Unionization, communication, and trust: A practical guide for modern workplaces
Rolling out new tech in a unionized workforce? It doesn’t have to be a flashpoint. This is how trust actually gets built.
Jess DeVore
Published:
January 15, 2026
Last updated:
January 15, 2026
Union conversations have a habit of making people nervous. Leaders worry about saying the wrong thing. Employees worry about being monitored. Union reps worry about losing influence or control.
And technology? It often gets blamed for all of the above.
But here’s the reality we see time and time again: unionization itself isn’t the problem. Poor communication is. And when communication breaks down, mistrust fills the gap.
This is where a modern, frontline‑first employee experience platform can either inflame tensions — or quietly make everything work better.
Let’s talk about how.
Why union engagement makes or breaks change
Rolling out any new workplace technology without union engagement is risky. Rolling it out to a unionized workforce without involving union reps early? That’s how good initiatives get derailed.
Union concerns are rarely about the tool itself. They’re usually about how the tool shows up:
Is it being forced on people?
Will it blur the line between work and personal time?
Can data be used against members?
Is this really about safety and communication — or “efficiencies” and headcount reduction?
If these questions go unanswered, assumptions fill the gap — and those stories spread fast.
The fix isn’t better messaging at the end. It’s earlier, more transparent engagement from day one.
{{mobile-desktop-main="/image"}}
The most common union concerns — and what’s actually behind them
Union concerns tend to cluster around a few themes. None of them are unreasonable.
1. Personal devices and work creep
No one wants a workplace app that turns evenings, weekends, and lunch breaks into unpaid work time.
The fear isn’t the app — it’s the expectation that comes with it.
2. Surveillance and disciplinary misuse
“Are managers reading chats?”
“Is location tracking involved?”
“Can this data be used against members?”
If workers feel monitored, trust evaporates.
3. Data security and privacy
Unions are rightly skeptical of where employee data lives, who owns it, and whether it’s being shared or sold.
4. Digital exclusion
Not everyone is equally comfortable with technology. Digitizing forms and processes can unintentionally disadvantage certain groups if it’s done carelessly.
5. Loss of union voice
In some organizations, unions have historically been the primary communication channel. New platforms can feel like a threat to that role — unless they’re positioned differently.
None of these concerns disappear if you ignore them. They just get louder.
{{mobile-chat="/image"}}
Reframing technology as a worker benefit — not a management tool
When unions are brought into the conversation early, something interesting happens: the narrative shifts.
Instead of “this is being done to us,” the conversation becomes “how can this work for our members?”
When critical information reaches everyone instantly — not just the people with email access — it reduces risk for the entire workforce.
Clearer boundaries between work and personal life
Replacing informal tools like WhatsApp with a dedicated work app actually protects personal time.
Features like Do Not Disturb and notification controls make expectations explicit instead of implied.
A stronger union communication channel
A modern employee app doesn’t replace union communication. It strengthens it.
Union reps can:
Share updates directly with members
Run group chats and discussions
Post sign‑up forms and resources
Communicate clearly during industrial action or negotiations
Instead of losing visibility, unions often gain it.
Less friction, fewer workarounds
Paper forms, scattered systems, and shared logins aren’t just inefficient — they’re inequitable.
Centralizing access to tools and information creates a more level playing field between desk‑based and frontline workers.
A more equitable employee experience
When everyone gets the same access to updates, policies, and conversations — regardless of role or location — trust grows.
That sense of fairness matters more than most organizations realize.
[Product image - Reporting / digital forms (if we have it?)]
{{mobile-hub-report="/image"}}
What successful union engagement actually looks like
The organizations that navigate union alignment well don’t rely on clever slogans or last‑minute reassurance. They follow a few consistent principles.
Engage early (earlier than you think)
Unions should hear about new platforms before launch plans are finalized — not after.
Early conversations surface concerns while there’s still time to address them.
Make participation voluntary — and mean it
Choice matters. When people feel coerced, adoption drops and resistance hardens.
Ironically, voluntary rollouts often see higher uptake because the value is clear.
Involve union reps as champions
Union reps shouldn’t be observers. They should be part of the champion group helping shape how the platform is used.
Ownership beats endorsement every time.
Explain the “why,” not just the “what”
Link the rollout back to real issues unions already care about — safety, inclusion, access, and communication gaps raised by members.
When the problem is familiar, the solution makes more sense.
Keep the dialogue going after launch
Union engagement doesn’t end on go‑live day.
Post‑launch check‑ins, feedback sessions, and open forums build credibility — especially when concerns are acknowledged and acted on.
{{mobile-priority-post="/image"}}
What we see in the real world
Across transport, logistics, healthcare, and other unionized environments, the pattern is consistent:
Unions that are resistant at first often become the strongest advocates once they’re genuinely involved
Union‑led communication through the platform increases trust and reach
During negotiations or industrial action, having a clear, controlled communication channel reduces confusion and misinformation
The common thread isn’t the industry. It’s respect.
Technology doesn’t replace relationships — it exposes them
No platform can fix a broken relationship between leadership and unions. But the right technology does amplify intent.
If the intent is control, workers will feel it. If the intent is safety, clarity, and fairness, that shows up too.
Unionized workforces don’t need fewer tools. They need better ones — introduced with transparency, choice, and trust. Blink was built for environments exactly like this — complex, frontline‑heavy, and relationship‑driven.
Because when communication works, everything else gets easier.
What we'll cover
Start your free trial today
See how Blink helps frontline teams stay connected, informed, and engaged.
#1. Does employee communication technology encourage or prevent unionization?
Employee communication technology doesn’t cause unionization. Communication breakdowns often play a role when trust erodes. When employees feel unheard, disconnected, or left in the dark, they’re more likely to seek collective representation. Transparent, inclusive communication platforms can actually reduce friction by ensuring employees and union reps have equal access to information, updates, and dialogue. The technology itself is neutral; how it’s introduced and used is what matters.
#2. How should organizations communicate with unions during a technology rollout?
The most successful organizations involve unions early — before decisions are finalized or launch dates are set. That means sharing the why behind the rollout, addressing concerns openly, and inviting union representatives to help shape how the platform is used. Treating unions as partners rather than an audience builds trust and dramatically reduces resistance.
#3. Are workplace apps allowed to monitor employees or track their location?
Not by default — and they shouldn’t. Modern employee experience platforms are designed to respect worker privacy, not undermine it. There’s a critical difference between enabling communication and enabling surveillance. Clear guardrails, transparent data policies, and the absence of location tracking or message monitoring for disciplinary purposes are essential to maintaining trust with both employees and unions.
#4. How can technology support union communication instead of replacing it?
When implemented correctly, technology can strengthen union communication rather than compete with it. Union reps can use digital platforms to share updates, run group discussions, post resources, and communicate during negotiations or industrial action. Instead of losing their voice, unions often gain reach, clarity, and consistency — especially in large, distributed, or frontline-heavy workforces.
#5. What makes a union-friendly employee communication platform?
A union-friendly platform prioritizes choice, transparency, and equity. That includes voluntary adoption, clear boundaries between work and personal time, strong data security, and equal access for frontline and desk-based workers. Most importantly, it gives unions visibility and influence — not just at launch, but long after the rollout is complete.
Choosing the right Slack alternative in 2026 requires understanding how workplace communication has evolved. Today’s teams are distributed, hybrid, and increasingly mobile — so the right platform must go beyond simple chat.
Key things to look for:
An all-in-one experience: The best Slack alternatives combine chat, announcements, and engagement tools. Platforms like Blink bring communication, collaboration, and employee experience together, creating a single digital front door for every employee.
Support for small and frontline teams: Many businesses now rely on hybrid or deskless workers and need a mobile-first communication tool that employees can use without a company email.
Integration with everyday tools: Slack alternatives such as Blink and Microsoft Teams integrate with core systems like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and HR software, ensuring one-click access to essential apps.
Ease of onboarding and adoption: Tools with a familiar consumer app UX drive faster adoption across all roles and departments.
Customization and security: Look for flexible access controls, branded interfaces, and enterprise-grade data protection.
