Life at Blink: Joe Whitney, Senior SDR

Growth is exciting — until your communication stack starts showing cracks.

What worked when you had 500 employees rarely survives the jump to 2,000. Messages get missed. Tools and communication channels multiply. Frontline teams fall out of the loop. Managers spend more time clarifying updates than leading their teams. Collaboration suffers.

And the cost adds up fast.

Internal communication isn’t just about “sending messages.” It’s the connective tissue that keeps people aligned, productive, and confident through change — especially during rapid growth, acquisitions, and reorganization.

In 2026, the best internal communication platforms are mobile-first, integrated, and built to scale. They bring updates, messaging, recognition, feedback, and knowledge into one clear place — reducing noise while increasing clarity.

But choosing the right platform is where many growing organizations stumble.

In this guide, we break down exactly how to compare internal communication tools for growth — so you can avoid tool sprawl, protect employee trust, and scale communication without slowing your business down.

Let’s get into it.

How to choose and compare internal communication tools for growth

Step #1: Audit your current communication tools and challenges

Start by mapping your current comms tech stack. List every communication tool your company uses — email, intranet, chat apps, recognition tools, employee apps — everything.  

Categorize these tools by function and adoption level. Then, identify pain points. Are employees frustrated by fragmented communication? Duplicate workflows? Low engagement? Or maybe frontline teams can’t access key updates at all?

Creating a simple audit table with key criteria can make this research easier to digest:

• Tool
• Purpose
• Coverage
• Integration status
• Mobile experience
• Overall user experience
• Analytics
• Adoption rate
• Unique features
• Problems we have with this tool

This gives you a baseline. So you can see what’s working and what’s holding you back.

Step #2: Define business outcomes and KPIs

The best employee communication tools don’t just support better comms. They support your overarching business goals and KPIs.

So, when comparing internal communication tools for business growth, start by asking: What do we want to achieve? 

Example goals include: 

• Increase productivity by ensuring employees have the information the need, when they need it
• Improve retention by fostering engagement and a sense of belonging
• Boost customer satisfaction through better-informed frontline teams
• Strengthen collaboration across departments, locations, and roles with joined-up comms software

Next, define KPIs that make these outcomes measurable. For example, missed deadline rates, employee satisfaction scores, time-to-information, and cross-functional interaction rates.

During M&A or large-scale change, communication KPIs matter even more. Leaders should track not just engagement, but clarity — for example, repeat questions in manager channels, policy page revisit rates, or sentiment dips following major announcements. These indicators reveal where uncertainty is slowing integration and decision-making.

Step #3: Prioritize essential features for growth and engagement

In 2026, mobile-first communication solutions are essential. If your tool isn’t designed to work seamlessly on a smartphone, you exclude frontline workers and make life harder than it needs to be for everyone else.

When you compare internal communication tools for growth, look for platforms that deliver an exceptional mobile experience and the following functionality to drive adoption, impact, and scalability:

Alignment:

• A social and multimedia news feed
• A searchable knowledge hub

Engagement:

• Built-in surveys and feedback features
• Recognition tools

Intelligence:

• Analytics & AI-enabled workflows
• Automated multilingual support
• Hyper-personalization capabilities

Read more:  9 best team communication apps for 2026

Step #4: Test integrations and compatibility with your ecosystem

Your internal communication platform can’t live in isolation. Integration matters. It eliminates workflow fiction, maximizes comms ROI, and supports seamless adoption of your tech tools.

Start by auditing your software ecosystem: HRIS, CRM, payroll, identity providers, operational tools. Then, look for internal communication platforms that offer strong integrations with your current tech stack.

Things to look for?:

• Single sign-on. So employees can access all workplace software via one unified dashboard and a single set of login details. 
• HRIS sync. From benefits to policy docs to schedules to payroll, you make life easy for employees and your HR team when internal comms and HR systems talk to each other.
• Calendar/file system connectivity. To create a joined-up system, the same calendar and files should be accessible across all workplace software.
• Security compliance. Easy access is important. But you need to balance this with security and privacy standards. Look for platforms that balance usability with data protection.

You may like to run sample integration tests, documenting any issues or workarounds needed, to find the best match.

Read more: 7 questions to ask when choosing an employee communication tool

Use case: Supporting internal communications during M&A and organizational change

Business growth doesn’t always follow a straight line. For many organizations, growth comes through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) or major restructuring — moments when communication becomes both more critical and more fragile.

While legal close and system access often run smoothly, the employee experience that follows is far messier. What we consistently see during M&A-driven growth includes:

• Conflicting messages across teams
• Duplicated tools and knowledge bases
• Managers fielding questions they don’t yet have answers to
• Employees unsure where to go for “what’s actually changed”

This is where internal communication platforms are truly tested.

Communication at scale — without losing local context

Successful M&A communication balances two competing needs:

• A shared narrative from the parent organization
• Local relevance for acquired teams

The best internal communication tools support this by clearly separating global updates from location-, role-, or entity-specific information — so employees understand what applies to everyone and what applies to them.

Systems change needs a human layer

During M&A, system consolidation is inevitable. What shouldn’t be inevitable is confusion.

Employees don’t want another announcement about a new platform. They want:

• One clear place to start their day
• Simple guidance on what changed (and what didn’t)
• Confidence they’re using the right tools

Mobile-first platforms that unify communication, knowledge, and workflows help organizations turn change management from a one-time event into a guided experience.

Modern intranets under pressure

Legacy intranets often collapse under M&A strain:

• Duplicate pages and policies
• No clear ownership
• Inconsistent branding and structure

Modern internal communication platforms act as flexible, living knowledge hubs — supporting shared content while allowing phased integration and local nuance.

