Hotel staff turnover: the real cost, and how to bring it down
Hotel turnover runs 70 to 80 percent annually, and housekeeping is hit hardest. Here's what turnover actually costs, and what brings it down.
The Blink Team
Published:
September 4, 2026
Hotel employee turnover isn't news to anyone who's run a property. Annual turnover in hotels commonly runs 70 to 80 percent, and housekeeping, the department that keeps the whole operation running, is hit hardest: 55 percent of housekeepers leave within their first 90 days, and housekeeping is the single hardest role to fill at 38 percent of hotels.
Those numbers aren't abstract. Every departure means a room that takes longer to turn, a front desk covering gaps it wasn't staffed for, and a manager pulled off actual management to interview and retrain, again.
What turnover actually costs
The direct cost is recruiting and training a replacement, which adds up fast when it's happening constantly rather than occasionally. The indirect cost is harder to see but often bigger: guest experience dips when a property is perpetually short-staffed or staffed by people who are still learning the job. A hotel running at 70 percent-plus annual turnover is, in a real sense, always onboarding. That's an expensive steady state to operate in.
Why housekeeping turnover is worse than other departments
Housekeeping tends to be the department least connected to everything else happening on property. Front desk staff hear from guests directly and get real-time feedback. Housekeepers often work in isolation, room after room, with limited contact with management or other departments during a shift. That isolation compounds two problems: it's harder to catch a struggling new hire before they quit, and it's harder to make anyone in the role feel like part of a team rather than a rotating set of hands.
What actually helps bring turnover down
Fixing hotel employee turnover doesn't come down to one lever, but a few things consistently make a difference.
A real first 90 days. Given that 55 percent of housekeepers leave within that window, the onboarding period deserves more attention than a single orientation day. New hires need a clear starting point: what's expected, where to find help, and confirmation that someone's checking in on how it's going, not just assuming it's fine.
Visibility for isolated roles. Housekeeping staff who feel disconnected from the rest of the property are more likely to leave. Giving every department, not just guest-facing roles, access to updates, recognition, and a sense of what's happening on property helps close that isolation gap.
Recognition that reaches every department equally. It's easy for recognition programs to skew toward guest-facing roles because that's where feedback naturally flows in. Deliberately building recognition into housekeeping and other back-of-house roles helps counter that imbalance.
Fewer administrative headaches. A lot of early departures come down to friction: confusing scheduling, unclear policies, no easy way to ask a quick question without tracking down a manager in person. Removing that friction, especially in someone's first weeks, changes the odds of them sticking around.
The connection to communication
Most of what reduces hotel employee turnover traces back to the same root issue covered elsewhere in this series: departments that don't hear from each other, and staff who feel disconnected from the property as a whole. A hotel staff communication app that reaches every department, not just guest-facing ones, is one of the more direct levers available for reducing turnover in the roles that need it most.
The company intranet shouldn’t be a place where your documents go to gather digital dust. Done right, an intranet acts as the beating heart of your organization.
That’s because there are so many ways you can use an intranet. Internal communication, project management, personnel services, collaboration – a modern intranet can be the hub for a diverse range of workplace activities.
Too often, however, the company intranet is neglected. Without regular improvement, it becomes irrelevant and unappealing to your employees. Usage drops and you end up paying for something that no one really engages with.
So how do you keep your intranet up to date and in use? If you feel your company intranet has lost its shine, take a look at the list of intranet improvement ideas below. They’ll help you to maximize your intranet – boosting employee engagement, connection, and productivity in the process.
What is a company intranet?
The intranet has changed a lot over the years. So we thought it wise to start with a definition.
A company intranet is a local network, exclusively for you and your employees. Unlike the company website, it’s a place where you can share documents and data privately – without worrying about clients, competitors, or the general public seeing them.
A basic company intranet usually includes:
Internal communication tools
An employee directory
Document sharing
Access to personnel services
That’s how we’d describe a traditional company intranet. But there’s a lot of variation between different intranet software. As we’ll see in a moment, older intranets are a world away from the modern versions many companies use today.
Why is it important to improve your company intranet?
An intranet can boost employee engagement and streamline operations. But if your organization is still using an older style of intranet, you may run into the following problems:
Functionality is limited
Employees don’t like using your intranet
Some employees (for example, your frontline workers) can’t access your intranet
There’s no getting away from it. Older intranets have limitations- they were designed for a version of the workplace that no longer exists. They’re great for sharing information among a desk-based team but traditional intranets aren’t particularly user-friendly or accessible.
In contrast, modern intranet software solutions are built with the needs of today’s digital workplace in mind. They allow easy internal communication and collaboration, even when employees are away from the office. And they provide a hub for workplace essentials, like benefits and payroll.
But remember – whichever type of intranet you’re currently using within your organization, there’s always room for improvement. Technology and employee expectations are constantly changing and your intranet needs to keep pace.
Updates enhance the intranet experience for employees, which means they’re more likely to use the platform. They also bring a greater range of functions under the same intranet umbrella, helping teams to be more productive.
A fully optimized intranet (or a similar tool – like an employee app), puts essential tools at the fingertips of your workforce. Employees are more effective and engaged. And you get the most out of your software investment.
14 ideas to improve your company intranet
An older intranet is sometimes little more than a glorified shared folder. Even modern intranets can quickly fall behind ever-evolving tech trends and employee needs.
By improving your intranet, you create something altogether more useful and exciting. Adopt modern intranet features and you’ll bring your company intranet up-to-date while encouraging employee uptake too.
In this section, we’re going to look at lots of ideas for improving your company intranet.
1. Improve communication channels
2. Personalized user portals
3. Content creation
4. Social networking features
5. Integration of AI and automation
6. Mobile accessibility
7. Rewards and recognition
8. Feedback and surveys
9. Integration with other tools
10. Analytics and reporting
11. Onboarding and training resources
12. Security and data privacy
13. User training and support
14. Commitment to continuous improvement
1. Improve communication channels
Think of the communication tools you use outside the workplace – the apps you use to chat with friends and family.
These apps are appealing and engaging. They facilitate fast and easy communication via instant messaging. They allow you to chat privately or in groups. And they come with an intuitive, user-friendly interface.
Recreate the same experience within your company intranet and you boost both team connection and employee engagement.
So where should you start? The first step to improving intranet communication channels is ensuring everyone has a voice. Conversations should be two-way, not one-way. That means using communication channels that allow information to travel in all directions – peer-to-peer, top-down, and bottom-up.
Once you’ve established these types of communication channels, encourage your teams to use them. Allow employees to create spaces where co-workers can chat and collaborate. Welcome feedback and frontline intel from your workers and use channels to share important news.
When communication channels crisscross your organization in this way, everyone hears and is heard. And important information is a lot less likely to be missed.
2. Personalized user portals
Marketing emails. Grocery store rewards. Netflix recommendations. The best digital experiences are tailored to each individual consumer.
