What’s new in Blink: Stories, Communities, and more

C-suite leaders in the healthcare industry have long been interested in ways to improve their hospital performance. Now, studies show that one factor with a profound positive impact on meeting your business goals is increasing staff engagement in their jobs. HBR’s research showed that higher employee engagement levels can improve outcomes such as:

• Hospital costs (Any legal action taken by a patient against a hospital for negligent complications) 
• Treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes (Measured by the rate patients are readmitted) 
• The level of hospital acquired infections and conditions (Surgical complications, etc)

The research also found that just a small increase (1%) in employee engagement leads to a 3% reduction in hospital acquired complications and a 7% reduction in hospital readmissions. In addition to this, research supports that the quality and care with which their company leaders engage their healthcare employees influences key aspects of the care those employees go on to provide.

Simply put, employee engagement initiatives lead to better patient care. And if you treat your employees right, they'll in turn treat their patients right. The direct link between engagement and operational success is undeniable across all frontline sectors, from optimizing hospital outcomes to figuring out how to improve employee engagement in manufacturing. It's clear that C-suite leaders need to act now if they want to see improvements in hospital performance.

It's clear that C-suite leaders need to act now if they want to see improvements in hospital performance. But how can hospital leaders improve employee engagement among their staff? 

Well, there are a few key employee engagement trends in healthcare that organizations should keep an eye on, which our experts have delved into in this handy guide.

Trend 1: Moving towards consistent & clear communication

Our research has found that almost one-fifth of frontline workers state they don’t receive relevant communications from their employer organization. Our research also found that over one-third (34%) of workers can’t easily access workplace systems on their mobile, nearly 2 in 10 aren’t using their intranet, and of those, two-thirds don’t know how to.

But, so what? What does this downward trend in effective comms mean for leaders of healthcare organizations? Well, it turns out that ineffective communications can actually have a negative impact on patient safety, a critical concern for anyone in the healthcare sector. As NIMH states: 

"When health care professionals are not communicating effectively, patient safety is at risk for several reasons: lack of critical information, misinterpretation of information, unclear orders over the telephone, and overlooked changes in status."

On the flip side, consistent, clear and transparent communication within a healthcare organization creates highly engaged employees, which in turn improves the quality of care your employees provide their patients. 

So, if your paper announcement boards, sporadic emails and disparate communication tools are no longer working to effectively engage your staff, don’t just brush it under the carpet. With the pressure on for HR and IT leaders to digitize, a mobile-first, all-in-one approach to employee engagement can provide the perfect solution to both problems. 

When using mobile communication tools, you are able to easily and directly communicate with your frontline staff. Whether it’s instant company updates and news to the palm of their hands, simplified and secure document access at the drop of a hat, or direct and open two-way communication channels available 24/7, a mobile-first approach is a great way to engage and empower your healthcare employees – and improve patient safety. 

Trend 2: Actioning employee feedback

Whilst consistent communication will be vital to your employee engagement levels, you can’t simply provide workers with the means for communication and expect improved engagement. You have to use your communications channels to truly listen to, and action feedback from, your workforce in order to engage them.

Not only does this show your staff that their opinions matter, but it can also improve the overall work culture and job satisfaction within your healthcare organization, as they feel more autonomy over their work.

And the benefits don’t end there. Research from HR healthcare found that 60% of healthcare workers claim listening to employees drives changes for a more progressive business. Additionally highlighted in HR Healthcare's research, effective employee feedback has been found critical for improving patient employee environments.

As such, by perceiving employee engagement as an outcome-related effort in which patients themselves are directly affected by its success, healthcare leaders can better understand the impact that their engagement initiatives have on the overall patient experience.

Unfortunately, current trends in healthcare seem to be working away from these potential benefits. Our recent employee engagement statistics highlight that 87% of healthcare workers believe their employer should do more to listen to the needs of their workforce, and nearly 4 in 10 workers don’t feel that their feedback will be acted on. To combat this, leaders need to do more to ensure they are consistently making efforts to collect and act on direct employee feedback.

Finding the right employee engagement tools to facilitate clear communication around worker issues will be important, but one key feature you should look out for when it comes to worker feedback is Employee Surveys. By creating customized and targeted surveys for key demographics, departments and employees in your workforce, you can show them that their input is valued and taken into account when the big decisions are made.

Trend 3: Driving employee recognition 

According to research, recognition is a key driver for healthcare worker engagement.

However, our research shows that nearly 4 in 10 (37%) healthcare workers don’t feel as valued as their desk-based colleagues. This is a huge missed opportunity for healthcare organizations, as recognizing and rewarding your frontline staff not only boosts morale and job satisfaction, but can improve patient care as well.

A simple shout-out or a direct message goes a long way in showing your appreciation for your employees' hard work, but a one-on-one approach shows the organization is willing to go the extra mile to show they care about their team members. 

Ask your team questions about how they like to receive feedback. Do they prefer you shout it from the rooftops or keep it private? If your organization uses rewards, does your teammate prefer gift cards or meals? Asking these questions will provide you many options to meaningfully recognise employees.

Other ideas include:

• Recognition events (paid for team lunch or dinners etc)
• Providing development opportunities
• Personalized rewards
• Giving managers exposure to senior leaders.

At the end of the day, taking the time to recognize and appreciate your employees' efforts will go a long way in improving the overall employee experience – and your engagement levels will follow suit.

Trend 4: Understanding quiet quitting

While it's not a new concept to the healthcare sector, quiet quitting—where employees slowly disengage and eventually leave their job without giving notice—is a growing problem in the industry. 

