The ultimate strategy to turn 15 PTO days into nearly 50 days off work in 2026.
Published:
May 28, 2026
Last updated:
May 28, 2026
PTO-maxxing: How to turn 15 days off into nearly 50
The ultimate PTO hack to maximize your time off (that everyone will be asking you for!)
Exclusive research and PTO mapping by the employee experience team at Blink has found a way for U.S. employees to turn 15 days of paid time off into nearly 50.
Most people use their PTO in one big chunk and wonder where it went. The smarter move? Stack your vacation days around federal holidays and weekends — and suddenly 15 days becomes nearly 50.
Here’s the exact playbook, holiday by holiday.
How to maximize U.S. paid time off in 2026
You’ve got 15 days of PTO sitting in your account. Most people burn through them without thinking and end up with a handful of long weekends and one big trip. But there’s a smarter way to do this.
By placing your days around federal holidays and weekends, you can turn those 15 days into nearly 50 days off in a year. Not a loophole. Not a trick. Just knowing where to put the days you already have.
We mapped every US federal holiday in the calendar and built the optimal strategy around each one. Here's exactly what to book, and when.
The math behind it
Federal holidays are already yours. Weekends are already yours. The gap — the one or two working days sitting between them — is all you need to fill. Do that consistently across the year, and suddenly you’re not taking 15 days off. You’re taking 49.
That’s a 3x return on your PTO. Just from being strategic about placement. Here’s how to plan your PTO leave this year and submit that vacation request…
Holiday
Holiday date
Book these days off
PTO used
Total days off
Memorial Day
Mon, May 25
Fri May 22
1 day
4 days
Juneteenth
Fri, Jun 19
Thu Jun 18 (+ Mon Jun 22)
1–2 days
4–5 days
Independence Day
Sat, Jul 4 (obs. Fri Jul 3)
Thu Jul 2 (+ Mon Jul 6)
1–2 days
4–5 days
Labor Day
Mon, Sep 7
Fri Sep 4
1 day
4 days
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Mon, Oct 12
Fri Oct 9
1 day
4 days
Veterans Day
Wed, Nov 11
Thu Nov 12 + Fri Nov 13
2 days
5 days
Thanksgiving
Thu, Nov 26
Wed Nov 25
1 day
5 days
Christmas
Fri, Dec 25
Wed Dec 23 + Thu Dec 24
2 days
5 days
New Year’s Day
Fri, Jan 1
Thu Dec 31
1 day
4 days
MLK Day
Mon, Jan 18
Fri Jan 15
1 day
4 days
Presidents’ Day
Mon, Feb 15
Fri Feb 12
1 day
4 days
TOTAL
15 days
49 days
One thing to note on Juneteenth: If your company doesn’t observe it as a holiday, skip that row and redirect those days to Thanksgiving or Christmas. Both give you 5 days off for 1–2 PTO days, which is the best return on the list.
Run this PTO strategy across the whole year, and here’s what you’re looking at:
15 PTO days placed strategically = up to 49 days off.
That’s three times the time off, from the same allowance you’ve always had. The only difference is where you put the days.
Most people don’t do this because they haven’t sat down and mapped it. We did it for you. Now all you have to do is book it.
Start your free trial today
See how Blink helps frontline teams stay connected, informed, and engaged.
KC has been with Arriva North West and Wales since 2023. A well-loved character at the Speke Bus Depot, he is an extrovert and gregarious. In his own words: “I love social interaction because it brings me enjoyment. I love meeting new people and feel energized at big social events.”
This is why bus driving matches him perfectly. Unsurprisingly, what he loves most about his role is meeting new passengers and learning something about them. He practices his faith as often as possible, and his gratitude and positive attitude is contagious: “I feel blessed and always like to give thanks.”
Alongside the people, he also enjoys discovering new routes and the challenge of learning them. Most of all, community is at his heart, saying that bus driving “makes me feel like I can make a difference in my local community… I just like driving buses as they make many people happy when you get it right.”
According to Mark Brack, the Site Manager: “He has been a breath of fresh air in our Speke depot and has thrown himself into a number of roles to help improve engagement and the performance of the depot, including being our Blink and Employee Survey Champion. It’s great to see him recognized.”
Nominated by: Lee Coleman, Head of Communications and Engagement
Team chat apps play a pivotal role in organizing, securing, and making workplace communications accessible.
Blink’s audience often includes remote, frontline, and hybrid teams that rely on dependable messaging to stay aligned.
For small and medium businesses, Blink suggests choosing a team chat app that's easy to use, well-organized, and available on all devices, particularly if the business doesn't have an IT team.
In this Blink guide to the best team chat apps, we review eight leading options for hybrid teams and affordable choices for startups and SMBs. We evaluate each team chat platform based on ease of setup, support levels, and total cost.
If your business is a remote startup, operates a small office, or needs to keep hybrid employees connected, this Blink overview will help you choose a team chat app that fits your needs.
Why team chat apps matter for SMBs and agile teams
Team chat apps play a pivotal role in organizing, securing, and making workplace communications accessible.
Blink’s audience often includes remote, frontline, and hybrid teams that rely on dependable messaging to stay aligned.
For small and medium businesses, Blink suggests choosing a team chat app that's easy to use, well-organized, and available on all devices, particularly if the business doesn't have an IT team.
In this Blink guide to the best team chat apps, we review eight leading options for hybrid teams and affordable choices for startups and SMBs. We evaluate each team chat platform based on ease of setup, support levels, and total cost.
If your business is a remote startup, operates a small office, or needs to keep hybrid employees connected, this Blink overview will help you choose a team chat app that fits your needs.
Highlights
The best team chat apps organize, secure, and make workplace communications accessible in frontline, remote, hybrid, and work environments.
Top chat apps for 2025 include Blink,Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zulip, Discord, WhatsApp, Google Chat, and Element, each designed for different business needs, from affordable team chat apps for startups and SMBs to work chat platforms that are easy to set up without IT support.
Key team chat app features to consider include instant text or group messaging, voice and video calls, file sharing/storage, chat history and search, workflow automation, analytics, and insights, language and accessibility support, and security.
To find the best team chat apps for a small business and easy team chat apps for hybrid teams without IT support, test a free trial period, and assess how it improves your team’s connectivity and productivity.
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What is a team chat app?
A team chat app is a digital platform that enables quick, real-time communication between employees across locations and departments. These apps are essential for maintaining coordination, sharing updates, and ensuring accountability, especially in remote, hybrid, and frontline work environments.
