How a listening tour can elevate your internal comms
Want to know what your employees really think? In 2025, go beyond annual surveys and take a listening tour to uncover game-changing insights that boost engagement and build trust.
On a 2023 listening tour, Safeguard Global, an HR consulting company, discovered that employees were worried about their winter heating bills. The organization acted on this feedback by providing a monthly stipend to help cash-strapped workers.
Chief People Officer Katherine Loranger told SHRM, “It wouldn’t have happened without the firsthand information about how inflation was impacting those employees.”
Similarly, after layoffs at Change.org, Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Dulski used a listening tour to understand the impact on remaining employees. She found that trust was at an all-time low.
The company responded by improving transparency and communication about its financial situation. Employees came to understand why difficult decisions had been made — and felt reassured about their job security.
As organizations like these have found, a listening tour can help you find and fix employee problems before they cause undue harm to your organization. They can also surface fresh perspectives on everything from your products to customer service to the employee experience.
In 2025, a listening tour is an essential part of any good internal communication plan. Let’s look at why that’s the case — and how you can put a listening tour into action.
What is a listening tour and why does it matter in 2025?
A listening tour is a series of structured conversations with employees, designed to gather feedback and insights.
It can include:
1-to-1 interviews with employees
Focus groups
Pulse-check polls
Workplace walk-throughs
Town hall meetings
A listening tour goes way beyond the annual employee survey. By actually speaking to employees, asking relevant questions, and encouraging honest and expansive answers, you develop an in-depth understanding of the employee experience.
In the case of an internal comms listening tour, you get to understand the employee experience in relation to your communications. You discover what employees think of your internal communication channels and tools. And whether your internal comms plan is having the desired impact.
{{mobile-live-stream-poll="/image"}}
Key benefits of a listening tour
Executing an impactful listening tour takes time and effort. But it’s well worth the investment. Here’s why:
It builds trust. Conduct a listening tour and you show employees that you value their input. When you act upon their feedback, employees feel heard. This strengthens their trust in your organization and its leadership.
It fosters inclusion. On a well-planned listening tour, you gather feedback from hard-to-reach sectors of your workforce — like frontline employees — who may have little chance, day to day, to share their ideas, challenges, and perspectives with company decision-makers.
It surfaces actionable insights. A listening tour provides lots of useful qualitative data. You get to know what employees are struggling with and their preferred solutions. These actionable insights allow you to make changes that make a real difference to your workforce.
Why run a listening tour now?
There’s never been a better time to run a listening tour.
We know that many hybrid and frontline employees feel excluded from the company conversation. Nearly 2 in 3 UK workers are worried about burnout in 2025. And the latest Gallup figures show that just 23% of employees are engaged at work.
In 2025, employees are also holding leaders to a higher standard of accountability and transparency. Deloitte research shows that 84% of workers and 74% of leaders say an increasing focus on trust and transparency between workers and the organization is very or critically important.
According to Deloitte, transparency is the most pressing business trend. It’s predicted to have the greatest impact on an organization’s success, both this year and over the next two years.
A listening tour helps to address all these issues. Employers can uncover what employees want from leadership and better understand employee motivation and wellbeing. They can then develop a plan to improve internal communications, transparency, and employee engagement, benefitting workers and the organization’s bottom line.
{{future-of-internal-comms-2025="/callouts"}}
Planning your next listening tour
So how do you make a success of a listening tour at your organization? It starts with a clear and comprehensive plan.
Set clear goals
Decide what you want to achieve with your listening tour and how your communication goals align with broader business objectives, such as employee retention.
If you’re running an internal communications listening tour, you may want to find out how employees feel about the company intranet — or the other internal communication tools you use. You may want to know if employees feel part of company culture and how they rate the transparency of your leadership team. You may also want to gauge their feedback on internal communication efforts such as key messages, internal emails, or peer communication.
Whatever your focus, establishing your goals helps to ensure your listening tour has direction and that you can measure outcomes effectively.
Identify your audience
The goals of your listening tour will help to dictate its audience segments. If you’re looking to address challenges within a single team, you only need to target that department. But for business goals that relate to your entire organization, you should look further afield.
Also, consider the diversity of your target audience. If you want to get a holistic sense of employee sentiment, speak to employees from all corners of your organization. That includes hybrid and frontline workers who experience the workplace differently from desk-based workers.
Choose the right format
The format of your listening tour needs to align with the needs and expectations of your workforce. Be conscious of time zones, shift patterns, access to tech tools, and the resources available to your interviewing team when deciding how to conduct your tour. Options include virtual sessions, in-person conversations, or a mix of the two.
{{mobile-survey="/image"}}
Prepare key questions
You’re more likely to achieve your listening tour goals if you set a couple of key interview questions in stone. Some examples include:
What challenges are you facing in your role?
How can we improve employee communications?
What support would make your work easier?
Which key messages do you care the most about?
What motivates you to stay with the organization?
Pro tip: Conduct an employee survey before running a listening tour. This helps to surface issues you might want to explore in more depth during the tour.
Executing the tour
To get the most from your listening tour:
Be present and authentic. Show genuine interest in employee feedback by demonstrating active listening skills and empathy. Leave space for them to elaborate on their answers.
Encourage open dialogue. Use inclusive language and emphasize that all opinions are valued and confidential. Facilitate two-way communication by allowing participants to ask questions, too.
Adapt as you go. Be flexible and prepared to pivot if certain topics emerge as priorities. Don’t be afraid to go beyond your key questions to ask meaningful follow-up questions.
Document key insights. Designate a note-taker or record sessions (with permission) to ensure no feedback from employees is lost
If you’ve executed an extensive listening tour, the amount of data you now have at your fingertips can feel overwhelming. Here’s a step-by-step process for analyzing and acting upon it.
Step 1. Organize your findings
Group feedback into themes like communication gaps, technology issues, or recognition needs. You can do this manually, using a spreadsheet or sticky notes. Or you can use tech tools like AI and mind-mapping software. This helps you identify any burning issues and prioritize your action plan.
Step 2. Share what you’ve learned
Transparency builds trust. So share a summary of the feedback with employees, acknowledging recurring themes, significant insights, and any surprising findings. Also, thank workers for their input, emphasizing the crucial role they play in shaping workplace improvements.
Step 3. Take action
The ultimate goal of any listening program is meaningful workplace change. So outline specific steps the company is planning to take, along with timelines. Involve managers to ensure employees see immediate and tangible results.
Most importantly, prioritize transparent and effective communication along the way, keeping employees up to date with progress on your action plan and closing the feedback loop.
Pro tip: Seek ongoing employee feedback to find out if changes have addressed the concerns raised in your listening tour. If not, go back to the drawing board and come up with a new plan.
{{mobile-main="/image"}}
Beyond the tour: Building a listening culture
When you go beyond a one-off listening tour to build a culture of listening at your organization, you embed the benefits.
Employees have faith that their feedback is listened to and acted upon — and they feel comfortable voicing their opinions because there’s a wider culture of psychological safety.
As a result, you receive honest and valuable employee input, which yields more effective workplace improvements. You also get ongoing feedback, which means employee dissatisfaction is much less likely to take you by surprise.
So how do you create a listening culture? Start by putting these key foundations in place:
Ongoing feedback channels. An annual feedback event isn’t enough. Encourage employee feedback all year round with regular pulse surveys and 1-to-1s, ensuring feedback channels are accessible to all workers.
Leadership training. Equip managers with the tools and skills they need to conduct their own mini-listening tours, making open and empathetic communication a priority.
A regular schedule of listening tours. Keep your finger firmly on the pulse by turning listening tours into an annual event. You’ll improve the process — and employee input — with each new cycle.
It’s time to make listening tours a fixture of your internal communication plan
Listening tours are a commitment of time and effort. But — because they provide insights that you simply can’t get from an employee survey — they’re well worth the investment.
By embarking on an annual listening tour, deploying other employee listening tactics in the months between tours, and reliably acting upon feedback you build a culture where employees feel heard and supported.
Find new ways to improve your internal communication strategy, foster employee engagement, and build workplace trust. And make a tangible difference to the work lives of employees in the process.
On a 2023 listening tour, Safeguard Global, an HR consulting company, discovered that employees were worried about their winter heating bills. The organization acted on this feedback by providing a monthly stipend to help cash-strapped workers.
Chief People Officer Katherine Loranger told SHRM, “It wouldn’t have happened without the firsthand information about how inflation was impacting those employees.”
Similarly, after layoffs at Change.org, Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Dulski used a listening tour to understand the impact on remaining employees. She found that trust was at an all-time low.
The company responded by improving transparency and communication about its financial situation. Employees came to understand why difficult decisions had been made — and felt reassured about their job security.
As organizations like these have found, a listening tour can help you find and fix employee problems before they cause undue harm to your organization. They can also surface fresh perspectives on everything from your products to customer service to the employee experience.
In 2025, a listening tour is an essential part of any good internal communication plan. Let’s look at why that’s the case — and how you can put a listening tour into action.
What is a listening tour and why does it matter in 2025?
A listening tour is a series of structured conversations with employees, designed to gather feedback and insights.
It can include:
1-to-1 interviews with employees
Focus groups
Pulse-check polls
Workplace walk-throughs
Town hall meetings
A listening tour goes way beyond the annual employee survey. By actually speaking to employees, asking relevant questions, and encouraging honest and expansive answers, you develop an in-depth understanding of the employee experience.
In the case of an internal comms listening tour, you get to understand the employee experience in relation to your communications. You discover what employees think of your internal communication channels and tools. And whether your internal comms plan is having the desired impact.
{{mobile-live-stream-poll="/image"}}
Key benefits of a listening tour
Executing an impactful listening tour takes time and effort. But it’s well worth the investment. Here’s why:
It builds trust. Conduct a listening tour and you show employees that you value their input. When you act upon their feedback, employees feel heard. This strengthens their trust in your organization and its leadership.
It fosters inclusion. On a well-planned listening tour, you gather feedback from hard-to-reach sectors of your workforce — like frontline employees — who may have little chance, day to day, to share their ideas, challenges, and perspectives with company decision-makers.
It surfaces actionable insights. A listening tour provides lots of useful qualitative data. You get to know what employees are struggling with and their preferred solutions. These actionable insights allow you to make changes that make a real difference to your workforce.
Why run a listening tour now?
There’s never been a better time to run a listening tour.
We know that many hybrid and frontline employees feel excluded from the company conversation. Nearly 2 in 3 UK workers are worried about burnout in 2025. And the latest Gallup figures show that just 23% of employees are engaged at work.
In 2025, employees are also holding leaders to a higher standard of accountability and transparency. Deloitte research shows that 84% of workers and 74% of leaders say an increasing focus on trust and transparency between workers and the organization is very or critically important.
According to Deloitte, transparency is the most pressing business trend. It’s predicted to have the greatest impact on an organization’s success, both this year and over the next two years.
A listening tour helps to address all these issues. Employers can uncover what employees want from leadership and better understand employee motivation and wellbeing. They can then develop a plan to improve internal communications, transparency, and employee engagement, benefitting workers and the organization’s bottom line.
{{future-of-internal-comms-2025="/callouts"}}
Planning your next listening tour
So how do you make a success of a listening tour at your organization? It starts with a clear and comprehensive plan.
