across your workforce.
Comms people actually want to read. When comms are visual, bite-sized, and interactive, employees are more likely to read them. They engage with your content and return regularly to your comms platform, so it’s easier to land messages.
Self-service and streamlined workflows. The best internal comms platforms integrate with the other workplace software you already use. Employees can action a message in clicks because all tools and resources are linked.
Equal access across the workforce. Historically, there’s been a divide between frontline and desk-based employees. With a zero-email approach, you bring everyone together. You welcome frontline employees into company culture, strengthening engagement and retention as a result.
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So what does the future of internal communications look like?
In a not-too-distant future, we predict that “inbox zero” will no longer be the dream of employees tackling a never-ending influx of emails. Instead, it will be an organizational norm. And moving beyond email to modern communication platforms will open up a new realm of possibilities for workplace connection.
Comms rethink their playbook
With improved internal communication tools on the table, the comms team can quit their reliance on email. They can meet employees where they are — on their smartphones, scrolling through engaging multi-media content — to create communications that work for every employee.
And, with new communication channels at their disposal, they’ll get creative. Employee-generated content, short-form video, and highly visual posts will become the standard. Comms teams will create Insta-worthy internal comms and find new ways to land messages.
HR and IT invest in an integrated solution
Employee experience isn’t just HR’s job — it’s everyone’s. And, because a single, integrated platform can solve for HR, IT, and comms, this is a setup that more organizations will embrace.
Thanks to deep integrations and single sign-on technology, employees can access everything they need from a single, user-friendly dashboard. Checking up on company news? Requesting a shift swap? Completing the next module of their current training course? It’s all right there, at their fingertips — without juggling multiple tabs and logins.
For IT, that means less firefighting and better ROI from existing tools. For HR, it means higher employee engagement and retention. And for comms, it means a direct line to every member of staff — hard-to-reach frontline workers included.
Teams use platform analytics to take comms even further
The future of comms is data-driven. Teams won’t just hit send and hope for the best. They’ll use platform analytics to see what’s working, what’s not, and where to improve.
That means sharper targeting, smarter campaigns, and data-driven comms strategies that reach the right employees at the right time. Teams can also measure how comms impact big business outcomes, like employee engagement, retention, and customer satisfaction.
Ultimately, analytics give comms a seat at the table. Teams move from being messengers to strategic partners, involved from the start in shaping initiatives and able to demonstrate solid comms ROI.
Stop dreaming of inbox zero. Go beyond email in 2026.
Our vision for the future of internal communications may feel a long way from the comms reality you’re living today. But the truth is, many organizations are already a ways down this path.
They’ve recognized that email is a drain on productivity and engagement. And they’re moving beyond it. No more inbox battles. No more missed messages. Instead, they’re embracing modern, mobile-first internal comms that reach every employee, wherever they are.
They’re making use of multi-media content, notifications, and analytics to ensure all employees get the information and connection they need to succeed in the workplace.
Meet Isobel Sanders (fondly known in the office as Izzy), our business intelligence lead in the London office. After being a frontline employee in previous roles, such as retail and hospitality, Isobel was extremely interested in the work that Blink was doing and knew she wanted to be along for the ride!
Izzy has been with Blink for a year and a half where she helped launch Advanced Employee Intelligence, and has also worked on internal business analysis across various topics across the business. This includes marketing analytics, creating a customer health score, sales pipeline coverage, implementation tracking, and more.
“Blink is a collaborative, challenging and fun work environment, where there is not just one direction to go in, but many different ones” says Izzy.
We sat down and asked her some burning questions about what it's like working at Blink, what she's proud of, and things she's looking forward to most during her time at Blink.
So…over to the interview…
What's a project you are proud of from your time at Blink?
One project that stands out during my time at Blink is the development of customer-facing analytics. I helped create a dashboard that is seamlessly integrated into Blink's platform. What started as an internal tool quickly evolved into a product in its own right, showcasing how our work directly enhances the company's value proposition. I am excited to transform the frontline worker experience, an area that's often ignored.
Can you tell us about a recent initiative or program launched at Blink that you found particularly exciting?
Recently, I helped Blink launch an initiative called Advanced Employee Intelligence. Advanced Employee Intelligence allows us to influence all levels of the business, whether it's helping the internal comms team optimize the feed experience, connecting employees with their colleagues through channels or allowing employees to easily find what they need through hub analytics. We can also go above and beyond Blink usage and provide AI driven sentiment insights and turnover statistics, while retaining anonymity to create a culture of trust.This initiative promises to leverage data in unprecedented ways, offering insights that not only benefit our customers but also enhance their overall organizational effectiveness.