Personalization makes experiences more engaging – and, when we spend our days bombarded with information, it cuts through the noise to ensure that key messages resonate.
We can apply this approach to the company intranet. When an employee logs in and sees a dashboard personalized to their role, their team, and their past intranet interactions, everything becomes much more engaging. An employee gets relevant content front and center.
Whether your intranet provides personalization automatically – or if employees can rearrange the user portal themselves – tailored experiences are another great way to improve your intranet.
3. Content creation
At a minimum, employees should be filling out their employee profile. But you can encourage them to go further. Make your intranet more relevant and engaging by involving all team members in content creation.
Employees can share team news, tutorials, and guides. To ensure cohesion, you can create a content template to support employees with the process, outlining the structure they should follow and the tags they can add.
Of course, employees can also contribute their posts, comments, and reactions on a social-media-style news feed.
4. Social networking features
72.3% of the US population uses social networking sites. So it’s safe to say that most of your employees enjoy hanging out on at least one of the popular social media platforms.
Add a social-media-style news feed to your intranet solution and you make things feel a little less corporate and a little more social. Employees can see and share posts, images, and videos. They can also comment and react to posts published by their co-workers.
A news feed keeps employees in the know. It’s a place to share important workplace updates and events. But not any old news feed will do. If you want high adoption rates, you need a news feed with a user-friendly interface. When a platform is intuitive, employees find it easier to weave it into their work day.
Blink Feed – a feature of the Blink super-app – replicates the experience of popular social network news feeds by prioritizing connection and usability. It offers a range of really useful add-ons, too – like critical messages that sit at the top of the news feed until employees read and acknowledge them.
5. Integration of AI and automation
Love it or loathe it, AI is making work quicker and easier. So incorporating it into your company intranet makes perfect sense.
With the help of AI, you can:
Automate repetitive intranet tasks, like expense report processing and employee onboarding
Give time-strapped content creators inspiration for their posts
Personalize employee portals based on the features they use most often
Send push notifications, drawing employee back to the intranet when new content is posted
Add an AI chatbot to your intranet and you can do even more. This virtual assistant can handle routine inquiries. It can help employees find answers to FAQs, locate relevant resources, or troubleshoot intranet issues.
When AI and automation do some of the heavy lifting, employees complete tasks quickly and easily, and you lighten the load for your personnel and IT teams, too.
6. Mobile accessibility
Back in the day, old intranets worked off a server in the office. You could only log in if you were based on a desktop computer in the same building.
We’ve come a long way. Now, in a world where employees work remotely – and where they’re used to slick digital experiences – most intranets can be accessed via an internet connection. But does this go far enough?
If employees access your intranet solely from a computer or laptop screen, then maybe. But if you’re a frontline organization, probably not. You need a solution with mobile-first design that ensures the same great intranet experience across all devices.
That’s because frontline workers don’t always have access to a desktop or laptop computer. They often don’t even have access to a work email address. And if your intranet offers a sub-standard (or non-existent) mobile experience, these workers can end up cut off from co-workers, comms, and company culture.
A mobile-first intranet ensures every member of your organization – including those working remotely or on the frontline – gets the same information and sense of connection. Your intranet reaches employees wherever they spend their workdays.
7. Rewards and recognition
According to Gallup and Workhuman research, employees who get recognition for their hard work are up to 20 times more engaged than those who don’t.
Praise an employee and you boost their motivation. Give public recognition and that impact grows. You create a positive company culture. And the wider team – seeing that effort is rewarded – are more likely to up their game, too.
If you’re not using your intranet to recognize and reward the employee behaviors you want to see, this is another key area for improvement. You need tools – like Blink’s recognition feature – that help you weave small but meaningful recognition into your every day.
Show employees just how much you value them with instant, personalized messages. And go public, celebrating employee successes with the whole team so everyone benefits.
Aggregate Industries, a manufacturer and supplier in the UK, put this rewards action with their Net Zero campaign that is at a core of their organization.
In an effort to drive awareness about the team’s sustainability efforts, “carbon atoms” were placed throughout the Blink platform for employees to find while engaging with content. Once discovered, each atom held a question related to their Net Zero strategy, and when an employee answered the question correctly, they were entered into a contest for a prize. This ultimately drove incredible engagement with the platform while learning about a key strategy of theirs, and then the employees were rewarded when they engaged.
To learn more about how Aggregate Industries utilizes Blink for their Internal Communications strategy, check out our webinar here.
8. Feedback and surveys
The best intranets have built-in feedback and survey functions that make it easy to discover employee needs, concerns, and expectations.
You promote open, two-way communication with regular requests for feedback. You then have all of the communication tools you need to share findings and a plan of action with employees.
With these tools at your disposal, you can seek feedback on any aspect of the employee experience, including the intranet itself. Perhaps a crucial feature is clunky and difficult to use. Or extra functionality would make a popular tool even more useful.
Launch surveys via Blink’s mobile super-app and it’s super easy for employees to respond – even when using a smartphone. You can discover what employees think of your intranet, and then make data-driven software improvements.
9. Onboarding and training resources
When you use your intranet for onboarding, there are lots of benefits:
You create a standardized process
New hires have a resource they can refer back to
You save manager time because the intranet does some of the training for them
It’s easy to gather feedback and data on the onboarding process
If you aren’t already using your intranet to train new hires, start by putting mandatory training resources, FAQs, and video tutorials onto your portal. Also, encourage new starters to use your employee directory, finding relevant co-workers to connect with.
Introduce new employees to your intranet from the very beginning and you showcase its role within your organization. Employees get to see its features and benefits, and are more likely to use it going forward.
10. Integration with other tools
Company intranets are most useful when they’re a one-stop-shop – a hub for all the technologies, tools, and resources you use within your organization.
Putting everything in one place speeds up and streamlines workflow. Employees don’t waste time logging in and out of different platforms. And they don’t have to familiarize themselves with multiple interfaces. Instead, they access everything they need via your intranet portal.
If you’re currently using a patchwork of different tools, you can improve things by finding out which integrations your intranet software supports.
Alternatively, you can connect tools via a feature like the Blink hub. Here, you can put HR systems, internal communications, project management, employee benefits, and more, in the same accessible place.
11. Analytics and reporting
If your current intranet doesn’t have analytics and reporting features this is another area crying out for improvement. With analytics, you get to see:
See how communication flows around your company so you can identify both positive and negative relationships. Filter employee engagement data by team or date range. Find the most popular news feed posts to learn which content grabs employee attention.
Analytics and reporting functions make intranet data easy to understand and act upon. You can then use your findings to make your intranet even more effective.
12. Security and data privacy
There’s a cyber-attack every 39 seconds. Any digital workplace needs to consider the cyber security risks they face and regularly reassess the safety measures they have in place.
The best intranets provide rock-solid security that keep systems and data safe. So if your intranet security hasn’t been updated in a while, this could be another key area for improvement.