Unfortunately, Gallup found that 32% of US employees were actively engaged at work in 2022 (compared with 34% in 2021) and that the largest decline in engagement was found among health care professionals, who realized a 9 point drop in engagement scores year-on-year. Some reasons cited for employees becoming disengaged include:

• They receive poor communication from management
• They don't believe management has their best interests in mind
• They feel a lack of autonomy and control 
• They do not have the resources needed to career out their role effectively
• They face little or no career advancement opportunities.

In addition to this, another recent survey found that 61% of physicians are currently experiencing burnout, and when asked about the cause, 62% of physicians blamed their current employer. The impact of this on the healthcare industry has been drastic.

The true impact of the quiet-quitting trend in healthcare

This phenomenon can have detrimental impacts to your healthcare organization, as it not only results in decreased productivity and higher turnover/low retention rates, but also requires additional resources—and costs—to recruit and train new staff members. 

Jeremy Sadlier, executive director of the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, commented on how this trend is playing out in hospitals all over the US:

“Ultimately, this trend has the potential to make a significant impact in the industry. Any lack of engagement on the part of staff ultimately impacts patient care, teamwork, safety and throughput, all of which impact the financial health of an organization and the patient experience. 

It's incredibly important for leaders to focus on engagement, growth opportunities, and to recognize and reward hard work. These are a few ways to focus on your employees to help them feel engaged with their work." 

In order to combat this growing trend, healthcare leaders should prioritize open communication with their staff to address any concerns or issues that may be causing employees to disengage in the first place. By understanding and addressing these issues with strong engagement initiatives, healthcare organizations can prevent quiet quitting and improve the entire employee experience.

Another way to tackle the quiet-quitting crisis, Forbes suggests, is that leaders humanize work. This could include offering flexibility and autonomy in the workplace, as well as recognizing and valuing employee contributions and investing in a mobile-first, intuitive solution to healthcare employee engagement.

Trend 5: Pushing diversity, equity & inclusion

One trend we're seeing in the healthcare industry is a greater focus on creating a diverse and inclusive workforce, as well as providing DEI training for employees.

And it's not only a recent trend. According to one study, the number of HR leaders identifying DEI efforts as a top priority was 1.8 times higher in 2020 than in 2019. In 2021 leaders indicated that “setting goals and tracking DEI progress through metrics” was one of their two top priorities for the year.

This trend is supported by further research from Deloitte, who surveyed 20 CEOs within the healthcare industry to find that addressing and improving health equity was one of their top goals. But why is that?

By promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace at every level, healthcare organizations can improve employee engagement levels by making all staff members feel valued and respected. In turn, this can lead to improved patient care and better overall organizational practices.

Rola Aamar, PhD, Senior Clinical Effectiveness Consultant at Relias states:

“Commitment to consistent DEI initiatives, especially training, not only is important for patient safety and better health outcomes, but also can be key for retaining qualified, engaged employees. Organizations that create and promote inclusive work environments and consistently let staff know that DEI is a priority are the ones that are most likely to reduce moral injury and burnout among staff.”

Research has also shown that diverse patients who see themselves in the healthcare workforce, are more likely to trust their healthcare provider. This in turn leads them to be able to communicate better about their condition, more likely to understand and follow treatment plans, and overall are more satisfied with their healthcare. 

It really does matter at every level.

DEI is important at every level, with CEOs recognizing and pushing it forward this trickles down into other levels of management right down to the frontline.

In their 2021 State of Healthcare Training and Staff Development Report Relias found that over half of respondents indicated that their organization was moving to actively address DEI-related issues. However, only 40% of those with DEI training require managers to participate.

With this in mind, healthcare business leaders need to take action now: review your organization's current DEI practices, set goals for improvement, and make a plan to implement them effectively.

And don't forget to regularly track and assess your progress along the way. Consider utilizing resources such as DEI training programs, diversity consulting services, and healthcare employee surveys to gather feedback and ensure your DEI efforts are truly making a positive impact.

Trend 6: Prioritizing mental health and wellbeing

The mental health and wellbeing of your healthcare workforce has to be a priority if you want to succeed as an organization. However, historically, the healthcare sector has seen elevated stress levels. 

As Frontier’s research states:

Numerous factors contribute to elevated stress among healthcare workers, including heavy workloads, long shifts, a high pace, lack of physical or psychological safety, chronicity of care, moral conflicts, perceived job security, and workplace related bullying or lack of social support.

And this elevated stress isn't without its challenges. Physician burnout and caregiver stress is a real issue and, according to Frontier's research, work-related stress can have a negative impact on health care providers' professionalism, quality of care delivery, efficiency, and overall quality of life.

As such, it is critical that leaders in the healthcare sector are prioritizing the mental health and wellbeing of their employees. This includes offering direct and easy access to communication solutions to allow employees to reach out for support when needed, support resources such as employee assistance programs and crisis resources, mindfulness/resilience training, and flexible work schedules.

Whilst mental health should be a key focus, you can’t neglect physical safety.

In the quote above, Frontier cited “lack of physical safety” as one of the factors that contribute to stress. This is supported by research from NSC which found 40% of people who reported feeling “very” unsafe at work reported having symptoms of depression all or most days, while only 1% of people who felt very safe at work reported the same.

From the research, there are 3 key ways frontline safety can impact mental health:

• Employees who feel unsafe at work are more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety. 
• Employees who feel the most unsafe at work are also the most likely to meet the criteria for clinical diagnosis of mental illness. 
• Feeling unsafe at work impacts employees on and off the clock. The feelings they have at work can follow them home.

By prioritizing the mental health and wellbeing of healthcare workers, organizations can improve overall employee engagement levels and decrease burnout rates, in turn driving patient care success and overall organizational success.

So let's take action now and prioritize the mental health and wellbeing of our healthcare employees. It's time to put an end to burnout and promote a culture of support within our organizations. The benefits, for both our employees and our patients, are worth it.