What are you excited about for the future of Blink?
Looking ahead, I'm enthusiastic about Blink's potential to revolutionize the frontline worker experience. By harnessing data insights, I aim to reduce turnover and foster a sense of belonging among employees, making an impact on workplace dynamics.
Why Blink?
Blink is not just the product itself, but the endless possibilities it presents. As a data person, I enjoy having access to a wide-ranging product. Blink doesn't offer a single path; instead, it encourages exploration and innovation across multiple fronts.
Working at Blink is about being part of a transformative journey. Every day, I strive to redefine how technology can enrich the lives of frontline workers, making work not only efficient but also meaningful.
You can join Isobel at Blink, where data meets purpose, and together, we shape the future of the frontline. Search for opportunities on our careers page: https://www.joinblink.com/careers
You’ve invested in Workday. Rolled it out. Trained your teams. And yet… usage is lagging.
Sound familiar?
You’re not alone — research shows workplace technology users on average use only 40% of available software features, and Workday is no exception. Why? Because people don’t engage with systems that feel disconnected from their daily flow. Especially frontline employees, who rarely check email and are lucky if they remember their login.
Workday is a powerful system of record. But without the right engagement layer — the employee-facing experience that wraps around it — even the best deployment can fall flat.
Here’s the good news: You don’t need to rip and replace anything. You just need to bridge the gap between people and process.
These five strategies help make that happen — improving team collaboration, streamlining employee communication, and getting your employees to not just use Workday… but actually like it.
#1. Sync comms with key Workday moments
The right message at the wrong time? Still the wrong message.
One of the easiest ways to boost employee engagement is by aligning your internal communication with key employee milestones in Workday. Think: performance review deadlines, open enrollment windows, pay stub releases, or timecard due dates. These aren’t just tasks — they’re moments that matter most across the employee lifecycle.
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By syncing your engagement platform with Workday’s calendar and events, you can deliver perfectly timed nudges right when action is needed. Not just generic blasts or reminder emails, but targeted alerts that actually get read.
Pro tip: Use features like countdown timers, pop-up alerts, or chatbot reminders via Blink to drive timely action. A pop-up reminder about employee scheduling or a push notification that says, “Your new L&D goal just dropped — tap to complete it in Workday” goes a lot further than a newsletter blurb.
This strategy improves task completion rates, reduces HR follow-ups, and helps employees feel more in control of their work lives — especially when those nudges are sent in real time and on mobile apps.
This kind of proactive, targeted, and effective communication supports better team collaboration and keeps everyone aligned around shared timelines and responsibilities.
#2. Turn super users into Workday Champions
If you’re the only one answering Workday questions, it’s time to build a squad.
Every company has a few people who just “get it.” The ones others ping when they’re stuck trying to change their tax withholding or book vacation time. These internal experts are gold — so why not put them front and center?
Empower your internal “Workday Champions” by giving them visibility and a voice on your employee communications tool. Use Blink to create a space where they can host 5-minute tip sessions, answer FAQs, or even stream quick AMAs (ask me anything) via live video.
This does two things:
Normalizes learning: People are more likely to ask questions when it feels informal and peer-led.
Scales support: Your HR and IT teams will thank you.
When employees see their peers confidently navigating Workday, it makes the system feel less intimidating and more human.
This strategy supports both employee communication and team collaboration as well as builds employee confidence — creating a feedback-friendly, resource-rich environment without adding to the HR workload.
#3. Make Workday training mobile, snackable, and on-demand
No one wants a 52-slide deck on how to submit expenses.
Traditional training content doesn’t cut it — especially for busy, distributed teams. If you want people to actually learn how to use Workday, meet them where they are (hint: it’s on their phones) and make it simple.
Break Workday actions into short, mobile-friendly formats:
60-second walkthrough videos
GIF tutorials
Step-by-step mobile cards
A weekly “Workday Tip of the Week” drop in your internal feed
Not only does this make learning more engaging, but it also ensures your content is reusable and evergreen. Employees can access what they need in the flow of work, when they need it — no login gymnastics required.
With Blink, you can embed these learning moments directly in your employee app, right alongside other comms. It’s Workday training — without the friction.
Helping employees engage with Workday in a modern, mobile-first way reduces the learning curve and makes Workday integration a part of their daily flow.
#4. Eliminate access friction (seriously, just log them in)
If logging in feels like a quest, you’ve already lost.
We’ve seen it time and time again: Workday rollout, check. Training sessions, check. But employees still aren’t engaging. Why?