Set clear goals
Decide what you want to achieve with your listening tour and how your communication goals align with broader business objectives, such as employee retention.
If you’re running an internal communications listening tour, you may want to find out how employees feel about the company intranet — or the other internal communication tools you use. You may want to know if employees feel part of company culture and how they rate the transparency of your leadership team. You may also want to gauge their feedback on internal communication efforts such as key messages, internal emails, or peer communication.
Whatever your focus, establishing your goals helps to ensure your listening tour has direction and that you can measure outcomes effectively.
Identify your audience
The goals of your listening tour will help to dictate its audience segments. If you’re looking to address challenges within a single team, you only need to target that department. But for business goals that relate to your entire organization, you should look further afield.
Also, consider the diversity of your target audience. If you want to get a holistic sense of employee sentiment, speak to employees from all corners of your organization. That includes hybrid and frontline workers who experience the workplace differently from desk-based workers.
Choose the right format
The format of your listening tour needs to align with the needs and expectations of your workforce. Be conscious of time zones, shift patterns, access to tech tools, and the resources available to your interviewing team when deciding how to conduct your tour. Options include virtual sessions, in-person conversations, or a mix of the two.
{{mobile-survey="/image"}}
Prepare key questions
You’re more likely to achieve your listening tour goals if you set a couple of key interview questions in stone. Some examples include:
What challenges are you facing in your role?
How can we improve employee communications?
What support would make your work easier?
Which key messages do you care the most about?
What motivates you to stay with the organization?
Pro tip: Conduct an employee survey before running a listening tour. This helps to surface issues you might want to explore in more depth during the tour.
Executing the tour
To get the most from your listening tour:
Be present and authentic. Show genuine interest in employee feedback by demonstrating active listening skills and empathy. Leave space for them to elaborate on their answers.
Encourage open dialogue. Use inclusive language and emphasize that all opinions are valued and confidential. Facilitate two-way communication by allowing participants to ask questions, too.
Adapt as you go. Be flexible and prepared to pivot if certain topics emerge as priorities. Don’t be afraid to go beyond your key questions to ask meaningful follow-up questions.
Document key insights. Designate a note-taker or record sessions (with permission) to ensure no feedback from employees is lost
If you’ve executed an extensive listening tour, the amount of data you now have at your fingertips can feel overwhelming. Here’s a step-by-step process for analyzing and acting upon it.
Step 1. Organize your findings
Group feedback into themes like communication gaps, technology issues, or recognition needs. You can do this manually, using a spreadsheet or sticky notes. Or you can use tech tools like AI and mind-mapping software. This helps you identify any burning issues and prioritize your action plan.
Step 2. Share what you’ve learned
Transparency builds trust. So share a summary of the feedback with employees, acknowledging recurring themes, significant insights, and any surprising findings. Also, thank workers for their input, emphasizing the crucial role they play in shaping workplace improvements.
Step 3. Take action
The ultimate goal of any listening program is meaningful workplace change. So outline specific steps the company is planning to take, along with timelines. Involve managers to ensure employees see immediate and tangible results.
Most importantly, prioritize transparent and effective communication along the way, keeping employees up to date with progress on your action plan and closing the feedback loop.
Pro tip: Seek ongoing employee feedback to find out if changes have addressed the concerns raised in your listening tour. If not, go back to the drawing board and come up with a new plan.
{{mobile-main="/image"}}
Beyond the tour: Building a listening culture
When you go beyond a one-off listening tour to build a culture of listening at your organization, you embed the benefits.
Employees have faith that their feedback is listened to and acted upon — and they feel comfortable voicing their opinions because there’s a wider culture of psychological safety.
As a result, you receive honest and valuable employee input, which yields more effective workplace improvements. You also get ongoing feedback, which means employee dissatisfaction is much less likely to take you by surprise.
So how do you create a listening culture? Start by putting these key foundations in place:
Ongoing feedback channels. An annual feedback event isn’t enough. Encourage employee feedback all year round with regular pulse surveys and 1-to-1s, ensuring feedback channels are accessible to all workers.
Leadership training. Equip managers with the tools and skills they need to conduct their own mini-listening tours, making open and empathetic communication a priority.
A regular schedule of listening tours. Keep your finger firmly on the pulse by turning listening tours into an annual event. You’ll improve the process — and employee input — with each new cycle.
It’s time to make listening tours a fixture of your internal communication plan
Listening tours are a commitment of time and effort. But — because they provide insights that you simply can’t get from an employee survey — they’re well worth the investment.
By embarking on an annual listening tour, deploying other employee listening tactics in the months between tours, and reliably acting upon feedback you build a culture where employees feel heard and supported.
Find new ways to improve your internal communication strategy, foster employee engagement, and build workplace trust. And make a tangible difference to the work lives of employees in the process.
Good internal communication is the glue that holds organizations together. It keeps everyone informed, aligned, and connected — helping employees understand company priorities and feel part of a shared purpose.
In 2026, internal communication involves more than noticeboards and scattered email threads. Organizations with hybrid or frontline teams need modern internal communication platforms like Blink to connect employees, simplify updates, and enable easy collaboration.
A successful internal communication strategy includes all communication types: top-down, bottom-up, and peer-to-peer. These channels work together to connect employees and ensure information flows throughout your organization.
For larger or dispersed teams, achieving this can feel like a tall order. But with the right internal communication software, even global workforces can stay connected and engaged.
Luckily, many new tools and platforms can help your company improve communication.
Types of internal communication tools and platforms
Before diving into specific providers, it helps to understand the main types of internal communication software shaping the modern workplace in 2026.
The most effective organizations use a combination of these tools — or a single employee experience platform like Blink, which combines many of these functions into a single mobile-first solution.
Instant messaging tools
Internal communication isn’t just top-down. Co-worker collaboration tools keep conversations flowing across teams and locations by enabling quick information sharing, file exchange, and informal social connections.
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Advantages:
A communication tool that allows employees to chat and share information (along with emojis and GIFs)
Most instant messaging tools are available on both desktop and mobile
Messaging tools can be used for communication between co-workers, but also for information-sharing between leadership and employees
Best tools: Blink, Slack, Jive, Workvivo
Emails and newsletters
Digital newsletters have always been great for sharing essential company updates. Modern tools enhance this channel with templates, analytics, and branded content delivery.
Best tools: ContactMonkey, Axero, Poppulo, Staffbase
Audio and video conferencing tools
Rewind a decade and video conferencing probably wouldn’t be one of the top staff communication tools on your list. Today, however, in a world of remote and hybrid teams, video conferencing tools are a workplace essential. They allow employees to talk face-to-face, even when they’re not based in the same office.Now a workplace essential, these tools make remote and hybrid meetings seamless — from one-to-one calls to company-wide events.
Best tools: Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams
Employee recognition center
Recognition platforms reward effort and build engagement by blending social recognition with tangible rewards to boost morale and employee retention.
Best tools: Blink, Bonusly, Unily
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Employee engagement and surveys
Engage your employees and you experience countless benefits, including improved productivity, customer loyalty, and profitability. But if you really want to improve employee engagement, you need to measure it.
Employee surveys and feedback forms are an essential part of any internal communication toolkit. They support bottom-up communication and give you valuable insight into how employees really feel about working for your firm.
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Best tools: Blink, SurveyMonkey, Bonusly, Qualtrics
Company news feed
A private, social-style feed alerts employees to company updates and important cultural moments.
Best tools: Blink, Workvivo, Staffbase, Happeo
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Project management
Project management platforms keep work visible, accountable, and collaborative.
Best tools: Asana, monday.com
Intranet
Evolving beyond traditional intranets, these tools now enable engagement, two-way communication, and document collaboration.
Mobile-first employee communication apps centralize updates, messaging, and engagement features — ideal for hybrid and frontline teams.
Best tools: Blink, Workvivo
Employee experience platform
These top-tier employee experience platforms offer a user-friendly way to access messaging, news, surveys, recognition programs, and HR functions.
These platforms go beyond communication — supporting onboarding, engagement, and culture-building.
Best tools: Blink, Workvivo, Staffbase
The takeaway:
Modern internal communication relies on an integrated ecosystem or a unified platform like Blink, which simplifies your tech stack and enhances workforce connection.
Blink serves as a mobile-first communication app, a modern intranet, a recognition tool, and a complete employee experience platform.That agility makes it ideal for companies looking to streamline their technology and boost employee engagement.
20 best internal communication tools
Ready to find the right comms solution for your organization? Take a look at our round-up of the best internal communication tools for 2025.
Blink is a modern internal communication tool and employee experience platform that brings together messaging, news, surveys, recognition, and analytics into a single mobile-first solution. It’s designed for organizations that want to improve communication, engagement, and access to information across both desk-based and frontline teams.
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As a mobile-first internal communication platform, Blink’s unified interface lets teams share updates, message peers, and access essential workplace applications in real time, without a corporate email address — no matter their location.
Unlike single-purpose messaging apps, Blink functions as an all-in-one internal communication software, combining collaboration and employee engagement tools in one place.
Features like pulse surveys, recognition, and content personalization enable two-way communication and make company-wide updates more meaningful.
Blink also includes social-style communication features — such as Stories, Communities, and a personalized news feed — that make information sharing intuitive and engaging. Built-in analytics help leaders understand message reach, engagement trends, and content effectiveness.
Pros
Unified internal communication toolset: Blink combines chat, news, surveys, recognition, and analytics.
Mobile-first accessibility: It works on smartphones and desktops, and doesn`t require a company email.
Seamless integrations: Connects with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, HRIS, and scheduling tools.
Data-driven insights: The analytics dashboards measure communication performance and engagement.
Cons
The search functionality could benefit from more advanced filtering and refinement options.
Pricing
Pricing is available on request
Use Cases
Strengthening culture and alignment through data-informed communication strategies
Connecting hybrid and frontline teams with one internal communication platform
Centralizing all company messages, tools, and resources in a single hub
Improving engagement through interactive multimedia content
2. Asana
Asana is a well-known project management tool and, if you use it, you’re in good company. Around 85% of Fortune 100 companies say they use Asana.
With this workplace communication platform, you can create, prioritize, and allocate tasks. You can view tasks in timeline, board, and list formats — and track your progress toward milestones.
The visual format makes it easy to see which tasks your team needs to complete first. And the process of identifying and remedying project bottlenecks becomes much easier too.
Pros
A free version that supports 10 members and comes with unlimited storage, tasks, and messages
A clean, intuitive interface and a comprehensive selection of project and task management tools
Comes with a mobile app so employees can keep of track of projects on the go
Good integration with third-party tools
Cons
A high volume of email notifications can be frustrating for users
One of the more expensive project management solutions available
The mobile experience pales in comparison to the desktop experience
Collaboration tools aren’t as extensive and effective as those of other project management tools on the market
Pricing
Monthly pricing for Asana starts at a basic free plan. A business plan costs $24.99 per user per month when billed annually.
Use cases
Giving remote teams the tools they need to manage projects effectively
Cross-team collaboration
Status updates and reporting — leaders can view dashboards and reports to stay informed of project progress.
3. Jive
Jive is a community-building communication tool that you can use for top-down, bottom-up, and peer-to-peer connection. Team members can share photos, videos, documents, status updates, and blog posts. They can also decide whether their post gets seen by one team member, a specific group, or the whole organization.