Trend 7: Using people analytics tools

People analytics tools are gaining traction in the healthcare industry, as they offer a way to track and measure employee engagement levels, analyze performance data, and inform HR decision-making. With the rising trend of big data and analytics in the healthcare sector, these tools can offer valuable insights to organizational leaders.

Deloitte tells us that with people analytics, healthcare organizations can:

• Increase employee satisfaction.
• View employees as a critical and valuable asset in the supply chain; an asset that can be analyzed and optimized to benefit individuals and the company as a whole
• Uncover opportunities to transform HR practices and optimize talent-focused programs.

By utilizing people analytics tools, healthcare organizations can gather valuable insight to inform and improve their HR strategies, ultimately driving employee engagement and overall organizational success.

Healthcare firms are also using people analytics to increase profitability, as employee engagement has been proven to be a strong predictor of financial performance.

With Blink's Frontline Intelligence, healthcare organizations can analyze and track employee engagement, satisfaction, and other key metrics in real time, using them to guide their employee engagement initiatives and reach their goals.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, Healthcare networks can be complicated enough, without staff having to download and juggle a number of different employee systems. 

The Blink mobile-first employee app connects them to core industry apps in seconds, without requiring a password. From shift scheduling to PPE requests to Sharepoint, everything's ready for your staff in one (digital) dashboard.

By providing a platform to help you stay on top of the latest trends, facilitate communication, and track performance and satisfaction, we can help drive HR success within your organization. With Blink, you can achieve:

• 10X higher communication rate using an employee app
• 300% increase in feedback through survey responses
• Higher employee retention and engagement
• People analytics to focus on burnout and DE&I initiatives.

So why wait? As healthcare leaders, it’s vital that you keep up with the latest trends and take action to improve employee engagement within your organization. And we can help you do just that.

Book A Demo Now

Want to learn more? Check out one of our healthcare client testimonials below to see how we helped them.

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Microsoft SharePoint and Viva are powerful platforms — but are they built for internal comms?

When it comes to workplace technology, Microsoft SharePoint and Viva are often seen as the default choice for organized communication and team collaboration. It promises seamless integration, familiarity, and scalability for enterprise organizations — particularly with SharePoint as a best-in-class document management system, Teams for direct chatting, and Viva working to tackle employee engagement.

But in today’s digital workplace, where employees demand intuitive, mobile-first, and consumer-grade internal communication tools, do they truly deliver?

The truth is, Microsoft’s technology portfolio — like Google Workspace and other all-in-one ecosystems — often struggles to meet the diverse needs of modern workforces. While it excels at being a deep and comprehensive solution for desk-based teams, it misses the mark for frontline employees, remote workers, and those seeking a more engaging, user-friendly experience.

Here’s where SharePoint and Viva fall short — and why rethinking your employee engagement strategy is essential.

Challenge #1: The mobile divide between the desk-based and the deskless

Frontline workers make up 80% of the global workforce, yet they often remain underserved by traditional enterprise tools. When it comes to your internal communication platform, it's important to ensure your messages are reaching the right audience at the right time — no matter when or where they work.

• SharePoint: Clunky mobile experience and complex navigation make it difficult for deskless employees to quickly access important information.
• Viva: Engagement remains low among frontline workers because it’s buried within the Microsoft ecosystem, requiring a Teams or 365 login, which many frontline workers don’t use daily.

The impact? Frontline and mobile workers struggle to access the tools they need, causing missed messages and disengagement.

The solution: Create an equitable employee experience

Improve mobile accessibility

SharePoint and Viva are primarily designed with office-based employees in mind. For frontline employees, the extra login requirements, complex navigation, and lack of offline functionality can slow them down and be more frustrating than fruitful.

Not catering to mobile-first needs not only hinders employee engagement, it also creates a divide between desk-based and frontline workers — undermining efforts to build a cohesive and connected workforce.

Enable customized communication

Real-time communications and notifications may work for desk-based employees, but for the mobile workforce that doesn't sit behind a computer, these tools fail to bridge the gap.

Employee communication software that enables customizable notifications and serves up high-priority alerts to relevant titles, locations, and functions can help employees stay in the loop more efficiently.

Create clarity — not complexity

Imagine a retail associate trying to access critical updates through a SharePoint portal from the shop floor, or a delivery driver wanting to check for updates on the go.

While SharePoint and Viva may offer a unified platform, it can be difficult for employees (and especially frontline workers) to find what they’re looking for — requiring multiple clicks, a stable internet connection, and significant time they don’t have.

Challenge #2: Too many tools, too little time

The breadth of SharePoint and Viva is both its greatest strength and its biggest weakness. With Viva for company-wide comms, Teams for instant messaging, SharePoint for content management and file sharing, Outlook for email, and a wide range of additional tools for scheduling, tasks, and other workforce management needs, employees often find themselves navigating a maze of features rather than focusing on their work.

• SharePoint: A great document management system — but not a dynamic communication hub. Important updates get buried under layers of links and folders.
• Viva: Feels like an add-on rather than an integrated experience — employees still rely on Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint separately.

The impact? Employees are left jumping between platforms to find what they need, killing productivity.

The solution: Simplify the tech experience

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Minimize information overload

While complementary tools like SharePoint, Viva, Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive may be well-intentioned, they often overlap and overwhelm, creating confusion and inefficiency rather than streamlining communication.

The average employee switches between apps 10 times per hour, costing organizations billions annually in lost productivity. When each employee communication tool serves a slightly different purpose, workers are forced to juggle multiple platforms that don’t always integrate seamlessly.