Access control measures prevent unauthorized users from accessing specific intranet sections or features. Encryption and password protection keep sensitive documents from prying eyes. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an extra-secure way to verify a user’s identity as they log in to the system.
Employee training is also essential. Everyone needs to understand secure password practices – and how to recognize and respond to security threats. When your teams understand best security practices you can rest easy, knowing that your intranet isn’t putting your business at risk.
13. User training and support
Employee security training is important. So too is intranet training. Too many intranets are underutilized simply because employees aren’t familiar with the range of features they offer.
Of course, the best intranets are intuitive and easy to use. But if you find that your adoption rates aren’t as healthy as you’d like them to be, hone in on training.
Create guides that explain intranet features and how to use them. Consider setting up a dedicated support channel for intranet-related issues and inquiries. Appoint intranet champions – members of staff who get full training on intranet systems and can then share their knowledge with co-workers.
Training and support help employees to understand and see the value in your intranet, while you maximize the impact of intranet features.
14. Continuous improvement
It’s never a case of implementing an intranet solution and then letting it run its own course. To get the best out of an intranet, treat it like a constant work in progress.
The tech tools we use in our personal lives are regularly updated. And your intranet solution needs to move with the times too. To stay relevant and engaging, it has to adapt to changing trends, tech advances, and the needs of your employees.
With surveys, feedback requests, and analytics, you keep your finger on the pulse. You can figure out what’s missing from your intranet and which features need work. You also get the buzz of seeing which changes make the most impact.
Do companies still use intranets?
We’ve just spent a lot of time talking about the improvements you can make to the company intranet. But let’s circle back to an important question – do companies still even use them?
When it comes to the traditional company intranet, not so much. Business leaders have realized that a digital workplace and digitally-savvy employees need something more. They need an intranet that’s agile, user-friendly, and engaging. And traditional intranets don’t tend to tick these boxes.
That’s why many organizations have turned to modern intranet solutions courtesy of today’s top intranet software providers. They use an intranet that employees can access via an internet connection, one that combines lots of useful workplace tools, like project management and personnel services.
But for some organizations, these updated intranets are still falling short. So instead of an intranet solution, they’re choosing to use a mobile-first employee app.
Difference between intranets and employee apps
The intranet has its drawbacks. It doesn’t necessarily work across all devices. Nor does it provide the exceptional user experience that employees now expect. Employee apps – offering many of the same features as a company intranet – remedy these issues.
Everyone in your organization can use the employee app. They don’t have to be sitting at a computer. And they don’t even need their own company email address. This makes employee apps particularly well-suited to frontline organizations.
Imagine a frontline worker – a bus driver who spends the day driving. She spends very little time with co-workers or at company HQ. In the past, when the company used an intranet that she couldn’t access, she relied on the depo notice board for company updates.
But now, thanks to the company’s employee app, she receives internal communication and makes co-worker connections via her smartphone. On her commute or during a break, she can open the app and get up to speed.
Unlike an intranet, an employee app boosts engagement, collaboration, and productivity for all employees. They typically have high rates of user adoption so no one gets left behind.
Preview Blink and learn about the features we offer for frontline teams.
The intranet of the future?
When you make improvements to your intranet, you help it to reach its full potential. You pack it with the features and functionality that make life easy for your employees.
Workers enjoy a user-friendly intranet experience that streamlines their workflow and helps them to connect with co-workers. You get boosted employee engagement and productivity.
Whether you choose to improve your intranet or switch to a mobile-first employee app, it’s all about using this incredibly powerful tool in a way that best meets the needs of your business.
Instant messaging and two-way communication features facilitate conversation across your organization. Integration with AI and other workplace tools makes teams more efficient. Personalized, social-media-style portals ensure employee engagement. Mobile-first solutions bridge the gap between frontline teams and HQ.
Prioritize improvements that match your business goals and you can have an internal communication solution fit for the workforce of today – and tomorrow.
Find out if Blink’s employee app is a good fit for your organization. Book a demo to see our platform in action.
Let’s create digital experiences your people will actually enjoy
It takes seven clicks to find your schedule. The training video won’t load on mobile. Your last question to HR? Still sitting in an unread inbox. Welcome to your Monday.
Now flip that:
You open one app. Your schedule’s there. So is your manager’s announcement. You give quick feedback on your shift — and get a response before lunch.
That’s the difference good digital design makes.
In 2025, the user experience employees have with workplace tech is the employee experience.
We use communication tools to message teammates, take training, request time off, and recognize each other. When those tools work well, they reduce friction and boost morale. When they don’t, it shows — in employee engagement, retention, and productivity.
Employee experience (EX) design means applying a thoughtful, human-first design approach to every moment that shapes someone’s experience at work — physical, digital, and cultural.
That includes onboarding and learning, the work environment, feedback loops, employee recognition, collaboration tools and technologies, and even how values show up day to day.
Think of it like UX — but for your people.
At each moment in the employee journey, ask:
Who’s the end user here? A new hire? A frontline shift worker? An overwhelmed manager?
Where does this moment fit in the bigger picture? Is it part of onboarding, communication, or recognition?
What are they feeling — and what do they need right now? Confidence? Clarity? Connection?
How can we make this interaction seamless and satisfying? Whether it’s tech, a conversation, or a checklist.
And how will we know it’s working? What data or feedback loops will tell us?
The goal isn’t just to “optimize” moments — it’s to make them feel intuitive, personal, and friction-free.
By carefully crafting experiences, both big and small, you help your people feel valued and give employee satisfaction a boost.
And because tech tools are a huge part of today’s workplace experience, digital employee experience (DEX) design forms a big part of the picture.
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What good EX feels like: 5 signs you’re doing it right
When we’re talking about tech tools, good EX looks something like this.
Effortless
People find what they need fast. There’s no need to dig through resources or ping the IT team for help. Systems are designed to be intuitive and free from points of friction.
Example:A restaurant worker views their upcoming shift schedule via a dashboard on the employee app. They don’t have to message their line managers or co-workers to get the latest info.
Personal
Content and tools are personalized to each employee. Employees enjoy experiences that are tailored to their roles, locations, and interests.
Example:Your HR department lead sees a dashboard built for their role, with shortcuts to key tools, relevant company news, and the latest workforce insights.
Connected
Everyone feels part of the same conversation and nobody feels left out. All employees have equitable access to company tech tools.
Example:A warehouse employee doesn’t need to use a communal computer in the break room. Thanks to a mobile-first platform, they can access resources and catch up on company news using their smartphone.
Dependable
Resources are always relevant and up-to-date. Messages are consistent. Tech tools have all the functionality employees need.
Example:Employees use a streamlined selection of tech tools — so messages and experiences are consistent across every touchpoint.
Empowering
Employees can take action, voice opinions through easy feedback channels, or get support in just a couple of clicks.
Example:A retail worker submits feedback via their smartphone, then views updates on workplace improvements over on the company news feed.