Supporting managers is risk mitigation

Managers become the front line of communication during M&A — often before decisions are fully finalized.

Platforms that provide:

• Manager-ready messaging
• Clear distinction between what’s decided and what’s evolving
• A single source of truth managers can point teams to

…reduce mixed signals, rumor cycles, and burnout. Supporting managers isn’t just enablement — it’s how organizations protect trust during change.

Why measurement matters more during M&A

The most successful M&A integrations share one thing: visibility.

Strong internal communication tools allow leaders to see:

• Who’s engaging with updates
• Where confusion persists
• Which teams need additional support

Without this data, organizations guess. And during M&A, guessing is expensive.

Bottom line:

If an internal communication platform can support employees through M&A — preserving clarity, confidence, and culture — it’s built to support business growth at any scale.

{{mobile-desktop-main="/image"}}

Execution mistakes to avoid after choosing an internal communication tool for business growth

Choosing the right internal communication platform is a big milestone. But growth-ready comms don’t come from software alone — they come from how well the platform is implemented, adopted, and embedded into daily work.

Here are the most common execution mistakes growing organizations make and how to avoid them.

Mistake #1: Rolling out to everyone at once

A full-scale rollout might feel efficient, but it often hides problems until they’re expensive to fix.

Different groups experience communication very differently — especially during growth or post-acquisition integration. Frontline teams, managers, and HQ staff don’t have the same needs, habits, or access.

What to do instead:

Run targeted pilots with representative user groups. Track adoption, ease of use, and qualitative feedback. Use what you learn to refine onboarding, governance, notifications, and content formats before scaling.

A phased rollout surfaces friction early — when it’s still easy to fix.

Mistake #2: Measuring usage, but not impact

Login rates alone don’t tell you whether communication is working. High activity can still mask confusion, misalignment, or low trust.

What to do instead:

Measure adoption and engagement alongside business outcomes. Segment data by role, location, and department to identify where communication is supporting productivity — and where it’s falling short.

Look for correlations between communication patterns and KPIs like retention, customer sentiment, safety incidents, or time-to-information. That’s where ROI becomes visible.

Mistake #3: Letting tool sprawl creep back in

One of the fastest ways to undermine a new platform is by continuing to introduce side tools “just in case.”

This recreates the very fragmentation the platform was meant to fix.

What to do instead:

Commit to consolidation. Use your internal communication platform as the default starting point for updates, resources, and workflows — and only introduce additional tools when there’s a clear, documented gap.

Clear ownership and governance keep the platform focused, trusted, and scalable.

Mistake #4: Treating communication as a broadcast channel

Posting more messages doesn’t automatically improve alignment — especially during periods of change.

When everything looks urgent, employees stop paying attention.

What to do instead:

Design intentional communication flows. Use push notifications sparingly for critical updates. Reserve feeds for cultural and organizational alignment. Enable group or team channels for local coordination.

Structure reduces noise — and increases trust.

Mistake #5: Leaving managers unsupported

During growth or M&A, managers become the de facto interpreters of change — often before decisions are fully finalized.

Without support, this leads to mixed messages, burnout, and rumor cycles.

What to do instead:

Equip managers with clear, shareable messaging and a single source of truth they can confidently point teams to. Be explicit about what’s confirmed, what’s evolving, and where employees should go with questions.

Supporting managers isn’t just enablement — it’s risk management.

Mistake #6: Treating implementation as “done”

Employee expectations, business priorities, and communication needs don’t stand still — especially in growing organizations.

What to do instead:

Regularly audit performance using analytics and feedback. Adapt content, workflows, and governance as teams and structures evolve. Continuous improvement turns your communication platform into a long-term growth asset — not a one-time rollout.

{{mobile-chat="/image"}}

Bottom line

The right internal communication tool creates the foundation for growth. But disciplined execution is what protects clarity, trust, and momentum as your organization scales.

Avoid these common mistakes, and your platform won’t just support growth — it will actively enable it.

Let’s create digital experiences your people will actually enjoy

It takes seven clicks to find your schedule. The training video won’t load on mobile. Your last question to HR? Still sitting in an unread inbox. Welcome to your Monday.

Now flip that:

You open one app. Your schedule’s there. So is your manager’s announcement. You give quick feedback on your shift — and get a response before lunch.

That’s the difference good digital design makes.

In 2025, the user experience employees have with workplace tech is the employee experience.

We use communication tools to message teammates, take training, request time off, and recognize each other. When those tools work well, they reduce friction and boost morale. When they don’t, it shows — in employee engagement, retention, and productivity.

This is why digital design deserves a seat at the employee experience strategy table.

What is employee experience design, anyway?

Employee experience (EX) design means applying a thoughtful, human-first design approach to every moment that shapes someone’s experience at work — physical, digital, and cultural.

That includes onboarding and learning, the work environment, feedback loops, employee recognition, collaboration tools and technologies, and even how values show up day to day.

Think of it like UX — but for your people.

At each moment in the employee journey, ask:

• Who’s the end user here? A new hire? A frontline shift worker? An overwhelmed manager?
• Where does this moment fit in the bigger picture? Is it part of onboarding, communication, or recognition?
• What are they feeling — and what do they need right now? Confidence? Clarity? Connection?
• How can we make this interaction seamless and satisfying? Whether it’s tech, a conversation, or a checklist.
• And how will we know it’s working? What data or feedback loops will tell us?

The goal isn’t just to “optimize” moments — it’s to make them feel intuitive, personal, and friction-free.