Another great feature of Jive is its People Directory. Here, employees can search for co-workers they want to connect with, based on their skills, endorsements, and favorite activities.
Pros
Jive is an all-purpose business communication tool
Supports personalized news updates
Provides a single inbox so employees can manage all company communications and conversations in one place
Cons
Jive has a complicated interface and a cluttered layout that can be difficult for users to understand and navigate
Limited integrations with the other workplace tools you use
Some users say the Jive mobile app is slow and clunky with lackluster features
Pricing
Pricing is available on request.
Use cases
Creating a centralized hub for updates and document sharing
Personalizing company updates to make them more relevant and engaging
Giving employees the tools they need to interact with leadership, managers, and coworkers
4. Zoom
Zoom is often listed as one of the most reliable video conferencing platforms. It offers excellent audio and visual quality, even when internet connection is patchy, and it’s really easy to use.
You can record meetings, direct meeting participants to breakout rooms, and make use of a meeting annotation function. Zoom offers a range of other useful features too, including an online whiteboard and virtual working spaces (known as Zoom Huddles).
Pros
User-friendly interface
Can run small one-to-one meetings, large conferences, and anything in between
Advanced features include breakout rooms and webinar hosting
Cons
Zoom can be expensive for larger teams, with add-ons needed for meetings of more than 500 participants
Pricing
A Pro plan, for up to 99 users, costs $15.99 per user per month. A Business Plan, for up to 250 users and with a greater range of features, costs $21.99 per user per month.
Use cases
Running live meetings and webinars
Supporting video and audio communication for hybrid and remote teams
5. Bonusly
Bonusly gives you all the tools you need to run a successful recognition program. Via an intuitive platform, employees can tag peers and congratulate them on their accomplishments. Congratulated employees earn points, which they can then use to claim their preferred reward — a gift card, cash, or a charitable donation.
Reporting tools give leaders insight into team dynamics and patterns of recognition. It helps you to discover top performers and identify people who haven’t had any recognition in a while.
Pros
A user-friendly interface and next to no learning curve
The option to tailor recognition programs to fit your culture and values
Out-of-the-box integrations with other workplace tools including Workday, Asana, and Slack
Cons
Limited analytics — so it can be hard for companies to understand employee engagement and recognition patterns
Pricing
Monthly pricing options for Bonusly starts at $2 per user.
Use cases
Strengthening company culture and employee morale with regular recognition, even when employees are working remotely
Creating a culture of peer-to-peer recognition — employees can award points and praise to their co-workers
6. Axero
Axero is an internal comms platform designed to unify teams, increase productivity, and improve workplace culture. It features mass email tools, an activity stream, a blogging platform, and instant messaging.
Using Axero, you can create a central hub for files, communications, and company updates. Collaboration features also come in handy, with space for team discussions and the option to co-edit documents.
Pros
Axero’s customer service is responsive and helpful
Good customization and integration options
A comprehensive employee directory that makes it easy for staff to find and connect with co-workers
Cons
A steep learning curve — users say that Axero can be overwhelming for beginners
Some users say that Axero functionality lags behind that of other intranet competitors
Limited features on the mobile version
Pricing
Pricing is available on request.
Use cases
Creating a single hub for news, updates, and resources
Supporting collaboration across your company, with file sharing and team discussions
Building a personalized employee experience, with custom dashboards tailored to the roles and departments of employees
7. ContactMonkey
ContactMonkey is one of the best newsletter platforms available. Unlike some of its competitors, ContactMonkey integrates with both Outlook and Gmail so you can send emails from and receive replies to your usual inbox.
The platform provides an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop email builder. Multiple team members can collaborate on the same email. And analytics tools help you judge which newsletter content is best engaging your workforce, so you can create more of the same.
Pros
Employee survey tools so you can email your surveys to the workforce with ease
Integration with Outlook and Gmail
SMS integration that allows you to reach employees with urgent updates
Real-time tracking and analytics — so you get insight into email open rates and click-throughs
Cons
You can only use ContactMonkey for internal emails, not external marketing emails
Only supports communication over email, which may not be particularly engaging or appropriate for all organizations
Unlikely to fulfill all your internal communication needs
Pricing
Prices start from $600 per month for 500 employees. Prices for more extensive plans are available on request.
Use cases
Engaging email and newsletter communication for employees
Launching employee surveys to help you acquire useful feedback
8. Slack
Slack is an instant messaging tool that supports asynchronous communication. Slack works well for desk-based employees who have access to other platforms, like Google Drive. Slack doesn’t work as well for on-the-go, field-based employees, who don’t have such easy access to separate cloud storage.
People within your organization can launch chat threads, including as many or as few team members as they like. They can create threads for different projects, departments, and topics. Teams also get access to little extras, like file sharing, message search, and a task reminder function.
Pros
User-friendly interface
Integration with a wide range of other workplace software
Customizable notifications
Cons
Doesn’t work well for teams who are on the go — Slack is most suited to desk-based teams
Can be hard to find what you’re looking for across multiple chats and channels
Pricing
Slack offers a limited free plan. Paid plans start from $8.75 per user per month.
Use cases
Ensuring real-time communication between dispersed team members
Providing a variety of internal communication channels — including direct messages, group chats, and channels
SurveyMonkey has made it to our employee survey top spot for its ease of use. This employee communications platform has lots of survey templates to choose from and, if speed is your priority, lots of features that help you get employee feedback fast.
You can choose from hundreds of expert-written questions or write your own. And with the help of custom templates, you can find or create surveys for any situation, whether you want to conduct 360 reviews, find out your Net Promoter score, or seek feedback on your employee engagement efforts.
Pros
Ease of use — SurveyMonkey has a clean, uncluttered interface that employees will enjoy using
Using the Genius Assistant and the “build it for me” feature, you can create surveys quickly
Excellent analytics that help you make sense of employee responses
Cons
Limited free features
Limited customization options, so you may struggle to create complex or specialized surveys
Pricing
Prices start from $30 per user per month.
Use cases
Boosting employee satisfaction and engagement with the help of employee feedback
Making it easy for your teams to launch and respond to employee surveys
10. Microsoft SharePoint
Microsoft SharePoint is a file-sharing software that integrates seamlessly with the other Microsoft tools you may already use. You can create branded document libraries called sites, customizing them for document collaboration or top-down comms.
Teams get to share news, documents, and data. They can also edit documents collaboratively — setting notifications so they know when a co-worker makes changes.
Pros
Easy integration with other Microsoft products
Allows you to segment employees by division, giving each division its own calendar and visual timeline
Customization options so you can build forms, workflows, and custom applications for your teams
Cons
Not particularly user-friendly, especially on mobile
Cost of implementation is high and adoption rates tend to be low
Pricing
A basic SharePoint plan costs $5 per user per month.
Use cases
Project collaboration — teams can co-edit documents and manage workflows
An easy way for desk-based teams to access company documents and resources
Using internal announcements and newsletters to communicate with all employees
11. Monday.com
Monday.com is a project management tool that supports comms and employee engagement. You can use this internal communications software to create and assign tasks, track project progress, and create performance-tracking templates for employees.
Team members receive notifications when action is required. And an easy-to-use visual interface makes it easy to see where each project is up to at a glance.
Pros
A comprehensive set of project management tools
Customizable project templates to get you started
A weekly overview so you can see tasks and project milestones you need to tackle over the next few days
Cons
The backend of this business communication software is complicated and involves a steep learning curve
Limited comms tools so Monday.com isn’t useful as a standalone business communication platform
Pricing
Prices start from $8 per user per month.
Use cases
Improving project management and work collaboration
Task and workflow automation to streamline repetitive processes
12. Workvivo
Workvivo is an intranet software company owned by Zoom. You can use this internal communication tool to improve comms, employee engagement, and recognition, too. You can also make use of multiple communication channels and employee feedback tools.
Standout features include live broadcasting tools, so you can launch live streams and podcasts. You can also create microsites, where teams and special interest groups can create their own, tailored communities.
Pros
Strong translation abilities for multilingual organizations
An engaging, social-media-style interface that will feel familiar to employees
Rich communication tools including a news feed and instant messaging (available through integrations with tools like Slack, MS Teams, and Zoom meetings)
Cons
Chat functionality on the mobile app falls behind the desktop experience
Advanced features — including chat, Workvivo TV, and advanced analytics — are add-ons that come at an additional cost
Admins say they want better customization options and improved third-party integrations
Staffbase is an internal communication platform designed to connect and engage employees. It brings company news, messaging, and resources into one place, making it easier for you to reach your workforce — whether they’re remote, hybrid, deskless, or office-based.
With Staffbase, you can communicate over the company intranet and send emails and SMS, all from one centralized dashboard. You can also create tailored content paths so employees receive the right information at the right time.
Pros
A great user experience across desktop and mobile versions
Brings a range of communication and workplace functions into one location, supporting top-down, bottom-up, and peer-to-peer conversations
Built-in reporting so you can see how employees are using the platform and interacting with your content
You can customize the platform so it matches the look and feel of your branding
Cons
Some add-ons and integrations come at an additional cost
There are few out-of-the-box features on the employee app
Search functionality and integrations aren’t as good as they could be
Pricing
Pricing is available on request.
Use cases
Launching employee surveys with in-built tools
Creating a single source of truth within your organization thanks to communication channels that all workers can access
Making comms more personal, with the option to segment your audience and deliver relevant content to different employee groups
14. Poppulo
Poppulo is an email and mobile communications software. It also provides digital signage functionality and digital tools for desk and meeting room management.
You can target messages based on location, role, or interests to cut through the noise. You can also access tools for planning and promoting internal events, like town halls and team meetings.
Pros
Omni-channel communications, across email, SMS, intranet, and digital signage
Drag and drop email design tools plus advanced personalization
Strong analytics — Poppulo gives comms teams clear visibility into message performance
Cons
Poppulo is more complex than some of the other tools on this list, so there can be quite a learning curve
While it brings multiple communication channels together, Poppulo isn’t comprehensive enough to work as a standalone company communication system
Pricing
Pricing is available on request.
Use cases
Enterprise email communication and analytics
Improving the quality of email messaging with employee segmentation tools
Managing office workspace among hybrid teams
15. Qualtrics
Qualtrics is an employee survey and feedback tool. You can use it to capture employee data via surveys and passive listening — and discover how your business is doing across metrics like intent to stay, engagement, inclusion, and wellbeing.
Surveys are easy to customize, with advanced question types and logic, while analytics and reporting tools help you turn insights into actionable strategies.
Pros
Flexible survey design options
Powerful analytics and reporting capabilities
AI tools that guide you to take action based on your employee feedback findings
Cons
Using advanced features effectively may require training
Qualtrics can be overly expensive for smaller businesses
Pricing
Pricing is available on request.
Use cases
Improving employee satisfaction and engagement with the help of regular surveys
Creating a culture of 360 feedback to improve the effectiveness of management and leadership
16. Happeo
Happeo is a Google-based intranet that provides a centralized location for all internal communications. It provides a hub for company news, documents, and collaboration tools.
Key features include a social intranet, an employee directory, and an intuitive search function. You can also use AI tools to find and fix gaps in your knowledge base.