Flatten the learning curve

For frontline workers or new hires, the complexity of SharePoint and Viva can be especially daunting. Training employees to effectively use these tools often requires extensive onboarding — time that could be better spent enabling employees to focus on their primary responsibilities.

For many frontline workers, who may not use a computer regularly, this complexity often results in disengagement and underutilization of the tools provided.

Prioritize workflow efficiency

Consider a factory worker needing to log a safety incident. Navigating through SharePoint’s cluttered interface can turn simple task management into a frustrating ordeal — hindering timely reporting and potentially compromising workplace safety.

Similarly, deskless employees may struggle to track down essential documents or communicate updates in real time, resulting in delays and reduced operational efficiency.

Challenge #3: The uninspiring design of outdated tools

In a world dominated by consumer apps like Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, employees have come to expect the same level of ease, speed, and engagement from their internal communications tools.

• SharePoint: Feels like a corporate archive rather than a living, breathing communication space.
• Viva: Lacks social-first, consumer-grade features like Stories, reactions, or interactive engagement tools.

The solution: Bring consumer-grade content to your comms

Employees expect an Instagram-like experience — if the tools feel clunky, they simply won’t engage.

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Provide a user-friendly UI

The design of SharePoint and Viva, while practical, lacks the intuitive, visually engaging experience employees are used to from consumer apps. Navigating through dense menus and static interfaces can frustrate users — particularly younger, mobile-first workers who expect the same seamless, fast, and attractive interfaces they experience in their personal lives.

Boost adoption rates

Employees avoid using digital workplace apps if they find them cumbersome or outdated. This is especially concerning for internal comms teams relying on these tools to share updates, drive engagement, and build a sense of community.

Not only can this disconnect employees from the tools themselves, it can disengage them from the company culture as a whole.

Give employees features they can engage with

SharePoint and Viva are not inherently designed to foster the same social, collaborative atmosphere that we have come to expect from consumer apps. Features like Stories, live streaming, and polls — hallmarks of modern communication — are either absent or clunky to use.

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Challenge #4: Synchronous communication can’t be the norm

SharePoint and Viva shine when it comes to real-time collaboration, but its heavy emphasis on live chats and video calls often leaves asynchronous communication as an afterthought. For shift workers, employees in different time zones, or remote employees who may work on alternative schedules, this creates significant barriers to effective engagement.

• SharePoint: Lacks real-time notifications or role-based updates — employees are expected to “go find” information.
• Viva: Prioritizes live engagement but doesn’t support modern async communication like Stories, video updates, or discussion boards.

The solution: Embrace the needs of your diverse workforce

Shift workers and global teams miss out on key updates and collaboration tools, creating an information gap.

Reduce reliance on live tools

The platform prioritizes synchronous communication, which works well for desk-based employees but alienates those who can’t always join live meetings or respond instantly. Real-time updates are incredibly handy, but for some employees, it's more important that they can access the company content they're looking for on their own time.

Provide modern asynchronous options

What's missing from SharePoint and Viva are features like Stories, real-time messaging chats and discussion boards, or video updates — common in consumer-grade platforms. This limits the ways employees can catch up or contribute on their own schedules.

Keep employees in the loop

Imagine a nurse wrapping up a long overnight shift, only to find they’ve missed a critical live announcement on Viva that directly impacts their day-to-day work. No single method of communication will reach all employees across the entire organization. Without an asynchronous alternative, the information gap widens, leaving key workers uninformed.

Challenge #5: Disconnectivity can damage culture

Focusing on top-down communication channels often neglects the value of peer-to-peer engagement. Building a sense of community and fostering organic interactions are critical for employee satisfaction.

• SharePoint: Functions more as a repository than a tool that fosters connection, making it hard to celebrate milestones and share successes.
• Viva: Built for top-down communication, but struggles to support peer-to-peer recognition and organic community-building.

The solution: Don’t forget about the human connection

Without the right interactive tools in place, it’s easy for employees to feel disconnected from their teams and the larger company culture.

Invest in social-grade features

Unlike a consumer-grade internal communication platform, SharePoint and Viva offer little to encourage informal communication or peer recognition, which are essential for engagement.

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Foster a sense of belonging

In an environment where 40% of people say that they feel isolated at work, business applications that prioritize employee engagement and peer-to-peer connection can be a crucial investment in the employee experience.

Without tools that bring the power of social connection to team collaboration, employees feel isolated, which can negatively affect employee retention and morale rates.

Celebrate milestones without reservation

A manufacturing team wanting to celebrate a colleague’s milestone might struggle to find a platform that facilitates spontaneous recognition — a gap that undermines morale and creates missed opportunities for team bonding and employee motivation.

Challenge #6: The risk of a one-size-fits-all approach

With SharePoint and Viva, getting employees the update they need, when they need it, is like finding a needle in a haystack. The one-size-fits-all approach is convenient, but it makes it difficult to cater to everyone in your workforce.

• SharePoint: Lacks intuitive dashboards or role-based filters, forcing employees to sift through irrelevant content.
• Viva: No real ability to tailor content by role, location, or function—everyone gets the same updates, whether relevant or not.

The solution: Hyper-personalize your strategy

All communication, and especially frontline communication, require personalization and role-specific features. Otherwise, employees waste time navigating a cluttered experience rather than getting the updates they actually need.

Account for different roles, teams, and locations

SharePoint’s rigid company intranet structure and Viva uniform features don’t allow for role-specific customization or hyper-personalized push notifications. This leaves workers on their own to navigate potentially irrelevant or overwhelming content on the employee intranet and other communication channels.

Keep comms clear and efficient

Employees waste time wading through irrelevant company content instead of accessing what matters most to them, which can reduce productivity and increase frustration.