Blink, a leading employee communication platform, defines team chat apps as:
“Tools that combine instant messaging, collaboration, and productivity features into a single accessible workspace. Allowing teams to connect without the delays of email or the complexity of multiple disconnected systems.”
Choosing the right team chat app for your business depends on how your team communicates, your company size, the tools you already use, and the level of IT support available.
For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), Blink offers an all-in-one solution that simplifies communication, integrates with existing workflows, and keeps teams connected wherever they work.
How to choose the best team chat app
Most team chat apps focus on real-time communication, collaboration, and organization, along with a host of extras, some you'll need, others you won't.
But some features are crucial for every business, such as:
1. Real-time messaging
One-to-one and group chats so team members can communicate
Typing indicators, read receipts, and message reactions to increase engagement
Threaded and channel conversations for organized discussions
2. File sharing and storage
Uploading and sharing documents, images, videos, or links in chat is essential
Preview and version control for shared files and tracking updates
3. Channels and topics
Public channels for open chat and private channels for specific teams or projects
Topic-or hashtag-based organization for easy navigation and search
4. Voice and video calls
One-click voice or video calls for meetings or quick check-ins
Screen sharing and virtual whiteboards
5. Notifications and mentions
Customizable alerts for separating communications
@Mentions and tagging to alert people and groups
6. Integrations
Integration with tools like Google Drive, Trello, Asana, Slack, Zoom, and GitHub
Automation to handle repetitive tasks like reminders and updates
7. Search and history
Full-text search for files, messages, and channels
Search filters for searching by user, date, or keyword
8. User management
Admin roles, moderation controls, and security access levels for protecting sensitive data
Team invite, guest access, and user status alerts (online/offline/away)
9. Cross-platform availability
Desktop, web, and mobile apps to ensure accessibility everywhere
Synchronization across devices so users can seamlessly continue conversations.left off
Startups and SMBs often need affordable team chat apps that are easy to set up without IT support.
Blink, an off-the-shelf, all-in-one solution, is designed with simplicity in mind, making it a perfect fit for mobile-first or frontline teams. It's customizable to fit your team perfectly, ensuring a seamless and intuitive experience.
Described as an "employee experience platform" that combines chat, news feeds, and workplace tools into one app. Blink enables direct and group messaging, file sharing, and voice or video calls, without a complex setup.
Blink’s interface is intuitive and built for teams that “aren’t particularly tech-savvy.” Perfect for easy team chat apps for hybrid teams without IT support
Best suited for:
Startups and SMBs that want an affordable chat tool that does more than messaging, like polls, shift management, and document sharing
Small businesses seeking a lightweight internal hub (chat + company news) instead of an entire enterprise stack
Described as "where work happens," Slack is the most used app in the workplace (Source: Mio). It combines chat, channels, integrations, and file sharing into one streamlined workspace.
Slack serves a wide range of businesses, from small startups to global organizations, and offers thousands of third-party integrations, smooth onboarding, and real-time communication features.
Best suited for:
Hybrid and remote teams that need synchronous and asynchronous collaboration
Startups and SMBs that want a flexible, easy-to-adopt chat platform
Teams that rely on integrations and automation
Slack pros:
The free tier provides what many startups need, keeping costs low during those expensive first few years
According to Social Intents, Slack works best for small, flexible teams because it prioritizes chat
Slack integrates with over 2,600 apps, including Google Drive, Notion, Asana, and Zoom
Slack cons:
Without guidance, channels can become noisy and unstructured, something Wired notes as a common growing pain.
Pricing can surge when you add users or need advanced features such as security and compliance controls
Teams already using Microsoft 365 may find Slack less seamless in comparison
Slack pricing: Free tier available. The Pro plan is $7.25 per user/month (billed annually).
Microsoft Teams gives you file sharing, video meetings, chat, and collaboration under one roof, fully integrated with the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Microsoft built Teams for hybrid work, combining chat and productivity tools into a single, secure space.
Best suited for:
Teams that need chat, meetings, and document collaboration in one platform
Businesses with compliance or governance requirements
Organizations already using Microsoft 365 or Office
Small businesses that want scalability built in
Microsoft Teams pros:
Microsoft positions Teams to "empower employees to meet, chat, call, and collaborate from anywhere"
Sharing files and working together on documents is easy because it works well with OneDrive and SharePoint
Microsoft`s Teams Essentials plan was designed for small businesses
Microsoft Teams cons:
Setup is more complex than other chat tools, especially if you're not already in the Microsoft ecosystem
If you're not a Microsoft user, licensing and configuration can be frustrating
For some startups, the complete feature set might be overkill
Microsoft Teams pricing: TheEssentials plan is $4 per user/month (annual). Microsoft 365 Business Basic is $6 per user/month (annual). Microsoft 365 Business Standard is $12.50 per user/month (annual).
Created for gaming, Discord has evolved into a powerful communication tool for creative and hybrid business teams by combining text channels, voice chat, video calls, and community-style engagement on a single platform.
Best suited for:
Budget-conscious organizations that need robust features at low or no cost
Startups and creative teams that love informal, real-time collaboration
An easy team chat app for hybrid teams without IT support
Hybrid teams that frequently use voice and video
Team chat apps for small businesses
Discord pros:
Zapier said its flexibility and community-style setup make it appealing for small, fast-moving teams
Discord offers always-on voice channels, thread-based chat, and strong media sharing
Its free tier is generous and can handle most small business communication needs
Discord cons:
Employee engagement platform, HubEngage said, "Discord lacks the enterprise-grade governance and compliance features in tools like Teams or Slack"
Productivity tool integrations are improving, but they're not as good as those in popular work chat apps
The platform's laid-back vibe and game-like design might not suit every workplace
Besides the 2 billion WhatsApp users, many small businesses also use WhatsApp Business for staff chats, GPS location, file sharing, and quick customer interactions.
Best suited for:
Businesses that need to combine internal chat with customer communication
Small teams or micro-businesses with minimal onboarding needs
Teams that rely on mobile messaging for quick coordination
WhatsApp pros:
WhatsApp Business offers quick replies, automated greetings, and product catalogs
Setup is pretty easy: verify your phone number, and start messaging! 🥳
Most of us know the interface, so adoption's a breeze
WhatsApp cons:
AI-powered customer service provider, Cuedesk, advises that using WhatsApp for internal business chat could lead to problems with data control
Google Chat is a perfect match for Google Workspace users, as it integrates with Gmail, Drive, and Docs, making it easy for Google users to chat and collaborate.