Because they can’t remember their login. Or the password expired. Or they don’t want to click through six tabs to get to their payslip.
Authentication friction is one of the biggest blockers to Workday adoption — especially for frontline workers or hourly employees. If you want to fix that fast, start with access.
With Blink as your easy-to-use employee app for all, you can simplify Workday user provisioning using features like:
We recommend running a campaign around it — something like “One click. You’re in.” — to show how simple it really is.
And don’t stop there: Track where people drop off, monitor login data, and keep refining your approach. If the front door doesn’t work, no one’s coming inside.
Making Workday user provisioning seamless removes one of the biggest engagement roadblocks and gives your frontline teams easy, secure access to the most important modern tools in your digital workplace.
#5. Build feedback loops that close — not collect dust
If you don’t ask, you won’t know. But if you don’t act, no one will bother telling you.
The final — and arguably most important — tip: Create a feedback loop inside your Workday experience. Don’t wait for the annual engagement survey to find out your time-off workflow is a nightmare. Ask early, and often.
Embed micro-feedback moments directly in the experience:
After a Workday task is completed, prompt a quick emoji reaction or two-question pulse
Drop a “How was that?” prompt after a new feature launches
Create space for open suggestions in your internal communications feed
To boost participation, try light gamification — weekly raffles, team shoutouts, or digital badges for high-response departments.
Employees who feel heard are far more likely to engage with the system. Even more so when they see visible changes based on their feedback.
With Blink, you can launch surveys in seconds, analyze the results, and close the loop without ever leaving the platform.
A feedback-powered employee communication strategy helps optimize your Workday integration strategy and continuously improves system usability.
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.
How you complete that sentence could speak volumes about your leadership skills.
Good leadership in the workplace is crucial for the long-term success of your business and superb employee experience.
In fact, there's a 1674% chance of an employee having a strong perception about your leadership when you connect them to their purpose, accomplishments, or each other.
Great leaders inspire and motivate their team members. But it's easier said than done.
Being a good leader can be challenging. It takes a lot of practice and focus. But like any other skill, you can learn to be an effective leader.
If you don't know how to be a good leader, you're in luck. We'll explore 10 qualities of a good leader to give you tips to become a strong leader at work.
What makes a good leader in the workplace?
A good leader engages in open communication, motivates their team members, leads by example, listens to feedback, and is open to new ideas in an ever-changing workplace.
Anyone can sit in a corner office and boss people around, but there's more to effective leadership than that.
Learning the traits of a good leader will help you significantly impact your company's success.
With that in mind, here are 10 attributes of a good leader and how to use them effectively to your advantage.
1. Good leaders engage in open communication.
Employees want to be heard — whether it's an issue that needs resolving or ideas they believe would improve the business or better serve clients.
When you don’t communicate well with your team, they may feel discouraged, resulting in poor morale and lower production. Project.co shared that 35% of businesses have lost an employee due to poor communication.
The best leaders customize their communication styles to suit each situation and team members' preferences — which means they take the time to learn which communication mode each team member prefers.
Do your employees prefer email or phone conversations? Or maybe face-to-face?
You can also use a straightforward mobile app like Blink to turn your employees into a close-knit group by enabling communications between them.
Effective communication decreases misunderstandings and employee errors, builds trust among team members, and improves morale. Pumble backs that up, stating that effective communication can increase a team's productivity by 25%.
As long as it's done respectfully, you should maintain a work environment that promotes honest communication.
Promoting a judgment-free environment sinceyour employees are likely to give their opinions more often when they don’t fear discrimination.
Giving undivided attention to your team members when they’re speaking.
Asking your employees for suggestions to increase their engagement. You'll aim to implement employee engagement strategies that work.
Asking (not demanding) your employees to do stuff for you.
2. Great leaders encourage professional and personal development.
One of the most critical leadership qualities you can have is nurturing your staff by giving them personal development opportunities.
That can include anything from leadership training or teaching them a new skill to encouraging them to pursue a passion that inspires them in and out of the workplace.
In 2021, Lorman shared that 70% of employees are likely to leave their current job to work for an organization that invests in employee growth and development.
Employees value learning opportunities, so it's no surprise that companies with successful training programs typically see a significant increase in employee retention.
Picture a company culture where every team member receives training according to their interests. In such a case, every employee will feel you care about their goals, dreams, and overall well-being.
When that happens, your employees will go above and beyond to help you achieve your goals and vision.
Here are four strategies you can use to encourage professional and personal development in the workplace:
Encourage mentoring and coaching between managers and employees.