In short, the best Slack alternatives for small businesses and frontline workforces are those that make communication effortless, keep employees connected wherever they work, and simplify tech stacks — with Blink standing out as a leading choice in this new category of employee experience platforms.
10 Slack alternatives
Slack alternatives include:
Blink
Workvivo
Google Chat
Microsoft Teams
WhatsApp
Staffbase
Unily
Mango Apps
Chanty
Zoho Cliq
Let’s take a closer look with an in-depth comparison of each of these team communication tools to help you find the right fit.
#1. Blink
Best for: Organizations with desk-based and frontline employees looking to elevate internal communication and employee experience.
Looking for a Slack alternative that actually works for your entire workforce, including frontline teams? Blink has you covered. With real-time, peer-to-peer chat at its core, Blink makes communication effortless, regardless of role or location.
But Blink isn’t just another messaging app. It’s an all-in-one employee experience platform, packed with seamless communication, collaboration, and engagement features that help connect everyone — from corporate offices to the frontline.
As a mobile-first solution, Blink works on smartphones and desktop computers with equal functionality. Every employee gets easy access to modern intranet features, including real-time conversations, surveys, a content hub, recognition tools, and social networking capabilities.
With deep third-party integrations, Blink becomes the ideal digital front door for your organization. A personalized dashboard provides employees with one-click access to all the workplace software they use, including scheduling, HRIS, project management tools, and other essential applications.
Benefits
Real-time chat, for any organization: With peer-to-peer messaging, group chats, and team channels, Blink makes it easy for employees to connect instantly, whether they’re at their desk, on the shop floor, or in the field.
Mobile-first: The platform has the same features and functionality on both mobile and desktop devices, and you don`t need a company email address to use it. Enabling all workers to access communication and collaboration tools on the go.
Personalized comms: With audience segmentation and a mix of public and private channels, employees only receive communications relevant to their team, role, location, or interests.
Multiple communication channels: Blink offers a news feed, content hub, chat, surveys, and recognition tools, making it a complete solution for internal communication.
Super-app integrations: Blink integrates with other workplace tools, giving employees access to communications, documents, training, and HR essentials in one place.
Dedicated support: Blink pairs you with a customer success manager to maximize adoption and impact.
In-built AI: Blink’s AI features help employees write, improve, and summarize content, making it faster and easier to share ideas and information.
Considerations
An all-in-one employee experience platform: Blink includes the tools you need for communication, collaboration, and engagement in a single solution. It may exceed your requirements if you only want to replicate Slack’s messaging functionality.
#2. Workvivo
Best for: Large companies seeking a culture-led comms experience with native Zoom integration.
Workvivo is a product that’s risen to prominence in recent years due to its acquisition by Zoom. Seamless integration with Zoom’s video conferencing software is a major platform selling point. Workvivo also provides a mobile app and a variety of communication channels.
Benefits
Culture-building communication tools: Workvivo’s channels include a news feed, live streams, and podcasts.
A centralized hub: Workvivo can simplify communication and collaboration by cutting down the number of tools you need.
Translation capabilities: Break down language barriers in multilingual teams by allowing employees to publish and read content in their chosen language.
Personalized content: A tailored activity feed ensures users only see messages that are relevant to them.
Considerations
Chat functionality: For instant messaging, Workvivo relies on integration with Zoom Team Chat, MS Teams, or Slack. Because of this, Workvivo might not be the right choice for businesses who want to move away from Slack.
Cost:Workvivo is one of the more expensive platforms on this list, with additional costs for some features — including Workvivo TV and advanced analytics.
Overwhelming notifications:Some Workvivo users say that excessive notifications disrupt their work day.
Best for: Google Workspace users looking for quick, lightweight team messaging.
Google Chat is an instant messaging tool that offers seamless integration with Gmail, Drive, and Meet. It’s perfect for small to mid-sized teams looking for one-to-one and group messaging software. And it’s a good Slack alternative for those keen to stay working within the Google ecosystem.
Benefits
Google integration: You can jump from Google Chat, to Google Docs, to Google Meet, to Gmail in a click. Google Chat offers easy and extensive Google integration.
File sharing and spaces: Users can securely share files and create dedicated spaces for specific teams or projects.
Make announcements: For company-wide announcements, you can create threads that support up to 500,000 members.
AI functionality: Employees can use Gemini within Google Chat. They can find answers and files, brainstorm ideas, and summarize conversations with ease.
Considerations
Poor mobile experience: Google Chat offers a better experience on desktops than it does on mobile devices, with users mentioning unreliable notifications and tricky navigation.
Employee engagement: The user experience offered by Google Chat pales in comparison to leaders in the field. The interface is unlikely to engage employees.
Functionality and integrations: Users complain that Google Chat lacks the advanced features and third-party integrations provided by other chat tools.
Pricing
Free for Workspace users. Google Workspace plans start at $7 per user per month.
Reviews
Capterra: 4.5/5
G2: 4.6/5
#4. Microsoft Teams
Best for: Formal organizations already using Microsoft 365 software.
Microsoft Teams is a popular team collaboration software. It allows desk-based, remote teams to collaborate in real-time — and it integrates with Office 365 to provide team chat, meeting, and document-sharing tools. It’s worth noting that, in contrast to Slack’s informal threads, MS Teams has a more corporate and structured feel.
Benefits
Office 365 integration: If you already use Office 365 software, it’s easy to add Teams into the mix.
Video calls: Teams has in-built video conferencing tools. You can launch one-click video meetings, with breakout rooms, recordings, and transcripts.
Advanced security: Microsoft prides itself on enterprise-level security so it’s a good option if you’re working in a highly regulated industry.
Easy navigation: Each chat channel comes with file storage. So it’s easy to find documents that relate to each conversation.
Considerations
Clunky interface: Teams can feel unintuitive for new users. There are lots of tabs, menus, and nested options to get used to.
Poor mobile experience: If you want to make comms and collaboration available on smartphones, Teams isn’t the best choice.
Lacks company-wide comms tools:MS Teams isn’t great for culture-building employee communications. You may find it hard to get critical messages to cut through.
Microsoft Teams is free for the first month. The cheapest plan starts from $4 per user per month.
Reviews
Capterra: 4.5/5
G2: 4.4/5
#5. WhatsApp
Best for: Small teams or informal communication where compliance isn’t a concern.
Let’s start this section with a disclaimer. WhatsApp isn’t designed as an internal business communication tool. But many organizations use it as an unofficial Slack alternative, particularly if their existing comms tech doesn’t fulfill their needs.
Frontline employees may end up using WhatsApp because the software used by their organizations is only available on desktop and with a company email address — neither of which deskless workers have easy access to.
Benefits
Simple UX: WhatsApp offers a consumer-grade messaging experience. The app is easy and enjoyable to use — and most employees are already very familiar with it.
Message, call, and video functions: You can use WhatsApp to speak one-to-one or to the whole team using instant messaging, audio calls, and video chats.
Engaging functionality: WhatsApp offers a social-media-style experience. Users can leave reactions on posts, send multimedia content, and launch polls.
Considerations
Security: WhatsApp is associated with data privacy and security concerns. The platform has been vulnerable to hacking, malware attacks, and scams in the past.
Lack of oversight: Internal comms and IT don’t have access to admin controls or analytics.
Blurring boundaries: Personal and work messages compete with one another. Mixing personal and work comms can blur boundaries and harm productivity.
Best for: Large enterprises looking to centralize employee communications.
As a Slack alternative, Staffbaseprovides everything you need and more. It’s an intranet that works well for large organizations with both dispersed and desk-based staff. Via the app, employees can use one-to-one and group messaging functions, with the option to attach files to messages and enable and disable push notifications.
Benefits
Great user experience: Staffbase provides an intuitive interface and clear page layouts that are easy for users to navigate.
An all-round communication tool: With Staffbase, you get tools for top-down, bottom-up, and peer-to-peer communication.
A content management system: A full CMS makes life easy for your internal communications team.
Customization options: You can tailor the Staffbase interface so it matches the branding of your organization.
Considerations
Cost: Staffbase is at the more expensive end of the scale. You also have to pay more for advanced add-ons. So it doesn’t tend to make sense for small and medium-sized businesses.