Best suited for:
Small businesses that need minimal IT setup or training
Teams already using Google Workspace
Google Chat pros:
Google says Chat is a secure, integrated way to “collaborate in the flow of work”
You can organize topics, assign tasks, and share files in one place
Easy setup for businesses already using Gmail and Drive
Google Chat cons:
Fewer features than Slack or Teams in terms of integrations and automation
Anyone outside the Google ecosystem may find limited value in using it
Google Chat pricing:Business Starter is $7/user/month (annual),Business Standard is $14/user/month (annual), Business Plus is$22/user/month (annual)
Element built its open-source, enterprise-grade chat platform on the Matrix protocol.
It's secure, private, and supports self-hosting, making it unique among popular chat apps.
Element suits:
Businesses with the technical capability to manage setup and maintenance
Teams that require secure, end-to-end encrypted communication
Organizations that prioritize data control and self-hosting
Element pros:
Element's system is decentralized and shared, so no single server stores your data
You can self-host, use the cloud, or integrate Element into existing infrastructure
It's both mobile-friendly and compliant with strict security standards
Offers full end-to-end encryption (E2EE)
Element cons:
Self-hosting or advanced deployment may be too complex for teams without IT resources
For quick, non-technical adoption, it's less plug-and-play than tools like Blink or WhatsApp
The integration ecosystem is smaller than mainstream options
Element pricing: $5–$10 per user/month, depending on the hosting plan.
Quick recap of our best team chat apps
Blink and WhatsApp are budget-friendly team chat apps for startups and SMBs with mobile-first teams that want simplicity and affordability
Slack offers the best mix of ease, integrations, and scalability for growing SMBs
Microsoft Teams delivers collaboration for businesses already using Microsoft 365
Zulip and Element provide teams with security, privacy, and self-hosting options
Discord shines as a platform for creative, hybrid teams that value flexibility and real-time communication
Google Chat is ideal for Google Workspace users who prefer work chat platforms that are easy to set up without IT support
Which team chat app should you choose?
When choosing a team chat app, test a free plan or trial period while assessing your team’s connectivity, sense of community, and productivity.
If you need additional functionality, consider a paid plan, as saving a few dollars on a free option is rarely worth the loss of your team’s time and efficiency.
The best team chat app connects, focuses, and engages your workforce, avoiding unnecessary technical complexity or friction.
Blink meets 95% of workforces where they are by providing fast, innovative solutions to modern-day communication requirements.
Frontline employee engagement is no easy task. Your frontline employees work varying shift patterns and spend limited time at head office. They don’t tend to get much downtime during their working hours. And they aren’t always kept in the loop when it comes to company comms.
These obstacles get in the way when you’re trying to connect frontline workers to company culture — and each other. And it’s why standard team-building activities usually fall short.
To make a success of your employee engagement strategy, you have to tailor activities to your deskless workforce. Otherwise, you risk disengagement, plus the productivity and retention issues that go with it.
That’s why we’ve created this list of 18 employee engagement activities. These ideas are suited to busy frontline workers and their schedules. They’re designed to boost engagement and offer meaningful benefits to your employees.
This can lead to lower levels of productivity. It can also cause increased staff turnover rates, which already tend to be pretty high in frontline organizations.
Employee engagement activities, like the ones we’ve included below, help frontline employees feel more connected to their company, role, and co-workers.
And, according to Gallup, improving your employee engagement rates can lead to a range of business benefits. Besides increased productivity and employee retention, these benefits include:
A reduction in safety incidents
A decrease in absenteeism
An increase in customer loyalty
An increase in profitability
Employee engagement is good for employees — and it’s good for business. So let’s take a look at the activities that will help make it happen.
18 employee engagement activities (that work for a frontline workforce)
To engage your frontline workforce, you can incorporate any of the following employee engagement activities into your work days:
1. Engage with employees from day one
2. Celebrate employee milestones and contributions
3. Incentivize goals
4. Create a mentorship program
5. Offer perks that boost employee wellbeing
6. Give regular feedback
7. Encourage group chat
8. Provide shift swap tools
9. Plan a money management month
10. Launch a poll
11. Create online communities
12. Offer professional development opportunities
13. Launch a competition
14. Use video tools
15. Organize a volunteering day
16. Hand the mic to your leaders
17. Run Lunch and Learn sessions
18. Measure employee engagement
Team engagement ideas for frontline workers are different than for other workers. With their variable schedules, you can’t arrange lunch dates or after-work get-togethers.
Here are a few employee engagement initiatives your frontline workers can benefit from.
You can start with employee engagement activities like:
Introducing new co-workers (digitally if it’s not possible to introduce everyone in person)
Supporting new hires to login and familiarize themselves with your engagement tech tools
Sharing a library of online resources that explain the company, their role, and company culture
Assigning them a buddy or mentor
New hires need regular guidance, especially from managers. So don’t assume your workers are done onboarding after a few days or weeks. Instead, design a process that lasts for at least 90 days.
2. Celebrate employee milestones and contributions
Employee recognition improves engagement. Everyone likes to feel appreciated and valued by their employer.
So make recognition a regular feature on your company intranet or newsletter. Celebrate birthdays, volunteer work, and project milestones. Recognize the hard work and successes of employees.
You can also encourage peer-to-peer recognition. 75% of employees say that giving recognition makes them want to stay at their current organization longer.
Get co-workers to nominate each other for awards, then hold an award ceremony. Or simply get them to appreciate each other by sending a message on the company news feed.
3. Incentivize goals
Gamify the work environment by offering rewards in return for meeting goals. When employees perform well and meet targets, give them a gift you know they’ll like. Company rewards can include gift cards, discounts, cash prizes, an extra day of paid vacation, or the option to give a charitable donation.
But don’t dive right in. Before you announce your reward program, it’s a good idea to survey employees. Ask them which rewards they’d prefer so you can be sure that workers will be motivated by the prizes on offer.
4. Create a mentorship program
Do you want your employees to engage with each other, learn valuable skills, and help each other at the same time? Try rolling out a mentorship program.
Assign frontline workers a mentor within your organization. You can pair people from different departments and different levels of the company.
Then, set a regular schedule of mentor meet-ups. Mentors and mentees might like to conduct meetings online to better suit their work schedules.
Also, offer guidance on how constructive meetings should be run. The aim is for mentees to set workplace goals and come up with a plan for achieving them.
5. Offer perks that boost employee wellbeing
A healthy worker is a productive worker. So encourage fun runs, offer free healthy snacks, and provide discount gym memberships.