Pros
Easy integration with Google Workspace tools
Excellent search functions so it’s easy to find the people, posts, and integrated third-party apps you’re looking for
The option to create hubs and communities based on departments, roles, and shared interests
Cons
Limited integrations beyond the Google suite
A web-first platform, best suited to desk-based teams
Pricing
Pricing is available on request.
Use cases
Creating a centralized hub for updates and document sharing
Unily is an employee experience and internal communications tool. It provides features that support its “four cornerstones” of digital employee experience: Alignment, Engagement, Enablement, and Simplicity.
Key features include email, employee feedback, and recognition tools. You can design, sequence, and automate employee journeys so staff receive relevant information at the right time. You can also use gamification features to improve intranet engagement.
Pros
An excellent desktop version, with an engaging and intuitive user experience
Fine-grained controls for admins
A good range of notifications
Cons
Mixed opinions on Unily’s customer service and ability to support its partners
Translating Unily’s comprehensive desktop features to mobile is a challenge for admins
Pricing
Pricing is available on request.
Use cases
Creating channels for company-wide communications
Boosting employee engagement with dynamic content and gamification
A comprehensive intranet platform, Simpplr supports internal communication and employee engagement. It provides a user-friendly, social-media-style interface and provides AI-driven content recommendations.
Standout features include employee listening tools, surveys, and a recognition program. There are also lots of communication channels you can use across email, SMS, a mobile app, and desktop software.
Pros
An intuitive, uncluttered interface
Strong analytics that make it easy to track engagement metrics and content performance
Great search functions
Cons
Difficult login process, with multiple links provided
Some users say the struggle to integrate Simpplr with their preferred third-party apps
Advanced features can be expensive
Pricing
Pricing is available on request.
Use cases
Making employee feedback and listening a key part of company culture
Creating a centralized hub for communications, resources, and community
Bringing large organizations and distributed teams together
Google Meet is a video conferencing and virtual meeting tool. It’s integrated into Google Workspace, so it connects easily to Gmail, Calendar, and any other Google tools your team happens to use.
It’s incredibly easy to use via an internet browser so users don’t even have to download the software. This makes it one of the most accessible virtual meeting tools currently available.
Pros
Easy to set up and use
The ability to hold meetings with up to 1,000 participants
Chat, emoji, and screen share functions available during meetings
Cons
You need additional tools to fulfil all internal communication needs
Fewer advanced features compared to Zoom and Microsoft Teams
Pricing
Prices start from $6 per user per month.
Use cases
Virtual team meetings, webinars, and company-wide announcements
One-on-one video meetings
Virtual training and employee onboarding
20. Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams combines instant messaging, video conferencing, and file-sharing tools. As you’d expect, it offers the best possible integration with other Microsoft Office tech. You can use a selection of tools to create an all-round internal communication solution.
You can use Teams to run video meetings and team chats when your employees are working remotely or across different locations.
Pros
Strong integration with other Microsoft products
Secure communication and file sharing
Cons
Interface isn’t particularly engaging and there are few social-media-style features
Teams is designed for desktop use so mobile users don’t get the same user experience
Pricing
Prices start from $4 per user per month.
Use cases
Creating digital channels for internal communication and project management
Launching video and audio calls and sharing company-wide updates
Bringing remote and hybrid teams together, even when they’re working in different locations
Choosing an internal communication tool for your frontline organization (2026)
The right choice depends on your organization’s structure, workforce, and goals — particularly if you operate with hybrid or frontline teams.
For frontline organizations, the most significant communication challenge is dispersion. To resolve this, every employee should receive critical updates and feel part of the same company culture, even if they rarely visit headquarters.
To build a sense of belonging, choose a mobile-first internal communication platform that’s user-friendly and equally accessible for all.
To identify the best fit, ask yourself these four questions when evaluating internal communication software:
#1. Is your organization office-based, or do you have deskless workers to consider?
Some internal communication tools suit desk-based teams, such as intranets designed for desktop access. However, these are often unsuitable for reaching frontline workers who rely on smartphones.
To prevent information gaps, look for mobile-first internal communication solutions that offer the same functionality across devices. A dedicated mobile app ensures equal access and engagement across every team member — no matter where they work.
#2. Do your employees have regular opportunities to connect during the workday?
Connection drives performance, and employees who feel they belong are much more engaged and productive.
The problem for frontline teams is that they often lack organic “water cooler” moments. Using internal communication tools that enable social-style interaction — such as chat, feeds, and communities — fosters real-time collaboration between field and office teams.
#3. How much time can your employees spend on internal comms each day?
As frontline employees are busy serving customers, maintaining operations, or working off-site, they need a simple and reliable communication platform.
When evaluating tools, prioritize their ease of use, onboarding speeds, and precise message delivery.
Also check adoption rates and engagement levels as they’re powerful indicators of how smoothly a tool integrates into your daily workflow.
#4. How many internal communication goals do you want to cover?
Some platforms specialize in single functions, such as surveys, document sharing, or project management. Others, like all-in-one employee communication platforms, combine these capabilities.
To streamline your tech stack while enhancing connection and engagement, choose an internal communication tool that supports multiple channels — chat, news, surveys, recognition, and analytics — within one system.
The importance of internal communications in an organization
Every organization — frontline or otherwise — needs an effective internal communication strategy thatunites employees behind the company culture and values, improves collaboration, and enhances retention.
Strong internal communication also supports:
Company connection: When employees feel aligned with organizational goals, engagement and satisfaction rise
Change management: Transparent communication ensures buy-in during transitions
Problem-solving: Clear, direct messaging limits misinformation and strengthens trust
Productivity: Employees perform best when information is easy to find and act upon
Many internal communication tools support these goals — from instant messaging and surveys to intranets and recognition platforms. For frontline teams, the right solution must be mobile-first and easy to access on the go.
The right internal communication software can transform a disconnected team into a cohesive, informed community.
Blink shows how this works by helping companies like Go North West connect all their employees through a single digital hub.
Blink. And transform company communication with an all-in-one internal communication platform built for every worker.
Take a wild guess. During a week-long hospital stay, how many different employees is a patient likely to interact with?
When you account for all the doctors, nurses, technicians, consultants, and other people involved, it’s certainly more than a dozen. And depending on the patient’s condition, he may also see more than one type of specialist such as an oncologist, haematologist, radiologist, and so on.
If these many people are responsible for a patient’s care, they better be on the same page regarding the patient’s condition, diagnosis, and treatment. After all, a small mistake can risk his well-being.
Despite that, internal communication is an area where the global healthcare industry hasn’t caught up with the latest tools and best practices available to them. In this post, we’ll walk you through the importance of internal communications in the healthcare industry, its challenges, and what you can do to address them.
Why is communication important in healthcare?
Caring for patients properly takes more than procedures and diagnoses. You also need an effective internal communication system. And not having one in place makes you vulnerable to gaps that can have dire consequences.
In the UK alone, the healthcare communication gap costs over £1 billion in wasted funds and resources per year. Not to mention the risk that it poses to patients’ health.
This shows better internal communication has the potential to benefit both patients and healthcare providers. It helps save costs, protect your patients, and enhance day-to-day efficiency.
Gaps & barriers in healthcare communication
The issues that widen the healthcare gap are multi-faceted. Miscommunication exists between healthcare workers and patients. And it also exists between healthcare workers, technological systems, and more. So let’s take a closer look at the main obstacles getting in the way of effective communication in healthcare.
Outdated communication channels
The global healthcare industry boasts of some of the most advanced technology in the world. From AI to VR-assisted operations, and from 3D printing to robotic surgeries, healthcare has seen some incredible scientific breakthroughs.
Yet, it’s shocking that many medical organizations haven’t adopted the latest communication technologies. Not just that, the whole burden lies with the senior practitioners to plan and send communication materials to patients, mid-level employees, frontline workers, and other caregivers. There is no infrastructure to support streamlined multi-directional communication.
Lack of focus on internal communication
Most organizations focus on improving communication between healthcare professionals and patients, but the gap among the healthcare professionals themselves is usually a blind spot.
Many doctors work alone. Specialist care is often fragmented. And healthcare professionals are not always in contact with each other. This leads to a lower quality of care. This is where a well-thought-out internal communications strategy is vital.
Apathy towards frontline staff
Katie Knight, a pediatric emergency medicine registrar in the NHS, recalls from a roundtable discussion among experienced NHS professionals:
“Those in senior management rarely ask for the opinions or ideas of those in junior positions.”
When decisions are being made that could drastically change the experience of those working on the frontline, it seems strange that those on the frontline are rarely consulted. The result is the formation of unrealistic rules and regulations that can’t be implemented in the real world.
Limited technological aptitude
Gaps in technological ability affect both healthcare workers and patients. A report published by the Good Things Foundation in 2019 found that 55% of over 65s lack at least one essential digital skill.
In fact, over 50% don’t have the basic digital skills they need. This prevents organizations from truly adopting the tools that can streamline internal communication.
High-pressure environment
Healthcare workers tend to be pressed for time. These are professionals with limited resources tasked with an array of responsibilities such as meeting patients, diagnosing conditions, monitoring reports, supervising treatment, and much more. And the ongoing pandemic has added even more to their stress and work pressure.
So unless you make it really easy for them to adopt and use a new communication mechanism or policy, it’s not going to put a dent.
3 ways to improve healthcare communication
Good internal communication practices aren’t easy to adopt, even for experienced healthcare professionals. Here are the steps to foster better internal communication in your healthcare organization.
1. Assess your current situation
Before you zero in on where you need to go and how to get there, you should understand where you are right now. Conduct an internal audit or employee survey to get answers to questions such as:
How do workers communicate most often?
Are there any commonalities or trends in communication mishaps?
How are company news and policies communicated?
This is also your opportunity to solicit feedback and suggestions to address communication problems and enhance internal communication.
Implementing new methods and patterns of communication will require time and effort, but it will pay off in the end.
2. Form an internal communication strategy
Good internal communication involves everyone in the organization, but it starts at the top. It needs support and active participation from senior leadership.
When administrators and managers clearly define and communicate goals, processes, and expectations, along with aligning their own behaviour accordingly, it’s easier for employees to adhere to the same standards.
Now to clearly shape and share guidelines for effective internal communication, you must have a concrete plan. A great internal communication strategy will answer questions such as:
For example, managers can use employee communication software to:
Set up reminders and schedule employee performance reviews and other team meetings.
Share new procedures and policies with everyone in the organization (including frontline staff) with just a few clicks or taps.
Make certain messages mandatory and monitor electronic signatures to check whether employees have read the information.
Store and distribute training materials in multiple formats to make sure workers understand and can refer to the information again as needed.
Most of all, a great communication tool can empower everyone to access and share stories, updates, and suggestions across your organization. This change alone can lead to a significant boost in employee lifecycle and productivity.
Final thoughts
If you’ve ever looked for a job online, we bet you’ve come across the phrase — “candidate must have excellent communication skills.”
Good communication with coworkers is a key ingredient everywhere, but it’s even more important for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Poor communication can put lives at risk, and cause many day-to-day issues in a hospital, regardless of your profession or department.
So use this guide to analyze the gaps hindering internal communication and start taking steps that take you close to build a company that does right by both its workers and patients.