Limited mobile functionality: The Staffbase mobile app doesn’t provide many out-of-the-box tools for frontline workers.
Limited integrations: Staffbase integrates well with Microsoft 365 software. But for a wide range of integrations and to give employees access to niche industry tools, you may have to look elsewhere.
Pricing
Pricing is available on request.
Reviews
Capterra: 4.7/5
G2: 4.6/5
Read more: Staffbase alternatives
#7. Unily
Best for: Global enterprises focused on top-down communication and intranet-style knowledge sharing.
Unily is another all-round employee experience platform. It goes beyond chat functions to connect, inform, and engage employees across your organization. You can launch polls, update the social feed, and send mandatory content, making everything available on both mobile and desktop apps. But while it excels at broadcasting information, it’s not built for real-time, peer-to-peer conversation.
Benefits
Strong top-down communication tools: Unily lets you create and distribute targeted content via news articles, social feeds, and mandatory reads.
An integrated people directory: It’s easy for employees to find co-workers and start conversations with them.
Read receipts and notifications: Read receipts tell you when a recipient has seen your message — and notifications ensure that critical comms are never missed.
Personalization:Unily helps you segment your audience and tailor content so employees only receive relevant information.
Considerations
Lack of instant messaging: Unlike Slack, Unily doesn’t support real-time chat between employees — limiting peer-to-peer collaboration.
Complexity: Unily is a comprehensive comms tool. But setup and management will take up a lot of your time.
Cost: Unily customers say they get a lot for their money. But this is one of the priciest Slack alternatives out there.
A second-tier mobile experience: Because the desktop version of Unily is so complex, it can be tricky for admins to translate the experience to a small smartphone screen.
Pricing
Pricing is available on request.
Reviews
Capterra: 4.6/5
G2: 4.5/5
#8. MangoApps
Best for: Organizations who want to create a unified digital workplace.
MangoApps is an employee experience platform that combines document management, project collaboration, and a news feed. It provides audience-targeting tools and some good configuration options.
Benefits
Easy to use: Both employees and admins will find it easy to use MangoApps and there’s a minimal learning curve.
A one-stop shop: MangoApps provides many of the tools you need for internal comms, recognition, and employee engagement.
Comprehensive search: It’s easy for users to find what they’re looking for within the platform thanks to a good search function.
Built-in knowledge management: MangoApps offers easy document management and knowledge base features.
Considerations
User experience: UX and the visual appeal of the platform lag behind that of other platforms on this list.
A poor mobile experience: The mobile app experience is also not up to scratch, with core features for frontline workers relying on integrations.
Pricing
Pricing is available on request.
Reviews
Capterra: 4.4/5
G2: 4.2/5
9. Chanty
Best for: Budget-conscious companies looking for a Slack-lite tool.
Taking things back to basics, Chanty is an internal communication app designed to connect office-based and frontline employees in small to mid-sized teams. It provides a centralized hub for messages, contacts, and tasks and an intuitive interface that allows teams to access information and collaborate.
Benefits
Intuitive messaging: Chanty supports one-to-one and group conversations across a clearly organized interface.
Create tasks and Kanban boards: You can start task discussions with a click and manage tasks, due dates, and status with collaborative boards.
File sharing capabilities: Users can share files, uploading and accessing documents and images within the direct messages.
Considerations
Limited features: Chanty won’t work as an all-in-one internal communication and real-time collaboration solution. You’ll need other tools in the mix.
Lack of integrations: Chanty doesn’t provide easy integration with many popular software solutions.
Scalability issues: This platform is designed for businesses at the smaller end of the scale so if you’re likely to grow quickly, you’ll need a new solution before too long.
Limited customization: The platform is simple to use but it doesn’t offer advanced customization options.
Pricing
Chanty offers a free plan with paid plans starting at $3 per month per user.
Reviews
Capterra: 4.7/5
G2: 4.5/5
10. Zoho Cliq
Best for: Businesses already using the Zoho software suite.
Zoho Cliq is another Slack alternative to consider in 2025. It provides a secure chat platform for communication within teams and with external stakeholders. You can use video calls, real-time messaging, and file-sharing tools.
Benefits
Simple UI: Users say that Zoho Cliq is easy and intuitive to use.
Comprehensive internal team communication: Teams have all the tools they need to communicate effectively, even when working in different locations.
A good mobile experience: Users are positive about Zoho Cliq’s mobile app, particularly in comparison to Slack’s mobile experience.
Considerations
Limited functionality: Zoho Cliq works best as part of the Zoho ecosystem, which includes CRM and project management software. Alone, it has limited functionality.
Lack of customization: You have limited control over notifications, status settings, and the Zoho Cliq interface.
Lack of integrations: Zoho Cliq doesn’t offer the same range of third-party integrations as Slack.
Pricing
Zoho Cliq customers can start with a free trial. Plans start from $2 per user per month.
Reviews
Capterra: 4.6/5
G2: 4.4/5
What to look for in a Slack alternative
The best alternatives to Slack provide all the communication tools you currently rely on. They also fill the gaps — fixing some of the issues your team experiences with Slack to create a more effective and engaging employee experience.
Beyond the best possible real-time chat and collaboration features, here’s what you should be looking for when choosing an alternative to Slack.
A consumer-grade user experience
A user-friendly interface, simple navigation, and clear communication channels make life easy for employees — and ensure high levels of software adoption.
Easy onboarding
The best Slack alternatives have a minimal learning curve — for both employees and admins. They’re easy and enjoyable to use from day one.
Extensive integrations
To avoid app overload, your communication tech should integrate with the other tools you use, putting everything employees need in one easy-access location.
Customization and personalization
The best internal communication tools are customizable solutions that allow you to put your stamp on them with company branding. They allow you to tailor notification settings and segment audiences so they receive only relevant comms.
Cost-effectiveness
Pick a platform that gets good adoption rates. Also, choose tools that reach all employees — including hard-to-reach frontline workers — so you don’t have to pay for multiple software subscriptions.
Security
The best Slack alternatives keep your data safe and secure. Look for tools that prioritize security with key features like end-to-end encryption (in transit and at rest) and multi-factor authentication.
Find the right alternative to Slack and supercharge workplace communication
So which solution is best for your organization?
It depends on whether you need a like-for-like Slack replacement or a complete internal communication platform upgrade.
A simple team chat app makes it easy for desk-based teams to message and collaborate. But an employee experience platform takes communication to the next level.
With built-in surveys, recognition tools, deep integrations, and a social news feed, an employee communication platform connects your team to your organization’s culture and purpose while reducing time spent switching between apps.
When you choose the right Slack alternative, you can create a more engaged, connected, and loyal workforce — something Slack was not designed to deliver.
Blink brings this vision to life by turning everyday conversations into real connections through a single, mobile-first employee experience app and platform — software that unites communication, collaboration, and culture across every team.
Blink. And turn conversations into real connection with an employee experience app.
Team chat for frontline teams is a mobile-first messaging tool that connects everyone in a company, not just the people at a desk. It gives a shift worker, a store manager, and a head-office exec one place to talk in real time, from a phone, without needing a work email address to log in.
That's the part most tools miss. Email and desk-era chat apps were built for people who sit in front of a screen all day. Frontline chat is built for the 80% of the workforce who don't. Same conversation, same company, everyone included.
We're a software company. We sit at desks. So why do we live in a frontline chat app every working day? Because reaching everyone is a problem every distributed company has, ours included.
Why a desk-based company runs on a frontline app
Blink is 132 people across offices in London and Boston, plus remote. We've used our own platform, every working day, for twelve years. That's not a marketing decision. It's how we believe you build good software for the frontline: you live in it yourself.
It also happens to solve our own problem. We have people in two time zones and at home, all needing to stay on the same page. A London designer, a Boston project lead, and a remote engineer working the same website launch shouldn't need three tools and a calendar invite to stay aligned. They need one place. That's chat.
If the "reach everyone, wherever they are" problem sounds familiar, that's because it isn't unique to frontline businesses. It's just sharper there. Which is exactly why living in the product teaches us so much.