Also, try to provide flexible scheduling when possible to give employees a better work-life balance. You’ll reduce employee stress and their risk of burnout.
To ensure frontline employees can access wellbeing activities, you can use a wellbeing app. Via this type of tool, you can provide employee engagement activities. Things like mindfulness and meditation sessions, nutrition planning, and health tracking, all via an employee’s mobile device.
6. Give regular feedback
Gallup research shows that 80% of employees who say they’ve received meaningful feedback in the past week are fully engaged in their work.
So schedule activities where employees receive regular feedback from managers. Make it constructive and useful for employees, so it’s not an appointment they dread.
Also, take a few hours each week to run an online open-door session. This is a time when employees can meet with managers digitally to ask questions and express any concerns.
7. Use the company news feed
A user-friendly employee app with a company news feed acts as a virtual water cooler. It’s a place where frontline workers, who may spend little time with co-workers, get to build stronger workplace relationships.
The comms team can support engagement by using the news feed to share a mix of essential and informal posts. They can announce news, celebrate birthdays, and share tips — encouraging workers to comment, like, and post.
Also, consider these engagement-boosting ideas:
A weekly challenge — a photo contest, a trivia quiz, or a step-count competition
Employee spotlight — highlight a different employee each week, describing their achievements, personal stories, and contributions
A survey — whether the topic is something fun or something more serious, surveys are a great way to engage your workforce
Health and wellness tips — share tips and articles related to physical and mental health, all suited to the demands of frontline roles
8. Provide shift swap tools
Frontline employees want greater levels of flexibility. It’s not always easy for frontline organizations to provide this when there are fixed shifts to fill.
But with shift swap tools, you make it easy for workers to achieve a little more work-life balance. They can swap shifts with co-workers without HR or managers having to get involved.
You can provide other self-serve tools, too. For example, via the Blink interface, employees can access their pay stubs, request time off, and view their shift schedules.
Automating HR tasks like this gives more control to your frontline workers and lightens the load for your HR team.
9. Plan a money management month
Money worries can affect an employee’s wellbeing and their engagement with work. And employee engagement activities are most effective when they provide real value for your workers.
So plan a money management month to help employees make informed financial decisions. Use quizzes and polls to engage employees in the conversation. Challenge employees to a low or no spend day. Provide money advice over 1:1 chats or via your company resource center.
This is exactly what they’ve done at supermarket chain, Tesco, where they recognized the strain that the cost of living crisis has put on employees. In response, they introduced a range of new initiatives:
Skills training activities so employees develop store-wide skills and can pick up extra shifts
A Pay Advance scheme that allows workers to access earned pay ahead of payday
Personalized videos explaining to every worker how much their pension will be worth
10. Launch a poll
Polls give employees a chance to share their ideas and opinions. It’s a way to make their voices heard.
You can launch polls online, with the help of a tool like Blink Surveys. This allows you to quickly and easily find out what frontline employees are thinking about your chosen topic.
You might like to ask questions related to internal communications, company change, employee engagement, or simply the layout of the break room. Using this insight, you can make changes that make a real difference to your employees.
Just be sure to keep them updated with poll findings and your plan of action so they know that you’re really listening to what they have to say.
11. Create online communities
It’s easier to build connections with co-workers when you have something in common with one another. Online communities — based around shared interests — make it easy for frontline workers to find like-minded work friends.
So create space on your intranet for these types of communities. Perhaps you have a group that loves to run in their spare time. A gaggle of gamers. Or a bunch of bookworms. An online community helps bring these co-workers together.
12. Offer professional development opportunities
Training is a great way to improve workplace engagement. 71% of frontline workers have a strong desire for more learning opportunities at work. But a third of workers say that employers don’t invest enough in their growth.
Try to make training more accessible to your frontline workforce. Remember that it doesn’t have to take place in a classroom. You can put training resources into the palm of frontline workers’ hands with the help of the right technology.
You can offer micro-learning modules that workers can complete on mobile devices during a break. And provide fun online courses, with competitive and gamified features.
Also, remember that a lot of worker engagement can be tracked back to your managers. So ensure that managers get the employee engagement training they need, too.
13. Launch a competition
Pit teams of employees against each other with a fun company-wide competition. For an engagement boost, link your competition to company goals and values.
For example, if you’re championing employee wellbeing, set workers a steps or fitness challenge.
If you’re focused on employee development, encourage workers to complete training modules by setting them a training challenge.
To highlight your commitment to a chosen charity, set a fundraising contest.
Alternatively, improve engagement on the company app with a quick photo caption competition.
Pick challenges that can be completed remotely, without teams having to meet up in person. Also, plan rewards for the winners and give regular updates via your comms channels to keep competitors engaged.
14. Use video tools
When you can’t meet face to face, video is the next best thing. You can film leadership updates, company events, and new product demos to give employees more insight into the organization and their roles.
Videos are a great option for town hall meetings. Post the video on your employee news feed and employees who can’t attend in person can watch the video back later.
Similarly, get new hires to film a video to introduce themselves and post it to the news feed. Their co-workers can comment on the post to say hello and help their new co-worker feel more at home.
15. Organize a volunteering day
Offering employees opportunities to volunteer is good for their wellbeing and engagement levels. You can make this activity more appealing to frontline workers by giving them paid time off to volunteer and by giving them flexibility over the days they choose.
Salesforce leads the way on this. They give employees seven business days every year to volunteer for one of the non-profit organizations that Salesforce formally supports — or one of their own choosing.
Jamie Olsen, senior director of Citizen Philanthropy at Salesforce says:
“These are the types of programs that people want and that are attracting them to companies right now. They better the community. They improve people’s happiness.”
You can ensure everyone is on the same page by conducting a virtual Q&A session with one of your leadership team.
This type of event gives employees direct access to leadership. It bridges the gap between the frontline and head office. It also helps employees make their voices heard, which makes them feel valued and motivated.
The prospect of a Q&A can be a little daunting for leaders. But remember, a moderator can facilitate the session, reading out pre-submitted questions and managing live questions.
Also bear in mind that there are huge benefits to be gained. These include frontline insights, improved communication, and a stronger workplace culture.
17. Run lunch and learn sessions
When employees have all the information they need to do their jobs well, they feel more engaged. So give employees access to an online library of resources, transferring any old paper documents to a digital format.
With this library, you can then run virtual Lunch and Learn sessions. This is where a group of employees watches or reads a selected resource. Afterwards, they discuss their reflections either over video call or via group messaging.
