How to modernize the digital employee experience
Digital workplace tools promised to keep teams connected, yet so many employees still feel lost in a maze of notifications, updates, and siloed platforms. Our Appspace 2025 Workplace experience trends & insights report revealed a striking insight: 39% of remote and hybrid workers believe better digital communication would improve their work experience.
To help organizations navigate this challenge and build more connected workplaces, we spoke with Anya Nieman, our Senior Director of Workplace Experience at Appspace. Drawing from both our research and her extensive experience with Fortune 500 companies, she shares practical insights on modernizing the digital employee experience.
How do you discover what employees actually need from their digital workplace?
Anya: To kick off a dynamic workplace communications audit, we need to move beyond thinking of communication as just newsletters or static intranets. Today’s workplace demands something different: empowering employees with the digital tools they use daily and providing immediate, personalized access to information.
Here’s how to start:
- Use interactive surveys during team meetings
- Run real-time pulse polls to gauge engagement
- Conduct focus groups on location to uncover true communication needs
- Track which tools teams naturally gravitate toward
Our clients consistently find that employee needs center on peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and task-related updates. They want communications that are job-critical, timely, and accessible from anywhere. Remember: this isn’t a one-time exercise. Make the audit an ongoing conversation where your employees actively shape both what gets communicated and how.
Once you understand employee needs, how do you build a platform they’ll actually use?
Anya: To effectively compete with consumer tools, internal platforms must be equally intuitive and mobile-first. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work in today’s diverse, dispersed workplace. The solution lies in thoughtfully blending corporate messaging with bottom-up knowledge sharing.
Here’s what this looks like in practice:
- Frontline workers receive crucial safety alerts directly on their phones
- Marketing teams collaborate remotely through dedicated Intranet communities
- Location-specific content ensures relevance for different offices
- Flexible configurations adapt to various work styles and needs
The goal is simple: ensure everyone receives the right information at the right time, in the right place.
How are leading companies using AI to deliver more relevant communications?
Anya: As a remote employee in the Midwest, I don’t want updates about fresh bagels in the New York office. I need to find colleagues who can help with my immediate projects. This highlights why targeted communication is crucial in today’s workplace.
We’re using AI and automation to solve this challenge in several ways:
- Smart content targeting delivers location-specific updates
- Automated feeds pull in relevant social media and industry news
- AI-powered summaries help employees quickly grasp key information
- Auto-tagging makes finding the right information intuitive
Appspace Intelligence creates targeted, concise content while respecting privacy—we don’t store customer data for training and require explicit opt-in for AI features. The goal is simple: help employees cut through the noise and find what they need, when they need it.
Who are the key players in making workplace communication actually work?
Anya: To build workplace communications that resonate, focus on empowering local communication champions. They are your key partner in reaching your audiences. Our Location Administrator role enables local IT to manage location-specific information, playing a vital part in tailoring the experience for their specific locations.
Three key roles make this work:
- Local communication champions: Your eyes and ears on the ground
- IT administrators: Managing technical aspects and permissions
- Team supervisors: Directly plugged into daily workforce needs
By supporting these local leaders with the right tools, training, and clear guidelines, we ensure communication flows effectively within and across different teams and locations. One global manufacturer saw a 40% increase in safety update readership after implementing this approach.
What’s your advice for building genuine connections in a digital workplace?
Anya: Ultimately, employees want more than just information—they crave connection and culture. Success requires creating opportunities for two-way interaction through:
- Communities where employees can share and connect
- Features that enable comments and feedback
- Elements of gamification and social challenges
- Customizable news feeds and team spaces
When configuring digital workplaces, we focus on creating engaging, easy-to-digest experiences. Through communities of interest, quizzes, and event sharing, we build environments where employees feel truly connected and valued.
What’s the biggest lesson from your 15+ years helping companies transform their workplace communication?
Anya: In my 15+ years of helping Fortune 500 companies craft their employee communications, I’ve seen the workplace evolve dramatically. What separates thriving organizations from the rest isn’t their technology stack—it’s how they’ve woven communication into the fabric of daily work.
The most successful organizations understand that workplace communication isn’t about broadcasting corporate news. It’s about building a responsive ecosystem where people can find what they need, when they need it, without friction. When we get this right, we’re not just sharing information—we’re creating the conditions for people to do their best work, driving measurable improvements in engagement, retention, and innovation.
Going from insight to action
Ready to improve your workplace communication? Download the Appspace 2025 Workplace experience trends & insights report for data-backed strategies and schedule a demo to see our AI-powered tools in action.