Find opportunities for role-specific tools

A hotel housekeeping staff member might benefit from a simplified employee app that tailors company updates and key features to their daily operations, such as shift updates or specific task lists — something Viva doesn’t easily provide, leaving a gap in streamlined workflow support.

Challenge #7: Heavy reliance on IT for customization and maintenance

While Microsoft SharePoint and Viva offer extensive features, they require significant IT support for setup, customization, and ongoing maintenance. This dependency can slow down internal communications and create bottlenecks for non-technical teams.

• SharePoint: Requires IT expertise to configure, update, and maintain. Customizing layouts, permissions, and workflows often demands dedicated IT resources, making even small adjustments time-consuming.
• Viva: As part of the Microsoft ecosystem, it inherits complex integration challenges. IT teams must manage access controls, troubleshoot syncing issues, and ensure compatibility with existing tools.

The solution: Empower teams with easy-to-use tools that are built for internal comms teams

Reduce IT dependency

Organizations need internal communication software that allows non-technical users to create, update, and manage content effortlessly—without constantly relying on IT support.

Enable no-code customization

Modern internal communication tools should offer simple, intuitive dashboards with drag-and-drop customization, ensuring teams can tailor their platforms to fit their needs without complex back-end development.

Improve operational efficiency

By reducing IT’s workload and giving communication teams direct control over their platforms, businesses can accelerate internal messaging, improve engagement, and ensure employees always have access to up-to-date information.

Your workforce is evolving — so should your tools

While Microsoft SharePoint and Viva have their strengths, it’s not an end-all, be-all solution — particularly when it comes to internal communications for modern, diverse workforces.

For organizations with traditional, desk-based employees, SharePoint and Viva can be highly effective. In particular, highly regulated industries like government, healthcare, and finance often rely on Microsoft’s compliance-focused infrastructure to meet strict standards for data security and document retention.

But the very features that make these tools appealing can also be limitations. Legacy systems that rely on synchronous communication fail to address the needs of hybrid, mobile, and frontline teams. Employees in dynamic, fast-paced environments like retail, logistics, and hospitality need hyper-personalized tools that deliver real-time engagement.

To transform your internal communication strategy and create a workplace where everyone feels informed and connected, organizations must look for internal communication solutions that are built to meet the needs of modern employees — today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Don’t let today’s tools limit tomorrow’s success

The modern workforce deserves a single platform that's as dynamic and diverse as the employees it serves. While SharePoint and Viva may offer familiarity and integrations, it fails to deliver the consumer-grade, mobile-first employee experience that today’s diverse workforce expect.

A modern internal communication tool — designed with mobile-first, consumer-grade principles — bridges the gaps left by Microsoft. They prioritize:

• Intuitive, user-friendly interfaces.
• Offline functionality and mobile optimization.
• Role-specific customization and asynchronous communication.

As organizations evolve, so should our internal communications software. Adopting an internal communication platform that supports every part of your workforce can help foster a more connected and empowered workplace culture. By prioritizing employee engagement, you’re not just supporting your team — you’re also strengthening your organization as a whole.

Blink. And break the Microsoft status quo.

In a world where brand is everything — from how your customers experience your services to how your employees feel about the work they do — consistency matters.

Marketers obsess over customer touchpoints. Designers fine-tune fonts, colors, and microcopy to evoke emotion. Leaders talk about brand as a strategic asset. But there’s one place where branding often stops short: the tools we use to power our employee experience.

And that’s a missed opportunity.

Because here’s the truth: Your brand doesn’t just belong in your storefronts or on your website. It belongs in the everyday moments your employees experience at work — from clocking in to reading a company update to cheering on a teammate. That’s where white-labeling your employee experience platform comes in.

First, what is white-labeling?

At its core, white-labeling means taking a platform — in this case, your internal employee app or communications hub — and customizing it to reflect your brand, not the vendor’s.

That includes everything from in-app colors and logos to app store listings, custom app icons, and branded emails. Done well, white-labeling creates a seamless, fully immersive brand experience. Your employees don’t see a third-party vendor. They see you.

It’s not just a superficial coat of paint — it’s a strategic branding decision with real impact.

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Why white-labeling matters more than ever

Most organizations have spent years investing in their external brand. But in today’s workplace — especially with large, distributed, or frontline-heavy teams — it’s your internal brand that drives connection, engagement, and pride.

Here’s why white-labeling your employee experience platform is one of the smartest moves you can make:

#1. Brand immersion builds belonging

Just like a great customer experience is infused with brand personality, a great employee experience should feel unmistakably you.

When your workforce opens an app that looks and feels like your brand — not a generic third-party solution — it sends a clear signal that this technology is ours. It fosters ownership, pride, and connection. Every login becomes a brand touchpoint that reinforces identity and culture.

This is especially powerful for employees who aren’t sitting in HQ. For frontline workers, contractors, and dispersed teams, a white-labeled experience is a powerful way to extend culture and community beyond the walls of the corporate office.

#2. It’s a trust signal — even internally

Brand consistency isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s about trust. Inconsistency — logos that don’t match, tools with unfamiliar names, generic notification emails — introduces friction. People start to question whether the tool is legit, secure, or if it’s even meant for them at all.

White-labeling brings everything under one visual and emotional umbrella. The result? Higher trust, smoother adoption, and fewer support tickets asking, “Is this app safe to use?”

#3. You control the narrative

White-labeling puts your brand front and center — not the vendor’s. That matters when your goal is to unify teams, promote new initiatives, or make a bold culture shift.

When your employee platform looks and sounds like your company, every message has more weight. Every announcement lands with more credibility. And every interaction contributes to a more cohesive, compelling internal brand story.

#4. It’s not just “nice to have” — it’s a competitive differentiator

In industries where employee experience drives performance — retail, hospitality, healthcare, logistics — standing out as an employer of choice is critical.