18. Measure employee engagement
The last on our list of employee engagement activities is one for your people team, not your frontline employees. And it’s a really important part of any employee engagement strategy.
Find out how you’re doing by tracking employee engagement KPIs. Track your employee net promoter score (eNPS), engagement with your intranet platform, or employee survey results.
You can then set goals and — by drilling down into the data provided by your platform analytics — find actionable areas for improvement.
Final thoughts: employee engagement activities and ideas
To make a success of frontline employee engagement, you need to:
Provide employee engagement activities that offer real benefits for frontline employees
Make these activities accessible to the frontline with the help of flexible, digital solutions
You then create a culture that employees can play an active part in, no matter their schedule or location. You also motivate frontline workers to engage with company culture out of choice, making time for it in their busy days.
Incorporating the activities above into your frontline workplace is much easier when you have the right technology. And an employee engagement app comes in very useful. It’s a way to put all content and communication into the palm of every employee.
By creating online spaces where employees can gather, chat, share knowledge, and connect with company culture, you extend employee engagement to your hardest-to-reach employees — those on the frontline.
Boston – June 11, 2024 – Blink, the leading employee engagement super-app, today announced the next generation of its platform. The latest release introduces AI-driven advanced employee intelligence to reshape how organizations understand and enhance employee engagement, retention, productivity, and overall workplace satisfaction for both deskless and desk-based employees. This new level of insight and analysis triggers real-time nudges and mobile alerts across all levels of the business to aid in decision-making and prompt action.
Key Features and Benefits
Gather the team - Activation analytics which track employee engagement from day one, help achieve a 95% employee activation rate. Leaderboards pushed to managers to encourage healthy competition and discussion.
Optimize operations - Usage analytics provide insights into the use and performance of internal apps, shift booking rates, form completion and critical updates. This improves operational efficiency and user experience across the organization.
Captivate with comms - Communications analytics monitor how employees interact with internal comms, helping to identify preferences and needs and create more effective internal comms campaigns.
Building bonds to shape culture - Engagement analytics track the use of chat and channels, helping to curate effective channel sizes, increase awareness and suggest suitable channels to employees. This fosters engagement and communication across the business.
Listen to and understand employees - Survey analytics developed with HR experts offer detailed insights from employee surveys. AI-powered sentiment analysis provides a clear picture of employee sentiment and areas of improvement. This feature also helps to improve participation through real-time participation alerts.
Understand turnover risks - By integrating with HR systems like Workday, Blink tracks highly segmented employee turnover data to identify problem areas. Correlating turnover with other engagement metrics provides a full picture of where, how, and when to act on turnover risks.
Blink’s advanced analytics leverages extensive data from the platform to provide a detailed view of engagement and adoption across an organization. The analytics dashboard allows HR leaders to examine specific metrics and trends, and to clearly understand employee behavior and communication patterns. These insights enable organizations to make informed decisions to improve employee experience and performance.
For a comprehensive overview of Blink's superapp, click here to explore the full product capabilities.
Elara Caring, a leading home healthcare provider, has successfully implemented Blink's advanced employee intelligence to enhance its onboarding and retention strategies. By utilizing Blink's new hire surveys and analytics dashboards, Elara Caring gained critical insights into their employees' experiences during the first few months of employment.
"With Blink’s insights powering our ElaraCare Application, we’ve created actionable strategies to improve team member experience," said Thomas Firmani, president, Personal Care Services at Elara Caring. "New caregiver feedback data – obtained through multiple touch points – has enabled us to refine our team member engagement process. Leveraging Blink’s in-app features, we have more personalized posts, enhanced support channels, and improved recognition platforms.”
"People feeling engaged in their work and happy are critical for the success of any organization," said Sean Nolan, CEO and founder of Blink. "Our enhanced platform provides the necessary advanced tools for organizations to gain deep insights into their workforce. By understanding employee sentiments and behaviors, leaders can make informed decisions that enhance the employee experience, productivity and ultimately reduce turnover."
About Blink
Blink is a provider of a leading super-app designed for frontline organizations. The company aims to revolutionize employee work life by bridging the digital divide between deskless and desk-based employees, enabling effective communication and engagement in distributed organizations. Blink is used by industry-leading companies, including RATPDev, Elara Caring, and Domino’s. Each user opens the app an average of seven times a day, helping lower frontline attrition by up to 25%. Founded in 2015 and with offices in London, Boston, and Sydney, Blink is a Leader in the G2 Grid® for Best Employee Engagement Software. Visit Joinblink.com for more information and follow on LinkedIn and X.
FirstUp has helped many organizations modernize internal communications. But for teams seeking more flexibility, frontline access, or a better employee experience, it may not be the perfect fit. Whether you're frustrated by limited integrations, a lack of mobile-first functionality, or underwhelming adoption, you're not alone in searching for smarter alternatives.
In this guide, we’ve rounded up the top 12 alternatives to FirstUp in 2025 — starting with Blink. These tools offer innovative ways to connect your workforce, enhance engagement, and streamline operations. From robust employee apps to modern intranets, you’ll find the right solution for your team’s size, industry, and needs.
What to look for in a Firstup alternative
Not all internal communications platforms are created equal — and the right fit depends on your workforce, goals, and challenges. If you’re considering a switch from FirstUp, here are the key features and capabilities to prioritize:
#1. Mobile-first design
Your platform should meet employees where they are — especially if they’re on the frontline or rarely at a desk. A true mobile-first experience ensures every worker can engage with critical updates, resources, and conversations in real time.
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#2. Targeted, personalized comms
Look for tools that go beyond blast messages. You’ll want to deliver relevant content to the right people at the right time — whether by role, location, or shift — to drive real engagement and cut through the noise.
#3. All-in-one functionality
Switching between apps for chat, tasks, surveys, and documents leads to confusion and lower adoption. Platforms that unify communication, content, and workflows in one place help your employees stay connected and productive.
#4. High adoption rates
It’s not just about features — it’s about usage. Look for vendors that prove high adoption and engagement across all employee types, including those without email addresses or corporate devices.
#5. Easy integration
Your internal comms platform should play nicely with the tools you already use — from HRIS systems to scheduling platforms, document storage, and SSO providers.
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#6. Analytics & feedback
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. The best alternatives to Firstup offer real-time analytics, sentiment insights, and feedback loops to help you understand what’s working — and what’s not.
Best for: Mid to large enterprises looking for real adoption.
Blink simplifies internal communication by turning fragmented tools into one seamless platform. With integrated chat, company news, surveys, and more, Blink boosts engagement and ensures every employee stays connected — without the complexity. It is designed to adapt to a wide range of industries and team structures.