You can see both worlds in our own numbers. In the last 30 days, our team opened Blink 211,042 times: 141,610 from desks and 69,432 from phones (thanks to Blink IQ). Head office and people on the move, in the same app, reading the same things at the same moment. That desk-and-pocket split is the whole reason chat has to work brilliantly on a phone, not just tolerate it.
Why our COO sends more chats than anyone else
Here's the counterintuitive part. In a company of 132 people, the person sending the most messages isn't in support or sales. It's the COO.
Lauren's reason is simple: as a leader, you need to get a sense of the bigger picture without bothering people. Chat lets her stay close to what's happening across every team by reading, not interrupting. No status meeting. No "quick catch-up" that eats an afternoon. She scans the channels that matter and she's caught up.
Our data backs the pattern up at the top. Our CEO, Sean, opens the Blink app on his phone more than anyone else in the company. But 58% of his messages are written from a computer. He reads while he's moving, between Boston and London or inside a customer's distribution center, and writes when he's sitting down. Leaders staying close to the work is a behavior you can see, not just hope for.
What can chat do that email or a meeting can't?
Chat keeps a live conversation in one place, visible to everyone who needs it, searchable forever, with no one left out when they step away. Email buries it and meetings lose it.
Ask Lauren for a concrete example and she'll point to the everyday stuff. This week, it was a website project run across Boston and London.
Email would have meant a thread nobody reads to the end, with the newest person always missing context. A meeting would have meant finding a slot across two time zones, then writing it all up afterward anyway. In chat, the whole project lives in one channel. Decisions are written down. Anyone who steps away comes back and scrolls up. Anyone new gets added and sees the full history.
That's the thing consumer messaging apps can't do at work. In chat, everything is written, which means everything is searchable. You have a record. You can find what you need. You stay in the loop when you're away. Nothing lives in one person's inbox or one person's memory.
What Blink uses chat for, and what it doesn't
Almost everything at Blink happens in chat. 97% of our team actively chats, and last month alone we sent 113,232 messages, in a company of 132 people. We barely use emails. Every team has a channel. Every office has a channel. There are channels for cross-team collaborations, for squads, for specific customers. The whole company is a network of connections, and chat is what holds it together.
You can see it in the data. Our Customer Success and Implementation teams, the two groups that move a customer from signed contract to live and beyond, exchanged 42,223 chat messages in a single year. That's more than any other pair of teams at the company. The handoff between them isn't a moment. It's a constant conversation.
What don't we use chat for? Anything that should happen in person. Difficult conversations, sensitive feedback, the moments that need a face and a voice. Chat is for keeping everyone connected and informed. It isn't a place to hide from the conversations that matter most. Knowing the difference is part of using it well.
What chat features do frontline teams actually use?
{{mobile-teams-call="/image"}}
Four, mostly. Direct messages, channels, video and voice calls, and document sharing. Here's how each one earns its place at Blink:
Direct messages. One-to-one and small group conversations, from any device.
Channels. A space for every team, office, squad, project, and customer. This is where the company-wide network lives.
Video and voice calls. Jump from a message to a call without switching apps or sending a meeting link.
Document sharing. Share files where the conversation is already happening, so context and content stay together.
None of these are exotic. What matters is that they're all in one app, on a phone, available to everyone in the company, not just the people at a desk.
What leaders get wrong about chat
Here's the one thing Lauren wants leaders to understand: chat is not enough on its own.
The mistake is thinking that if you give people a messaging app, you've solved internal communication. You haven't. Chat is the entry point, not the whole thing. You also need a company news feed, where people can post, react, and share what's happening across the business. You need video. And you need a way to recognize good work.
You can see it in how we use Blink ourselves. 97% of us actively chat, 94% use the Hub for resources, 89% use the news feed, and 59% post Stories. Adoption across all of it is the difference between a channel people tolerate and a workplace they live in. Chat gets them in the door. The rest is why they stay.
Because communication at work isn't only about coordination. We're social. We crave connection. We need to feel part of something and to feel seen for the work we do. Chat handles the day-to-day. The rest is what turns a group of people into a culture.
Which is a good place to leave a hint about episode two. Next up, we're opening up the feature we use to highlight great work across the company: recognition. Same couch, different person.
Team chat vs email and Slack for frontline teams
If you're weighing up how to connect a frontline team, here's the short version:
Swipe to see all columns
Email
Desk-era chat
Blink chat
Built for
Desk workers
Desk workers
Everyone, frontline included
Login
Work email required
Usually work email
Phone number, no email needed
Primary device
Laptop
Laptop
Phone
More than messaging
No
Chat only
Chat, news feed, video, recognition
Blink isn't "just another comms tool." Slack and email were built for people at a desk. Blink was built so the person on the shop floor, the driver, and the head-office team are all in the same conversation. And chat is only the front door to a wider employee experience.
Bring your whole team into one chat
We use Blink because it does for us exactly what we built it to do for our customers: connect everyone, wherever they work, in one app on the device they already carry.
You can try it with your own team in a few minutes. Start a free trialand set up your first channel. Everyone can join, including the people who've never had a company email address.
HR and employee engagement conferences are more than educational forums for people management insights (although that’s absolutely one of the benefits of attending these events). They are also a gateway to exciting, lucrative networking opportunities — it’s no wonder that huge businesses are built on running conferences for HR and people leaders.
Which employee engagement and HR conferences are best for you to attend in 2023? We’ve put together a list of the events worth your time and the speakers you should be lining up to hear from.
The importance of employee engagement conferences
Every organization strives to engage its workforce, making employee engagement investments and running employee engagement programs. And yet, the latest surveys illustrate that 79% of employees don't feel engaged at work meaning that we’ve still got work to do.
Disengagement is widespread — particularly when it comes to frontline employee engagement — and every business can take bold steps to improve.
Employee engagement is about inspiring your staff to be the best version of themselves. It requires a proactive attitude, one that picks employees up and motivates them to find their feet and climb higher.
But the opportunity to engage employees can only be achieved by seeking out the tried and tested advice of experts. And that’s where employee engagement conferences come in.
What's the link between employee experience and employee engagement?
This is a topic we see come up a lot, but there’s an easy way to remember where employee engagement fits within employee experience.
Employee engagement is the target you're trying to hit and employee experience is the means to get you there.
Employee experience covers everything an individual sees, hears, feels, and believes while at work. It’s made up of countless interactions (or ‘moments that matter’) across the employee lifecycle, from the initial onboarding process to daily tools and responsibilities. Employee engagement, on the other hand, is how demonstrably committed a worker is to their role and your organization.
What are the 4 Cs and 3 Es of employee engagement?
Driving employee engagement is easier when you have a simple guide to follow. Here are the seven key points that will take center stage at employee engagement conferences in 2023:
Contribution - employees need to feel they have an active role to play in your company and that their work is making a notable impact
Connection - whether working remotely, on-site, or on the frontline, it's important to avoid working in silos by forging meaningful relationships with co-workers
Communication - having a management team that’s accessible and approachable offers employees the means by which to speak up and take part
Confidence - members of staff need certainty in their role, to allow them to perform to the highest of their abilities, without worrying about the health of the company or if their job is at risk
Empowerment - instilling employees with a sense of trust and authority gives them the motivation to go that extra mile
Enablement - in order to improve productivity, every employee needs to have the right tool for the job, so ensure their technology needs are met
The challenges and benefits of frontline employee engagement
Frontline employee engagement challenges
When it comes to frontline employees, there are several unique challenges to consider. And all too often courses, articles, and guides don't feel as relevant or relatable — as if they've been written with one (office-based) employee model in mind.
Frontline workers feel disengagement more acutely than most other professions. For one, there’s the disconnection inherent in their line of work, separating them from their co-workers and the wider organization. This deals a heavy blow to morale and productivity in the process.
The trick is to find an employee engagement solution that suits the frontline’s needs and requirements. It should speak to their inconsistent sense of belonging with the company and offer clear development to help employees build careers with your organization, rather than ‘just jobs’.
This goes beyond empty investments and initiatives. Frontline employees want to feel listened to, recognized, and included in strategies that directly affect them, rather than being an afterthought.