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Barriers to good EX — where it breaks down
So now we know what good EX looks like, time to find out why many organizations struggle to turn their EX ambitions into a reality as part of their digital transformation. Here’s a roundup of the usual suspects.
A fragmented tech stack
“Which tool do we use for that, again?”
A cluttered and disconnected tech stack is overwhelming for employees. They spend their time switching between tabs. They struggle to remember which app performs which task. And that’s before we even get started on all those login details.
If your tech tools aren’t working together, smoothly and efficiently, you’re creating a scattered (and suboptimal) experience for employees.
Over-reliance on email or manager cascade
Email isn’t the best communication channel for every employee. Frontline workers, for example, are unlikely to check their inbox during the work day.
Putting managers in charge of relaying key messages is no better. It’s a sure fire route to an overstretched management team — and inconsistent messaging.
These methods of workplace communication don’t fit the world of fast-paced, modern work we now operate in. And they do nothing for EX.
Top-down comms that don’t invite feedback or interaction
If employees can’t respond, react, chat, or ask questions, you’re not communicating — you’re broadcasting. And this kills employee engagement.
The company intranet is still the backbone of digital employee experience in many organizations. But legacy intranets are often clunky and outdated — and a real drain on EX.
Unless your intranet platform meets the needs of a tech-savvy and highly connected workforce, it’s falling short. You need a modern social intranet that provides an engaging, consumer-grade experience for employees.
Frontline employees excluded at key moments
Are your frontline workers always the last to know company news? And the least likely to use workplace tech?
You can’t make big improvements to EX unless you take the whole organization with you. That includes those hard-to-reach employees working on the frontline of your business.
For that, you need mobile-first tools that provide the same features and functionality across both mobile and desktop versions.
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Designing digital experiences your workforce will love
Digital employee experience in need of a reboot? Then here are a couple of guiding principles to bear in mind.
Build with empathy
Of course, the best tech tools support operational efficiency and productivity. But to achieve good EX, you need to move beyond business goals to really empathize with your end users.
That starts with an EX audit. Learn how employees are feeling at each digital and in-person interaction and find out how you can make their journey as smooth and stress-free as possible.
To get reliable data, speak to employees — run focus groups, conduct interviews, and embark on listening tours. Seek employee feedback on touchpoints throughout the working day and the employee life cycle.
Design together
When it comes to employee experience management, a cross-functional team works best. To create a joined up employee experience — and an integrated selection of tech tools — you need stakeholders working together.
The C-suite, HR, internal communications, IT, operations, frontline, and office-based employees should all get a say in what the digital employee experience will look like.
Map user journeys
Frontline employees vs. office-based staff. Hourly vs. salaried workers. New hires vs. long-time leaders.
Each employee persona has different needs — and your tools should reflect that. Aim to provide personalized experiences for employees in different roles, departments, and locations.
With an employee experience tool like Blink, you can create personalized user journeys, segmenting your workforce so they get a tailored experience across the whole platform. This can lead to a massive uptick in employee engagement — as well as employee retention.
Prioritize mobile-first design
Don’t shrink a desktop tool to fit a smartphone screen. Instead, opt for software that’s been designed with the mobile experience front of mind.
An employee app like Blink makes it easy for you to reach your workforce — who, let’s be honest, already live on their phones. It’s also an excellent way to reach frontline employees.
By taking your tech tools mobile, you create an equitable experience for all employees, no matter where or how they access your software.
Make feedback loops part of the design, not an afterthought
The best experiences evolve with employees. So treat EX as an ongoing exercise in empathy.
Use data and employee feedback to iterate and improve systems. Continually reassess how employees use your tech tools — and how you can make experiences even better.
To make this process as easy as possible, embed feedback loops into your tech tools. Ask for employee feedback, right within your software. And ensure leaders have access to the data and analytics they need to make meaningful EX improvements.
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Upgrade EX to get more from your digital tools — and your workforce
The right tech tools don’t just support EX — they help shape it.
They determine whether employees spend their days in a state of friction-free flow. Or whether frustration and stress color the workplace experience.
A modern intranet. An employee app. An internal comms platform. A dedicated employee experience tool. Whichever platforms you’re using, look at them from the employee perspective.
Tailor tools to their needs. Personalize experiences for each employee. Prioritize interaction, feedback, and mobile-first design to elevate and streamline EX.
In doing so, you’ll delight employees, earning their trust and driving engagement, so you get the very best from your workforce.
Hospitality has a turnover problem, and it isn't a secret. Whether you run a hotel, a full-service restaurant, or a quick-service brand, you've felt it: the constant hiring, the retraining, the shifts covered by someone who started three days ago. The pattern shows up everywhere in the industry, and it's expensive every single time it repeats.
The good news is that retention in hospitality doesn't hinge on one big fix. It comes down to a handful of things done consistently, department after department, shift after shift. Here's what actually moves the needle.
Start with onboarding that actually onboards
A rushed first week is one of the clearest predictors of an early exit. New hires who don't get a real orientation, who learn the job by trailing someone for an hour and then getting thrown on the floor, decide fast whether this is a place worth staying. Give people a genuine start: what the brand stands for, where to find the tools they need, who to ask when something goes wrong. It doesn't need to be elaborate. It needs to be there.
This matters just as much at the front desk of a hotel as it does behind the line in a kitchen. A hospitality employee app that gives new team members one place to start, instead of a stack of printed handouts or a manager's memory, closes a lot of that gap on day one.
Make managers the reason people stay, not the reason they leave
Ask almost anyone who's left a hospitality job why, and the manager relationship comes up fast. Not always because the manager was bad. Often because the manager was stretched too thin to actually manage: no time for recognition, no time for real feedback, no time to notice when someone was struggling before it became a resignation.
Retention strategies that work give managers back some of that time. When updates, training, and day-to-day operational noise live in one place instead of six group chats and a bulletin board, managers spend less time relaying information and more time actually leading their teams.
Target the message, don't blast it
One of the fastest ways to lose people's attention, and eventually their patience, is sending every update to everyone regardless of relevance. A housekeeping-specific policy change doesn't need to land in a server's feed. A kitchen safety notice doesn't need to interrupt the front desk. Teams that target communication by role, department, or property see less noise and more actual engagement with what matters.
Recognize the work, not just the metrics
Retention strategies too often stop at pay and scheduling, both of which matter, but recognition is the piece that's cheapest to fix and most often skipped. A quick shoutout for someone who covered a double shift without complaint, a public nod when a team hits a service milestone, a way for peers to recognize each other without waiting for a manager to notice. None of this is expensive. All of it adds up.
Different verticals, the same underlying problem
The specifics vary by business. If you're running a full-service restaurant, the gap usually shows up between front-of-house and back-of-house, in the seconds before service starts. Blink's page for full-service restaurants goes deeper into that specific dynamic.
If you're running a hotel, the challenge is often departmental. Housekeeping doesn't hear from the front desk until there's already a guest complaint. Our page for hotels covers what that looks like and what closes the gap.