A practical guide to cutting through the noise and making your messages matter
#1. Navigating modern internal comms
Writing internal comms can feel a lot like packing for vacation. At first, it’s tempting to bring everything — just in case.
That extra pair of shoes? Might need them.
A backup raincoat? Better safe than sorry.
Before you know it, your suitcase is way too heavy, can barely zip up, and becomes a disorganized mess the moment you arrive at your destination.
The same thing happens with internal communications. Overwriting is like overpacking — it makes everything more stressful and less effective. When we overload messages with too much information, jargon, or unnecessary details, they become cluttered, overwhelming, and easy to ignore. Employees don’t have time to sift through paragraphs of content to find what’s important.
The power of “less is more”
Great communicators know that less is more. Just like an experienced traveler packs only the essentials — choosing versatile outfits and rolling clothes for maximum efficiency — strong internal comms should be:
Focused: Stick to the essentials. What does the reader really need to know?
Compact: Cut the fluff. Every word should earn its place.
Easy to navigate: Use structure, formatting, and clear takeaways to help employees skim and understand instantly.
By applying the “pack light” mindset to your internal communications, you ensure that your message is clear, effective, and memorable — without the baggage.
Now, let’s unpack the key principles of writing internal comms that actually stick.
What you’ll learn in this guide:
Techniques to write concise, high-impact messages
Examples of great internal comms writing
Visual tips to make content more digestible
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#2. The science behind shorter messages
Our attention span is shrinking. If your key message isn’t immediate, it’s lost.
You’re competing with overflowing inboxes, endless notifications, and workplace distractions — so if your message isn’t short, structured, and engaging, it’s simply ignored. The way we consume information has changed, and your internal comms need to adapt.
The psychology of information retention
Cognitive overload: Employees process over 120 emails a day, plus chats, notifications, and meetings. Too much information leads to decision fatigue, stress, and disengagement.
The rule of processing fluency: Our brains prefer simple, easy-to-digest information. When content is clear and structured well, it feels more credible, persuasive, and memorable.
The serial position effect: People remember the first and last things they read — but forget the middle. If your key message is buried, it won’t stick.
If your message takes more than a few seconds to process, employees will move on.
Over 90% of people read their text messages within 3 minutes of receiving them — while it takes 90 minutes for emails to get read.
Less text = more readership: When messages are brief and scannable, employees are more likely to engage and act. We see this in our personal lives, too: Over 30,000 field experiments with The Washington Post and Upworthy showed that readers prefer simpler headlines over more complex ones.
More clarity = more trust: Research shows that simpler language increases credibility. Employees trust and engage with messages that get to the point.
Skimmable = actionable: Well-structured messages increase retention because they mirror how the brain processes information. Using features like headings, bolding, and bullet points improves readability.
TLDR: Welcome to the era of Insta-grade comms
Shorter, well-structured internal comms don’t just respect employees’ time — they actually drive higher engagement and action. If your message can be read and understood in under 10 seconds, you’re doing it right.
Picture this: Your employees are glancing at their phone between tasks, skimming their inbox, or checking messages on the go. In those few seconds, they see a new email or internal feed post alert pop up, and they have to decide whether to engage with your message — or ignore it.
While the idea that humans have an actual 8-second attention span has been debunked, the reality is that attention is fleeting, and distractions are everywhere. If your key message isn’t clear immediately, it gets lost in the noise.
So, how do you write like every second counts?
Write a snack rather than a meal
Employees don’t sit down to consume internal messages like a three-course meal — they graze. They snack on bits of information throughout the day, picking up what interests them and moving on.
Employees only read 28% of words on a screen, and 55% of emails are skimmed for under 10 seconds.
Assume employees will only glance at your message. If they can’t understand the point in a few seconds, they’ll move on.
Craft strong subject lines and headlines
Your subject line or headline is the first thing employees see — and often, the only thing they read. It needs to grab attention and deliver instant value.
Be specific: Instead of “Important update,” say "New PTO policy: What you need to know.”
Use action words: “Action required: Complete your training by Friday!”
Keep it short: 6-8 words is the sweet spot.
Use plain language & action-oriented writing
To drive engagement and action, make your messages effortless to read. Aim for an 8th-grade reading level or below — this ensures clarity and accessibility for everyone, including non-native English speakers.
Keep it simple and direct:
Choose familiar words: Say “use” instead of “utilize,” “help” instead of “assist,” or “fix” instead of “rectify.”
Make actions clear: Swap “We hope you take advantage of this opportunity” for “Sign up now!”
When employees can quickly read, understand, and act, your communications become more effective — and more inclusive.
TLDR: What can you say in 8 seconds?
Next time you write an internal message, set a timer for 8 seconds and read it out loud. If you can’t get to the main point in that time, revise.
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#4. When in doubt, keep it BRIEF
You’ve probably heard the old saying KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid.
While it’s memorable, internal comms teams deserve a smarter, more practical approach — one that reflects the fast-paced, message-saturated reality of today’s workplace.
When employees are flooded with messages, clarity isn’t just nice to have — it’s necessary. That’s where the BRIEF method comes in: A simple, effective framework to ensure your internal communications are concise, engaging, and actionable.
Bottom-line first
Remove fluff
Include essentials
Embrace formatting
Feature one action
If you can apply these five steps, your messages will cut through the noise and actually stick.
B: Bottom-line first
Employees don’t have time to hunt for the key message. Lead with what matters most:
Start with the “so what?” If they read only the first sentence, they should know the takeaway.
Use BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): Instead of building up to the key point, start with it.
Don't do this
Do this instead:
To improve efficiency, we’re implementing a new scheduling tool that integrates with our existing system. This will allow you to manage shifts more easily and reduce confusion.
Starting Monday, you’ll use a new scheduling tool to manage shifts — it’s faster, easier, and integrated into our current system.
R: Remove fluff
Every extra word makes your message weaker, not stronger:
Cut jargon, filler words, and redundant phrases (“at this point in time” → “now”).
Write for clarity, not formality (“utilize” → “use,” “commence” → “start”).
Stick to one key idea per message — if you’re cramming in multiple topics, break it up.
Don't do this:
Do this instead:
In order to facilitate improved collaboration across departments, we are pleased to announce the rollout of a new platform that will enhance teamwork and communication among employees company-wide.
We’re launching a new platform to make teamwork easier across departments.
Quick tip: Before you send it, read your message out loud. If you wouldn’t say it that way in conversation, change it.
I: Include essentials
Employees will only remember one or two things from your message — make them count:
Stick to the who, what, when, and why — cut the rest.
If details are necessary, link to a resource instead of cramming everything in.
Use bullet points to highlight the must-know facts.
Don't do this:
Do this instead:
Join us for an energizing and fun team lunch on Friday, July 1st, starting at 12pm ET. We’ll plan to meet in the main break room. For more details, click the link below:
[Link]
What: Team lunch
When: Friday, July 1, 12pm ET
Where: Main break room
Details & RSVP: [Link]
Quick tip: If you can remove a sentence and the message still makes sense, delete it.
E: Embrace formatting
Employees skim before they read — help them find key info fast:
Use bolding, bullet points, and spacing for readability.
Avoid long paragraphs — stick to 1-2 sentences per block.
Use emojis or icons (sparingly!) to draw attention in digital comms.
Before:
After:
“The new shift scheduling system will go live next Monday. All employees must log in before Friday to update their availability. The new system includes improvements in user experience and scheduling flexibility, and training resources are available in the employee portal.”
📢 New scheduling system launches Monday
🗓️ Update your availability by Friday
✨ What’s new: Easier interface + more flexibility
🎥 Training video here: [Link]
Quick tip: Design your message like a social media post — scannable, engaging, and to the point.
F: Feature one action
If you ask employees to do multiple things, they’ll do none:
Every message should drive one clear action.
Place the call to action (CTA) at the end — make it specific and easy to follow.
Lead action verbs: For example, “Update your profile by Friday” is a lot more compelling than “If you could update your profile before the end of the week, that would be great.”
Don't do this:
Do this instead:
We hope you’ll review the new policy, update your preferences, and attend the training session next week!
✅ Action required: Complete your profile update by Friday.
Quick tip: If your message has more than one action, split it into separate comms.
TLDR: BRIEF is better
Employees don’t need more communication — they need better communication. Applying the BRIEF method will help your internal comms stand out, be remembered, and most importantly — be acted upon.
Now, try this: Take a recent internal email or message and apply the BRIEF method. Can you make it 50% shorter without losing meaning?
#5. The evolving role of visuals
A well-placed image, GIF, or micro-video can convey information faster and more effectively than a wall of text. Employees are bombarded with messages daily — so making your comms visually engaging isn’t just nice to have, it’s a must.
Images, icons, emojis
To simplify complex information… Incorporate charts or infographics.
To add personality and emotion… Throw in a GIF or emoji — especially for executive communications, these can make a message feel more human.
To direct attention… Use a well-placed arrows highlight, or icon
To reinforce brand and culture… Include team photos, event snapshots, and user-generated content
Try this: Instead of sending a long email about a new policy, post a 30-second video from leadership or an animated explainer — it’s faster, more engaging, and easier to remember.
75% of employees prefer visual aids, like videos or infographics, over text-based internal communications.
Employees are used to short-form content — think TikTok videos and Instagram stories and reels. Wherever possible, internal comms should embrace this quick, visual format to create an engaging employee experience that rivals social media platforms.
Good use cases for micro-videos include:
Leadership updates: A quick 1-minute message from the CEO beats a long email.
Policy changes: An animated explainer and visual aids can make complex information much easier to digest.
Employee recognition: A fun, shareable shoutout video is more engaging than a text announcement.
TLDR: Show, don’t tell
If a picture’s worth 1,000 words, then a well-placed image, GIF, or video can save your employees a whole lot of reading.
Next time you craft a message, ask yourself: Could this be a visual instead? If so, make the switch — your employees will thank you.
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#6. Right message, right place
You wouldn’t send a virtual meeting invite via a printed flyer. So why would you rely on a one-size-fits-all approach to your internal comms strategy?
Different messages belong in different places — and using the right channel can mean the difference between being seen and being ignored.
Match the message to the medium
Consider the best-fit channel for the message or content you’re planning to share. What channels do you have at your disposal — and where do you think employees are most likely to engage with you?
Short-form, high-impact updates? Post them in your internal news feed or Stories.
Team-specific reminders? Drop them in a group message.
Company-wide announcements? Send via a scannable email — or, even better, a video or recorded live stream!
Need engagement or feedback? Use interactive polls or quick emoji reactions.
As a general rule of thumb, the shorter the message, the more dynamic the format should be.
80% of the global workforce does not sit behind a desk to do their jobs.
Employees consume content differently: Some prefer mobile updates, others check email. And beyond preferences, content engagement will likely vary based on where, when, and how they work. Your workers on the frontline will see your messages in a much different way than your remote employees or office-based staff.
Repetition increases retention: Seeing a message in multiple places boosts awareness. Dismiss a “one and done” mindset — get creative sharing the same update or information in different ways across multiple channels!
Urgency varies: A chat notification or message marked as a Mandatory Read may get an instant response, while an email detailing a policy update or new benefit might sit unread.
TLDR: Even the best message will be ignored if it’s in the wrong place
Your workforce isn’t sitting at a desk refreshing email all day. The more you adapt your message to the right channel, the more likely it is to be seen, understood, and acted on.