Frontline employee engagement benefits
The truth is, we all know the benefits of an increase in engagement. Employees that are committed, motivated, and engaged at work deliver more and perform better — and that means your bottom line improves across each and every level of your organization.
Absenteeism and health and safety incidents fall significantly and employee turnover plummets as staff engagement soars. With this, your competitiveness in the industry and attractiveness to prospective new hires is solidified. For CHROs, this is what makes the job feel great and it's understandable to see why employee engagement conferences are so appealing.
Learn more about how frontline organizations can improve employee experience and engagement through Blink’s customer case studies.
11 must-see HR and employee engagement conferences for 2023
Priding themselves on securing top industry names, you can expect to see representatives from Amazon, Deloitte, Capital One, UPS, Microsoft, and many others, all sharing their invaluable talent management insights.
With a strong focus on HR tech, UNLEASH is the ideal opportunity to explore how technology is changing the future of work across all industries — and the investments you can make to elevate efficiency. It's a must for those in HR and employee engagement.
This convention is not to be missed. One of the biggest of its kind, the CIPD Festival of Work boasts an impressive roster of guests. Organizations with frontline workers will be particularly interested in hearing from Danny Mortimer, CEO of NHS Employers, Tunde Agoro, Head of ESG at Hydrock, Fiona Brunskill, Chief People Officer of Transport for London, and Toby Culshaw, Global Head of Talent Intelligence at Amazon.
And for that specific focus on employee engagement, CIPD has two keynotes lined up: ‘Maintaining engagement through periods of change’ and ‘Employee listening — the key to retention and employee engagement’.
Energetic, vibrant, and fun — SHRM's annual conferences are well-known in the HR world. SHRM’s mission is to offer the widest possible reach with its events, covering ways to improve every facet of working life.
This gathering of industry professionals from all walks of life guarantees that every organization has something to gain from the expansive four-day HR conference.
HR Summit is the UK’s home for HR networking. Understanding that your time is precious, their goal is to pair you up with professionals that can answer the burning questions you have and provide the solutions you need.
They achieve this by organizing pre-arranged, face-to-face meetings between delegates and key industry suppliers. The event also features an array of cutting-edge technology, as well as HR products and services, all presented without a pushy hard sell.
Technology is a main talking point at many HR conferences. The tools we use to manage staff and improve business practices are growing exponentially — and HR Vision dives into the tech that’ll revolutionize your workflows.
The aim of this HR conference is to empower your workforce with the right HR technology and connect People leaders to an impressive set of speakers. Look out for Brady Pyle, Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer at NASA, Stephen Pierce, Deputy MD and CHRO of Hitachi Europe, and Cath Possamai, CEO of Recruiting Group, British Army, and other big names on the HR Vision agenda.
The idea of a sprawling event can feel overwhelming for those new to the employee engagement conference scene. Thankfully, there are more intimate options, such as Canada's Western Cities HR Conference 2023.
This event is made up of personal interactions with like-minded professionals and is designed to help managers gain a better understanding of their employees’ challenges. And with a focus on improving employee experience to drive employee engagement, this year's Western Cities HR Conference may be the best option for those looking to dip their toe into the HR conference experience.
Delivering the best HR tech on the market is what a lot of HR conferences pride themselves on. But for companies looking ahead to the horizon, they want to know what the next leap is, several years down the line — and how they can get in on the action early.
For those businesses, HR Technology Conference & Expo is where it's at. The organizers certainly know that having your finger on the pulse and investing in HR technology is a reliable way to improve your company’s HR standing.
Gartner ReimagineHR Conference
Date: September 11-12, 2023, October 23-25, 2023, and December 4-5, 2023
Location: London, UK, Orlando, USA, and Sydney, Australia
While still too far away for an agenda to have been published, we’re expecting more top-quality content from Gartner’s ReimagineHR Conference in 2023. Attendees of this employee engagement conference will learn how to tackle pressing issues within talent management, such as attrition, while keeping one eye on what’s coming further down the line.
What's more, this is a great opportunity to explore leadership development, culture building, and improved strategic decision-making — all to help your business operate at its highest possible level.
Date: September 26-29, 2023 and November 14-16, 2023
Location: San Francisco, USA and Barcelona, Spain
Ticket price: TBD
Workday’s online employee engagement content was available until April 2023 and it’s bringing the in-person experience to San Francisco and Barcelo towards the end of the year.
With a rallying cry of “It’s time to rise”, Workday Rising’s conference content is always inspiring — and helps deliver more than a few of those employee engagement 4 Cs and 3 Es. It’s energizing and empowering, designed to enable People leaders to excel in their roles. You’ll also connect with fellow leaders and gain greater confidence in the work that you do.
How to get the most from an employee engagement conference
With so many options in mind, having a clear game plan will result in the best takeaways and ROI from your experience. Here's what you should focus on:
Research and planning
What are the particular challenges your organization is facing? Will improving retention have the most impact or do you need to create a culture of communication? Understanding where you’re at today and where you want to be in the future is a great way to prepare for employee engagement conference season.
While it might not look like it on the surface, each HR conference will have its own niche angle. Research the speakers, investigate the talking points, and read reviews of how engaging and effective their output is. What you want to see are the success stories, so you can become one too.
Organize your time
HR conferences are designed to wow you. There are multiple stands, panels, and events that will draw your attention, but having a clear itinerary will keep you on track. Keep the exact timings and locations of must-see sessions marked down to avoid disappointment. But don't overload yourself either. Make sure you schedule breaks and allow for chance encounters, too.
Network before, during, and after
Speaking of encounters… The best thing about employee engagement conferences is that you’re with like-minded professionals. Hunt down the group chats or hashtags on sites like LinkedIn to build those connections in advance, then make time in your schedule to introduce yourself in person.
And, perhaps most importantly, keep the fire burning. Maintain momentum and keep in touch to convert that conference acquaintance into a strong business connection.
This is particularly important for HR leaders from frontline organizations. As we know, there are very few conferences that cater specifically to the frontline employee engagement challenges, so use the events listed above to find your allies. You can support each other from there!
Meet Blink at an employee engagement conference near you
Here at Blink, we don't just talk about HR conferences — we attend them too. Take a look at the exciting employee engagement conferences we'll be attending this year. And whether this is your first time or you're a seasoned pro, come and say hello.
How well does your company engage its employees? Unless you’re running regular employee engagement surveys, you really can’t be sure.
Employee engagement is the process of ensuring your workforce feels invested in their work and your organization. It’s associated with a lot of business benefits, including better employee retention, performance, and productivity.
Regular employee surveys show you how you’re doing in terms of employee engagement. Surveys reveal employee sentiment and help identify areas for improvement.
Depending on the questions you ask, they can tell you how employees feel about their work-life balance and wellbeing. They can reveal insights into internal communications and your training programs. They can also shine a light on company culture.
Surveys are particularly important when we consider the issues many organizations have motivating and engaging their staff. According to Gallup research, only 23% of the global workforce is engaged at work.
For frontline teams, engagement can be an even bigger problem. Frontline employees are less trusting and more likely to experience burnout than their desk-based peers. According to Qualtrics research, they’re also less happy with pay and benefits, less satisfied with career development, and less trusting of leadership than non-frontline workers.
Engaging all employees — including those on the frontline — is a challenge. You’re better equipped to take on that challenge when you have the right data at your disposal. That means getting reliable insights with regular employee engagement surveys.
Here, we take a look at how employee experience surveys benefit your business. We share some survey best practices and some employee engagement survey question examples, too.
We’ll be covering:
Benefits of conducting regular employee engagement surveys
Key ingredients for effective employee engagement surveys
The three types of employee engagement survey question
46 employee engagement survey question examples
Using technology to improve the employee survey process
Benefits of conducting regular employee engagement surveys
82% of HR leaders consider it very important or important to increase the frequency of employee listening over the next three years. 57% say they’re running employee experience surveys every quarter at a minimum.
So should you follow suit? Here’s why taking the time to conduct regular employee engagement surveys is well worth your while.