And if you're running a quick-service or drive-thru brand, speed is the whole game, and a slow-moving comms stack is exactly what retention strategies need to fix first. Take a look at the Blink page for quick-service restaurants for the specifics there.
The common thread
Every one of these strategies points back to the same idea: people stay where they feel informed, supported, and seen. That's true whether they're checking guests in at 2 a.m. or running the pass during a Friday night rush. A single place for the updates, training, tools, and recognition that make a job feel manageable is what turns a revolving door into a team that sticks around.
Curious what that looks like for your part of hospitality? Start with the Blink hospitality page, or book a demo to see it in action.
Most intranet comparisons are written by people who've never had to get a nurse, a warehouse picker, or a hotel housekeeper to download an app. Blink. has. We've onboarded 87% of a 10,000-person workforce in 10 days, and we've watched the platforms that look great in a demo fall apart the moment they meet someone without a corporate email address. That's the lens this guide is written through.
Most intranet software was built for people who sit at desks all day. That's a problem when roughly 80% of the global workforce doesn't have a desk, a laptop, or a corporate email address (Emergence Capital, The Rise of the Deskless Workforce). This guide compares 15 intranet software providers for 2026, covering features, pricing, strengths, and where each platform falls short. Whether you're replacing SharePoint, consolidating tools, or reaching workers who've never had an intranet before, you'll find your shortlist here.
Last updated: May 2026.
The short answer
For organizations with significant frontline or deskless populations, the realistic shortlist is Blink., Staffbase, or Firstup, with Simpplr a strong choice if your workforce is mostly desk-based and you want AI-native search. SharePoint and Microsoft Viva remain the default if you're deeply standardized on Microsoft 365 and have IT capacity to configure them. Everything else fits a more specific use case.
Quick comparison: top intranet software at a glance
Platform
Best for
Frontline-ready?
Starting price
Blink.
Frontline and deskless teams (SMB and enterprise)
Yes (mobile-first)
$3.75/user/month (Core annual)
Simpplr
AI-powered desk-based intranets
Limited
Custom
Staffbase
Internal comms at enterprise scale
Yes (with add-ons)
Custom
Workvivo
Culture and social engagement
Partial
Custom
Unily
Complex global enterprises
Limited
Custom
LumApps (with Beekeeper)
Google/Microsoft ecosystem with frontline reach
Yes (via Beekeeper, mid-integration)
Custom
Microsoft SharePoint + Viva
Organizations already on M365
No
Included with M365 (from $6/user/mo)
Interact
Mid-market organizations
Limited
Custom
Igloo
Knowledge management
Limited
Custom
Haiilo
Employee advocacy
Limited
Custom
Firstup
Intelligent multi-channel content delivery
Yes
Custom
Happeo
Google Workspace users
No
From ~$5/user/month
Jostle
Simple internal comms
Limited
From ~$5/user/month
MangoApps
All-in-one digital workplace
Partial
From ~$4/user/month
Axero
Knowledge sharing communities
No
Custom
What is intranet software?
Intranet software is a private digital platform that connects employees within an organization to company news, documents, tools, and each other. Unlike the public internet, an intranet is accessible only to authorized workers and serves as a central hub for internal communication, knowledge sharing, and day-to-day workflows.
Modern intranet platforms have moved far beyond the static page repositories of the early 2000s. Today's best intranet software includes AI-powered search, personalized content feeds, mobile apps, employee recognition, surveys, and integrations with tools like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and HR systems. For a deeper look at what these platforms should do for distributed teams, see our guide to internal communication tools.
Which intranet platforms actually work for your team?
Not all intranet software serves the same audience. The biggest split in this market is between desk-first platforms (built for knowledge workers with laptops and corporate email) and whole-workforce platforms (built to reach every employee, including those on the shop floor, behind the wheel, or on a ward).
If your organization has a significant frontline or deskless population, this distinction matters more than any feature checklist. A platform that scores perfectly on Gartner's criteria but requires a corporate email to log in will fail for the workers who don't have one. For more on closing that gap, see frontline digital inclusion.
Here's how each platform stacks up.
1. Blink.
Best for: Organizations with frontline and deskless workers who need a mobile-first intranet. Works across SMB and enterprise.
Blink. was built from the ground up for workers who don't sit at desks. The mobile app is the primary experience, not an afterthought, and employees can join via phone number or QR code with no corporate email required. The platform combines a news feed, team chat, a searchable Hub, surveys, recognition, and digital forms in a single app.
Key strengths:
Mobile-first architecture with offline access
No email or IT setup needed for workers to join
87% adoption at JD Sports in 10 days, 20,000+ active employees at easyJet (Blink. customer stories)
Native integrations with Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and major scheduling and HR systems (Blink. integrations)
AI assistant on the Pro tier
Recognized in Gartner's Market Guide for Employee Communications Applications
Where it's limited:
Less suited for organizations that want a traditional document-heavy desktop intranet
Pure knowledge management is not the lead use case
Pricing: Core at $3.75 per user per month (annual), Pro at $5.00 per user per month, Enterprise custom. Free trial across all tiers (Blink. pricing).
Best for: Desk-based organizations wanting an AI-powered intranet.
Simpplr has positioned itself as the AI-native intranet, earning Leader status across Gartner, Forrester, G2, and IDC reports. The platform focuses on personalized content delivery and automated governance for knowledge workers. Strong search capabilities and clean design make it popular with IT and comms teams at mid-to-large enterprises.
Key strengths:
Leader across all four major analyst reports
AI-powered search and content recommendations
Clean, consumer-grade interface
Strong governance and content lifecycle management
Where it's limited:
Primarily designed for desk-based workers with corporate email
Limited frontline-specific features (no QR-code sign-up, no offline mode)
Rising fast in AI search visibility, which is making them more visible in buyer research
Best for: Enterprise internal communications teams.
Staffbase is built for internal comms professionals who need to create, publish, and measure content across channels. The platform includes a branded mobile app, email newsletters, digital signage integration, and detailed analytics. Strong adoption in large European enterprises.
Key strengths:
Purpose-built for IC teams with editorial workflows
Branded mobile app with push notifications
Email newsletter builder (no separate ESP needed)
Detailed content performance analytics
Where it's limited:
High complexity for smaller organizations
Frontline features require additional configuration
Best for: Building company culture and social engagement.
Acquired by Zoom in 2023, Workvivo uses a social-media-style feed to drive engagement. The platform is strong on peer recognition, social features, and community building. Popular with organizations that prioritize culture and employee voice.
Key strengths:
Social feed that feels familiar
Strong recognition and shout-out features
Zoom integration for video
Mobile experience available for desk and frontline workers
Where it's limited:
Mobile reviews on Google Play have flagged frontline usability issues
Less focused on operational comms (shift scheduling, forms, workflows)
Post-acquisition integration with Zoom's broader suite is still evolving
Best for: Complex global enterprises with sophisticated requirements.