By carefully crafting experiences, both big and small, you help your people feel valued and give employee satisfaction a boost.

And because tech tools are a huge part of today’s workplace experience, digital employee experience (DEX) design forms a big part of the picture.

{{mobile-onboarding="/image"}}

What good EX feels like: 5 signs you’re doing it right

When we’re talking about tech tools, good EX looks something like this.

Effortless

People find what they need fast. There’s no need to dig through resources or ping the IT team for help. Systems are designed to be intuitive and free from points of friction.

‍Example: A restaurant worker views their upcoming shift schedule via a dashboard on the employee app. They don’t have to message their line managers or co-workers to get the latest info.

Personal

Content and tools are personalized to each employee. Employees enjoy experiences that are tailored to their roles, locations, and interests.

Example: Your HR department lead sees a dashboard built for their role, with shortcuts to key tools, relevant company news, and the latest workforce insights.

Connected

Everyone feels part of the same conversation and nobody feels left out. All employees have equitable access to company tech tools.

‍Example: A warehouse employee doesn’t need to use a communal computer in the break room. Thanks to a mobile-first platform, they can access resources and catch up on company news using their smartphone.

Dependable

Resources are always relevant and up-to-date. Messages are consistent. Tech tools have all the functionality employees need.

Example: Employees use a streamlined selection of tech tools — so messages and experiences are consistent across every touchpoint.

Empowering

Employees can take action, voice opinions through easy feedback channels, or get support in just a couple of clicks.

Example: A retail worker submits feedback via their smartphone, then views updates on workplace improvements over on the company news feed. 

{{mobile-community="/image"}}

Barriers to good EX — where it breaks down

So now we know what good EX looks like, time to find out why many organizations struggle to turn their EX ambitions into a reality as part of their digital transformation. Here’s a roundup of the usual suspects.

A fragmented tech stack

“Which tool do we use for that, again?”

A cluttered and disconnected tech stack is overwhelming for employees. They spend their time switching between tabs. They struggle to remember which app performs which task. And that’s before we even get started on all those login details.

If your tech tools aren’t working together, smoothly and efficiently, you’re creating a scattered (and suboptimal) experience for employees.

Over-reliance on email or manager cascade

Email isn’t the best communication channel for every employee. Frontline workers, for example, are unlikely to check their inbox during the work day.

Putting managers in charge of relaying key messages is no better. It’s a sure fire route to an overstretched management team — and inconsistent messaging.

These methods of workplace communication don’t fit the world of fast-paced, modern work we now operate in. And they do nothing for EX.

Top-down comms that don’t invite feedback or interaction

If employees can’t respond, react, chat, or ask questions, you’re not communicating — you’re broadcasting. And this kills employee engagement.

You need tools that allow employee communications to move in all directions, with an interactive news feed, surveys, digital forms, and instant messaging functions.

Intranets that miss the mark

The company intranet is still the backbone of digital employee experience in many organizations. But legacy intranets are often clunky and outdated — and a real drain on EX.

Unless your intranet platform meets the needs of a tech-savvy and highly connected workforce, it’s falling short. You need a modern social intranet that provides an engaging, consumer-grade experience for employees.

Frontline employees excluded at key moments

Are your frontline workers always the last to know company news? And the least likely to use workplace tech?

You can’t make big improvements to EX unless you take the whole organization with you. That includes those hard-to-reach employees working on the frontline of your business.

For that, you need mobile-first tools that provide the same features and functionality across both mobile and desktop versions.

{{mobile-stories="/image"}}

Designing digital experiences your workforce will love

Digital employee experience in need of a reboot? Then here are a couple of guiding principles to bear in mind.

Build with empathy

Of course, the best tech tools support operational efficiency and productivity. But to achieve good EX, you need to move beyond business goals to really empathize with your end users.

That starts with an EX audit. Learn how employees are feeling at each digital and in-person interaction and find out how you can make their journey as smooth and stress-free as possible.

To get reliable data, speak to employees — run focus groups, conduct interviews, and embark on listening tours. Seek employee feedback on touchpoints throughout the working day and the employee life cycle.

Design together

When it comes to employee experience management, a cross-functional team works best. To create a joined up employee experience — and an integrated selection of tech tools — you need stakeholders working together.

The C-suite, HR, internal communications, IT, operations, frontline, and office-based employees should all get a say in what the digital employee experience will look like.

Map user journeys

Frontline employees vs. office-based staff. Hourly vs. salaried workers. New hires vs. long-time leaders.

Each employee persona has different needs — and your tools should reflect that. Aim to provide personalized experiences for employees in different roles, departments, and locations.

With an employee experience tool like Blink, you can create personalized user journeys, segmenting your workforce so they get a tailored experience across the whole platform. This can lead to a massive uptick in employee engagement — as well as employee retention.

Prioritize mobile-first design

Don’t shrink a desktop tool to fit a smartphone screen. Instead, opt for software that’s been designed with the mobile experience front of mind.

An employee app like Blink makes it easy for you to reach your workforce — who, let’s be honest, already live on their phones. It’s also an excellent way to reach frontline employees.

By taking your tech tools mobile, you create an equitable experience for all employees, no matter where or how they access your software.

Make feedback loops part of the design, not an afterthought

The best experiences evolve with employees. So treat EX as an ongoing exercise in empathy. 

Use data and employee feedback to iterate and improve systems. Continually reassess how employees use your tech tools — and how you can make experiences even better.

To make this process as easy as possible, embed feedback loops into your tech tools. Ask for employee feedback, right within your software. And ensure leaders have access to the data and analytics they need to make meaningful EX improvements.