Track employee sentiment. Regular surveys help you keep your finger on the pulse of your organization. You see how your workforce views employee experience at your company at any given moment. This ensures engagement issues — like low morale and high turnover — don’t take you by surprise.
Identify areas for improvement. Employee engagement surveys take guesswork out of the equation. By drilling down into survey data, you identify the departments, teams, and areas of employee experience that are most in need of work. You learn what motivates employees and which changes to company culture they want to see.
Give all employees a voice. Frontline workers don’t tend to spend a lot of time working alongside managers. So assessing employee sentiment on an informal basis is difficult, if not impossible. A structured survey strategy ensures you hear voices from across the organization. This means more meaningful and valuable insights.
Improve business performance. Higher levels of employee engagement lead to better employee performance, productivity, and loyalty. They also provide a host of other business performance benefits. By incorporating employee surveys into your employee experience strategy, you improve engagement and make your organization more successful, too.
Key ingredients for effective employee engagement surveys
Before you start putting together employee survey questions, it’s important to establish a few best practices. By incorporating these key ingredients, you create surveys that yield meaningful data and encourage employee participation, too.
To build surveys into your company culture, you need the following.
1. A selection of appropriate survey questions
Employee survey questions should be aligned with your organization and its goals. They also need to be worded in such a way that they produce reliable and significant data.
Each employee engagement survey question should be:
Aligned with employee engagement KPIs — so you’re measuring the things that matter to your organization
Based on something you’re prepared to take action on — employees will lose faith in the survey process if you fail to make changes in response to their constructive feedback
Neutrally worded — an employee engagement survey question shouldn’t sway respondents in one direction or another
Centered around one issue — ask about one thing at a time or you won’t be able to draw clear conclusions from employee answers
2. A survey communication strategy
As well as devising surveys with the right employee survey questions, you need to think about how you’re going to communicate with employees throughout the survey process.
Consider the communication channels you’ll use to reach employees, including those working on the frontline of your organization. Also, clarify which information you’ll be sharing with employees.
Regular, open communication is best. Tell employees why you’re doing the survey and what they stand to gain by filling it out. Explain how long the survey will take to complete and give assurances of anonymity. Also, tell them how you’ll inform them of survey results and any subsequent employee experience action plan.
You’ll need messages targeted at reluctant survey respondents, too. A schedule of gentle reminders can work. You may also like to get your leaders involved. When leaders promote surveys, employees see that their opinions are being taken seriously at the highest levels of your organization — and they’re more likely to take part.
3. Anonymity and confidentiality
Without the promise of anonymity and confidentiality, employees tend to get a bit cagey with their survey responses. They may end up telling you what they think you want to hear. Or they may fail to answer survey questions honestly out of concern for their career or workplace relationships.
To encourage employees to answer questions candidly, tell them how you’ll protect their anonymity. Also, use survey tools that make it easy to collect survey responses anonymously.
4. A suitable survey frequency
A lot can happen in a year and annual surveys are far too infrequent. But you don’t want to bombard your employees with survey requests either. It’s all about striking the right balance.
In our experience, the following schedule works well:
an in-depth survey to track employee experience changes each quarter
pulse surveys to gauge real-time employee sentiment each month
This approach doesn’t risk survey fatigue. Nor does it allow for employee experience blind spots to develop. Instead, it successfully makes surveys an integral and valuable part of company culture.
As well as considering how often you expect employees to complete surveys, consider how long you expect them to spend filling them out.
Busy frontline workers are often stretched for time. So surveys should take a maximum of 10 minutes for employees to complete. To ensure high-quality, constructive feedback you don’t want respondents to rush their answers or give up on a survey part-way through.
5. Analyzing and interpreting survey results
Once you’ve gathered survey responses, you can start analyzing and interpreting them.
You can use your data to identify your best and worst performing areas — and to establish benchmarks. You can also segment data, according to employee team, department, or tenure, to find variances in employee experience across your organization.
With the right survey tools, this process is quicker and easier. You get intelligent analysis and recommendations based on your survey findings, without having to process data manually.
The three types of employee engagement survey question
There are three different types of employee engagement survey questions you can ask. Using all three will help you to gather constructive feedback and useful insights.
Qualitative survey questions
Qualitative questions take the form of yes/no, multiple choice, or a rating scale (1 to 10).
Here are a few examples:
Rate the following statement on a scale from 1 to 10. 1 = strongly disagree. 10 = strongly agree.
I enjoy a good work-life balance.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
How often do you get constructive feedback from managers?
1. Once a week
2. Once a month
3. Once a year or less
4. Never
Quantitative questions are quick and easy for employees to answer. They also provide survey results that are easy to analyze. This type of employee engagement survey question is well-suited to both quarterly surveys and pulse surveys.
Quantitative survey questions
Quantitative questions are open-ended. They give employees the chance to write a response in their own words and can reveal unexpected perspectives.
Here are some examples:
What is one thing you’d like leadership to know about your onboarding experience?
What can we do to improve internal communication at [company]?
Qualitative questions give in-depth insight into what employees are thinking and feeling. While a quantitative question can tell you if someone is proud to work for your company, you need a qualitative question to explain why.
Results for qualitative questions are a little trickier to analyze. They also require more time and thought from employees. As a result, qualitative questions aren’t well-suited to short pulse surveys. Instead, they work best as part of your quarterly employee engagement survey — and even then, should be kept to a minimum.
Demographic survey questions
Demographic survey questions help you to segment your survey results while maintaining employee anonymity. Here are some examples:
What team are you on?
How long have you worked at [company]?
These demographic questions are relevant to all employee engagement surveys. They help you understand employee experience across your organization, drawing more detailed conclusions from your results and facilitating targeted interventions.
46 employee engagement survey question examples
Ready to put your first employee survey together? Then start by taking a look at these employee survey question examples.
Company culture questions
A strong company culture prompts high levels of employee engagement — and high levels of employee engagement help you foster a strong company culture. So finding out what employees think of your workplace culture is an engagement survey essential.
I would recommend [company] as a great place to work.
At [company] we value open and honest communication.
[Company] is a safe place to work.
[Company] cares about my wellbeing.
I am valued by [company].
I can raise problems and concerns with leaders and managers.
Leaders keep everyone informed about what is happening at [company].
What can we do to improve communication at [company]?
What could we do to improve company culture?
Morale and engagement questions
Employees are more likely to be engaged when they feel aligned with company goals. Here are some survey questions that help you to assess their sense of motivation and purpose.
I feel a sense of accomplishment most days.
I know what is expected of me to be successful.
I know how my role supports the goals of the company.
I’m inspired by the purpose and mission of the company.
I rarely think about looking for a job at another company.
I see myself working at [company] two years from now.
What do we do well at [company]?
What could we do better at [company]?
Questions about management
70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager. So use your engagement surveys to find out what employees think about their team leaders.
My manager leads by example.
My manager cares about my opinion.
I get enough constructive feedback on how well I’m doing my job.
I am given enough freedom to decide how to do my work.
My manager promotes an open and constructive way to deal with problems.
I find my workload manageable.
My manager gives me the support I need to do my job well.
If you were a manager, how would you motivate your employees?
Teamwork and belonging questions
Employees who feel that they belong within an organization are 5.3 times more likely to do their best work. These questions will help you find out whether employees view your workplace as inclusive and supportive.
I make a difference to my team.
I feel like I belong within [company].
I get enough opportunities to collaborate with my team.
People from all backgrounds have equal opportunity to succeed at [company].
I can ask other team members for help when I need it.
Desk-based and frontline employees are treated equally at [company].
How could your team improve communication and collaboration?
Recognition and benefits questions
Recognition along with a fair salary and benefits are crucial for a positive employee experience. Use employee survey questions like these to gauge employee sentiment on these topics.
I receive recognition when I do good work.
I believe my benefits package is good by industry standards.
I understand the benefits available to me.
I enjoy a good work-life balance.
I feel adequately rewarded for my contributions to [company].
Salaries and benefits are awarded fairly at [company].
What benefits would you like to see provided by [company]?
Learning and growth questions
Organizations that don’t provide skills-building opportunities are 72% less likely to have employees saying they want to work there for more than a year. You can find out if your learning and development efforts are up to scratch by asking questions like these.
