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Employee experience vendor and intranet vendor support are central to long‑term EX success. This post – the fifth in our Steps to EX platform success series – explains the support you can (and should) expect from employee experience and intranet vendors, how partnering works in practice, and how to get the most value from that relationship. 

When evaluating employee experience (EX) platforms and intranets, features are only part of the story. Sustained support is what turns software into results. A solid support model smooths the launch process, ensures high adoption rates, and helps you keep pace with new goals, teams, and ways of working as your business evolves.

In this post, we have answers to the most common questions about working with employee experience vendors, including: What type of support do employee experience vendors and intranet vendors provide? What should you expect when partnering with a new vendor? What does that partnership look like day‑to‑day? Read on to find the definition of EX vendor support, the must‑have elements of support you shouldn’t compromise on, and tips to maximize your vendor partnership. 

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What is employee experience vendor support?

Employee experience vendor support is the end‑to‑end set of services your provider uses to keep your EX platform healthy, helpful, and improving over time. Intranet vendor support works the same (the only difference is the type of platform being used).

The type of support a vendor provides typically includes: 

• Structured onboarding and migration to move you from “we’ve signed” to “employees rely on it” 

• Role‑based training and self‑serve learning so admins, authors, and end users can succeed

• Technical support, proactive monitoring, and regular updates to keep performance steady and secure

• Ongoing success management – dedicated members of your vendor’s team who review usage and steer tailored improvements

• Customer community and advocacy to learn from peers and showcase your wins

High-quality employee experience vendor support evolves over time to fit your employee experience needs: guidance and structure before launch; risk‑managed migration; training and go‑live; then regular optimization so value compounds over time. 

Seven key elements of ongoing vendor support 

Here’s what “good” looks like long-term. From strategic pointers to technical support to a library of resources, this is what an intranet or employee experience vendor should provide. 

1. Continuous optimization: Your vendor should regularly review usage, search, and engagement patterns and translate them into “do this next” recommendations (for example: prune stale content, simplify navigation, promote under‑used features, or reshape communications). 
2. Expert guidance: Your vendor should consistently share new EX tactics, design and accessibility best practices; fresh engagement ideas, and adoption strategies informed by other organizations like yours. 
3. Always‑on help: Multichannel support with prompt, human responses – and proactive monitoring to catch issues early – keeps the experience reliable. Launch is the starting line, not the finish. 
4. Right‑sized learning: A living library of tutorials, webinars, guides, and workshops means you don’t wait on one‑off training. Your authors learn quickly, and new admins can get up to speed when they need to. 
5. Internal advocacy: Your vendor should help you tell your own success story with data – that means a dedicated CSM that works with you to highlight wins, make resource asks with confidence, and keep leaders aligned on EX goals and outcomes. 
6. Strategic visibility: Opportunities to share your impact – customer events, case studies, and awards – build credibility, attract champions, and maintain momentum. 
7. A support community: Peer forums and resource hubs let you borrow what works without the need to reinvent every workflow or campaign. 

What types of support should you expect when partnering with an employee experience vendor or intranet vendor? 

Strong employee experience vendor and intranet vendor support will include technical setup of your platform, onboarding and migration strategy and assistance, admin and user training, and a dedicated team on your side for the duration of the partnership. Here are more details on what to expect: 

How do technical support and proactive monitoring work? 

You should have a clear way to raise, track, and escalate issues (think help desk, email, or phone options). Expect defined issue types (so “how‑to” questions aren’t treated the same as outages), target response windows, and transparent updates. Proactive monitoring and routine security and feature updates help address problems before they reach employees. 

When weighing EX or intranet providers (or even at the start of your relationship with a vendor), don’t be afraid to ask detailed and practical questions that reveal what the day-to-day support experience is really like: how to contact support, how cases are prioritized, what “response” vs. “resolution” means, and how after‑hours incidents are handled. 

What onboarding and migration support should we expect? 

Whether you’re creating a brand-new employee experience platform or migrating your content from elsewhere, your vendor will play an active role in setting up your new solution. 

The best employee experience and intranet vendors will offer several migration options so that you can pick one that matches your capacity. For example, they may allow you to choose from the following three approaches: 

• Guidance only: Your team leads the process using vendor-provided frameworks and templates. 

• Staff augmentation: Your team leads the process, but the vendor provides hands-on assistance where needed. 

• Fully managed migration: The vendor has complete responsibility for the entire migration, from planning through execution, with minimal burden on your team. 