{{mobile-live-stream-poll="/image"}}

Upgrade EX to get more from your digital tools — and your workforce

The right tech tools don’t just support EX — they help shape it.

They determine whether employees spend their days in a state of friction-free flow. Or whether frustration and stress color the workplace experience.

A modern intranet. An employee app. An internal comms platform. A dedicated employee experience tool. Whichever platforms you’re using, look at them from the employee perspective.

Tailor tools to their needs. Personalize experiences for each employee. Prioritize interaction, feedback, and mobile-first design to elevate and streamline EX.

In doing so, you’ll delight employees, earning their trust and driving engagement, so you get the very best from your workforce.

Blink. And design an employee experience that works for everyone.

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.

{{mobile-main="/image"}}

#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.

{{mobile-hub="/image"}}

#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.

Top 12 Firstup alternatives in 2025

#1. Blink

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 

{{watch-video="/callouts"}}

#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.

If it’s been a while since you set up an intranet, you may remember how clunky the process of setting up traditional intranets used to be.

Companies relied on custom solutions that involved a long-winded setup and required lots of tech expertise. But times have changed. In today’s digital workplaces, a modern intranet solution with a comprehensive employee app is now the norm.

These intranets and apps offer the same communication and knowledge management features as a traditional intranet — and they offer rock solid security. But they’re more user-friendly. They’re also easier to set up, customize, and maintain.  

Before you can even think about launching a new digital workspace, you have to lay the right foundation. Setting up your platform requires more than just migrating old files. It requires choosing the best intranet software and mapping out exactly how your frontline workforce will use it on a daily basis.

With a more effective and engaging platform in place, you can reap the benefits of improved communication. You can also use a modern intranet to support collaboration, co-worker connection, workplace recognition, and a strong company culture.

In this post, we look at the dos and don’ts of setting up a modern intranet like Blink. We share our tips and real customer experiences to help you transform your company intranet — making it more streamlined, effective, and fit for the future.

What is an employee intranet?

An employee intranet is a private network your company uses for internal communications. Typically, access is restricted to current employees.

The system is a centralized hub where your workers can access workplace tools and resources. It’s a place where they can communicate with co-workers, check their schedules, request leave, and collaborate on projects.

The best company intranets enhance internal communication and knowledge management. They streamline HR operations and give employees access to all the workplace resources they need.

This can have a big impact on company performance and employee retention. Effective communication can increase workplace productivity by 25% — and employees who get enough information to do their jobs well are 2.8 times more likely to feel engaged in their work.

How company intranets are changing

Large, enterprise-level companies traditionally built their own, branded intranets while smaller firms tended to rely on cloud-based intranet software that required minimal coding.

While big, traditional intranets were an effective way to centralize company information, they didn’t inspire employees to start their days by logging on.

So now, many enterprise organizations are joining those smaller firms. They’re switching from traditional intranets to modern intranets. Benefits of a modern intranet include:

• Cost savings and scalability
• On-the-go intranet access for employees
• Speedy deployment
• An engaging and personalized user experience

‍

Modern intranet features include a news feed, two-way communication tools, and multimedia content. Organizations can also incorporate workforce apps into one intranet interface, making it easy for employees to access the tools and resources they need. 

For a frontline workforce, an intranet with an employee app is essential. This type of intranet allows frontline workers to access company news, feel part of company culture, and build workplace connections — without a desktop computer or company email address.  

The dos and don’ts of setting up an employee intranet

Now we know what a modern company intranet looks like, let’s take a closer look at the setup process. Here, we explore the dos and don’ts of setting up an employee intranet.

DO: Get clear on the functionality you need

There are lots of different ways you can use an intranet. So before you start looking at intranet software providers and signing up for demos, you need a clear idea of the functionality you need.

Spend time deciding how your ideal intranet will aid internal communication, employee engagement, and other organizational goals. Do you need a way to keep frontline workers in the loop? Or to support remote worker collaboration?

If you’re unsure where to start, consider a few intranet must-haves. These include:

• Communication and collaboration tools
• A centralized knowledge hub
• HR tools
• Customization and easy integrations

Then, think about the extra features and functionality that will encourage employees to adopt and use your intranet platform.

That may be a social-media-style news feed that enhances employee engagement. Or survey and recognition tools. Perhaps you want to keep a closer eye on communication and engagement performance with robust analytics functions.

Many Blink customers have told us that, at this stage of the intranet setup process, they took a cross-functional approach. They brought together people from across their organization to find out what they needed from an intranet solution.

At the Capital District Transport Authority (CDTA), this meant including senior leaders, HR, operations, communications, IT, and frontline managers.

DON’T: Neglect your workforce

It’s important to involve departmental leaders of your organization when deciding on what the ideal intranet solution looks like. But don’t forget about your end users — your workforce.

These are the people using whatever traditional intranet or communication channels you already have in place — and they’ll be the ones using the new system when it goes live.

So use surveys to ask them what features and tools they’d most like to see in your company intranet. Quiz them on the problems they experience with your current system. If employees aren’t using your existing intranet, find out why. Involve employees in platform pilots.

Be sure to include employees from all sectors of your workforce to get a holistic picture of intranet needs. Survey frontline workers, office workers, and remote workers. Seek feedback from employees in different locations and departments.

When a representative sample of employees is involved in the decision-making process, you choose solutions that meet workforce needs. You also get employee buy-in, which becomes really important at the rollout stage of intranet setup.