The information I need to do my job well is available.
I have access to the tools I need to do my job well.
I believe there are strong career opportunities for me at [company].
I have access to the learning and development I need to do my job well.
Training at [company] is effective.
Managers have shown a genuine interest in my career aspirations.
What can we do to better support your development and career goals?
Using technology to improve the survey process
Establishing survey best practices and asking the right questions are essential to a successful employee survey initiative. Having the right technology makes a big difference, too. It makes the survey process quicker, easier, and more effective.
For frontline organizations, a mobile-first employee app, equipped to deliver surveys, works well. You don’t have to rely on inefficient paper surveys or shared devices. Instead, you can send surveys to every employee’s smartphone, increasing adoption and response rates in the process.
With an employee engagement app like Blink, you can launch quarterly and pulse surveys to your entire workforce in minutes. Choose from a selection of pre-prepared employee engagement survey questions or create your own.
Blink allows employees to respond to surveys anonymously, which builds trust with your workforce and ensures you get honest, useful data. Your HR team can also use Blink Analytics, which streamlines survey data analysis and helps you identify the most pressing employee engagement issues in an instant.
While the Great Resignation seems to have subsided, talent retention is still a pressing issue — and it can make all the difference to your business. Holding onto your best people, with all their skills and knowledge, means better productivity, customer service, and profitability.
In this quick guide, we explain what talent retention is and why it’s important. We also share what you can do to inspire employee loyalty in 2025 — from a connected workplace culture to the perks that matter most.
Ready to turn retention into a competitive advantage? Let’s get started.
What is talent retention and why is it so important?
Talent retention is your ability to hold onto your employees once you’ve hired them.
If you have an effective talent retention plan, employees stick around for long, stable, and productive careers within your organization.
So why does talent retention matter?
Talent retention is important because replacing employees is expensive. Gallup estimates that replacing a frontline employee costs 40% of their salary. This rises to 80% for employees in technical roles and 200% for leaders and managers.
By improving staff loyalty, you reduce costs associated with recruitment and onboarding. But there are other benefits of employee retention to bear in mind:
Improved productivity. Your organization is more productive because a high proportion of employees are fully trained and know how to do their jobs.
An expert workforce. You retain knowledge and skills within the business, which means you achieve your goals faster.
A positive company culture. Because workers are able to build strong and lasting relationships with co-workers, you raise satisfaction and loyalty.
One final benefit of staff retention is a better customer experience. And that deserves a section all of its own...
The link between employee retention and customer experience
“The customer's perceptions and related feelings caused by the one-off and cumulative effect of interactions with a supplier's employees, systems, channels or products.”
The snappier version? It’s the degree to which interactions with your brand spark joy in customers.
It’s easy to delight customers when employees are informed, happy, and engaged. And it’s very easy to do the opposite if staff are new to the job — or looking for a role elsewhere.
According to PwC research, 46% of customers will abandon a brand if employees aren’t knowledgeable and don’t know how to meet their needs.
Employee retention, employee experience, and customer experience are closely linked. Do right by your employees and they’re more likely to stay working for your company.
They continue to build their knowledge and skills, which means they’re more likely to provide an industry-leading experience for your customers.
Talent retention: why now?
52% of employees say they’re watching for or actively seeking a new job. And turnover rates for frontline industries remain high: 73.8% in hospitality, 56.7% in transportation, and 21.9% in professional and business services.
There’s another, stealthier problem at play too. Glassdoor has revealed that nearly 2 in 3 employees feel stuck in their roles. And Gallup says that we’ve moved beyond the Great Resignation into the Great Detachment, where employees are staying in roles they have little interest in.
In 2025, some employees are quitting. Others are sticking around for lack of a better option. In either case, the business suffers. But a focus on talent retention can help to combat both of these issues.
Talent retention strategies revolve around improving the employee experience. You make your workplace a better, more fulfilling, and more inspiring place to be. So both employee engagement and retention improve.
The first hurdle: identifying talent retention issues
How is your company doing in terms of talent retention?
To truly understand your performance, you need to know — and keep track of — your employee retention rate. You can use this number to set a baseline and establish targets. But while this figure tells you how many employees are leaving your organization, it doesn’t tell you why.
For that, you need to dig deeper. Exit surveys and interviews can reveal trends and problems with the employee experience. They can help you understand why employees are choosing to leave. Some of the most common culprits in 2025 include:
Work-life balance: a lack of flexibility in the workplace is leading staff — including frontline employees — to look for jobs elsewhere.
Career progression: lack of career or professional development opportunities is one of the most cited reasons for leaving a job.
Recognition: when you don’t show regular and authentic appreciation for employee efforts, they become demotivated and more likely to jump ship.
Workplace culture: a sense of connection and belonging have a big impact on employee satisfaction, so issues with managers and co-workers, or feelings of loneliness can raise employee turnover.
Salary and benefits: sometimes, it’s simply about the money — it’s difficult to keep employees if competitors are offering better rates of pay.
Convince employees to stay with these 6 talent retention strategies
Staff retention rates not where you’d like them to be? Reduce employee turnover with the help of these practical strategies.
Keep your finger on the pulse
Exit interviews are a useful talent retention tool. But wouldn’t it be better if you could prevent employees from handing in their notice in the first place? To do this, you need to understand the state of employee morale and engagement in your organization at any given moment.
There are some signs a manager may be able to spot. Drop-offs in productivity, refusal to commit to long-term projects, and a lack of enthusiasm are all signs that an employee sees their future elsewhere.
But you can go beyond manager observations to take the pulse of your entire organization. Use employee surveys to gauge sentiment on a range of retention-related topics. For example, job satisfaction, internal communications, benefits packages, and recognition.
{{mobile-survey="/image"}}
You can then act on any major bugbears to prevent employee experience issues from translating into higher employee turnover.
This feedback process has another talent retention benefit. When you show employees that their input is prompting real change in the workplace they feel heard and valued — and become more invested in your organization.
Help them achieve their goals
According to recent Randstad research, 31% of employees have quit a job because of a lack of career progression opportunities. Employees want to feel that they’re making progress toward their learning and career goals.
Investing time and money in professional development sends a strong signal that you’re supporting your employees over the long term. Build in career development plans, coaching, and one-on-one time as soon as a new member of staff joins your workforce — and sustain these initiatives throughout the entire employee journey.
Emphasizing that you see this as a long-term partnership rather than a transactional exchange of services (“you work, we pay”) lays the foundations for future success.
Offer regular recognition
Retaining employees is easier when they feel valued and appreciated. Workers are five times more likely to stay with your organization for two years or more when there’s a comprehensive recognition program in place.
{{mobile-kudos="/image"}}
All employees — whether they work in the office, at home, or on the frontlines of your organization — should receive regular appreciation for the work they do.
For teams working in the same location, informal recognition is relatively easy. For disparate teams and frontline employees, you have to be more intentional. The right internal communication tools can help.
You can use an employee app or intranet to highlight the hard work and achievements of your employees — and encourage peer-to-peer recognition across digital communication channels, too.
Create a positive workplace culture
Having a work bestie is more important than you might think. Employees who feel a sense of belonging are more likely to stay working for your organization.
As well as helping employees to build connections with co-workers, support them to understand and take part in company culture. Make company values and purpose part of your every day.
Managers also have a big role to play. 70% of the variance in team engagement comes down to the manager. So give your leaders the training they need to boost employee engagement and create a culture employees enjoy being part of.
Offer flexibility where possible
Flexibility and work-life balance are a top priority for employees. In fact, it’s the second most important factor for frontline employees when choosing a job.
Flexible working looks different in different organizations. Some employees get to work remotely, work compressed hours, or choose start and finish times.
For frontline employees, this isn’t so easy. But you can support work-life balance for this segment of your workforce by offering expanded paid time off (PTO) policies, a choice of schedules, and easy-access shift swap tools.
Revamp your salary and benefits package
When was the last time you looked at the salary and benefits package you offer? Pay is another big factor in employees deciding to look for another job.
So compare your offering to that of your competitors and consider improving your package if you find you’re falling behind the pack.