Unily serves some of the world's largest organizations. The platform offers deep customization, multi-language support, and enterprise-grade security. Strong on governance and compliance for regulated industries.
Key strengths:
Handles complex, multi-region deployments
Deep Microsoft 365 integration
Advanced personalization and targeting
Strong governance and compliance features
Where it's limited:
Expensive and complex to implement
Primarily desktop-oriented, mobile is a secondary experience
Best for: Organizations deeply embedded in Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 that also want frontline reach.
LumApps integrates natively with both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. In July 2025, LumApps acquired Beekeeper in a deal valuing the combined company at more than $1 billion, backed by Bridgepoint, with a 12 to 24 month integration roadmap to deliver a combined "AI Employee Hub" (LumApps press release).
Key strengths:
Deep Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 integration
AI-powered content targeting
Added Beekeeper's frontline features post-acquisition
Strong in knowledge management and document search
Where it's limited:
Beekeeper integration is still maturing, two-product complexity remains
Best for: Organizations already committed to the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
SharePoint remains the most widely deployed intranet platform globally, largely because it's bundled with Microsoft 365 licenses. Viva adds employee experience features (engagement surveys, learning, insights) on top. The combination is powerful for desk-based teams but requires significant IT investment to configure and maintain.
Key strengths:
Included with existing Microsoft 365 licenses (no additional cost for basic functionality)
Deep integration with Teams, Outlook, and the Microsoft ecosystem
Massive partner ecosystem for customization
Viva adds engagement, learning, and analytics layers
Where it's limited:
Not designed for frontline workers, requires corporate email and Microsoft 365 license
Heavy IT administration and governance overhead
Mobile experience is functional but not mobile-first
Configuration complexity means most deployments take 6 to 12 months
Pricing: Included with Microsoft 365 Business plans (from $6 per user per month). Viva suite is additional (Microsoft 365 pricing).
Best for: Mid-market organizations wanting an enterprise-grade intranet.
Interact offers a well-rounded intranet platform with strong content management, people directories, and analytics. Popular with mid-market organizations that want enterprise features without enterprise complexity.
Key strengths:
Good balance of features and usability
Strong people directory and org chart
Content targeting and personalization
Integrates with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
Best for: Knowledge management and document collaboration.
Igloo focuses on bringing together knowledge, documents, and conversations in a single platform. Strong for organizations where information findability is the primary challenge.
Key strengths:
Document management and search
Customizable digital workplace channels
Good integration with existing file storage (SharePoint, Google Drive)
Where it's limited:
UI feels dated compared to newer platforms
Limited frontline and mobile capabilities
Smaller market presence means fewer third-party integrations
Pricing: Custom.
10. Haiilo
Best for: Employee advocacy and social amplification.
Haiilo (formerly Smarp) combines an internal intranet with employee advocacy tools, enabling workers to share approved content on their personal social media channels. Strong with marketing and employer branding teams.
Key strengths:
Built-in employee advocacy platform
Content creation and curation tools
Analytics for both internal engagement and social reach
Multi-language support
Where it's limited:
Advocacy features may be unnecessary for organizations focused purely on internal comms
Less robust for operational workflows and frontline use cases
Best for: Intelligent, personalized content delivery at scale across desk and frontline.
Firstup (formerly SocialChorus + Dynamic Signal) uses AI to deliver the right content to the right employee at the right time. The platform supports email, mobile app, SMS, and digital signage channels, making it viable for reaching workers across multiple touchpoints.
Key strengths:
AI-powered content delivery and personalization
Multi-channel reach (app, email, SMS, signage)
Analytics and engagement measurement
Designed to reach both desk and frontline workers
Where it's limited:
More of a content delivery platform than a full intranet
Less strong on two-way communication and collaboration
Best for: Google Workspace users wanting a social intranet.
Happeo is built specifically for organizations using Google Workspace. It adds an intranet, social feed, and knowledge base on top of Google's productivity tools.
Key strengths:
Native Google Workspace integration
Social channels for team and topic-based communication
Clean, modern interface
Pages and knowledge base features
Where it's limited:
Google Workspace only (no Microsoft support)
Desktop-first experience
Smaller feature set than enterprise alternatives
Pricing: Public pricing typically starts in the $5 per user per month range. See Happeo alternatives.
13. Jostle
Best for: Simple, clean internal communications.
Jostle focuses on simplicity, offering a clean intranet experience for organizations that want to communicate without complexity. Refreshingly straightforward in a market full of feature bloat.
Key strengths:
Very easy to set up and use
Clean interface with low learning curve
Good for organizations under 1,000 employees
Transparent published pricing
Where it's limited:
Limited customization and advanced features
Not suited for complex enterprise requirements
Basic mobile experience
Pricing: Public pricing typically starts in the $5 per user per month range. See Jostle alternatives.
14. MangoApps
Best for: Mid-market organizations wanting an all-in-one digital workplace.
MangoApps combines intranet, messaging, training, and workflow features in a single platform. Good value for organizations that want multiple capabilities without buying separate tools.
Key strengths:
All-in-one platform (intranet + chat + training + workflows)
Competitive pricing for mid-market
Customizable modules
Basic frontline features included
Where it's limited:
Jack-of-all-trades means no single feature is best-in-class
UI can feel cluttered with all modules activated
Less polished than specialist platforms
Pricing: Public pricing typically starts in the $4 per user per month range. See MangoApps alternatives.
15. Axero
Best for: Knowledge sharing and community-driven organizations.
Axero focuses on creating internal communities and knowledge-sharing spaces. Good for organizations where peer-to-peer knowledge transfer is the primary goal.
Key strengths:
Community and forum features
Knowledge base and wiki capabilities
Customizable spaces for teams and projects
Competitive pricing
Where it's limited:
Primarily desktop-oriented
Less focused on news delivery and top-down communications
Limited frontline and mobile capabilities
Pricing: Custom.
Why intranet software matters for frontline workers
Roughly 80% of the global workforce is deskless (Emergence Capital), yet most enterprise communication technology still targets the desk-based minority. That gap is why most intranet deployments fail to reach the people who need them most: the warehouse workers, nurses, retail associates, drivers, and hotel staff who keep organizations running but rarely touch a laptop.
Frontline disengagement has a measurable cost. Gallup's State of the Global Workplace consistently finds that disengaged workers leave at materially higher rates than engaged ones (Gallup State of the Global Workplace).
Modern mobile-first intranet platforms are closing this gap. At JD Sports, 87% of frontline workers adopted Blink. within 10 days. At easyJet, 20,000+ employees are active users. Stagecoach reported a 26% reduction in driver turnover after giving frontline staff access to a mobile intranet (Blink. customer stories). For more on the engagement levers, see our guide to deskless worker communication.
How to evaluate intranet software for your organization
Start with your workforce profile. What percentage of your employees are desk-based vs. frontline? If more than 30% of your workforce doesn't have a corporate email address, eliminate any platform that requires one.