Next time you send an update, ask yourself: Am I using the right channel for this message?
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#7. Measuring your success
Writing concise, scannable internal comms is only half the battle — the real test is whether employees read, understand, and act on your messages. Here’s how to track the impact of a “less is more” approach and continuously refine your strategy.
(Keep in mind: Not all internal comms platforms are made the same. Take a close look at which insights you’re able to glean from your tool of choice. If your platform can’t capture helpful internal comms insights, it may be time to make a change!)
#1. Open rates: Are employees clicking?
What to measure:
Email open rates: Are employees even opening your messages?
Push notification click-through rates: Do mobile alerts drive engagement?
Intranet post views: Are employees interested in your intranet content?
Try this: Compare open rates for long-winded subject lines vs. punchy, action-driven ones (e.g., “All-staff meeting agenda” vs. “🚀 Big updates: Here’s what’s next”). Track whether shorter, clearer emails lead to higher engagement.
9 in 10 employees want weekly communication from their company — and 1 in 3 want daily communication.
Read time: Are employees skimming or fully reading?
Likes, comments, shares: Do they engage with the content?
Survey completion rates: Are they responding to quick polls or feedback requests
Try this: Post two versions of the same message — one long, one short — to see how it impacts engagement. And be sure to keep all other factors (such as publishing time, day, and channel) the same in order to compare your messages in a true A/B test format.
#3. Feedback loops: Are messages hitting the mark?
What to measure:
Employee feedback surveys: Do employees feel well-informed?
Pulse checks: Send a one-question poll (e.g., “Was this message clear?” 👍👎)
Manager check-ins: Are teams receiving and acting on important updates?
Try this: Make it interactive by adding a quick emoji reaction option to messages to gauge sentiment. Or create a “Too long? Too short? Just right?” poll to see what format employees prefer.
TLDR: If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it
The best internal comms strategies evolve. Keep testing, measuring, and refining. If engagement improves, double down on what works — if it doesn’t, adjust and experiment.
Remember: The goal isn’t just to send messages — it’s to make sure they’re read, understood, and acted on.
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#8. Final thought: Less is more, every time
TLDR: It’s time to TLDR your own content
You’ve learned that less really is more when it comes to internal comms. Whether it’s writing scannable messages, using visuals to replace dense paragraphs, or crafting bite-sized, memorable updates, the goal remains the same: Make it easy for employees to read, understand, and act.
Great internal comms aren’t about saying more — they’re about saying the right things, in the right way. The next time you write a message, ask yourself:
Would I actually read this?
Is this eye-catching enough?
What can I cut without losing meaning?
Now, it’s your turn to put these strategies into action.
Your challenge: Try this in your next message
The next time you write an internal communication, challenge yourself to:
Give it a headline of 6 words or less
Include a relevant image, GIF, or video
Try shortening the message by 30%
Mastering concise, high-impact internal comms won’t just make your messages better — it’ll make your workplace more connected, engaged, and informed.
On the hunt for the perfect comms solution for your organization?
Whether you’re looking for a tech to engage a frontline workforce or a modern intranet that puts your organization’s knowledge at your fingertips, we’re comparing techs that can take your internal communication to the next level.
Today we look at Interact vs. Blink to see which is right for you.
Interact vs. Blink — quick facts
Blink and Interact are modern internal communication solutions suited for enterprise and small organizations. Their intuitive user experience and mobile applications lend themselves to a frontline workforce.
However, Interact is mainly an intranet replacement with various social employee engagement features. It is an older solution, and some feel that its features are a little old-fashioned. That includes an inclination towards top-down communications and static intranet pages.
In contrast, Blink packages an intranet with chat, micro-apps, and interactive content management to create an open, engaging digital experience. The priority is on encouraging all employees to participate in discussions and voice their contributions.
How they’re similar
Mobile-focused
Blink is designed with the mobile frontline worker in mind. That means you can reach everything you’d expect to have access to as a desk worker straight from your phone. The features and design flow seamlessly, no matter the screen size, to unite your organization with one application.
Similarly, Interact also caters to companies with a significant number of frontline workers. The intranet software is fully responsive and works on both iOS and Android.
Targeted posts
Both internal employee communication tools recognize that the most effective messages are tailored.
Interact uses “personas” you can define based on qualities you set. More than just dividing workers by role, you can segment your messages based on the training they’ve already received, location, and more.
Blink also allows you to target posts based on certain teams and work functions. The live feed of employee posts, company communications, and important real-time notifications are 100% customizable for each individual.
People directory
Both Blink and Interact make it easy to discover and contact any other member in your organization, breaking down communication barriers.
Blink’s People Directory consists of each team member's photographs, role, time zone, and location.
Interact’s directory adds a bit more content to this directory with customizable bios, interests, and expertise.
How they’re different
Many features set each communication management software apart. Let’s take a look:
SMS
Interact adds multichannel broadcasts that include the option to send a text to employees. One reviewer notes how “beneficial a feature like this would be during a pandemic.”
Although Blink can push notifications to each user’s phone, there is no out-of-the-box feature that allows SMS texting.
Chat
When comparing Interact vs. Blink, one large difference is Blink’s native chat function. Users can start secure group or one-on-one chats. Document-sharing and emoji capabilities also mean your employees have the tools to get their message across, no matter the subject.
In contrast, Interact only has a tagging function to start conversations and, more often than not, will need to integrate with third-party chat platforms.
Digital signage
The Interact software includes built-in digital signage capabilities. That gives your team the ability to display updates, company news, and other useful information in break rooms, conference rooms — anywhere with a screen.
Blink does not offer a feature to create and display digital signage natively in the app but can be configured with integration to serve this purpose.
Micro-apps
Blink offers deep integration with thousands of apps, acting as your one-stop solution to digital workplace technology. Blink also lets you build out integrations for any app you need through customizable micro-apps.
When comparing the customization of Interact vs. Blink, you are slightly more limited with the latter. Although it also offers several integrations, the Interact intranet does not offer a way for users to add ample features themselves.
Extranet
Interact offers additional extranet services that provide a communication platform for business partners. External parties can access FAQs, product pages, blogs, answer surveys, and more through a simple login page.
Blink’s product offering is more narrowly focused on internal communications, so if your team is not looking for an extranet solution, a platform with features solely designed for internal teams may serve you better.
Feed page
Blink’s feed page provides an engaging, personalized experience that enables a sense of connectedness and omnidirectional communication.
When comparing Interact vs. Blink’s newsfeed, Interact’s is more focused on activity updates. For example, when a document is updated or a user joins a new group.
Although users can like and comment, the social aspect is not as prominent. The platform’s forum allows more back-and-forth conversations but does not encourage frequent participation.
Ease of use
Blink takes most of the burden of onboarding and IT off your hands, making it an ideal solution for enterprise companies and lean teams alike. The features are intuitive, requiring little to no training, and once you’re onboarded, Blink handles all the behind-the-scenes IT to keep your hands free.
On the other hand, learning to use Interact’s intranet does take a bit more time. User reviews say, “Its functionality is difficult to administer and labor-intensive. It is also not very intuitive.”
One feature that is consistently said to be difficult to use is its forms. “Forms are a great feature to have, but we've found them cumbersome to create and maintain.”
Interact vs. Blink — pricing
Blink offers four levels of paid service based on company size, while Interact’s pricing structure is a bit more opaque. They offer individualized pricing based on your organization’s exact requirements, so you’ll have to request a quote to see how much it may be for you.
Here’s a look at Blink’s pricing:
Essential: $3.40 per person, per month
Business: Price on application
Enterprise: Price on application
Enterprise Plus: Price on application
Interact vs. Blink — final thoughts
If you’re looking for a comprehensive, modern intranet with social features, want to maintain a more traditional communication structure, and have the resources to spend a little more time learning how to use the product in the backend, Interact may be the right choice for you.
However, if you want an intranet with engaging, intuitive features that refresh your internal communications with open dialogue, and you want to be able to fully customize your solution’s features, Blink may be your go-to.
Determine if Blink is the right solution for you by booking a demo. Try it free for 14 days.
In our recent webinar, Marcy Paterson (VP of Solutions Consulting) and Simon White (Chief People Officer) discussed how Blink can help solve People team’s goals and shared best practice tips for using the app.
They covered a lot of ground, including:
Closing the connection gap between employees and management
Ways to adjust the noise level and moderate app content
HR team priorities: internal comms and employee engagement
Chief People Officer, Simon White, started by giving his take on current HR priorities. It’s all about internal communication and employee engagement, he says.
Employees have higher expectations year on year. Employees want to know what’s happening within their organization. And they want to feel connected to something bigger than themselves.
To enable that feeling of connection, companies need to embrace transparency.
An increasingly dispersed workforce also means meeting employees where they are. In terms of their location, shift patterns, and the tech they can access.
In the modern workplace, HR leaders don’t just need to decide what to say. They also need to consider how they get people to hear and absorb internal communications. And how they make that content equally accessible to every employee in the organization, regardless of their role or schedule.
With these priorities in mind, let’s find out how a People's team can get the most from Blink, a super-app designed for the frontline.
How HR teams can get the most from a frontline app
Closing the connection gap
There’s often a connection gap between frontline workers and office-based teams.
Frontline workers don’t always have access to devices or even a company email address. The resources and information that is often readily available to office-based teams, can easily get lost when getting to the frontline. The information they receive is sometimes piecemeal or non-existent.
This can lead to engagement problems. Employees may not see how they contribute to the bigger picture, so they’re unlikely to go above and beyond in their role.
That’s where Blink comes in - an app available via a personal smartphone device, not requiring a work email to access. It supports employee communication and employee recognition. The sharing of company updates and company culture.
Crucially, an app gives employees a voice - and gives visibility to that voice. Employees can tag their CEO in a question and everyone sees the CEO’s public response.
That’s meaningful two-way conversation and connection. And this is something that helps move the dial on employee engagement. Closing this frontline connection gap is one of the best ways HR teams can use a frontline app.
You help people to see – hey, you may be one person in a 10-person company, you may be one person in a 10,000-person company. But actually, you really contribute something. And that’s really important. – Simon White, Chief People Officer
Some HR leaders are concerned about the unnecessary noise an employee app might create. But with Blink, you decide who can post what, and where.
Employees may be limited to posting within particular groups. A team leader can then decide to boost the most relevant content to a wider audience.
But both Marcy and Simon were keen to point out the importance of informal content to the employee experience. They recommend allowing informal posts alongside formal, top-down content. The reason? It encourages employees to spend more time on the app, and drives a sense of community across your employees.
Posts wishing someone a happy birthday or about finding your work bestie may seem irrelevant to business success - but they’re often some of the most engaging and meaningful for employees.
They encourage workers to spend time in the app environment. So it’s easier to make the larger top-down messages heard, too.
Streamlining self-service
You could give your employees 50 different apps and say this is all the software we use. But you’re not actually driving a good experience for them. You’re not providing something that makes their lives easier. – Simon White, Chief People Officer
Blink is far more than just a communication tool - it integrates with other tools you use, allowing for employees to access other tools easily and without friction.
Via the Blink interface, employees can navigate to pay stubs, time off, or learning and development. A quick click on an icon and employees are taken straight to the relevant place within the relevant software.