So, when presented with your vendor’s migration options, which type of support should you choose? This depends on your unique needs, but here at Interact, we often recommend an option with more involvement from your vendor for several reasons: 

• With seasoned professionals managing every detail, it’s more likely the project will stay on-schedule and complication-free. 

• Your team can stay focused on day-to-day operations. 

• A vendor-led approach ensures an easy, efficient, and secure extraction and migration of any existing data. 

Whatever model you choose, expect your vendor to provide detailed guidance or documentation on project milestones, who on your team should own what, risk controls (pilot cohorts, test scripts, rollback plans) and performance checks before go‑live, and post-migration optimization (early adoption review, search tuning, content refresh plan).

What training and resources do employee experience and intranet vendors typically provide? 

Your vendor should also partner with you on training. The best intranet and employee experience vendors will lay out role‑based training paths (admins, authors, end users) and provide an on‑demand library of tutorials, webinars, and step‑by‑step guides. After launch, you’ll want refreshers and advanced workshops so teams can adopt new features without disruption. 

Who on an EX or intranet vendor’s team will we work closest with? 

The best employee experience and intranet vendors will assign dedicated individuals from their team to work with you throughout the partnership. These people will help you optimize your platform over time and get the most out of what the vendor provides. Two common roles are: 

Customer Success Manager (CSM)

Your CSM is a dedicated individual on your vendor’s team who knows your organization well and keeps the platform delivering outcomes – not just features. This person: 

• Aligns goals and success metrics, then translates usage insights into clear actions – for example: improve findability, refresh content, or raise adoption (this last one is key: among stakeholders who regretted a software purchase in 2025, 39% cited lack of adoption as a factor)

• Runs regular success reviews and shares practical resources and industry best practices 

• Communicates progress, surfaces wins, and helps you make the internal case for time and budget 

• Helps you make the most of new features and adapt your platform to changes within your business

• Invites you to participate in industry events, awards entries, and case studies

Technical Account Manager (TAM)

A TAM is a proactive technical advisor, often offered where deeper guidance is helpful. They work to connect your objectives to how the platform is designed, integrated, and run. This person:

• Maps your environment, conductshealth checks, and recommends performance, security, and configuration improvements

• Spots risks and opportunities early, suggesting ways to reduce admin friction, boost reliability, and plan for expansion 

• Advocates for your priorities, facilitates roadmap conversations, and keeps executive stakeholders aligned 

What does an EX vendor’s customer community provide? 

Many EX vendors and intranet vendors offer a customer community – a vendor‑hosted hub where teams swap ideas, ask questions, and share what’s working. Think of it as a shortcut to real‑world answers: you’re learning from practitioners who’ve already solved the problems you’re tackling. This space may include:

• Peer discussion boards and Q&A pages for quick, practical answers 

• Reusable resources like tutorials, webinars, guides, templates, and case examples you can adapt quickly 

• A chance to provide feedback and suggest new features to the vendor 

• Self‑serve, on‑demand access to a curated knowledge base and updates, so admins and authors can self‑serve answers and learn how to refine their use 

A well-supported community helps your team solve faster, avoid rework, and keep skills current as the platform evolves. 

What red flags should you look for in employee experience vendor support? 

While you’re digging through feature overviews, filling in vendor checklists, and sitting through EX demos and trials, be on the lookout for these support warning signs – they’re quick to spot and tell you a lot about how a partnership will feel day‑to‑day. 

• No named contacts. If you’re told “a team” will look after you rather than a designated customer success manager, expect hand‑offs, slower context, and more chasing. You want one person accountable for outcomes. 

• Vague promises. “Best effort” language, fuzzy response windows, and a murky escalation path all signal risk. Ask for how severity is defined, who escalates issues, and what “good” looks like in a typical month.

• Only a DIY migration option. Complex projects rarely succeed on documentation alone. A strong vendor offers choices (for example, a self-directed approach with vendor guidance, a vendor-led approach, or a hybrid approach) so you can match support to your team’s capacity and timeline. 

• Little emphasis on training and content ownership. If training sounds like a one‑off webinar – or there’s no mention of author enablement and content governance – it’s a recipe for poor adoption over time. Look for a vendor with role‑based resources and ongoing refreshers instead.

• No regular success reviews or shared metrics. If there’s no set cadence for reviewing adoption, search success, and content health with your vendor, you’ll be reacting to issues – not improving proactively.

• Community is an afterthought. A healthy customer community saves time and improves your use of the platform through peer Q&A, reusable templates, and practical how‑tos. If all “resources” live in scattered emails, you’ll spend more time reinventing the wheel.