DON’T: Rush into choosing intranet software

There are countless intranet software options to choose from, all with a different combination of features and functionality. So at this point in the intranet setup process, you need to compare solutions in terms of integrations, security, cost, support, and the user experience.

Also, think about the user experience on mobile devices. If your workforce will access your intranet via a smartphone, they should enjoy the same features and functionality as those using the platform on a desktop computer.

Blink’s employee intranet was created for organizations with a large frontline workforce. We know that most frontline workers don’t have a company email address. They also tend to spend their days away from HQ.

So our mobile-first app makes all intranet features available via smartphone. This makes our platform particularly suited to companies working in sectors like transport, construction, healthcare, and retail.

But there are others suited to fully desk-based organizations. There’s a solution out there for every type of company. So take your time looking at options and taking them for a test ride, with a demo or free trial.

For impartial advice, you can look at sites like G2 and Capterra, where verified users contribute to software ratings. You can also use these sites to compare your shortlisted intranet software options, side by side.

Clearbox Consulting, an independent intranet and digital workplace consultancy, also provides a detailed intranet comparison report each year. Blink won a ClearBox choice award in 2024 and you can see the full intranet report here.

DON’T: Forget about your usage policy and access controls

Software switching wastes time — and having to chase down resources is frustrating for intranet users. So it’s a good idea to keep as many important documents on your employee intranet as possible.

To ensure that sensitive information is handled carefully, you need a clear usage policy, outlining how confidential data should be shared and stored on the platform.

You should also outline acceptable and unacceptable platform behavior and give users guidance on creating and maintaining strong passwords.

Some areas of your employee intranet will contain confidential information. In these cases, access controls are essential. When setting up an intranet, you need to decide early on who has access to what, to avoid data getting into the wrong hands.

DO: Customize your intranet

Most company intranet systems allow some degree of customization. In some cases, you may need a developer to make changes. Other platforms give managers drag-and-drop controls.

Blink allows for a high degree of customization. Some clients choose to completely rebrand the app to match their own company branding. This creates an engaging and immersive experience for intranet users.

Our platform also allows you to build your own micro-apps, quickly and easily. You can create apps and digital forms that make it easy for employees to request leave, give feedback, report incidents, or swap shifts, all via your intranet. This streamlines tasks for your employees, their managers, and HR teams.

Customizing content is also important. When employees see information and resources that don’t apply to them, they’re more likely to switch off from your intranet. So segment employees based on team, department, location, and tenure. That way, only relevant communications reach their dashboards.

DON’T: Be vague about ownership

To get the most from a modern intranet, you need an internal communication strategy. You also need to clarify who will own and create intranet content.

Start by appointing an intranet manager. This person should oversee content sharing and restrictions in your employee intranet app. They may be responsible for creating content themselves as well as gathering content from department heads and your leadership team.

Depending on the size of your intranet and your organization, you may need a wider team to help with publishing content and maintaining the platform. This will keep your intranet relevant and up-to-date.

Intranet content from HQ keeps employees in the loop on company news and culture. But — for optimum engagement — you also need locally-produced content, specific to each team and location.

That might mean involving team leaders in intranet content creation and getting them to post tailored content, exclusively for their teams, on a specified basis.

DO: Create a launch pad

It’s best to start with a bang. So think carefully about how you plan to launch your new intranet — and have lots of engaging intranet content ideas ready to go.

The best intranet solutions require minimal employee training. They’re easy and intuitive to use. But you still have to create some buzz and momentum to encourage adoption of your new intranet app.

Here are a few launch ideas Blink customers have put into action:

• Launching Blink at their annual convention to encourage opt-in, right there right then
• Promoting the app a month ahead of launch with the help of letters, posters, and digital screens
• Visiting staff in break-out rooms in every company location to promote the intranet and field questions
• Running contests and giveaways to incentivize employees to download the Blink app — free ice cream proved popular! 

At Blink, we work with you to plan an effective intranet launch. Our team goes out to all partners during the rollout phase. We help explain the app to employees, showing them how to download and use it.

When setting up a new intranet, it also helps to establish intranet ambassadors within your organization. These are influential people within the company who get to know the new intranet platform inside out. They can then recommend the platform, talk about its benefits, and answer co-worker questions.

DON’T: Feel like you have to launch everything all at once

Most intranet solutions come with a variety of different features. But if you’re unsure you need all of them — or you have doubts about how your organization will respond to them — it’s ok to take things step by step.

For example, at Blink, we’ve had customers who jumped right in with the news feed, giving employees the ability to comment on posts from day one. This has helped boost adoption and engagement, and it’s contributed to a transparent company culture.

But other companies like to take things more slowly. So they have the option to switch off the features they don’t want — like employee comments. They can also pilot features with a small group of employees, deciding at a later date if they want to roll them out to the wider organization.

DO: Highlight the benefit for employees

Your company intranet is only effective when employees choose to log onto it. It can’t benefit internal communication, employee engagement, and company culture if people simply don’t use it.

So during the launch phase — and beyond — highlight the benefit your new intranet solution offers to employees. 

Tell them what they can do on the app. That might be shift swapping, requesting leave, checking their pay slips, or getting up to speed with the latest company policies. Your intranet may be a place where employees go for learning and development courses or for co-worker connection.

As well as telling employees how useful your new intranet is, it’s important to create content that employees actually want to see. Sharing company news is vital. But you should also post informal content to your company intranet.

Photos of your latest away day, recognition for a co-worker’s birthday, or information on workplace benefits are all engaging and relevant to employees. These types of content help to ensure high intranet adoption and engagement rates. 