A beautifully branded, fully immersive app experience tells your workforce (and future talent): We care about experience. We invest in culture. We do things the right way.

It’s the kind of signal that separates good employers from great ones — especially in a competitive labor market.

Not all branding options are created equal

Here’s where things get tricky: Many platforms claim to support branding. But in reality, “customizable” often means swapping out a logo or changing a background color.

That’s like giving someone a sharpie and calling them a designer.

Truly impactful white-labeling goes deeper — into every surface your employees touch. Let’s break it down:

• Theming and in-app branding: Change colors, upload your logo, swap in branded images. These are table stakes — but still powerful when thoughtfully executed.

• Custom app icon: On your employees’ phones, your platform shouldn’t be buried behind a vendor logo. A branded app icon helps the platform feel like an extension of your company, right on the home screen.

• Fully white-labeled experience: This is the gold standard. The app isn’t just themed — it becomes yours entirely. Your name in the app stores. Your brand in the notifications. Your URL in the browser. Every single interaction, owned.

If you're going to invest in an employee experience platform, it should reflect your brand in full. Otherwise, you're building culture on someone else’s terms.

When brand is the experience

One of the biggest drivers of white-labeling demand we’ve seen? Brand-first organizations.

Take a global hospitality company known for high-design hotels and curated guest experiences. For a brand so intentional about every detail — from guestroom playlists to menu typography — it was only natural to carry that same intentionality into the employee experience.

With a fully white-labeled app, the company ensured their workforce — spread across properties worldwide — could access a platform that felt as personal and curated as the guest experience they’re known for.

Every interaction felt undeniably on brand. And that’s exactly the point.

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So, is it worth it?

If your brand matters — and let’s be real, it does — then white-labeling your employee platform is absolutely worth the investment.

Because employees aren’t just logging into an app. They’re joining your culture. They’re engaging with your values. They’re experiencing your brand — whether you’ve branded it or not.

White-labeling makes sure that experience is intentional. Aligned. Consistent. And completely yours.

TLDR: Don’t wait to white-label — your brand deserves center stage

White-labeling isn’t a vanity play — it’s a strategic move to elevate culture, trust, and employee connection. And if your employee experience platform doesn’t offer it (or offers a half-baked version), it’s time to rethink what great really looks like.

Brand your experience. Own the interaction. And give your employees a platform they’re proud to open — because it reflects the brand they proudly represent.

‍Blink. And make your brand the hero of the employee experience.

The employee intranet is a critical piece of the employee engagement puzzle. It keeps your workforce on the same page, supports the easy sharing of information and resources, and serves as a valuable tool to support internal communications, HR, and IT functions.

But historically, employee intranets have been developed with a desk-based workforce in mind, creating a gap in the workforce tech experience for frontline employees — the vast majority of the global workforce.

It’s a gap that these deskless employees are keenly aware of: Just 10% of frontline workers say they have enough access to the tools, tech, and opportunities they need to connect and advance in their workplace.

This lack of access is often a result of two simple reasons: Most intranets are 1) designed for a desktop computer experience and 2) accessible only through a corporate email address — two things that many frontline workers don’t have or use on a regular basis.

To overcome these issues, organizations sometimes try communicating with their frontline workers using memos on a noticeboard, SMS messages, or shadow IT. Yet this just furthers the disconnect, with desk-based workers getting a rich digital workplace experience — and frontline workers still missing out on all the benefits an employee intranet brings.

With frontline satisfaction and retention in need of urgent attention, a modern intranet, suited to all sectors of your workforce, can transform the frontline employee experience.

Let’s look at six ways that organizations can customize their intranet to make it more frontline-friendly. By incorporating these ideas into your own intranet, you can give your frontline employees — alongside your office staff — the communications, connection, and resources they need to thrive in the workplace.

6 ways to customize your intranet for the frontline

#1. Make all tools and resources accessible in one hub

Frontline employees work busy shifts with limited downtime. If they have to switch between lots of different apps, remembering multiple sets of login details, they’re unlikely to regularly use your workplace tools.

By putting everything your workforce might need in a centralized employee app, your frontline workers can benefit from quick and easy access to key tools and resources.

An employee app, accessible via smartphone or desktop computer, can act as a content hub where all policies, documents, and forms are stored. It’s where employees can catch up with company news, connect with coworkers, and fill out the latest employee surveys.

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With the help of single sign-on technology, a company app can also act as the gateway to all other workplace software, improving adoption of tools across the business. Employees need to sign on just once to access anything from training programs and shift-swapping software to time-off policies and employee benefits.

#2. Create different channels to satisfy all employee connection needs

While it may not take place around the famous water cooler, office-based workers get lots of opportunity during the work day for informal chit chat. But frontline employees — who often work disparately, away from HQ and on their own — tend to miss out on coworker connection. This can create a disjointed employee experience and get in the way of knowledge sharing, team building, and collaboration.

So when it comes to the company intranet, don’t just create channels for important company updates. Create channels suited to informal conversation and two-way communication, too.

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Here, employees can get to know one another and chat about their choice of topics. They can enter groups, building relationships with co-workers in the same location, in the same role, or with the same hobbies. By providing a variety of communication channels on your employee intranet, you satisfy the various connection needs of your workforce.

#3. Use mandatory reads to highlight important communications

Some frontline employees work in environments where safety and compliance are critical. Others interface with customers and need the most up-to-date information on inventory and processes. But these workers don’t always call into HQ before their shift starts, and they sometimes operate with less direct supervision than their office-based peers.

So how can you ensure critical updates get through to your deskless workforce?

By marking the latest policies, safety alerts, and best practices as mandatory reads on your intranet, they’re more likely to cut through the noise. 