• Contract terms that gloss over support mechanics. If maintenance windows, renewals, data handling/return, and liability aren’t clear in the Master Subscription Agreement (MSA), you may struggle when things get busy. Ask how the agreement and referenced service targets work together. 

In short: look for clarity, accountability, and continuity – named roles, written expectations, real enablement, and a rhythm of review – so support becomes a lever for outcomes, not just a way to close tickets.

How can you get the most from an EX or intranet vendor partnership? 

Here are our favorite tips to make the most out of your EX or intranet vendor partnership and ensure the best outcome for your platform:

• Start with shared objectives. Work with your vendor to pick three to five goals and align on how you’ll measure them. If these goals are set out at the start of your journey, you can revisit them throughout the relationship.
• Assign jobs early. Identify your internal project lead, content owners, and an IT point person. Clarify who approves what and when to make the partnership run smoothly and avoid any roadblocks.
• Take advantage of your vendor’s training catalog. Enroll admins and authors in role‑based courses; publish a simple “how to” list for employees; schedule refreshers before major releases. 
• When in doubt, ask. It’s your vendor’s job to support you. They’ve helped many people like you launch and maintain EX platforms over time, which means they’ll have great advice or solutions for anything you may be stuck on or struggling with. 
• Share wins. Work with your CSM to submit case studies and award nominations. This helps you build internal momentum for a better employee experience and shines a spotlight on your achievements. 

Partnering with an employee experience vendor or intranet vendor: Frequently asked questions

The post Partnering with an employee experience vendor or intranet vendor: What type of support to expect and look for appeared first on Interact software.

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In this article, find out what employee ROI really means, along with key strategies and ways to use employee experience tools to quantify and enhance your organization’s return on talent.

For internal comms and employee experience (EX) teams, proving value isn’t just about engagement – it’s about demonstrating how your efforts influence employee ROI and overall organizational performance.

In this post, we’ll explore practical strategies to connect employee experience initiatives with bottom-line results, show how internal communicators and EX pros can quantify their impact, and share actionable steps to boost ROI through better employee experiences and smarter use of internal comms tools. We’ll also cover the business uses of intranet platforms and employee experience tools in supporting engagement, productivity, and ultimately, higher employee ROI.

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What is employee ROI and how is it calculated?

What does employee ROI mean?

Employee ROI, or employee return on investment, is a metric that quantifies the financial benefit an organization gains from employing and investing in its workforce. It considers factors such as:

• Net profit generated by employees
• Total employee costs
• The impact of engagement, training, and retention strategies

By understanding employee ROI, organizations can make informed decisions about resource allocation and employee experience initiatives.

How is employee ROI calculated?

In its simplest form, the formula for employee ROI calculation is:

(Net profit generated by employees – total employee costs) / Total employee costs x 100%

A common variation is “revenue per employee,” which equals total revenue divided by total number of employees. Though McKinsey & Company calls this metric a “a blunt instrument” because it’s influenced by many factors beyond productivity, it consistently separates high-performing companies from their competitors, according to the firm’s years of benchmarking data. 

Of course, these high-level calculations don’t paint the whole picture. Let’s dive a bit deeper into other dimensions that impact employee ROI.

What factors influence an organization’s employee ROI?

An organization’s employee ROI can be influenced by factors such as:

• Operating expenses, training investments, and compensation (wages and benefits)
• Absenteeism or unearned PTO
• Turnover, which can cost a company one-half to two times an exited employee’s salary to refill the position
• Quantifiable evaluative and perception data, such as satisfaction survey responses, performance reviews, tracked goals, and customer satisfaction scores

Many online calculators exist to help you quantify employee ROI across these and more metrics.

What is return on employee experience (ROX) and how is it calculated?

A related measure communicators and EX pros should pay close attention to is return on employee experience, or ROX. This is another – often superior – way to quantify the employee experience and can be used in tandem with employee ROI to paint a more effective picture.

What is return on employee experience (ROX)?

Return on employee experience (ROX) measures a company’s financial profit from investing in EX and engagement strategies. This is the metric communicators and EX pros can use to articulate the value of employee experience to leadership.

How is return on employee experience (ROX) calculated?

The typical formula for calculating return on employee experience is:

(Net profit generated by EX investment – total EX costs) / Total EX costs x 100%

More nuanced calculations might consider the range of engagement metrics that can influence performance and satisfaction at the employee, function, and organization levels. This can include time spent onboarding, in meetings, and searching for information, along with visits, likes, and shares on employee-facing tech.

Why is measuring the return on employee experience (ROX) important?