Define your primary use case. Are you solving for internal communications, knowledge management, employee engagement, or all three? Platforms like Staffbase excel at comms, Igloo at knowledge, Workvivo at engagement. Blink. combines comms, engagement, and operational tools for frontline-heavy teams.
Test the mobile experience yourself. Download the app. Try to complete common tasks (read a news post, find a document, submit a form) on your phone. If it feels clunky, your frontline workers won't use it. Look for platforms where mobile is the primary experience, not a scaled-down desktop version.
Ask about time-to-value. Enterprise intranet deployments can take 6 to 12 months. Some mobile-first platforms can onboard teams in days.
Calculate total cost of ownership. The license fee is just the start. Factor in implementation costs, IT administration time, training, and the opportunity cost of low adoption. A cheaper platform with 20% adoption costs more per engaged user than an expensive one with 90%.
Most hospitality teams already have some version of employee chat, usually a personal messaging app repurposed for work because nothing better was ever set up. It's free, everyone already has it installed, and it kind of works. Until it doesn't.
If you're evaluating employee chat for a hospitality team properly, here's what actually separates a tool that helps from one that just adds another notification to ignore.
It has to reach people who don't check their phone on shift
A lot of hospitality work happens with your hands full and your phone in a locker. Employee chat built for hospitality needs to account for that: shared devices at a front desk or a kitchen pass, screens in a back office, a way for someone coming off shift to catch up on what they missed without scrolling through 200 messages. A tool that assumes everyone's glued to a personal phone all day is built for a different kind of workplace.
It needs targeting, not just broadcast
The fastest way to kill engagement with employee chat is to send everything to everyone. A maintenance update doesn't belong in a server's feed. A menu change doesn't need to interrupt housekeeping. Good hospitality employee chat lets you target messages by role, department, shift, or property, so people only see what's actually relevant to them. That's the difference between a tool people read and a tool people mute.
It should replace group chats, not add another one
If your current setup is five different group chats across two apps, adding a sixth channel isn't a fix. Look for employee chat that consolidates: one place for updates, one place for questions, one place for the day-to-day back-and-forth that used to happen across a dozen separate threads.
It needs to connect to more than just messaging
Chat alone solves part of the problem. The teams that get the most out of it pair employee chat with training content, recognition, and operational updates in the same place, so a new hire isn't checking one app for messages and another for their onboarding checklist. That's what turns employee chat into a genuine hospitality employee app rather than just another inbox.
It should work for your specific corner of hospitality
A hotel running three shifts a day and a full-service restaurant syncing a floor before dinner service don't need identical setups, even if the underlying tool is the same. If you want to see how this plays out for hotels specifically, the Blink for hotels page covers the department-to-department gap in more detail. For full-service and multi-concept restaurant groups, the Blink for restaurants page gets into the front-of-house and back-of-house split. And for quick-service brands, speed changes the calculus entirely, which the Blink for quick-service restaurants page addresses directly.
Bringing it together
Employee chat is only one piece of what a hospitality team needs, but it's often the piece that reveals everything else that's missing. If your team's current chat setup feels like noise instead of a genuine communication tool, that's usually a sign it's time for something built for hospitality specifically, not repurposed from a personal messaging app.
Unfortunately, this stat makes perfect sense. Workplace tech has traditionally been built with office-based workers in mind. So it tends to fall short for the frontline.
Some companies still use a traditional intranet. And others use a patchwork of different HR and IT apps. These tools may work well for desk-based employees. But they cause three common problems for frontline workers:
Limited access to tech. Frontline employees don’t have regular access to a computer and don’t always have a company email address. This means they rely on noticeboards, personal apps, and/or shared company computers to access the information and tools they need.
Access to poor quality tech. Frontline employees have access to a system that does some things, but not others. They can access tech tools via a mobile device but features are limited and the user experience is lacking
Access to too much tech. When employees use lots of different apps via lots of different interfaces, it creates as many problems as it solves. This piecemeal approach can cause friction and tech tool disengagement
Frontline organizations need streamlined tech that works for every employee. As Ian Gordon, former President of Administrative Operations at Elara Caring, said in an interview:
“Being a frontline worker can feel like you’re on an island by yourself, and the solutions that you need must be quicker and more succinct. You can’t spend a lot of time signing in and navigating. You need to get to your answer now.”
Currently, deskless workers waste time and productivity on tasks that could be streamlined. For example, finding their training documents, communicating with managers, or simply tracking down last month’s pay stub.
Thankfully, there’s a solution. A modern intranet takes into account the realities of today’s distributed workforce. It’s a mobile-first tool that provides the same seamless digital experience for both frontline and desk-based employees.
Here, we explore how the right type of technology can benefit your frontline employees andyour organization. We also reveal the three features you should be looking for when choosing frontline tech.
Benefits of a modern intranet for frontline employees
When your frontline has access to the right tech, everyone stands to gain. Let’s take a look at the benefits – for your organization and employees – of a mobile-first employee app.
Higher levels of productivity
When frontline employees don’t have the right tech, they waste a lot of time on tasks that could be streamlined.
They have to call their manager on the phone when they want to change shifts.
They have to use the shared computer on their lunch break to respond to a company survey.
They have to leaf through a paper handbook to find an answer to their question.
A modern intranet helps frontline employees complete tasks quickly and easily. This means productivity for your organization improves.
Streamlined workflows
A modern intranet helps streamline the workflow of every employee in your organization, not just those on the frontline.
That’s because frontline employees can use self-serve functions. They can view their pay stubs, launch an assigned L&D module, and request time off. Employees can book shifts and report faults or accidents. They can also chat with their managers via messaging features.
This helps to streamline the work of your frontline workers. But it also helps HR teams and frontline managers. They get fewer queries and fewer phone calls because frontline employees can achieve so much more using the right tech tool - removing the barrier to access and allowing your HR teams and managers to focus on the work they are meant to be doing.
Tech tool efficiency
The best modern intranets integrate with the software you already use for your business. It's not about adding another tool to your tech stack to be siloed, but increasing access to all of the other tools you already rely on. So employees can access all tech tools from the same, familiar interface.
When workplace tools are intuitive and easy to access, employees spend a lot less time looking for the resources they need. They also spend less time trying to remember different login details. A single click, a single password, and they’re in.
Learning and development
A modern intranet or employee app makes it easy for employees to access vital resources. Like workplace policies, guides, and training materials.
This means new hires get up-to-speed quickly. They can access all onboarding materials via their smartphone. Existing employees also find it easy to weave L&D into their usual workflow.
With access to resources that help them work smarter, not harder, employees become more effective and productive in their roles.
Improved internal communication
Good internal communication is the backbone of any organization.
Without it, trust in leadership suffers. And with it, engagement and loyalty increases. Employees in organizations with effective communication feel more connected to their jobs.