DON’T: Ignore analytics

Whatever your intranet goals, you need analytics to understand whether you’re achieving them.

If you had a traditional intranet or any other previous system in place, take baseline metrics before you switch to your new solution. Select the internal communication metrics and employee engagement KPIs you want to track. Then, as you set up your new intranet, set new targets.

Once your new platform is up and running, you can track employee adoption and usage alongside your other performance metrics. Also, seek employee feedback.

By uncovering problems and points of friction, you can make targeted improvements to the user experience, improving engagement, communication, and productivity as a result.

‍

DO: Model the intranet behaviors you want to see

Something we see time and again at Blink is the leadership impact. When leaders are active on the company app, employee adoption and engagement increase.

That’s because employees see that the intranet is a valuable and integral part of the workplace experience — and that their leaders are listening to what they have to say.

So encourage leadership to model the intranet behavior you want to see from your workforce. They should try to check into the app every day to answer questions, praise hard work, or acknowledge feedback. They should share company news transparently and regularly reference company values.

Make your intranet a place for open, relevant, and reliable communication and you’re more likely to make it a vibrant company hub.

Demand for home health aides is higher than ever. The job outlook for home health and personal care aides is projected to be 25% between 2021 and 2031 — meaning that, as a workforce, home health and personal care is expected to grow an incredible 20 percentage points more versus other industries.

This poses a significant challenge for home health care providers, not just in recruiting enough carers to answer to demand but in retaining these staff members as well.

The Great Resignation, high employee turnover, and decreasing job satisfaction are all impacting home health organizations in line with the wider healthcare industry. Tackling these issues starts with addressing the factors that cause them in the first place.

In this guide, we'll walk you through the numerous different factors that can influence employee retention, before diving into exactly how to increase employee retention in home health care.

If you're an HR or Operations leader in a home health care organization, keep reading to learn how you can successfully retain your valuable employees — and improve patient care and business outcomes in the process.

What causes attrition in healthcare?

Staff turnover is a natural and necessary process in all healthcare organizations. However, when turnover reaches high levels it can have a detrimental effect on the quality of care as well as being costly. And it's high levels that we're seeing.

The turnover rate for US-based home care aides sits at 35.42%, and a report from Skills for Care in the UK found a turnover rate of 29% for directly employed staff (almost double the cross-industry average).

Further problems arise when employees leave not only the organization but the health workforce itself.

By understanding and addressing employee retention and the factors that drive it, home health and personal care leaders can minimize staff attrition and the associated impact on cost of, and quality of, patient care.

While there are a number of factors at play here, Health Professional Mobility in a Changing Europe divides the organizational factors affecting retention into three main categories: 

1. Employment quality
2. Work quality 
3. Organizational quality

Below, we’ll take a closer look at each of these three dimensions and how they affect retention, before diving into actionable initiatives leading to improving employee retention throughout your home health organization.

What's important to remember is that each of these factors overlaps to create engaging, positive employee experiences and ensure retention. It's not a case of nailing just one of these categories but creating meaningful change in all three.

1. Employment quality

Employment quality is a key factor in retention and includes aspects like pay and benefits, job security, and working conditions. Other elements of employment quality relate to home health workers having direct lines of communication with their employer and being able to swap and fill shifts easily in order to support the work-life balance they seek.

Getting employment quality right is a particular challenge for home health and personal care organizations. For one, home health co-workers are typically more distributed than other healthcare teams. These are employees who leave their homes in the morning to visit patients at their homes and may rarely, or never, even step foot in a shared office or HQ.

And yet, home health organizations cannot deprioritize employee quality conditions — they can't settle for simply paying staff more in order to boost retention, as many have tried to do. As Gartner states:

"Monetary compensation is important for surviving, but deeper relationships, a strong sense of community, and purpose-driven work are essential to thriving."

That leads us to the concepts of work and organizational quality...

2. Work quality

Work quality includes the levels of responsibility, autonomy, and stress experienced in the workplace. 

Without going into any more detail than that, it quickly becomes clear how essential work quality is for healthcare workers. Few roles carry such a degree of responsibility and demand as much from employees. The scope for stressful situations is limitless — and to make matters worse, home health aides often feel isolated from the rest of their co-workers and the organization at large, meaning that when they start to feel stressed they have no one to turn to for support.

Work quality also relates to the technology provided to health professionals to help them succeed in their roles. With 52% of frontline workers claiming they'd leave their job over tech tools, it’s clear to see the impact that the right workplace technology has on work quality and employee retention.

3. Organizational quality

Organizational quality also impacts employee retention: the culture of the organization and the way that employees are managed and rewarded (or not) all play a key role here. Organizational quality can also refer to levels of organizational innovation, such as improvement programs or digitization initiatives.

Blink research shows that health and care workers overwhelmingly feel unheard and undervalued in their organizations. Unsurprisingly, the same research showed 50% are considering leaving, or have recently left, their jobs. 

Simply put, organizations with a positive culture, good management practices, and fair reward systems are more likely to retain their employees. On the other hand, companies with poor organizational quality are far more likely to experience high levels of turnover.

7 ways to increase employee retention in home health care

Turning attrition trends around is a big task. Businesses need to think bigger than compensation and make bigger commitments to the overall employee experience.

All roles in health and personal care must get the status and respect they deserve. But how can you, as business and HR leaders, provide that? 

1. Collect and analyze data

Up-to-date workforce data should be at the center of an effective retention strategy, helping you better target your employment, work, and organizational quality improvements. By collecting and analyzing data and identifying trends in your home health workforce, you can identify the starting point for your activities.