Measuring the value of employee experience is crucial for understanding employee experience ROI and its impact on overall business outcomes. ROX is also the surest way that internal comms, culture, and people professionals can boost their organization’s return on talent.

That’s because strong engagement – the product of an enviable employee experience – has an outsized impact on company success. Gallup found that organizations with high employee engagement are 23% more profitable, while poor engagement cost employers $1.9 trillion in lost productivity last year alone.

Engagement can make or break key dimensions of employee ROI. In its 2024 meta-analysis encompassing more than 300 organizations around the world, Gallup found that companies in the top quartile of engagement saw the following median advantages compared to their counterparts in the bottom quartile:

• 10% better customer loyalty
• 23% more profitability
• 14% more productivity based on production records and evaluations
• 51% lower turnover for organizations in low-turnover industries
• 78% lower absenteeism
• 70% higher wellbeing

They also fared substantially better in terms of safety, quality, and participation.

With such profound stakes, visionary communicators are investing heavily in creating experiences that fuel engagement. According to Edelman’s Future of Corporate Communications study, 60% of internal comms leaders identify employee experience as the single most critical area to prioritize in the near term.

What drives employee engagement and disengagement?

Creating covetable experiences starts with identifying the factors that fuel – or stall – engagement.

As an example, McKinsey found that organizations can save up to an estimated $56 million annually by resolving these six drivers of disengagement:

1. Inadequate resource accessibility
2. Lack of geographic ties and travel demands
3. Unsustainable work expectations
4. Uncaring and uninspiring leaders
5. Lack of support for employee health and wellbeing
6. Non-inclusive and unwelcoming community

Further, the experiences likeliest to produce strong engagement, according to Gallup, are:

• Purpose
• Development
• A focus on strengths
• Ongoing conversations
• A caring manager

How your digital workplace can impact employee ROI

A thriving digital workplace can help you reinforce drivers – and avoid detours – in employee engagement. Understanding the business uses for intranet platforms and other employee experience tools is essential for maximizing employee ROI and driving organizational efficiency.

Investing in the right employee experience tools can lead to increased productivity and performance by providing employees with the resources and support they need to drive efficiency and contribute to better business outcomes. Digital tools also amplify the value of employee experience by making engagement measurable.

See the table below for an idea of EX software features that can enable each core driver of engagement.

Let’s dive deeper into each driver and its digital workplace enablers.

Why is purpose important for employee ROI?

Nearly two-thirds of executives from highly regarded organizations attribute 30% or more of their companies’ market value to culture, making employee ROI the “most underrated” determinant of “a company’s future success,” Korn Ferry found. When it comes to cultivating a culture imbued with purpose, collective and individual experiences are equally important.

How do shared values affect employee engagement and ROI?

Shared values are central to the value of employee experience and its ROI. Unfortunately, according to Gallup, only 27% of U.S. employees strongly believe in their organization’s values, and less than half even know what those values are. This disconnect can lead to checking out: One in five employees feels disengaged from their work when they aren’t connected to the company or culture, says videoconferencing vendor Owl Labs. 

An employee experience platform or intranet business’ uses include reinforcing shared values and improving cultural alignment. Look for employee experience software that can broaden access to tools and resources, thereby radiating your organization’s commitment to not only a clear mission, but also top values of today’s workers, such as sustainability and inclusion.

EX software features like content creation tools, enterprise search, topic tags, and social functionality can help improve employee ROI through creation, organization, and promotion of a knowledge base of resources and inspiration that embeds and radiates your values.

A mobile app, meanwhile, can allow deskless workers – who make up 80% of the global workforce – to stay connected to colleagues, leaders, and your organization’s north star, whether they’re on the factory floor making your products or the open road delivering them to customers.  

How does personal clarity contribute to employee ROI?

To feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment at work, employees must understand their role in achieving the company’s mission.

Personalization features in an employee experience platform can boost employee ROI by clarifying, reinforcing, and energizing your people around their distinctive contributions. Organizations can deliver on it through personas, permissions, and built-in intelligence, ensuring relevant content is delivered to each employee based on factors including role, location, and preference.

Profiles and past interactions, for example, can help pinpoint and push relevant news, announcements, and resources to everyone, as well as ensure content being created and shared by active employees is reaching audiences interested in the subject matter.

An AI-driven recommendation engine, meanwhile, can facilitate the automatic discovery of new content, while geofences – virtual perimeters set up around specific locations – can ensure employees see only content intended for them each time they log on. This can be especially helpful for individuals who travel frequently and require different content depending on their context (e.g., salespeople or senior leaders on location visits). 