This benefits everyone. Fewer support tickets are submitted from employees who can’t remember what the pay stub app is called or what their various passwords are, and employees get a streamlined, intuitive experience.
And on top of that, the dollars and time your teams have spent on other important tools for your employees will be easily accessed, driving the adoption you need on those technologies. Employee technology is only as valuable as the employees actually using it, and often employees don’t even know what is available to them and how to get there. Blink gives them one place to access everything they need in their day - driving ROI across your existing tools, too.
The work you’ve done to select a vendor, to pay for a vendor, to get approval - the ability to then drive adoption and drive the change management through a product like this is imperative. – Simon White, Chief People Officer
Getting HR messages heard
Important HR messages don’t have to become dead documents in a deeply buried shared file. With an employee app, you put HR messages right in front of the right people.
Here are a couple more benefits of this approach:
Employees can read HR messages at a time and place to suit them
You can pin messages or request confirmation to ensure that essential information is read
You can add useful links to a post so employees can access additional information easily
Automatic translations allow all employees to read messages in their preferred language
A user-friendly search function also allows employees to revisit HR messages, posts, and resources whenever they need to.
For HR teams, this makes messaging more effective - it also saves a lot of time. Your HR staff do less chasing and make fewer phone calls. They can be confident that their message is getting through via the app.
Embracing transparency
Some organizations worry about opening up a newsfeed to employees. They’re unsure about allowing employees to comment, like, and post. But this is often less of an issue that organizations expect.
From his own experience of using Blink, Simon says that the benefits far outweigh the risks. And actually, an app can help bring small issues into the light, allowing leaders to address them before they become big ones.
Marcy also highlights the crawl, walk, run approach that Blink customers can take. Thanks to Blink customizations, you can dip your toe in water. You can find out how a transparent culture fits your organization. Then scale up or down accordingly.
This fear that people have of “oh, you know, an employee communication platform – people will use it to unionize”[…] People aren’t unionizing because you’ve given them a platform. They’re probably unionizing because you haven’t given them a voice. – Simon White, Chief People Officer
Encouraging adoption
Employees already spend time in their personal lives swiping, scrolling, and liking posts on different social media apps. Blink has a very similar interface to those types of apps we all use. This makes it easy for employees to pick the app up and use it – even if they don’t feel confident with tech in general. It’s a familiar, adaptive tool that doesn’t have the same learning curve that some advanced tech tools do.
But some employees inevitably take more persuading than others. When encouraging employees to adopt an employee app, Simon and Marcy recommend leading with the benefits to employee experience.
By explaining to employees what they stand to gain from using the app, you get better uptake. Here are a few ideas:
It’s a way for them to stay in touch with co-workers
It’s an easy way for them to see L&D opportunities
Once you have a decent level of adoption, you can rely on organic growth. Employees promote the app and its features to one another, driving an even higher proportion of the workforce to choose to download and use it.
Measuring engagement
Moving onto a platform with surveys and analytics is a really effective way for HR and people teams to measure engagement. And find ways to increase employee engagement too.
Blink engagement is a useful metric. If a team or an individual isn’t answering posts and asking questions, this may be a sign that they’re feeling disengaged. You can also access real-time data on how many people are using Blink – and your other software tools.
Engagement surveys are another great feature. Employees don’t have to log on to the communal computer at lunchtime, or log on to another platform. They can respond to survey questions quickly and easily within the Blink app they already use.
This makes it easy for HR leaders to gather statistically significant data. And to share anonymized survey results with employees.
You can then sit this data alongside other HR metrics – relating to retention, attrition, and promotion – to uncover trends and areas for improvement.
Going beyond HR and people teams
Marcy and Simon discuss a lot about how HR and people teams can get the most out of Blink. But they emphasized the fact that, to truly transform internal communication and employee engagement, you need a company-wide effort.
Blink supports cross-functional usage. And when different teams – HR, operations, comms, leadership – all harness its potential, you get the best results.
Blink is an employee app focused on connecting everyone in your organization - regardless of their role, location, or seniority. When leadership can show the way and engage, employees will naturally follow and adopt the app. They will have all of the resources they need to do their job efficiently - no longer wasting time finding important announcements, passwords for other tools, or even trying to find their payslips.
Ultimately, improving your two-way communication will enhance employee engagement, and you’ll create a more loyal, productive, and satisfied workforce.
Want to take a closer look at Blink – and find out how these features would work for your HR and people team? Schedule a personalized demo today.
Digital tools are transforming the way organizations build and sustain employee engagement. Platforms like Blink, Workvivo, Staffbase, and Reward Gateway are helping teams stay connected, improve communication, and bring company culture to life — wherever employees work.
But with so many employee engagement tools on the market, choosing the right one can be tricky. The wrong platform can waste time, hurt adoption, and even reduce engagement.
Getting it right matters. Companies with highly engaged teams are more productive and see up to 23% higher profitability. The best employee engagement software goes beyond simple communication — it connects people, recognizes great work, and supports a shared sense of purpose.
Every organization is different. The tools that work for a remote or office-based workforce may not suit a frontline team. That’s why it’s important to align your engagement goals with the right platform.
You’ll find software built for:
Frontline employees — mobile-first apps like Blink that keep workers connected on the go
Remote teams — tools such as Asana and Slack that combine communication and project management
Office-based teams — platforms like Culture Amp and OfficeVibe that measure engagement and feedback
And others that specialize in areas such as:
Communication and collaboration
Feedback and performance
Wellbeing and productivity
Rewards and recognition
Choosing the right solution depends on your people and your priorities — because engagement software only works when it works for everyone.
For frontline organizations, this is especially true. Most engagement platforms are still built with desk-based employees in mind. Only 1 in 10 frontline workers says they have access to the tools and technology they need to connect and advance at work — even though they make up 82% of the global workforce.
Without easy access to company updates, communication, and recognition, frontline employees can quickly feel disconnected and undervalued.
That’s why your employee engagement solution needs to work for all employees — wherever and however they work.
In the next section, we’ll look at the best employee engagement software for 2026 — from all-in-one employee apps like Blink to specialized tools for communication, wellbeing, and recognition.
Let’s take a closer look.
Best employee engagement app for frontline organizations
Frontline employees are the backbone of many industries — from transportation and retail to healthcare and hospitality. But engaging this workforce comes with unique challenges. Many frontline employees don’t have regular access to company systems, email, or desktop devices, making it harder for them to stay informed and connected.
That’s why mobile-first employee engagement software has become essential. The best platforms for frontline teams combine communication, recognition, and real-time updates in one easy-to-use app.
These tools close the gap between head office and the field, helping every employee — regardless of location — feel included in company culture.
Below are some of the best employee engagement tools for frontline workers in 2026, starting with Blink, a leading all-in-one platform designed specifically for deskless and distributed teams.
Best employee engagement software for frontline workers
Blink
When it comes to engaging a dispersed, frontline workforce, few tools match what Blink delivers.
Blink is a mobile-first employee engagement platform built to help organizations connect with every worker — whether they’re in the field, on the factory floor, or on the move. Used by teams across industries such as transport, healthcare, logistics, and construction, Blink turns everyday communication into connection.
Employees can easily chat with colleagues, access company updates, view schedules, and complete essential tasks all in one place. The result: better communication, stronger engagement, and a more unified culture.
Managers benefit, too. Blink’s analytics dashboard helps leaders track engagement and performance trends, identify communication gaps, and celebrate wins through built-in recognition tools.
Key features include:
All-in-one communication: Peer-to-peer chat, team groups, and company-wide updates keep everyone aligned.
Employee recognition: Built-in recognition features highlight great work and reinforce culture.
Engagement surveys: Pulse surveys provide quick, actionable insights into morale and satisfaction.
Analytics and insights: Track usage, engagement, and content performance to inform strategy.
Seamless integrations: Connect scheduling, HR, and project management tools for a single digital workspace.
Mobile-first design: Works on any smartphone — no corporate email required.
With Blink, your entire workforce can access the same tools and information, creating a seamless digital experience that keeps everyone connected, informed, and motivated.
Request a demo today to see how Blink can transform engagement across your frontline teams.
Best employee engagement software for desk-based remote workers
If you're looking for employee engagement software platforms suited to desk-based remote workers, here are some excellent options.
Google Chat
Source: Google Chat Capterra Reviews
Google Chat is a communication platform that includes features like video and voice calls, and group chat. It's a great option for workplace communication and it's free to use.
As you’d expect, this tool integrates with the rest of the Google suite, including Google Calendar, Drive, Groups, and Gmail. But it lacks some of the advanced features you tend to get with paid tools.
Reviews from Capterra note that Google Chat is easy to use. It also provides good collaboration tools. However, the interface can be frustrating, message delivery can be an issue, and notifications can be challenging to navigate.
Pricing: Monthly pricing for Google Chat for business starts at $6 per user.
Discord
Discord is a chat app designed for gamers. But it’s recently been used for workplace communication, too. It includes features like voice and video chat, so you can easily connect and communicate with colleagues.
You can use Discord for free, making it a basic but cost-effective tool for internal communications, especially in a remote working environment.
Pricing: Many of Discord’s features are free to use. For businesses that want to invest in extra perks, Discord’s premium tier, “Nitro,” is available for $99 per year.
Asana
Asana is a popular project management tool that can also be used for employee engagement. With Asana, you can easily create and assign tasks, track task progress, and set team priorities. You can also use Asana to create custom projects for easy employee collaboration.
Source: Asana Capterra reviews
Asana makes a great option for remote teams, in part because it offers a mobile app for easy access to tasks and progress data. This helps to ensure that employees are working cohesively and effectively wherever they’re based.
Reviews from Capterra note that while Asana offers a clean, intuitive, and integrated interface, notifications are often missed, automatic opt-in to email notifications can be annoying, and the different projects and access features can be confusing.
Pricing: Monthly pricing for Asana starts at a basic free plan. A business plan costs $24.99 per user per month when billed annually.
ClickUp
ClickUp is a cloud-based collaboration and project management tool and it’s a good option for those looking to improve remote employee engagement.
Key features include task assignments and statuses, alerts, and a task toolbar. But while ClickUp does well in terms of task management, it doesn’t offer a full range of employee engagement tools.
This platform lacks features relating to real-time communication, employee recognition, and social interaction. So you’re likely to need additional software.
Pricing: ClickUp offers a free version. Monthly pricing for a Business plan costs $12 per user per month.
WorkTango
WorkTango is an employee experience platform with a number of solutions for employee engagement. It provides tools like employee surveys, real-time analytics, rewards, and recognition.
You can also see how your engagement scores rank against other WorkTango customers to get a better sense of how you’re doing.
On Capterra, users say that anonymous feedback and anonymous employee chat allow for truly honest conversations. Clients also praise recognition features. However, some users would like better reporting tools and easier platform navigation.
Leapsome is a good employee engagement tool for goal setting and employee development.
It’s designed to support organizations to create high-performing teams. You can use Leapsome to track and collaborate on goals, run 360-degree reviews, and create personalized learning pathways.
With lots of tools for remote teams, Leapsome helps maintain employee progress even when employees aren’t in the office. The software also offers video conferencing tools, which make it easy to collaborate on agendas and align action plans.