Identify and develop soft skills such as time management, active listening, and delegation.
Implement cross-departmental training programs to increase the efficiency of your entire company.
3. Successful leaders lead their employees by example.
One of the characteristics of a good leader is their ability to ‘walk the talk.’
Here’s an instance of a true leader leading by example:
Jane is a manager at a local bank with a team of seven employees (you can pretend that’s Jane and her team in the above picture). She shows up to work a few minutes early to plan her schedule.
When her team starts to arrive, she greets them warmly and inquires about their families.
She then calls her team members into a morning meeting. And instead of leading with her plan, she gives each person a chance to voice their ideas. She appreciates their input and asks them to create proposals to bring their ideas to life.
When it’s time to start working, Jane attends to clients like the rest of the team.
As a result, Jane gets high levels of employee engagement since she demonstrates that she’s invested in her team's initiatives and business.
Leading by example means guiding your employees through actions instead of words. The saying ‘do as I say, not as I do’ has no place in today’s world.
Nowadays, employees want to see your actions match what you say. That means showing them what’s required instead of just telling them.
Here are four ways to lead by example:
Be a role model to your employees by walking the talk.
Give clear instructions to your staff.
Avail yourself to answer questions your employees might have.
Make employees feel part of the team by letting them know why you're giving them specific instructions.
Use respectful words like ‘please’ when giving instructions to your team members.
4. Strong leaders give constructive feedback to employees about their performance.
Employee feedback is an incredibly effective tool. Offered well, it can grow your employees, strengthen bonds between staff and managers, and improve trust levels.
“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.” — Bill Gates
Direct, honest feedback is the best way to steer your team in the right direction.
Don’t wait for monthly or quarterly assessments to give your employees feedback. Give them right after an event has occurred. It will have the most significant impact on their performance.
Here are four tips to help you give employees effective feedback that gets the results you need:
Give individual feedback privately.
Avoid sandwiching corrective feedback between two positive feedbacks. It will create confusion, undermine the feedback, and decrease trust levels.
Focus on your employees' behaviors (what they do) rather than their personality traits (what they’re like).
5. Secure leaders ask for feedback from employees about their leadership style.
The saying goes: there’s always room for improvement. That’s especially true when you're a good leader.
Who can point out these growth opportunities better than your employees?
After all, they work with you every day, so they know your strengths and weaknesses.
“Feedback is the Breakfast of Champions.” — Ken Blanchard
However, getting honest feedback isn’t always easy.
Employees may feel awkward revealing their true thoughts. They may not want to offend anyone's feelings or face future consequences for harsh criticism. That may cause them to give you fluffy feedback or avoid the request.
Use these tips to ask your employees for feedback and increase the likelihood that they give honest, actionable feedback:
Ask your employees specific questions instead of vague questions such as, “What do you think?”
Tell your staff not to hold back on their feedback and make them feel they’re doing you a favor by being honest.
Give them time to think about your questions and develop helpful answers.
Ask employees about what you can do better in the future rather than what you did wrong in the past.
6. Transformational leaders are open to change and new ideas.
Change is hard — even if the change is for the better. Successful leaders are aware of this and don't pretend otherwise.
They also understand that embracing change with the right mindset is critical to creating an environment where change is integral to their company's DNA.
A great leader never wants to be the smartest person in the room. They surround themselves with a team of experts with more ideas and experience without feeling threatened.
And when these experts are led well, they can be a powerful force in driving strategy, making changes, and enhancing the company's bottom line. They’ll perform at a high level with little oversight and push you to grow continually.
“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.” — Steve Jobs
Whether you're leading a team of two or five thousand, below are four ways to embrace new ideas and get your employees on the ‘change-wagon’ faster:
Surround yourself with a committed team of experts.
Understand why you need the change and clearly express the desired outcome.
Include your employees in decision-making from the get-go to strengthen their commitment to change.
Make sure your beliefs and behaviors support the change. Be resilient, persistent, and willing to step outside your comfort zone.
7. Effective leaders set clear employee goals and delegate work.
A good leader makes sure their employees are doing what they’ve assigned them to do to achieve the company's mission and goals.
The instructions you give should be measurable and quantifiable. Use existing data to develop a baseline for employees to do their best work.
Moreover, 2021 research by Bi Worldwide showed that 31% of employees said their manager set attainable goals for them, but they weren’t challenging. So be sure to have goal-setting discussions with your employees to set goals that will challenge them to grow.
An effective leader also knows what tasks to delegate. They know they can’t accomplish everything alone, so they assign tasks to team members they’re confident will complete them.