What role does employee development play in ROI?

According to McKinsey, one of the top ways to build a higher-return workforce is to focus L&D efforts on skill-based learning journeys, which can be “more cost-effective than building traditional cohort- or role-based journeys.” Plus, reskilling current employees for new opportunities cuts down on the recruiting costs that so commonly impact employee ROI.

Here again, personalization can play a role. “The most effective organizations encourage personalized, adaptive learning,” McKinsey explains. “Employees are motivated to own their journeys by deciding which skills and areas of expertise they want to focus on. They are given feedback, along with coaching and peer-learning opportunities, and they are supported by a digital ecosystem that can help them track their progress over time.”

Enabling this dynamic experience can be tough in today’s ever-more distributed world of work: According to Owl Labs, nearly half (48%) of hybrid workers believe they’re missing out on impromptu feedback and development that could hamper their career growth.

So look for software features that spark in-the-moment learning and collaboration, such as a comprehensive knowledge base of courses and materials, a searchable directory of in-house experts to call up at a moment’s notice, lively discussion forums that allow team members to crowdsource precise solutions to their queries, and a mobile app that makes it all available on the go. 

How does focusing on strengths improve employee ROI?

Strengths-based feedback is critical to increasing employee ROI through engagement. According to Gallup, employees who get enough information on goals and successes are 2.8 times more likely to be engaged. But it’s far too rare an experience: One of the hardest statements for an employee to strongly agree with is, “In the past seven days, I have received praise or recognition for doing good work” (Gallup again).

To cement and scale a culture of recognition, look for employee experience tools that reward good work and citizenship with points that can be redeemed for gifts and distinctions.

Why are ongoing conversations vital for employee ROI?

The ability to use talent feedback in transformational ways will set the best companies and internal comms leaders apart in the future of work. The ones “to watch will be those that actively listen to their employees, harness the power of their sentiments and insights, transparently communicate next steps, and drive meaningful change while involving others in the journey,” says Julia Christenson, Edelman’s U.S. Chair of Employee Experience.

How does employee listening enhance ROI?

Employee listening, also called continuous listening, involves the ongoing capture, analysis, and actioning of employee sentiment. In short, it’s how you tap into how your people are doing, individually and collectively, so you can respond in smart and helpful ways. And it can be a powerful driver of employee ROI.

This practice can also boost goodwill and the bottom line. Yet it’s an experience that’s markedly uncommon: Only 30% of U.S. employees strongly believe that their opinions count at work, Gallup says.

To help power your listening strategy, look for employee experience tools with features like:

• Surveys and questionnaires
• Social intranet and advocacy features
• Idea management
• Personalized content

Just don’t overdo it on the outreach. Gallup found that employee engagement efforts are prone to failure when they introduce too much surveying or complexity.

In its 2023 corporate communications report, Edelman points to a few creative ways to solicit and action feedback, including ideas jams that empower all people to weigh in on important decision points and councils that allow frontline workers to regularly engage senior leadership.

Also consider taking your listening to the next level with employee activation. In this emerging practice, your employees become catalysts of company culture, strategy, and reputation through your systematic collection, synthesis, and application of their insight and enthusiasm. It’s a propulsive combination of listening, empowerment, and advocacy that’ll mark the future of an engaged workforce and a peerless employee experience.

How do collaboration and knowledge sharing impact employee ROI?

Today’s employees are overwhelmed by their workplaces – which have have grown so unweildly that many don’t know where to find the people and information they need to do their jobs. This drags down ROI in a significant way.

One of the key business uses of intranet is to serve as a central hub for internal comms and resources. To reduce such digital friction and facilitate seamless collaboration, look for an EX platform or modern intranet that lets you:

• Cut through the digital glut with features like single sign-on (SSO) that eliminate the need to remember numerous passwords; biometric authentication options, such as Touch and FaceID, that improve speed, security, and ease of use; and intuitive integrations that curate access – and guide attention – to a single source of truth
• Create a one-stop shop for core tools, processes, policies, documents, and other information that your employees use the most, all quickly discoverable with built-in intelligence and enterprise search functionality
• Ensure your entire workforce – including members who are on the go far more often than they are at a desk – to instantly access the tools, information, and colleague connection they need from a shared digital headquarters via a mobile intranet and people directory
• Promote seamless, accessible information sharing through features like multilanguage translation of text communications, alt-text generation for images, automatic captioning of video content, and text-to-audio conversion for a podcast-like way to digest company news

Why is connection important for employee ROI?