Pricing: Pricing starts at $8 per user per month, with the option to add on the extra features you need.
Slack
Source: Slack Capterra Reviews
Slack is a great productivity tool for remote office workers. It helps you to organize teams and their work, with the help of channels, huddles, and a workflow builder.
However, it's worth noting that Slack doesn't provide much in the way of scheduling, performance tracking, or survey features. If these tools are essential to your organization, you’ll need to use Slack plus another employee engagement platform.
Reviews from Capterra note that Slack’s user interface is easy to use. They like channel and plugin features. They also appreciate having all work conversations in one place.
However, reviews also note that it can be a confusing platform to use, with lots of channels across different teams. Adoption can also be difficult if people are not familiar with the software.
Pricing: For multiple employees, monthly pricing for Slack starts at $6.67 per user.
Best employee engagement software for desk-based office workers
Now, let’s take a look at the tech tools best suited to office worker engagement.
OfficeVibe
Source: OfficeVibe Capterra Reviews
OfficeVibe is a “people-first” employee experience platform, with a number of employee engagement features designed for the office.
It helps employers to assess and improve employee engagement levels with robust measurement tools. It also provides an app so you can track progress on the go if needed.
Reviews from Capterra note that OfficeVibe is an innovative tool that helps organizations better understand employee happiness. The company also provides strong customer service.
However, managers complain that survey questions can’t be customized and that insights don’t go deep enough. They also say that the Slack integration doesn’t work too well and that setup can be confusing.
Pricing: Monthly pricing for OfficeVibe ranges from a free version to a $5 per user Pro Plan.
SurveyMonkey
By using employee satisfaction survey tools like SurveyMonkey, you can collect regular feedback from employees on their engagement levels. This real-time feedback can help you to identify problem areas and take steps to improve employee engagement in your organization.
As well as survey templates, SurveyMonkey offers reporting and analytics features that help you spot data trends and insights. It also uses AI to reveal employee sentiment.
Pricing: For over three users, monthly pricing for SurveyMonkey starts at $31.83 per user.
Doodle
Employee polls are a quick and easy way to collect anonymous feedback from employees on a range of topics. You can use employee poll tools from Doodle to gather feedback on everything from engagement levels to job satisfaction.
But Doodle does more than polls. It also provides meeting, video conferencing, and scheduling tools. You can even poll meeting attendees to find a time that works for everyone and improve attendance.
Pricing: Monthly pricing for Doodle Professional starts at $6.95 per user.
Monday.com
Monday.com is a project management tool that can also be used for employee engagement.
With Monday.com, you can create and assign tasks, track progress, and more. You can also use it to create performance tracking templates for employees. This can help you to identify areas where employees need improvement and take steps to address them.
On Capterra, Monday.com users say that the platform’s project management tools are excellent. But others complain that the backend of the platform is complicated and involves a steep learning curve.
Pricing: For more than two employees, monthly pricing for Monday.com starts at $8 per user per month.
Culture Amp
Culture Amp’s employee engagement platform provides over 40 science-backed survey templates. You can use these surveys to find out how employees feel about engagement, belonging, inclusion, and more.
The platform also uses AI-powered insights to summarize employee engagement findings, supporting your business to make data-backed decisions.
Reviews from Capterra say that Culture Amp has a user-friendly user interface. They also praise the platform’s ready-to-go survey templates.
But users don’t like having to rely on the Culture Amp support team to update some parts of the platform. They also say that — while survey features are strong — features like the objective and key results (OKR) module aren’t as well-developed.
The following tools specialize in one area of employee engagement. As such, they make a great add-on to your chosen staff engagement tool.
At Blink, our App Marketplace integrates all the tools you need to manage your employee engagement in one place. If we don't already integrate with your app, just ask!
Kudos
Kudos is an add-on app that allows employees to give and receive recognition in real time. With Kudos, you can create a culture of recognition where employees feel appreciated for their hard work.
Pricing: Monthly pricing for Kudos starts at $3.25 per user.
Friday
Friday is an app that makes it easy to give employees recognition for a job well done. With Friday, you can give employees badges, points, and rewards to show your appreciation.
Pricing: Friday has a free version. Monthly pricing goes up to $100+ for company plans.
Bonusly
Bonusly is another dedicated employee recognition tool. Bonusly supports peer recognition, allowing employees to give each other bonuses in the form of points that can be redeemed for rewards. By using Bonusly, you can create a culture of appreciation and recognition throughout your workforce.
Pricing: Monthly pricing options for Bonusly starts at $2.70 per user.
Limeade Wellbeing
Employee wellbeing programs, like those on offer from Limeade, go hand in hand with employee engagement programs. Because when employees feel healthier, happier, and less stressed, they have the headspace they need to engage with their work.
Limeade provides customized employee wellness programs. These programs encourage participation and deliver essential wellbeing resources via one handy tool.
With this tool, you can also listen and respond to your workforce in real time through anonymous surveys, polls, and quizzes. All that’s really missing from this system is strong employee communication tools.
WeThrive is an employee engagement tool designed to support the mental health of desk-based workers. With this platform, you can create surveys to assess employee wellbeing and then take action to improve it.
WeThrive analytics allow you to segment survey results by team, tenure, location, department, and manager. This makes it easy to identify the root causes of poor wellbeing and identify areas for improvement.
Reward Gateway is an employee engagement solution that offers employee discounts, employee rewards and recognition, and tools for employee communications.
This combined platform is a great tool for office-based employers looking to boost employee recognition, with features such as discounts and rewards accessible in one place.
Reviews from Capterra note that Reward Gateway is flexible and easy to use. But it can be glitchy, with reporting features sometimes not running properly and some features failing to run as smoothly as others.
Pricing: Monthly pricing for Reward Gateway starts at $10.19 per user.
Weekdone
For structured goal setting, Weekdone is an excellent choice. It’s a top-rated OKR platform that allows you to track weekly plans and progress, provide feedback, and get everyone pulling in the same direction.
OKR software can also be used to ensure that remote employees have clear objectives, with performance reviews and goal tracking.
Pricing: For more than three employees, monthly pricing for Weekdone is $8 per user.
Awardco
Awardco is another bonus tool that makes recognizing and rewarding people easier and more effective.
With Awardco, employers can set up reward and recognition programs that their employees can access from any device. You can tailor incentives to your teams, ensuring the prizes on offer act as real motivation.
This tool is a good option for office-based companies of all sizes looking to increase employee satisfaction and engage with their workforce to boost productivity.
Pricing: Pricing for Awardco ranges from $2,500 to $4,000 per year.
QuizBreaker
QuizBreaker is a virtual team-building tool. It works well for both office-based and dispersed teams, bringing a bit of gamification to the work day.
Key features of QuizBreaker include:
a scheduled icebreaker quiz that helps employees get to know each other better
escape games and 1,000+ trivia quizzes for fun team-building events
employee profiles that reveal work style, unique strengths, and fun facts
pulse surveys to help you get regular feedback from employees
QuizBreaker isn’t an all-in-one employee engagement tool. But this platform helps teams to bond and brings a little fun to your workplace culture.
Capterra score: Not found in Capterra database. Pricing: Monthly pricing for QuizBreaker starts at $3 per user.
Motivosity
Motivosity is employee recognition software that makes it easy for managers to give recognition and rewards.
Motivosity’s “Thanks Matters” card is an innovative way of rewarding employees. Like Bonusly, you assign points for great performance. These points directly translate into cash, which employees can access via a special Visa debit card.
They can choose from hundreds of reward options. You can even add your own gifts such as branded swag or lunch with the CEO. Employees can also choose to forgo cash rewards in order to make charitable donations.
Key employee engagement software features to prioritize in 2026
When choosing the right employee engagement software for your organization, focus on the features that will help you overcome your biggest engagement challenges. The right combination of tools can improve communication, morale, and productivity across every level of your workforce.
Channels and chats
Communication is the foundation of engagement. Real-time chat features — including group channels, private messages, and announcements — ensure employees stay in the loop and can collaborate quickly, wherever they work.
Surveys, polls, and content analytics
Platforms with built-in surveys, polls, and analytics help you measure engagement levels, gather employee sentiment, and identify emerging issues before they become major problems. This data ensures every employee has a voice and helps leaders take action with confidence.
Employee recognition
Recognition tools — such as kudos, badges, or points systems — make it easy to celebrate achievements and highlight great work. This simple feature goes a long way toward strengthening motivation, morale, and a sense of belonging.
Analytics and dashboards
For organizations managing distributed or frontline teams, analytics functions are essential. They allow you to measure engagement, retention, and satisfaction while uncovering insights into how employees interact with leadership and one another. These insights drive continuous improvement in your employee experience strategy.
A main feed or hub
A centralized hub — or main company feed — brings all updates, videos, documents, and announcements together in one place. This consolidation creates a single source of truth, keeping employees informed and aligned with your company’s goals.
At Blink, our frontline employee app brings all of these features together. With tools for chat, recognition, surveys, analytics, and communication, Blink helps you overcome common engagement challenges and connect every employee — from the frontline to the office.
The business benefits of digital employee engagement tools
Digital engagement tools require an upfront investment — both financially and in time. But the return on that investment is substantial. The right software encourages participation, builds connection, and creates a culture employees want to be part of.
Below are the five key business benefits of using digital employee engagement software.
#1. Reduce employee turnover and save on recruitment costs
Engaged employees are more likely to stay with your organization, reducing the cost of recruitment and training. According to SHRM, hiring a new employee can cost three to four times the position’s salary, making engagement one of the most effective retention strategies available.
Digital tools strengthen this connection by amplifying company culture and ensuring all employees can participate fully — leading to a happier, more loyal workforce.
#2. Strengthen company culture through digital engagement platforms
In today’s competitive labor market, salary alone isn’t enough to retain top talent. Engaged employees are motivated by purpose, belonging, and appreciation.
Digital engagement tools help reinforce these pillars by improving communication, supporting growth, and enabling public recognition. The right platform makes culture tangible — connecting leadership, values, and everyday work.
#3. Improve internal communication with employee engagement software
Two-way communication is critical for engagement. Modern tools help you deliver the right message to the right people — whether through audience segmentation, targeted updates, or role-based notifications.
These platforms also make it easier to track the effectiveness of communication. With built-in analytics, you can see how employees interact with content and refine your messaging to increase engagement and clarity across the organization.
#4. Use analytics to understand and improve employee engagement
Feedback is the backbone of a strong employee engagement strategy. Without it, leaders can’t identify what’s working or where improvements are needed.
Employee engagement software with advanced reporting provides actionable insights. You can see how satisfied employees are, how frequently they engage with company updates, and where there are communication or experience gaps.
With Blink, for example, you can access detailed data on engagement, satisfaction, and retention — helping you identify frontline challenges early and respond faster.
#5. Boost productivity with connected employee engagement platforms
Disconnected tools slow teams down. Employees lose valuable time switching between apps, searching for information, and handling repetitive admin tasks.
A unified engagement platform streamlines these processes. By digitizing workflows, automating basic tasks, and connecting every workplace app in one place, you free up employees to focus on meaningful, high-impact work.
Blink’s connected platform helps teams stay organized and productive — from digitized HR processes to mobile-friendly task management — improving both individual and organizational performance.