As a result, they empower and boost their employees’ morale. And in the process, they free up their time to focus on what will yield the highest returns and grow the business.
Here are three tips to help you delegate tasks to your team members:
Look for opportunities to delegate tasks based on your teams' strengths and weaknesses.
Walk your employees through the project you're delegating and clarify when you need it done.
Give continuous feedback and be specific on what they did well and what they need to improve on.
A good leader has the right motivation and passion. They’re not driven by money or prestige but genuinely want to inspire others to do their best.
Passionate leaders increase productivity and make sure workers are committed to the company's values, mission, and vision.
“A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision comes from passion, not position.” — John C. Maxwell
Most successful leaders have a passion (not a job) and know how to rally others around that passion.
In short, passionate leaders lead with heart.
Here are seven qualities that set passionate leaders apart from the crowd:
They're open-minded and respect differing opinions.
They have a positive attitude and superb problem-solving skills.
They’re great communicators and listen with the intent of genuinely understanding rather than advancing their agenda.
They're future-focused and capable of engaging others to achieve their goals.
They look at the big picture and embrace challenges.
They're risk-takers and put in the hard work to execute ideas.
They're self-aware, surround themselves with like-minded people, and sustain collaborative relationships.
Your ability to inspire, motivate, and create a magnetic vision needs commitment and perseverance. But it’s worth the effort, whether your goal is productivity, employee retention, or project management.
9. Successful leaders have a positive attitude even when things go south.
Most people tend to associate good leadership with smooth sailing.
After all, what can go wrong if you build and nurture a great team and generate excellent ideas?
…. a lot.
But whether it's a minor misunderstanding or a significant error, how you handle a negative situation reveals a lot about your emotional intelligence and leadership abilities.
“Great leadership usually starts with a willing heart, a positive attitude, and a desire to make a difference.” — Mac Anderson
When things go south, your words and actions as a leader are critical. Here’s what you can do during those times:
Take time to evaluate the situation and know what the problem is.
Face the problem with positivity and look for solutions.
Be flexible and adaptable and make adjustments along the way.
Remain persistent and determined to solve the issues.
10. Good leaders are always learning.
All successful leaders have one trait in common — a hunger for learning. They enroll in relevant online courses, read great books, use the best tools, and constantly improve.
Great leaders have an innate sense of curiosity that often drives them to learn more, which helps them perform better for their businesses and provide personal fulfillment.
“Leadership is not an expertise. Leadership is a constant education.” — Simon Sinek
Learning helps great leaders challenge their assumptions and bring clear understanding to the table.
In contrast, failure to keep learning means you won't adapt to the ever-changing work environment. And depending on your industry's competition, this can be a significant issue that spells the death of your company.
Here are three ways to keep learning and become a better leader:
Embrace an open mind to see things from different perspectives.
Read relevant books, industry publications, and blogs.
Take advantage of consultants, personal networks, industry events, and other organizations and learn from them.
How to be a good leader at work: your checklist
Openly communicate: Make sure your team always know what's going on and what is expected of them.
Develop your team: Push each team member in their personal development. Make sure you each team member has a clear and robust personal development plan.
Lead by example: Easier said than done, but be the example your team can learn from. Show them the type of employee you want them to be.
Give constructive feedback: Don't be afraid to give constructive feedback. 1-1's are normally the place for this.
Ask for feedback: You won't always get things right, and not everyone will agree with you. Ask for feedback from your team on your management style and how you can improve.
Be open to change and new ideas: If a team member has an idea or a new way of doing things, be open to it. Don't stick to the way things are just because "that's how it's always been".
Set goals & delegate: You can't do everything on your own, give your team responsibility and delegate tasks appropriately. This can help with point 2 as well.
Show your passion: If you love your job, show it. This passion can be infectious and help motivate your team.
Keep positive: Things won't always go to plan, but you can weather the storm. Keep positive and let your team know you have their back with whatever road bumps you hit.
Don't stop learning: Your development also doesn't stop. If you want to lead by example you need to make sure you are up to date with the latest techniques and strategies for your role.
Wrapping up: What makes a good leader in the workplace?
Most people aren’t born with the ability to get things done and inspire others every day. And that’s okay — you don’t have to be born with that ability to succeed.
Although it takes time to be a good leader, you can learn strong leadership skills. But like any other skill, it takes a lot of practice and focus.
Just keep in mind it also requires you to grow and engage your team. Blink’s Employee Engagement App can help you keep employees engaged and connected. Try it out today.
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