According to Owl Labs, more than a third of managers (34%) who lead remote or hybrid teams cite maintaining cultural connection, team camaraderie, and communication as a top concern. Social intranet features are among the most valuable business benefits of intranets and other employee experience tools for fostering connection. An employee experience platform’s social features can forge strong bonds across ever-more distributed workforces.

Look for social media functionality that makes your platform sticky and keeps your people in conversation. Think @mentioning, #hashtagging, image-friendly newsfeeds, commenting, sharing, and gamification. Also curate forums, discussion boards, and communities of practice that give employees a place to connect over specific challenges or interests.

How do managers influence employee ROI?

The link between manager and employee experience is inextricable. 

McKinsey research on organizational health shows that leaders who effectively “run the place” – e.g., by making good decisions, allocating the right resources, and leading thriving teams – build healthier organizations, which, in turn, deliver three times the total shareholder returns compared to unhealthy organizations.

Managers influence all the dimensions of employee experience discussed so far. EX software can facilitate their success through features that allow them to do things like:

• Foster development by curating goals-focused learning resources and making career-building connections with the help of a people directory
• Cultivate team camaraderie through communities, forums, and social capabilities
• Promote smooth transitions and healthy dynamics through onboarding and enrollment features that get newcomers up to speed quickly

How can communicators demonstrate their impact on employee ROI?

Organizations that prioritize the value of employee experience see measurable improvements in employee experience ROI, engagement, and retention.

Using hard data to measure and enhance your employee experience initiatives can significantly boost your employee ROI. As an example, in addition to a free intranet ROI calculator and guide, Interact has advanced analytics and integrations that help organizations deliver on numerous dimensions of experience and engagement.

As you use such enablers, synthesize the data they collect to quantify your impact on your organization’s overall return on talent. Reporting on employee experience ROI validates the impact of EX initiatives, and highlighting the business uses of your intranet or other employee experience tools in your reporting can do even more to strengthen the case for EX investments going forward.

Frequently asked questions about employee ROI

The post Return on experience: What employee ROI is and how to measure and improve it appeared first on Interact software.

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Employee experience platform governance is the foundation for a successful digital workplace. This post – the fourth in our Steps to EX platform success series – explains what governance is, why it matters, and how to build a governance model that keeps your platform organized, accountable, and ready for long-term growth.

When organizations invest in an employee experience (EX) platform or modern intranet, the focus is often (and understandably) on essential EX features, integrations, and launch day excitement. But what truly determines whether your platform thrives or fizzles out over time? The answer is governance. 

Governance is what turns an EX platform from a simple tool into a sustainable digital workplace. It provides structure and clarity so that your platform supports collaboration and growth – rather than slipping into disorganization and low adoption.

In this post, we’ll break down what governance means for EX platforms, why it’s essential, how to build a governance model, and best practices to ensure your platform’s long-term success.

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What is employee experience platform governance?

Employee experience platform governance is defined as the framework of roles, rules, responsibilities, guidelines, and processes that keep your EX platform or intranet organized, accountable, and effective. Governance ensures your platform remains relevant, secure, and valuable as your organization evolves. Without it, even the best platforms can become cluttered, confusing, and underused.

Why is governance important for an EX platform or intranet?

Governance keeps your platform organized and reliable over time by delivering:

• Clarity: Everyone knows the purpose of your platform and who’s responsible for which aspects of building and maintaining it. 
• Consistency: Content and processes stay aligned with business goals. 
• Scalability: The platform can grow and adapt without losing its structure. 
• Trust: Employees rely on the platform as a single source of truth. 
• Continuous improvement: Regular reviews and feedback keep the platform evolving. 

Without governance, you risk content sprawl, confusion, low adoption, and a lack of accountability. 

Who should be involved in EX platform governance?

Depending on your organization’s employee experience needs, you’ll want to involve a variety of players in the governance of your intranet or EX platform, including: 

• C-level sponsors/senior leaders: Set vision and secure buy-in. 
• Stakeholders/sponsors: Oversee strategy and report progress. 
• Intranet/EX manager: Day-to-day management and training. 
• Content leads: Ensure departmental content is accurate. 
• Content publishers: Create and maintain content. 
• IT support: Manage technical aspects and integrations. 
• Champions/ambassadors: Promote adoption and gather feedback. 
• Steering group: Provide cross-functional input and escalate issues. 

Governance only works when the right people are involved. A mix of leadership, operational roles, and advocates creates a governance team that can maintain structure and drive adoption long after launch. 

Who should lead EX platform governance? 

Typically, an internal project owner or intranet manager leads governance efforts. This person acts as the central point of contact, coordinating tasks and ensuring compliance with governance standards. Senior leadership should provide strategic oversight and support. 

