Put People First: Digital Workplace Priorities and Tips for 2025

While many predicted generative AI would take center stage in 2024, it was collaboration platforms that emerged as the most impactful tools, with 71% of attendees highlighting their importance.

1. Prioritize Human Connection: The webinar revealed an unexpected insight: While many predicted that generative AI would take center stage in 2024, it was collaboration platforms that emerged as the most impactful tools, with 71% of attendees highlighting their importance. This underscores the crucial point that, despite the hype around AI, successful digital workplace strategies aren’t just about implementing new technologies — they need to focus on enabling meaningful connections and collaboration across the organization.

2. Ensure Access for All: Chris Harper, VP of Communications at The Arbor Company, emphasized the importance of access in the journey to launch Staffbase as the company’s first all-employee communication platform. Simply rolling out new technology wasn’t enough to ensure success, especially for a workforce with a high percentage of previously unconnected deskless employees. Harper highlighted that providing a digital workplace experience for one group, such as corporate employees, often requires technical adjustments to meet the needs of another, like frontline workers. By taking the time to plan strategically for the Staffbase rollout, The Arbor Company identified the need to broaden access to the platform through different hardware solutions based on employee roles (such as iPads for employees who don’t use laptops), ensuring successful platform adoption and maximizing communication effectiveness.

3. Meet Employees Where They Are: Access is essential, but it’s just the first step. Employees might not take advantage of your content if it doesn’t reach them on their preferred terms. Jennifer Sniderman, VP of Corporate Communications at Wesco, reinforced the importance of understanding diverse employee populations in ways that go beyond function and location. With 20,000 employees across 800 locations, including warehouse workers and corporate staff of all demographics, Wesco has adopted an approach to digital workplace communication focusing on smart delivery systems that adapt to employee preferences and behaviors while minimizing custom messaging by channel. “Our platform learns where people like to consume information and tries to meet them there, in a way that’s most appropriate for them,” Sniderman explained.

1. Optimize Content: The majority of attendees (82%) report their organizations are focusing on optimizing their current digital channels and processes. Karen Downs, Senior Strategic Advisor at Staffbase, emphasized that success comes from “rationalizing your content strategy across the entire digital workplace” — from content substance to workflow processes and distribution.

2. Measure and Analyze: Organizations are increasingly prioritizing data analytics capabilities. The focus isn’t just on collecting data but on understanding how to interpret it to inform business decisions and communication strategies. As Downs noted, “Start with measurement. Make sure you’ve got a way to access information about what your employees are accessing.”

3. Engage Stakeholders: The 41% of attendees who identified stakeholder engagement as their top priority provided another resounding indication that technology alone isn’t the answer. Success requires building strong partnerships across the organization and ensuring buy-in from leadership at all levels.

1. Integrate and Automate: Focus on creating seamless experiences across different platforms and tools while implementing automation to reduce manual workload. This is paramount for lean communication teams.

2. Pursue Content Excellence: Prioritize authentic storytelling and employee narratives. As Harper emphasized, “People want to see helpful content, and we want to inspire people to like where they work.”

3. Manage Change Thoughtfully: Since digital transformation is as much about people as it is about technology, take the time to understand your organization’s increasingly complex audience needs and behaviors. And don’t forget to invest in proper training and support — it can make or break communication impact.