Why teams switch to Blink:
No email needed for access — ideal for any employee
Combines communication, engagement, and workflows in one app
Rapid implementation and proven high adoption
Integrated analytics, automation, and feedback loops
Used by McDonald’s, Domino’s, JD Sports, Shake Shack, Stagecoach, and more.
Gartner Rating: 4.8 out of 5
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#2. Workvivo – Best for culture-first comms
Workvivo brings a social networking layer to internal communication, helping employees engage with each other and company updates. Its features include live feeds, recognition posts, and integration with enterprise tools. It suits organizations looking to make culture a visible part of daily work.
Gartner Rating: 4.7 out of 5 (55 reviews)
Pricing available upon request
#3. Staffbase – Best for enterprise comms complexity
Popular for its intranet and mobile app, Staffbase helps companies streamline internal communication and align employees with company news and leadership updates. It is designed to adapt to a wide range of industries and team structures. Compared to FirstUp, it provides strong targeting and content management but may require heavier admin involvement and longer setup times.
Gartner Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Pricing available upon request
#4. Haiilo – Best for content planning & publishing
Haiilo (formerly COYO) offers an impressive suite of tools for comms professionals who prioritize content workflows and analytics. It’s a solid option for campaign planning, though its user experience may feel more CMS-like than employee-first.
Gartner Rating: 4.1 out of 5
Pricing available upon request
#5. Simpplr – Best for intranet-focused organizations
Simpplr brings a modern take to the traditional intranet. Compared to FirstUp’s campaign-centric model, Simpplr provides cleaner navigation, better search, and tailored experiences for desk-based teams — but lacks some engagement features.
Gartner Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Pricing available upon request
#6. Beekeeper – Best for operational messaging
Beekeeper is designed for frontline teams and focuses on messaging, shifts, and operations. While it’s mobile-friendly like FirstUp, it leans more toward productivity tools than holistic engagement or content delivery.
Gartner Rating: 4.6 out of 5
Pricing available upon request
#7. Unily – Best for full-scale intranet deployments
Unily is an enterprise-grade digital workplace solution with deep customization and strong knowledge management features. While powerful, it may be more complex than necessary for companies focused solely on internal communications.
Gartner Rating: 4.3 out of 5 (10 reviews)
Pricing available upon request
#8. Nudge – Best for microlearning & task nudges
Nudge isn’t a direct FirstUp replacement but offers a focused solution for frontline enablement. It’s built for delivering bite-sized training, checklists, and nudges — not full-scale comms or engagement strategies.
Gartner Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Pricing available upon request
#9. Jostle – Best for small teams getting started
Jostle is a straightforward internal comms platform with a clean interface and ease of use. It’s suitable for smaller companies but lacks the targeting, integrations, and scalability of more enterprise-ready platforms like FirstUp.
Gartner Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Pricing available upon request
#10. Zoho Connect – Best for Zoho-centric teams
Part of the Zoho suite, Zoho Connect works well for companies already using Zoho tools. However, it lacks the strategic targeting and campaign flexibility of Firstup, making it better suited for basic collaboration.
Gartner Rating: 4.2 out of 5
Pricing available upon request
#11. MangoApps – Best for flexibility & custom use cases
MangoApps blends messaging, documents, and intranet tools into a unified experience. It offers flexibility, but may require more effort to configure effectively compared to FirstUp’s out-of-the-box campaigns.
Gartner Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Pricing available upon request
#12. Axero – Best for knowledge management
Axero is built around content discovery, document libraries, and compliance. While it offers solid internal search and knowledge sharing, it’s less dynamic than Firstup for ongoing employee engagement or communications.
Gartner Rating: 4.3 out of 5
Pricing available upon request
Final thoughts: Choose what’s best for your workforce
Choosing an internal communications tool isn’t just about features — it’s about fit. FirstUp may work for some, but if you're looking for faster implementation, deeper engagement, or better mobile access, one of these 12 platforms might be a better match. Blink leads the way for companies who need one powerful platform to connect everyone — from the boardroom to the break room.
Why teams choose Blink over Firstup
Firstup is built for large, primarily desk-based enterprises coordinating comms across many internal systems, but that complexity often leaves frontline and deskless workers as an afterthought. Blink flips that: it's mobile-first from day one, with no corporate email required, and used daily by teams at McDonald's, Domino's, and Chick-fil-A. If your workforce is mostly on the floor, not behind a desk, see how Blink compares.
Internal communications is the practice of keeping all employees, at every level of an organization, connected and in the loop. The primary goal of an internal communications strategy is to ensure that all members of an organization are well-informed and able to collaborate effectively.
Clear and streamlined communications are an essential factor in the success of any company, whether it has ten employees or one thousand. Over 40% of workers say that their trust in their leadership and team has been compromised due to poor communication.
From frontline workers to admins behind a desk, when each individual has a clear understanding of business goals, values, and guidelines, it makes for a much more connected workflow.
Read on to understand everything you need to know about internal communications, the types of internal communication, and the benefits that come from implementing a solid internal communications strategy.
Understanding internal communications
Internal communications can take a variety of forms – email, intranet, chat apps, newsletters, in-person meetings, bulletin boards, or an app specifically designed to streamline internal communications.
An effective internal communications strategy helps every employee feel connected to the larger company vision, and therefore aware of how their individual roles contribute to the overall success of the organization. A JobsinME poll found that a massive 85% of workers feel more connected to their jobs when there is effective communication in the workplace.
A solid internal communications strategy goes a long way in fostering that engagement – employees feel involved in the company mission and understand the role they play.
Regular communication also helps build trust between employees and leadership, strengthening that sense of belonging. Plus, those open channels of communication allow employees to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback, making them feel valued and empowered.
In frontline organizations, an effective internal communications strategy is even more critical. Deskless employees can be harder to reach through email or memos, as they’re not constantly checking email or messages (or may not even have access to these tools). But these frontline workers are even more in need of clear communications, to mitigate misunderstandings, enhance safety and compliance, and share urgent updates.
An internal communications app, like Blink, is ideal for organizations with frontline workers, connecting everybody and placing everything they need in one place.
This type of internal communication flows from higher levels of management to lower levels. It starts with the C-suite, who makes all the calls, then disseminates their instructions, policies, and decisions to the organization’s employees through managers and leaders.
Within an internal communications strategy, top-down communications are a structured approach that ensures important directives and guidelines are communicated uniformly. Top-down comms not only maintain consistency but also help in disseminating organizational objectives effectively throughout the workforce.