What a RACI matrix is and how is it used in EX platform governance?

A RACI matrix clarifies responsibilities by defining who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each task. Here’s what each one means:  

• Responsible: The person who completes the task (e.g., content publisher)
• Accountable: The person ultimately answerable for the outcome (e.g., intranet manager)
• Consulted: Stakeholders who provide input (e.g., HR or IT leads)
• Informed: Those who need updates but aren’t directly involved (e.g., senior leadership)

Multiple individuals can be named Responsible, Consulted, and Informed for each part of the project, but only one person should be listed as Accountable for any given task.

In governance planning, use RACI to map roles for content creation, approvals, technical support, and decision-making. This prevents overlap, ensures accountability, and keeps everyone aligned. 

What role does an EX or intranet software vendor play in governance planning?

Your EX or intranet software vendor is a key partner in governance planning. They can provide: 

• Frameworks and templates: Vendors supply best-practice models to help structure governance. 
• Training and support: They provide onboarding resources and ongoing guidance for governance compliance. 
• Strategic input: Vendors advise on workflows and integrations to align governance with platform capabilities. 

Leveraging vendor expertise ensures your governance plan is practical, scalable, and aligned with industry best practices. 

What are the key elements of a governance model for EX platforms?

Below are the core elements of Intranet governance and EX platform governance you need to know, broken down into practical questions and answers.

What types of governance models exist for EX platforms? 

The three main governance models for EX software and intranets are centralized, hybrid, and collaborative. Choosing the right model for your organization impacts everything from decision-making to content quality to long-term adoption. Here’s what each one entails: 

• Centralized: A core team manages structure, content, and permissions. This approach is ideal for new launches or organizations needing tight control. 
• Hybrid: One central team manages core areas, while departments have autonomy over their sections. 
• Collaborative: Content creation and management are distributed widely, with clear guidelines and oversight. 

EX software governance tip: In our experience, you can’t go wrong starting off centralized. You can then evolve toward a hybrid or collaborative model as your platform matures. 

What policies, guidelines, and processes should EX platform governance include? 

When you’re putting together a governance strategy for your employee experience platform or intranet, you’ll want to lay out usage policies, site provisions, and content standards – these are what will keep your platform organized and compliant over time: 

• Usage policies: Define acceptable use, moderation, and review of user-generated content. 
• Site provisions and decommissioning: Outline processes for future additions to your intranet, from smaller pieces of content (like new pages) to bigger additions (like creating a new site).
• Content standards: Set guidelines for tone, branding, and approval workflows. 

Getting these details recorded before your platform launch will solidify standards, head off any differences of opinion among teammates, and help you avoid confusion later on. The clarity and consistency they create will ensure your platform remains a trusted source of information and a safe space for collaboration.

How do you manage an EX platform’s content lifecycle? 

Laying out how you’ll manage the lifecycle of your intranet or EX platform content from start to finish is a key step in the governance process. Here’s what it entails: 

• Planning: Identify what content is needed for launch and ongoing use. 
• Creation: Develop content guidelines and provide training for authors. 
• Review and maintenance: Schedule regular audits to keep content fresh and relevant. 
• Content audits: Use tools and templates to assess what’s working and what needs updating. 

Managing content proactively ensures your platform stays useful, engaging, and aligned with organizational goals.

What technical and integration standards are needed for an intranet or EX platform? 

Governance isn’t just about content – it also covers the technical backbone of your EX platform. Clear standards prevent security risks and integration headaches. Here’s what to include in your governance plan:

• IT’s role: Lay out what your IT team will be responsible for – for example, overseeing integrations, user management, and compliance. 
• Approved tools: List what’s allowed on the platform and who manages each integration. 
• Troubleshooting: Define escalation paths for technical issues. 

Technical governance ensures your platform runs smoothly, integrates seamlessly with other systems, and remains secure as your organization grows. 

How do you measure and improve EX or intranet governance success? 

Measuring success helps you refine your governance approach and keep your employee experience aligned with business goals. Here’s how to track your progress: 

• Measurement plan: Set benchmarks for adoption, engagement, and content health. 
• Feedback loops: Regularly gather input from users and stakeholders. 
• Continuous improvement: Use analytics and feedback to refine governance and platform features. 

By monitoring performance and acting on feedback, you turn governance into a dynamic process that evolves with your organization. 

How to build and maintain a governance plan for your EX platform or intranet 

Creating a governance plan can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to. Think of it as a roadmap that sets your EX platform or intranet up for long-term success. Below is a clear, step-by-step approach to help you start strong and keep your governance framework effective over time. 