Understanding the profile of your workforce will help you to assess the risk points and ensure that retention issues affecting particular groups are addressed. For example, are retention issues organization-wide or specific to certain staff groups, demographics, departments, or teams?

For a home health provider, this will likely include looking at retention rates between carers employed directly by your organization vs agency staff vs workers brought in through other schemes like CDPAP. Carers indirectly employed by your organization might feel less connected to the company mission and vision — failing to meet their organizational quality needs as a result.

Getting to know the drivers of employee turnover, and who they impact in your specific organization, can help you create targeted initiatives to improve retention. If the data shows heavy attrition after 30 or 60 days, you might focus on creating an effective, engaging onboarding program to help new hires hit the ground running.

Making it happen

One way to improve employee retention is through the use of regular Employee Pulse Surveys. By conducting regular pulse surveys, you can ensure that you have a constant understanding of how your employees feel about their work. 

This will help you address any potential retention issues before they become a major problem or spiral into quiet quitting. Additionally, pulse surveys can help to improve employee engagement and job satisfaction, which can lead to improved retention rates.

You can also use tools like Blink’s Frontline Intelligence feature to collect and analyze critical employee engagement data and metrics, helping you to understand exactly where your healthcare workforce is feeling unengaged and unsatisfied.

2. Offer relevant training and development opportunities

Healthcare organizations that offer relevant training and professional development are more likely to retain their most valuable employees. It cannot be underestimated how valued and invested in healthcare workers will feel when their skills are being developed and their careers are progressing.

This answers to all of the three factors explored:

• Employment quality (as it opens the doors to higher pay)
• Work quality (through professional development)
• and organizational quality (as it creates a culture of progress and support)

Making it happen

Training and development programs for home health and personal care workers might include formal training programs, such as classroom-based learning or online courses. It might also include more customized opportunities, such as one-on-one mentoring or job shadowing.

What's essential to identify, however, is how these programs will be delivered. Technology will be crucial to bridge the gap between HQ and home health aides.

3. Lighten the load

An increasing number of health and care workers are struggling to balance the demands of their job with other aspects of their life, such as parenting or caring responsibilities. This often leads to stress and burnout; an early indicator of disengagement, and ultimately attrition. In some instances, burnout in healthcare staff has also been linked to medical errors and patient safety incidents.

To improve retention in healthcare, organizations must commit to creating a working environment where employees feel supported by their home health co-workers and managers — even if they rarely see them face-to-face — and are not overburdened with inflexible workloads.

Making it happen

Organizations can take a number of steps to lighten a home health worker's cognitive load:

• Providing more resources to team members and managers in a mobile and easy-to-access Hub for on-the-go support
• Implementing intuitive scheduling solutions and shift-swapping tools that can be used for real-time coordination and employee flexibility
• Encouraging work-life balance through a culture of peer support, so that co-workers can easily tap into the knowledge and experience of their peers

4. Consistent communication

Another factor that often impacts your employment quality is the consistency of your communication. Consistent two-way communication is essential for lasting relationships — and it can be one of your most powerful tools for encouraging employee retention.

Blink's research found that close to one-fifth of frontline workers don’t receive relevant communications from their organization. Organizations can create a sense of community and trust among their staff to minimize attrition by ensuring that all employees:

• Receive updates relevant to them
• Are part of the right team chats
• Can easily share their ideas and concerns

You can also use regular communication to obtain direct insight into how specific healthcare workers or teams are feeling about their work. This can help you to identify retention issues and create targeted interventions as needed.

Making it happen

Effective communication needs to be tailored to the specific needs of different staff groups. For home health and personal care aides, it will undoubtedly be about regular mobile updates and using Feed and Chat features to create energy and enthusiasm among your distributed workforce.

Read how Blink helped solve a million-dollar communication challenge for the home health organization, Elara Caring. Through deploying a number of transformative digital initiatives through Blink, 95% of Elara Caring's personal care, home health, and hospice care workers now feel more connected to the organization.

5. Focus on employee engagement

Employee engagement can be a powerful tool for improving retention, as it has been linked to higher levels of satisfaction and commitment among workers.

Healthcare organizations can create a work quality that is more attractive to top performers by getting to know the latest employee engagement trends, providing the right digital tools for key workers to engage intuitively, and regularly assessing the effectiveness of their efforts.

Engaging employees ultimately retains them.

Additionally, research by HBR shows that higher employee engagement levels can lead to a number of improved outcomes, not just retention. These include care costs (including legal action taken by a patient against a provider for negligent complications) and treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes (measured by the rate patients are readmitted).

Making it happen

To increase employee engagement, healthcare organizations should focus on creating a culture that values the opinions and input of employees. This might include activities like surveys or direct feedback, regular communications from leadership, and targeted recognition programs.

One transformative way to improve employee engagement in your healthcare organization is to pave the way with Blink, the powerful mobile employee engagement app that frontline workers love. With a suite of features perfect for healthcare, Blink will help you create a culture of engagement and retention in your organization.

6. Real recognition 

Recognition is fundamental to improving employee retention. The employers' organization for the UK's National Health System states:

"Meaningful recognition can help to motivate and retain our NHS people. Setting in place a holistic reward package, which is relevant to staff needs, can be key to ensuring your organization, and the wider NHS, retains its staff."

But recognition is more than a pat on the back. Driving real recognition for employees needs to be an ongoing, holistic process that inspires your healthcare workforce to feel valued, motivated, and connected to the company. 

Making it happen

While some companies may view the idea of regular rewards or incentives as impractical, Blink is a mobile employee recognition solution that makes it easy to provide targeted and consistent recognition to specific individuals or teams.