Formal top-down employee communication methods include company-wide emails, official announcements, regular town hall meetings, or memos from upper management.
For example, in a hospital's internal communications strategy, this could look like an all-staff email sharing new patient care protocols. In a manufacturing plant, a bulletin board could display dates for upcoming safety training sessions. Or in retail, a company-wide text message can share information about a new product that management wants workers to upsell.
Pros
It is an efficient way to communicate broad messages.
Messages are controlled and aligned with organizational goals, reducing misunderstandings.
Conveys a sense of professionalism in conveying critical information.
Cons
It doesn’t consider how employees can share feedback.
The passive reception of information may lead to disengagement.
Information flow can be slow, causing delays in decision-making and implementation.
It’s impersonalized, which can give employees a sense of being undervalued.
2. Formal bottom-up communication
This is the process where employees at lower levels of the hierarchy communicate their feedback, suggestions, concerns, and ideas to higher levels of management or leadership.
This type of communication involves conveying information from the "bottom" of the organizational structure upward, allowing employees to have a voice, contribute their insights, and influence decision-making processes.
Three-quarters of employees are more engaged and feel more effective when they feel their voice is heard, Workforce Institute found.
When included as a part of an internal communications strategy, formal bottom-up employee communication not only empowers workers but also fosters a culture of inclusion and innovation within an organization. It's a valuable channel for capturing on-the-ground insights, which can often be missed by higher management. Less than half of employees feel as though they have an easy way to share feedback on key communications; a solid bottom-up communication strategy is one way to mitigate this.
In a frontline organization, there are many ways to implement formal bottom-up communications. Employee surveys are a popular way to gather feedback from an entire team at once, and Blink’s in-app survey tool allows HR teams to get real-time data straight from the mouths of employees.
For example, in a healthcare setting, nurses and medical staff might use formal bottom-up communication to suggest improvements in patient care protocols or to report safety concerns.
Other formats for bottom-up communications include anonymous feedback forms and regular one-on-one meetings between employees and their managers.
By actively encouraging and acting upon this type of feedback, organizations can harness the collective intelligence of their workforce and adapt to the evolving needs of the industry.
Pros
Employees feel heard and valued, leading to higher employee engagement.
A range of diverse perspectives can be gathered, leading to more well-rounded and innovative solutions.
Frontline employees can identify challenges that might not be apparent to higher-level management.
When employees are involved in change processes, they are more likely to support and adapt to new initiatives.
Cons
Gathering, reviewing, and responding to a large volume of employee feedback can be time-consuming.
It can be resource-intensive, requiring specific software.
Not all employee suggestions may align with organizational goals or be feasible to implement.
Formal bottom-up communication may result in inconsistent messaging across teams.
3. Formal horizontal communication
This is the sharing of communications between individuals or departments at the same hierarchical level within the organization, for example, cross-functional meetings or interdepartmental emails.
Unlike the vertical communication we discussed above, which involves information flowing up or down within an organization, formal horizontal communication is between colleagues who hold similar positions within the organization.
Leadership consultancy Fierce, Inc. found that 86% of employees feel that a lack of proper collaboration and miscommunication between teams lead to workplace failures.
Formal horizontal communication helps facilitate the smooth functioning of departments, coordination, collaboration, and information sharing. For instance, in a retail setting, it's crucial for the sales team to communicate effectively with inventory management to ensure products are stocked efficiently.
In frontline organizations, formal horizontal employee communication connects the various cogs that make up the company and keeps it functioning. Within the structured internal communications strategy, it can take many forms, including project reports, regular email updates between departments, and the establishment of specific cross-functional teams.
When done right, formal horizontal communication enables seamless collaboration and makes the company culture one of teamwork and shared goals
The key here is constant communication. Using an internal app with a chat function - whether it’s private messaging or a group chat - will promote regular collaboration. Blink’s chat feature enables seamless conversation, to encourage employees to work together and share ideas.
Pros
Promotes knowledge sharing between peers with different expertise.
Allows teams to align their efforts and activities with each other, avoiding overlap or conflict.
Improves communication within the organization, leading to better company culture.
Allows colleagues to provide feedback on each other's work, which they’re often more receptive to than feedback from above.
Cons
A reliance on formal channels may discourage spontaneous creative interactions between colleagues.
Communication may become siloed within specific departments.
Can sometimes be time-consuming, especially when multiple people need to be involved.
May not adapt well to rapidly changing circumstances or unexpected needs.
4. Informal communication
Unlike other aspects of an organization’s internal communications strategy, informal communication isn’t facilitated or regulated by the organization’s internal communication channels. It happens spontaneously between colleagues – water cooler chat, if you will.
This style of communication often occurs in casual settings or through personal relationships and can take place at various levels of the organization, including between employees and managers, and even across different departments.
Informal comms include face-to-face conversations, social media interactions, instant messaging, and phone calls. It serves as a complement to formal communication channels and plays a significant role in building relationships and shaping the company culture.
We can look at Bank of America as a case study. Breaks for customer service employees used to be staggered so as not to have a shortage of staff fielding customer complaints. However, an internal audit found that productivity increased when workers took breaks together and socialized over lunch.
Oftentimes, frontline employees are working in silos and isolated from their coworkers. In frontline organizations, informal communications go beyond just sharing practical insights, it also gives these frontline workers a sense of camaraderie and belonging. In high-stress environments like hospitals or retail, where teams need to work seamlessly to serve customers and patients, these informal connections are invaluable.
Furthermore, workers can share valuable information that they learn on the job, which might not necessarily warrant discussion in formal channels. For example, tips for handling certain customers, which patient rooms have better heating, or even finding help to cover a shift.
The informal nature of these interactions fosters a culture of approachability, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and united frontline workforce.
The main Feed in Blink is designed specifically to foster this informal communication that keeps an organization running. It brings the whole company together in one place, without the formality of a memo or email chain. The Feed looks and feels like the social media apps we’re already accustomed to, making it easy for everyone to use.
Pros
Quick and easy, especially in fast-paced environments.
Helps to build personal relationships and a sense of camaraderie among employees.
Allows frontline workers a way to connect and engage with their coworkers, especially those who don’t have these opportunities come naturally.
Practical knowledge, tips, and best practices are shared more easily through informal conversations.
Cons
Frontline workers are limited in their opportunities for spontaneous chat, requiring the need for a centralized informal communications platform.
It can lead to the spread of inaccurate information or rumors if not properly managed.
Individuals who are not part of specific conversations or social circles may be inadvertently excluded.