But remember that pay isn’t everything. It will take more than a small pay increase to tempt engaged employees to jump ship. According to SHRM, employees may be willing to trade pay for improved work-life balance, flexibility, and workplace culture.
Make life easier for your HR team with talent retention software
An effective talent retention strategy gives you an edge over your competitors. When you build and maintain a skilled and engaged workforce, your business performs better.
To achieve high levels of retention, you need to offer training and development, honor work-life balance, and provide regular recognition. You should also strive to create a company culture based on purpose, connection, and community.
The best software is available on desktop and as a mobile-first employee app, so you can tackle talent retention issues across your entire workforce. These solutions provide employees with easy, digital access to:
Training and career development tools
Company news, community, and co-worker chat
Recognition and rewards
Health and wellbeing resources
They also give HR teams access to tools like employee surveys and analytics. So you get greater insight into the state of employee engagement and talent retention within your business.
You can spot engagement and retention issues before they harm company culture and lead more workers to jump ship — and you can uncover what employees want from your organization.
With this information, you can make meaningful improvements to the employee experience, keeping staff turnover rates low and engagement high.
The intranet we think of when we hear the word “intranet” has a bad reputation. For too long, intranets have been static, disorganized, and irrelevant. Clunky design, poor navigation, and buried links have long frustrated employees, turning these platforms into digital wastelands that are more of a hindrance than a help.
But modern intranets are changing the game. Today’s employee experience platforms are dynamic, user-friendly hubs that streamline internal comms, fuel collaboration, and boost engagement. They stand out in three key ways:
Mobile first: Always accessible from a smartphone, no matter where or how your employees work (with an equally great desktop experience)
Insta-grade: As seamlessly intuitive and visually engaging as the social apps (like Instagramnand TikTok) that we use every day in our personal lives
Real-time insights: Built-in analytics, like engagement and sentiment, that empower leaders to optimize employee adoption and productivity
Ready to leave outdated intranets behind? Let’s explore seven steps to designing an intranet experience your employees will love.
How do you modernize your employee intranet?
Follow these seven steps to upgrade your company intranet as quickly and smoothly as possible.
Step 1: Take stock of what’s working (and what’s not)
The first step to improving your employee intranet is auditing the system you’re currently working with. Identify elements that you’d like to keep, as well as those that make sense to get rid of.
Intranet areas to audit include:
Content quality: Assess your intranet content based on its quality, usefulness, and the level of engagement it receives from employees. This helps you determine which content should be kept or deleted. It may also give insight into the content formats you want to prioritize on your refreshed platform.
Usability: To assess the usability of your employee intranet, you can create and trial a series of scenarios. Base these scenarios around tasks your employees typically try to complete on the intranet — like creating a user account on a business tool, enrolling in annual benefits, or referring someone for a job opening. You can also look at help desk requests and search logs to find out what employees are struggling with.
Mobile access: Don’t forget to audit your intranet across all devices. Ask yourself how user-friendly the mobile version of your intranet is. Assess how easy it is to log in via mobile and whether you can access the same features and functionality across both mobile and desktop.
{{mobile-main="/image"}}
Step 2: Find out what your team really needs
An audit gives insight into how your current intranet is working. Next, it’s time to dig deeper.
Seek feedback from employees across the whole of your organization. Include employees from different departments and levels of the company for a holistic view — and be sure to include frontline workers, who are often left behind when it comes to workplace tech.
Using employee surveys and focus groups, ask employees which elements of the current intranet they find useful. Find out where they experience friction. Also, get their opinion on the new intranet features and functionalities they’d like to see.
With a clear idea of user needs, you can build a comprehensive picture of what your modern employee intranet should look like. You can also establish the goals you want your intranet to achieve.
For example, you may want a news feed function to improve internal communication. Or a recognition feature to boost employee engagement. Maybe you want to find new ways to involve your frontline employees in company comms. Or need easy integration with the workplace software you already use.
{{future-of-internal-comms-2025="/callouts"}}
Whatever your platform needs and goals, get them down on paper before attempting the following step.
{{mobile-survey="/image"}}
Step 3: Choose mobile-first technology that works for everyone
Look at your list of intranet must-haves. It may be that your current platform can be updated or adapted to meet those needs.
Bear in mind that — at a minimum — a modern intranet platform is mobile-friendly and scalable. It integrates with existing systems, providing a seamless digital employee experience. To meet all of these needs, it also tends to be a cloud-based system, with collaboration tools and advanced search functionality.
A modern employee intranet should also provide all the tools you need for effective employee communications. It supports employee engagement and the digital employee experience — and it will make the work of your communications and HR teams much easier.
If your current platform isn’t measuring up, it’s time to look for alternative intranet software. Start by browsing the top intranet software providers. Look at software reviews. Create an intranet shortlist and sign up for platform demonstrations.
Step 4: Put the user experience (UX) front and center
Having chosen the intranet technology best suited to your organization, it’s time to ensure it provides the best possible user experience.
Good intranet UX is critical for employee adoption, engagement, and productivity. Best practices in UX design include:
Easy-to-find content: Users should be able to complete common tasks and find resources in just a few clicks. To aid this process, categorize and present resources logically and with clear, descriptive labels.
A user-friendly search bar: The intranet search bar should be instantly visible — and when an employee uses the search bar, it should lead to relevant resources.
Customization options: Employees are more likely to engage with your intranet if it feels relevant to them and their roles. So put employees into segmented groups to ensure they get a tailored intranet experience.
Finally, keep in mind that your intranet should be visually appealing and intuitive to use, no matter which device an employee accesses it from.
Step 5: Create an Instagram-grade experience for every employee
Personalized experiences make your intranet more engaging for employees. So when updating your intranet, aim to give users control over their dashboard layout. Use role-based permissions to prevent employees from becoming overwhelmed by content they don’t need.
Also, segment employees based on their role, team, tenure, and where they work. That way, they only receive relevant employee communications. On Blink, platform admins can even create customized employee journeys so the right content is automatically served to employees at the right time.
We also provide a personalized company news feed. Using the “jump back in” feature, employees can head straight for content that is likely to be of interest, based on the content they engage with most.
{{mobile-stories="/image"}}
Step 6: Roll it out gradually — and with ample training
Even with the best UX, employees will need a little time to get used to a new intranet platform. So to ensure a successful launch — and high levels of adoption and usage — it serves to take this step slowly.
You might want to launch a pilot program, where you make your new intranet available to a select group of employees. These workers can test your platform and provide feedback.
Based on this feedback, you can identify and rectify issues before rolling out the platform to the rest of your workforce. Pilot-phase employees can also act as intranet ambassadors, encouraging their coworkers to give the platform a try.
Another approach is the phased rollout. You start by launching a pared-down version of the employee intranet platform. Employees learn how to use fundamental features first. You can then follow up by releasing new features — providing additional training as you go.
This prevents your IT team from being swamped with support and training requests. It also ensures a positive intranet experience from day one, which improves your chances of high user adoption and employee engagement.
Step 7: Keep improving with real-time insights
To ensure your modernized employee intranet is meeting the goals you’ve set, you need to measure its performance. Identify key performance indicators, including:
Adoption rates
Engagement levels
Number of active users
Message response rates
Also, collect user feedback. Find out what employees think of the new platform. Ask them if there are any points of friction and what improvements they’d like to see.
You can then use your data to make ongoing and targeted improvements. That may mean refining the platform, reorganizing content, providing additional training, or better marketing the benefits of your modernized intranet solution.
Modernize your intranet for today — and prepare for tomorrow
A modern employee intranet has the potential to transform your organization.
As the digital landscape evolves, so will the needs of your employees, and with the right platform, your intranet can adapt to meet those changes seamlessly. But having the right partner is just as crucial. A true partner will work alongside you — from planning and launch to long-term growth — ensuring your intranet not only fits your organization’s needs today but evolves with it for the future.
With the right platform, your intranet can be more than just a repository — it can become a powerful tool for engagement, productivity, and connection.
Future-proof your organization by creating an intranet that connects, empowers and inspires your entire workforce now and for the years ahead.
-min.jpeg)