But we know that frontline teams usually don’t enjoy the same level of communication and connection as their desk-based co-workers.
Frontline employees tend to spend very little time at HQ and often spend their days working alone. So they risk missing out on:
Vital company updates
Co-worker collaboration
Recognition from managers
Opportunities to make their voice heard
The right tech helps to bridge the gap. It improves employee communication by connecting frontline workers to their co-workers, head office, and company culture.
Real-time communication
Information is often outdated by the time it reaches frontline employees. It’s hard to spot memos on a crowded noticeboard, and it’s easy to miss an important update in a long thread of messages.
The best modern intranets solve this problem by supporting real-time communication.
Employees can use newsfeed, group chat, and 1-2-1 chat functions to get up-to-the-minute information.
Managers can send smartphone notifications to highlight vital updates. They can post a video of today’s company standup. They can also create and pin mandatory messages to the company newsfeed, ensuring that essential information cuts through.
With access to relevant, timely information like this, employees make better decisions and solve problems more quickly.
Two-way communication
Top-down communication is useful for establishing company culture and sharing updates. But for truly effective internal communication, information needs to move in all directions.
Modern intranets support peer-to-peer connection. Co-workers can interact via the newsfeed or chat functions. They can recognize a peer’s hard work. Or wish their work bestie a happy birthday.
The intranet also supports bottom-up communication. With a newsfeed, direct messaging, and company-wide surveys, you give frontline employees a voice.
This makes a positive difference to the employee experience. Employees who say their voice is heard at work are 4.6x more likely to give their all.
Collaboration
Imagine a frontline care worker has come across a great article about elderly care. How does that person share their new insight with other frontline workers in other locations?
Perhaps they’ll mention the article to the co-workers they physically cross paths with. Or send a link to the small group of people in their work WhatsApp chat.
But you really amplify the reach and impact when that care worker can post the article to the company employee app.
The right tech tools allow frontline teams to share the knowledge they gain when they’re out in the field. They can share best practices and collaborate with other employees, even though they’re not based in the same office environment.
Empowerment and engagement
When employees feel empowered and engaged at work, they’re happier and more productive. They provide better customer service and produce better results. They’re also less likely to look for a job elsewhere.
Employee engagement relies on strong employee communication, development opportunities, recognition – and the right tech.
The wrong tech can be a big drain on employee engagement. When workers use slow, inefficient, and ineffective digital tools, it adds friction and frustration to their work day. So implementing a modern intranet can help with all the following.
Empowering employees
With a company super-app at their fingertips, frontline employees are empowered to make informed decisions and take a proactive approach to their work.
Thanks to user-friendly employee communication channels, they can report safety or equipment issues. They can share their knowledge. And they can access company resources exactly when they need them.
A modern intranet also empowers employees to progress in their careers. 70% of frontline workers are interested in career progression opportunities. But they don’t always get the resources or support they need.
Via an employee app, you can give frontline workers easy access to L&D information, new job opportunities, and any available employee development activities.
Engaging employees
The right frontline tech helps you to improve employee engagement. It allows employees to engage with co-workers and company culture. And it mirrors the experience provided by employees’ favorite social media apps.
A newsfeed. Likes, comments, and shares. Pulse surveys. Digital 1-2-1s. A searchable company library. A modern intranet with a user-friendly interface creates an experience that employees are excited to use and keep using.
The best frontline tech also offers personalization, another thing that helps to level up engagement. Employees can switch up their dashboards to put their preferred features first. Or prioritize their newsfeed to focus on posts that are most relevant to them.
Retention and attraction
Frontline teams experience high levels of churn. A McKinsey study found that 45% of frontline workers planned to leave their jobs within the following 3 to 6 months.
Workplace technology is an important part of the puzzle. 78% of deskless workers say they consider the technology at a company when deciding whether to take a job there.
When you equip frontline workers with the right tech, you show your employees that you value them and care about their experience.
You also provide communication channels that support a better employee experience. You allow employees to give feedback and build stronger relationships with co-workers. This makes it easier to hold onto existing staff – and to attract new talent too.
Choosing the right tech for frontline employees
Some tech solutions – like the traditional intranet – don’t fit the realities of frontline work. So what should you be looking for when choosing tech for frontline employees?
The best frontline tech:
is a one-stop-shop
offers an intuitive user experience
has a mobile-first design
Let’s look at these features in a little more detail.
It’s a one-stop-shop
Currently, many organizations are at risk of app overload. 37% of frontline workers use five or more apps every day. But 39% say that apps aren’t actually helping them in their work.
A patchwork of workplace tools means workers have to learn different interfaces and remember lots of passwords. Tech complicates their workflow instead of simplifying it.
The best modern intranet brings together all the software you use. It acts as a digital front door for your organization.
Behind this door, employees find everything they need to do their jobs. Tools for communication, operations, training, shifts, collaboration, and HR. It’s all available via one interface and a single login.
Tech that acts as a one-stop-shop reduces friction in frontline employee workflow. It also drives adoption for your existing tools, improving the ROI on the software you’re already paying for.
Supercharge your frontline with an employee super-app
It provides an intuitive user experience
Investing in the best frontline tech is pointless if you can’t persuade employees to use it. So you need tech solutions that can prove high usage and adoption rates.
Bear in mind that 56% of deskless workers are using personal tech tools instead of workplace tools. As well as posing security risks, this illustrates a really important point when choosing frontline tech.
Your chosen solution has to compete with the user experience (UX) provided by the most popular social media platforms. So you need tools that offer an intuitive, friction-free UX.
These intuitive tools don’t have a steep learning curve. Instead – because they’re so similar to the apps your employees already use out of work – employees can pick them up and start using them with next to no training.
Because they’re so easy to use, these apps provide clear employee benefits from the get-go. This helps to drive organic app adoption and ensures a higher proportion of your workforce downloads and uses your intranet.
It’s a mobile-first solution
Frontline workers don’t sit at a desk. They don’t always have a company email address, let alone a company computer. Therefore, any workplace tech you choose must be available via a mobile device.
The best solutions have a mobile-first design. They’re not tools designed for desktop with an app added as an afterthought. Instead, they offer the same great features and user experience on a smartphone as they do on other devices.
This allows frontline team members to stay up-to-date with company news, book time off, or look at their shift schedule while they do their daily work. They can access workplace tools from any location, at any time.
Blink: an employee app for frontline workers
The Blink employee app is a modern intranet for a modern frontline workforce. Our app acts as the digital front door for your organization.
It provides access to the tools and systems your entire workforce needs day to day. And it integrates seamlessly with the software you already use. So employees can access all workplace software using one secure single sign-on (SSO).
As a mobile-first solution, Blink provides the same great user experience on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers. Frontline workers have exactly the same access as their desk-based peers to company culture, co-worker connection, and workplace resources.
If you’re looking to improve the frontline employee experience, connect your workforce, and increase productivity, frontline tech is a great place to start.
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