Important issues might not receive the attention they deserve when discussed informally.
Why is internal communications important for your business?
For a truly effective internal communications strategy, a workforce should be three things: connected, engaged, and aligned.
A connected workforce
The right internal communications strategy bridges the gap between remote, frontline, and office employees. Without a wide-reaching net, internal communications can become stilted or even ineffective.
Frontline employees are consistently at a disadvantage due to the fact they most times do not have a company email or a desktop, like the organization’s office workers.
More than 80% of the global workforce is deskless. Whether your company is in healthcare, manufacturing, or transportation, these frontline workers need to feel just as involved and valued as the ones behind a desk.
For these organizations, effective internal communications reduce turnover, increase profits, enhance employee experience, and boost productivity. Read more about deskless worker team communication here.
An engaged workforce
Transparent communication empowers employees and boosts morale.
When employees are informed about the company's vision and the reasons behind certain actions, they feel a sense of ownership and inclusion. Transparency fosters trust, as employees perceive that their contributions and concerns are valued, leading to increased engagement and overall satisfaction.
Two-way internal communication is essential for employee engagement – as we covered above, top-down communication can lead to passive reception of information, which is a killer for engagement.
An effective internal communications strategy gives employees the ability to voice concerns and provide feedback or suggestions to management. This gives them a direct hand in decision-making, directly increasing their engagement with their work.
An aligned workforce
Aligning teams and goals across the entire organization, from the CEO to frontline workers, is crucial for success.
This involves ensuring everyone is across the broad business goals and objectives and understands how their individual work is crucial for reaching these goals. A study conducted by IBM found that 72% of employees don’t understand their organization’s core strategy, due to poor communication.
Don’t let that 72% be your employees. An aligned workforce ensures that the messages being communicated resonate with everyone, and are understood in the intended manner.
Effective internal communications leads to better collaboration, within teams and across departments.
Strategies to implement successful internal communications
Only 7% of workers agree that internal communication within their workplace is accurate, timely, and open.
Building a cohesive internal communications strategy is the key to uniting and motivating your workforce. We’ll touch on some strategies to help you create a successful internal communication plan, or you can read our in-depth step-by-step guide to writing an internal communications strategy.
Utilize technology for internal communication
These days, there are endless tools and software available to help organizations stay on top of internal communications. We’re no longer in the age where we have to rely on printed memos and morning meetings.
Blink, and other digital communication tools which promote collaboration and information sharing, can totally revolutionize an organization. They provide efficient, real-time means to disseminate information, engage employees, and foster collaboration.
Not only can these platforms allow employees to ask questions, provide feedback, and participate in discussions, but they also act as a centralized place for policies, procedures, and guides that employees can access.
A recent Emergence study found that more than half of deskless workers are dissatisfied with the software solutions provided by employers.
Particularly for decentralized teams and organizations with frontline workers, technology-driven internal communication plays a pivotal role in keeping employees informed, connected, and aligned with organizational goals.
Understand how to best reach your employees
Obviously, organizations are made up of different types of employees, and traditional top-down internal communication strategies generally don’t take this into account. In order to make sure your message is relevant to your audience, you need to tailor your message based on who you are communicating with.
For example, a message intended for frontline staff may focus on practical details and how it impacts their daily tasks, while a message for senior management might emphasize strategic implications and long-term business goals.
Consider the different workers that need to be reached with your internal communications strategy, and segment your audiences based on:
Job role
Seniority level
Communication needs
Whether they are desk-based or frontline workers
Then, you can analyze previous engagement data to see what type or format of content works best for each audience – eg. Email, live chat, video, etc., and the best times to communicate for the most engagement.
Utilizing technology can be very helpful here. Blink offers real-time powerful analytics to help you understand what content performs best, when, and with whom.
By customizing the messaging approach, and using data to optimize what the content is and when you are sending it, internal communication becomes more effective, increasing employee engagement and alignment with goals.
Establish regular feedback
Without regular feedback, internal communications are simply one-sided, which does nothing for employee engagement and satisfaction.
Every successful internal communications strategy should have built-in practices to regularly collect feedback from employees at every level of the organization. This can be done through surveys, suggestion boxes, town halls, anonymous feedback, or weekly leadership check-ins.
Employee feedback allows an internal communications strategy to be actually shaped by the people it’ll affect, not just the high-up decision-makers behind desks. Highlighting areas where improvement is needed – before it escalates into a problem – is crucial, not just for the employee experience but also for the success of the business as a whole.
Case study: Our collaboration with Salutem
During the COVID pandemic, the health industry faced endless challenges. Employees and organizations were dramatically affected by high levels of stress, low staff morale, and a huge hit to communications.
Salutem, a healthcare company that provides services such as care homes and healthcare staffing, needed a solution to overcome the challenges presented by the pandemic. To do so, Salutem used Blink to revamp their internal communications strategy.
With Blink’s easy-to-use super-app, Salutem was able to launch monthly surveys, collect feedback and plan face-to-face group meetings to encourage two-way conversations between managers and staff.
Salutem launched S.E.L.F (Salutem Employee Listening Forum) initiatives to connect staff and promote a culture of free communication within the organization. Each division had a rep – nominated by managers through the Blink Feed – who were responsible for moderating Blink Channels and following up with their respective teams.
Colleagues were encouraged to share thoughts and open up conversations around concerns or opportunities for growth, which started conversations and reconnected employees across all teams.
The improvements that came from the new internal communications strategy were nearly immediate. The organization saw a:
300% increase in survey responses
92% adoption rate of Blink
Tenfold increase in staff who were easy to communicate with
The integral role of internal comms in organizational success
There aren’t many constants in this world, particularly in the ever-changing landscape of a frontline organization. But one does remain: the vital role of an internal communications strategy. From formal top-down messages that steer the company's vision to informal water cooler chats that breed friendships, effective internal communication is crucial for the success of any organization.
By implementing a solid internal communications strategy, organizations can create a workplace where ideas flow freely, where feedback is valued, and where employees are informed, engaged, and motivated. It's a workplace where everyone, from frontline staff to top executives, feels heard, appreciated, and connected.
Internal communications shouldn’t just be a strategy, however. It needs to be a core tenet of your organization’s culture. Introducing an effective tool – like Blink – to encourage effective internal communication is key. By fostering open dialogue, valuing feedback, and leveraging technology, organizations can create an environment where everyone feels heard, informed, and engaged.
It's not about reinventing the wheel, but about adopting effective internal communications strategies that keep your workforce connected and motivated.
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