Mandatory reads appear prominently on the intranet dashboard or the company news feed. They only disappear when an employee reads and acknowledges them. And by using backend analytics that track engagement and reading rates, your internal communications team can ensure that all workers, regardless of their locations, have received and read new need-to-know information.

#4. Surface personalized content based on teams and titles

If you primarily use your intranet for your desk-based workforce, it likely contains a lot of information that is irrelevant to your frontline teams. Serve this information to your frontline employees and they’ll become disengaged with your intranet, making it harder for you to communicate key messages.

Use intranet tools that allow you to personalize the user experience — and don’t simply make a distinction between your office and frontline staff.

Segment your employees based on their title, team, location, and tenure. Then customize their dashboard so it features the most relevant content. For frontline employees, you might like to include key contacts, “suggested for you” content, and news related to the frontline.

Similarly, when employees access the company news feed, they should see content relating to them and their roles. You can achieve this by selecting the audience for each post — whether that’s the whole company, your office staff, your frontline workers, or a particular team.

#5. Make it easy for managers to recognize great workers

A third of frontline workers say that a primary reason for leaving their position is feeling undervalued by their employer. Yet despite the role of workplace appreciation in engagement and retention, less than half of workers said they had received recognition from their organization, leaders, or peers in the previous month.

Frontline managers are well-placed to offer praise but — like the people they lead — these managers are busy, feeling like there are barely enough hours in the day. To build recognition into the frontline employee experience, make it easy for managers to tackle through an employee intranet with built-in rewards and recognition features.

By providing ready-to-go templates, managers can easily but meaningfully personalize and post messages of recognition to a company news feed or a group chat. With just a few clicks, managers can show appreciation for hard work, highlight successes, or celebrate an employee birthday.

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Highlight employees on public channels within your intranet and recognition will take on a life of its own. Coworkers and other managers can like the post and comment with their own words of praise, amplifying the post’s impact.

The fewer steps involved in employee recognition, and the more visible you make it, the more likely it is to become an integral part of company culture.

#6. Analyze intranet data to identify gaps and opportunities

A modern intranet is more than just an information hub — it’s a way to capture, measure, and analyze employee engagement rates. It also allows you to segment data by division, location, and more criteria to unearth more granular employee-level insights.

By examining intranet engagement data for your frontline workforce, you can build a clearer picture of which strategies are working — and which could be improved. Also, consider using employee surveys to ask your frontline about their intranet experience. You may discover points of friction and reasons why employees aren’t using your intranet.

With these data-backed insights, you can make targeted and informed decisions about how to customize your intranet to maximize frontline employee engagement.

A frontline-friendly culture can be built on the intranet

While standard intranets don’t always work for a frontline workforce, there are ways to customize your employee intranet so it meets the needs of everyone.

Personalize your intranet experience so its content and chats are more relevant to frontline employees. Give your dispersed workers recognition and coworker connection opportunities. Above all, make your intranet easy to access and use via a mobile app.

By doing so, you’ll make your intranet more engaging — and provide a reliable source of information and connection for all employees.

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As companies rethink how they connect with employees in a hybrid, mobile, and fast-moving world, many are looking beyond traditional intranet platforms like LumApps. While LumApps is a solid option for knowledge management and Microsoft/Google integrations, it can fall short when it comes to usability, real-time communication, and mobile performance.

Whether you’re rolling out internal comms globally, trying to unify systems into one employee app, or simply seeking a more flexible and modern intranet experience, there are better options out there.

What to look for in a LumApps alternative

When evaluating alternatives to LumApps, here are five key factors to consider:

#1. Mobile usability

Your employee experience platform should be just as powerful on mobile as it is on desktop — especially with today’s hybrid, frontline, and remote workforces.

#2. Ease of use

A modern intranet or communications tool must be intuitive for both admins and end users. Platforms with steep learning curves or clunky interfaces will see low adoption.

#3. Real-time communication

Timely communication is essential — whether it's leadership announcements, crisis updates, or team alerts. Look for platforms that offer native chat, push notifications, or news feeds.

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#4. Integration ecosystem

You shouldn’t have to cobble together multiple tools. The right platform integrates with your HRIS, LMS, scheduling, payroll, file storage, and more.

#5. Analytics & insights

Data matters. Choose a solution with actionable dashboards that help you measure what’s working, what’s being read, and where to improve.

The top 12 LumApps alternatives

Now that you know what to look for — and why LumApps might not be the best long-term fit — here are the best alternatives, starting with the standout:

#1. Blink – The #1 LumApps alternative for unified employee experience

Blink is an employee experience platform designed to bring communications, resources, and tools into a single, easy-to-access app. With a strong focus on usability, real-time engagement, and seamless integrations, Blink empowers companies to connect with their entire workforce—whether they’re on mobile, desktop, or a shared device.

Why Blink is the best LumApps alternative:

• All-in-one communications hub: Combines chat, news, content, HR tools, recognition, and surveys into one streamlined platform.
• Mobile + desktop parity: Offers full functionality on any device, with no reliance on corporate email.
• Powerful analytics: Gives real-time insights into usage, engagement, and sentiment to help you optimize comms strategies.
• Integrations-first approach: Blink integrates with HRIS, LMS, payroll, scheduling, and document systems to centralize everything your workforce needs.
• Top-rated platform: 4.8★ average on Gartner Peer Insights and a leader in G2 for internal communications and employee apps.

Pros:

• Unified digital workplace accessible from anywhere
• Highly intuitive UI with rapid user adoption
• Dedicated support and success teams for onboarding and beyond
• Transparent pricing and strong ROI

Cons:

• May require customization for highly complex intranet needs
• Some advanced analytics features are part of higher-tier plans

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#2. Simpplr

Simpplr is an intranet platform designed to streamline internal communication, content distribution, and knowledge sharing. It includes personalization features, integrations with HR tools, and prebuilt templates to simplify setup. The platform is geared toward companies looking for a structured, branded experience.