With features like real-time feedback, team and group chatting, and, of course, Employee Recognition, your healthcare organization can unlock the power of recognition as a retention tool. And with its wider suite of handy features, Blink is the perfect way to engage employees in your healthcare organization and help you retain talent.

7. Listen and action feedback

Over a third (35%) of frontline healthcare workers feel that their feedback will not be acted on by their organization. Unsurprisingly, half of frontline healthcare staff have changed or considered changing their job.

"By taking the time to listen and communicate, we can create a better and more supportive environment within healthcare," says Sean Nolan, CEO at Blink.

Through more effective communication, leaders feel more connected to their frontline, and frontline employees feel valued and listened to. This results in higher retention, increased productivity, and better two-way conversations.

Making healthcare workers feel heard needs to be a priority for any healthcare organization. By listening to their feedback and acting on it, you will be able to create a more supportive workplace culture that retains top talent — leading to reduced costs associated with employee turnover.

Making it happen

To effectively ensure your team is heard and their feedback is acted on, you need the right tech to manage it all smoothly. With the Blink employee app, you can listen to your employees and act on their feedback in real time, meaning they won't feel ignored or undervalued.

By using the powerful features of Blink, you can help create a culture where frontline workers feel heard and respected while focusing on:

• Encouraging two-way feedback through regular surveys and communications from leadership
• Ensuring feedback is acted on and implemented into business processes, updating employees on the progress of their feedback so they know they’re being heard
• Integrating your mobile app with workplace technologies like HR systems, payroll platforms, and more, to streamline the employee experience and implement feedback effectively across your organization

Your home health employee retention checklist

• Collect and analyze data - Gathered by regular Employee Pulse Surveys and Frontline Intelligence data
• Offer relevant training and development opportunities - Formal training programs, customized development pathways
• Lighten the load - Easy-to-access Hub for on-the-go support, intuitive scheduling and shift-swapping solutions
• Consistent communication - Team and 1:1 Secure Chats, regular and relevant mobile updates
• Focus on employee engagement - A powerful Employee Engagement App
• Real recognition - Rewards programs, Employee Recognition, Feed shoutouts
• Listen and action feedback - Regularly collect and act on feedback, update employees on actions taken

Retention next steps

Blink is the industry-leading frontline engagement app that connects management and frontline teams to build stronger organizations. With a proven adoption rate of 92% in care sectors, it’s never been this easy to unify the frontline. At Blink, we believe in empowering frontline organizations by helping you enable, engage and understand your workforce.

Our app provides a host of features that support employee retention in home health, such as employee surveys, polls, secure team and group chats and channels, employee recognition, and healthcare-friendly HR tools.

By using the app effectively, you will be able to create a culture where employees are engaged and respected – ultimately reducing employee turnover costs and driving employee retention up. We are experts in frontline engagement and retention and would love to help you achieve your goals.

Get started today

Since joining Blink’s London office less than a year ago, our Data Analyst, Nikita, has already made her mark — tackling data-driven projects, collaborating across teams, and fueling the mission to empower frontline workers. She loves the energy of a smaller startup and finds real purpose in crafting tech solutions that make a positive impact.

Read on to learn how Nikita dove into the world of advanced analytics at Blink, why she’s proud of her work on the AEI tool, and what keeps her excited about the future!

What initially attracted you to join Blink?

I was really inspired by Blink’s mission to empower frontline workers. It was great to see technology being used for such a positive cause. I’ve worked at startups before and really enjoy the energy of a smaller company. Before joining Blink, I was at a slightly bigger startup, but I love our size and find what we’re doing here incredibly exciting.

What's a project you are proud of from your time at Blink?

AEI! I’m particularly proud of the Advanced Employee Intelligence (AEI) tool. I’ve been working on it with Izzy for the past few months, and it’s been exciting to provide customers with insights they didn’t have before. This tool offers actionable metrics, and it’s gratifying to see how our data can truly help other organizations.

How would you describe the company culture at Blink in three words?

I would say supportive, vibrant and energetic.

What's one thing you're excited about for the future of Blink?

I’m really excited about the coming year at Blink. We have a lot of great new customers on board, which means there will be even more data to explore. I can’t wait to see the insights we uncover and how they’ll help us continue innovating.

Can you tell us about a recent initiative or program launched at Blink that you found particularly exciting?

I found the recent Frontline Heroes holiday campaign especially meaningful. It highlighted real stories from frontline workers who use Blink every day, and hearing their experiences was incredibly heartwarming. It served as a powerful reminder of the impact Blink can have on people’s daily lives, and it gave me a renewed sense of purpose in supporting our users on the frontlines.

Why do you work for Blink?

I’m early in my career, and one of the biggest benefits of working at a smaller company like Blink is getting exposure to so many different areas — Marketing, Customer Success, Product — you name it. I love the variety and the fact that I can see the direct impact of my work. Plus, Blink’s mission really resonates with me, so it feels great to contribute to something I believe in every day.

I started here as an Operations Support Analyst under Ana (Mason), which was a fantastic learning experience. But as I took on more analytical tasks, especially around the development of AEI, I transitioned into my current role in Data RevOps. I’m finding it incredibly interesting, and being hands on with such an important product is really rewarding.

Given how much I’ve already learned and how the company is evolving, I see myself staying at Blink for the foreseeable future. It’s a prime opportunity to keep growing, and I don’t want to miss out while I’m still soaking up knowledge at this stage in my career. I’m excited to see what new challenges and opportunities will come as Blink continues to expand.

‍

‍