‍Pros: Great personalization, modern interface
Cons: Limited customization, costly at scale
Pricing: Custom
Gartner: 4.7★

#3. Staffbase

Staffbase supports internal communications across multiple channels, including email, mobile apps, and digital signage. It offers features for content scheduling, targeting, and employee surveys. Often used by global enterprises, the platform emphasizes scalability and branding consistency.‍

Pros: Email, mobile, signage comms; powerful targeting
Cons: Less flexible for content management or smaller teams
Pricing: Custom
Gartner: 4.1★

#4. Interact Software

Interact Software delivers an intranet platform with features for content publishing, employee engagement, and search. It includes integrations with Microsoft products and offers tools like blogging, forums, and document sharing. The platform is designed for medium to large organizations.‍

Pros: Social features, easy setup
Cons: Limited analytics and design flexibility
Pricing: Custom
Gartner: 4.6★

#5. Haiilo

Haiilo combines intranet functionality with features for social advocacy and personalized content delivery. The platform includes analytics, customizable pages, and AI-based search to help surface relevant information. It is commonly adopted by organizations prioritizing internal engagement and branding.‍

Pros: Strong search, personalization, advocacy tools
Cons: Steep learning curve for admins
Pricing: Custom
Gartner: 4.1★

#6. Unily

Unily provides a cloud-based intranet designed for enterprise use, with features for knowledge management, internal communications, and collaboration. It integrates with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and other enterprise tools. The platform is known for its flexible content management and multilingual support.‍

Pros: Rich design options, integrations
Cons: Expensive and complex setup
Pricing: Custom
Gartner: 4.4★

#7. MangoApps

MangoApps offers a unified platform that combines intranet, collaboration, learning management, and document storage. It supports both desktop and mobile access and is used by a variety of industries. The platform is modular, allowing organizations to deploy only the tools they need.‍

Pros: Feature-rich; good for training-heavy orgs
Cons: Dated interface; inconsistent UX
Pricing: Custom
Gartner: 4.4★

#8. Workvivo by Zoom

Workvivo is a social intranet platform that combines internal communications with engagement tools like activity feeds, shout-outs, and surveys. It offers a familiar social media-style experience and integrates with Zoom and Microsoft 365. The platform is primarily used by mid-size to large organizations.‍

Pros: Engaging UX, employee advocacy tools
Cons: Lacks unified mobile-desktop parity and deep analytics
Pricing: Custom pricing
Gartner: 4.7★

#9. Firstup

Firstup is a communications platform focused on personalization, automation, and real-time analytics. It supports targeted messaging and integrates with a range of enterprise systems. Firstup is commonly used by large organizations with distributed workforces.‍

Pros: Powerful targeting, personalization, and analytics
Cons: High cost; not ideal for smaller teams
Pricing: Custom
Gartner: 4.8★

#10. Connecteam

Connecteam is a mobile-first platform designed for managing non-desk workforces. It includes scheduling, task management, chat, and time tracking tools. The platform is often used in industries like retail, logistics, and hospitality.‍

Pros: Ideal for dispersed teams; affordable tiers
Cons: Lacks deep intranet functionality
Pricing: Free tier available; paid starts around $29/month
Gartner: 4.7★

#11. ThoughtFarmer

ThoughtFarmer focuses on knowledge sharing and collaboration within hybrid and remote teams. It provides customizable intranet pages, wiki functionality, and employee directories. The platform is suited for organizations seeking structured documentation and internal search tools.‍

Pros: Excellent for documentation and wikis
Cons: Setup can be time-intensive
Pricing: Custom
G2: 4.8★

#12. Bitrix24

Bitrix24 is a collaboration suite that includes intranet features alongside tools for CRM, task management, and chat. It offers free and paid tiers, making it accessible to a wide range of teams. The platform is modular but can be complex to navigate.‍

Pros: Wide feature set for budget-conscious teams
Cons: Overwhelming interface; some tools feel outdated
Pricing: Free plan available; paid starts ~$24/user/month
G2: 4.2★

Final thoughts: Blink vs. LumApps

While LumApps remains a strong player — especially for companies tightly integrated with Google Workspace or Microsoft — Blink stands out for teams that value ease of use, real-time communication, data-driven insights, and a single place for everything work-related. It offers a more unified experience across devices, better analytics for employee engagement, and faster time to value.

If you’re looking for an employee experience platform that’s as intuitive as it is powerful, Blink is your best bet.

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Why teams choose Blink over LumApps

LumApps is a strong enterprise intranet, particularly for Google Workspace-centric organizations, but it's built with desk-based collaboration as the default. Blink is mobile-first, requires no corporate email, and is used daily by teams at McDonald's, Domino's, and Chick-fil-A. See how Blink compares.

What makes him awesome?

Mike is always willing to help out where needed. He has run the loader on days when we are very busy and does a great job of training new employees in processes and the culture here at Holcim.

He recently received a new 12-yard mixer that he works diligently to keep as clean as possible throughout the week — so much so that his truck was recently used at an NRMCA event!

His great attitude and friendly demeanor makes him a joy to work with every day and he embodies what Holcim is all about.

How has Blink helped in his role?

Blink has helped Michael get new employees set up with the things that are most important to them and helped show the culture that makes Holcim great.

What does he want to do next?

Mike would love to become a Master Driver Trainer in the near future, so he can continue teaching new employees in the future.

Nominated by: Joseph Bockenfeld, Plant Manager Sandcreek RMX

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