1. Start governance early: Introduce governance during the EX platform onboarding process, not after launch. Early planning ensures governance is baked into every decision, from content structure to technical integrations.
2. Map what you have: Document existing workflows for content approvals, publishing, and technical changes. Identify gaps and pain points so your governance plan solves real problems rather than adding complexity.
3. Assign clear roles: Use the RACI matrix we outlined above to define responsibilities. This prevents confusion and ensures accountability across leadership, content owners, and IT.
4. Create and share your plan: Draft a simple, accessible document outlining policies, roles, and workflows. Share it widely and invite feedback to build trust and ownership among stakeholders.
5. Train your team to make governance stick: Provide role-specific training and easy-to-use resources like templates and checklists. Governance should feel like a helpful guide, not a barrier.
6. Keep it alive – decide how often you’ll review governance: Treat governance as a living document. Review it at least annually, or sooner if your organization or platform undergoes major changes. Regular updates keep it relevant and effective.

Quick tips for building a governance plan for your intranet or EX platform: 

• Get buy-in from leadership and key departments. 
• Make governance collaborative by inviting feedback and adapting your approach as needed. 
• Use templates and checklists from your vendor to simplify the process. 
• Communicate changes clearly and often. 

What are best practices for EX platform governance?

Here’s are the key best practices to follow as you plan and execute governance of your intranet or EX platform: 

• Align governance with business goals: Make sure your governance plan supports your organization’s mission and objectives. 
• Establish clear ownership: Assign specific people to each role and responsibility. 
• Use intuitive, user-friendly platforms: The easier it is to follow governance processes, the more likely people are to comply. 
• Foster a knowledge-sharing culture: Encourage contributions, recognize top contributors, and make it easy to share expertise. 
• Provide ongoing training and resources: Keep content owners and users up to date on best practices. 
• Leverage analytics: Track usage, engagement, and content health to identify areas for improvement. 
• Recognize and reward contributors: Celebrate milestones and successes to keep momentum high. 
• Commit to continuous improvement: Regularly review and refine your governance plan as your platform and organization evolve. 
• Take advantage of vendor support: During the EX platform buying process, take advantage of demos and other conversations to ask potential vendors about how they support governance. After signing, be sure to put your EX vendor’s resources and expertise to good use.

We’ve helped thousands of organizations establish governance of their employee experience platforms, and the above tactics make the most difference when it comes to both short-term and long-term health of their platforms.  

Why governance is a must for any new EX platform 

Governance isn’t just a launch requirement – it’s the foundation for a platform that grows with your organization. When done well, it creates clarity, accountability, and trust. Think of it as an ongoing conversation, not a static document. The more you revisit and refine your governance plan, the more resilient and effective your EX platform will be. 

Employee experience platform governance and intranet governance: Frequently asked questions

The post Employee experience platform governance: The key to long-term EX success appeared first on Interact software.

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Measuring employee experience (EX) is key to improving it. This article lays out the strategies you need to spot what’s working and what isn’t using seven clear areas of EX. It includes starter metrics, examples, and tips to turn feedback into small, steady improvements – plus how the best employee experience tools and modern intranet solutions can help you along the way.

Measuring employee experience (EX) doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Whether you’re just starting to think about internal comms measurement, looking to refine your approach, or want to understand what analytics modern intranet solutions can capture for you, this article will help you build a framework that demonstrates real business impact. It will also help you take the data that today’s best internal communications tools provide and use it to inform your employee experience strategy.

The stakes have never been higher. Gallup’s 2024 State of the Global Workplace report shows that global employee engagement remains stagnant at just 23%, with 62% of employees not engaged. Even more concerning, Gartner research reveals that only 33% of employees say their organizations consistently deliver on promises made to them. When you measure what matters and act on those insights, you’re not just improving communications – you’re directly impacting business performance.

What matters most when measuring employee experience?

The single most important thing to keep in mind when measuring employee experience is that there’s no one-size-fits-all measurement approach that works for every organization.

Before diving into intranet KPIs and dashboards, every EX leader must understand that measurement is deeply contextual. What works brilliantly for a 10,000-person enterprise may fall flat at a 200-person startup – even with the best internal communication tools and modern intranet solutions at their disposal. Your industry, culture, and organizational maturity all play a role in shaping the right approach for you.

The goal isn’t perfection – it’s progress and insight. You’re not trying to build the ultimate measurement system on day one. Instead, you’re trying to understand what’s working, what’s not, and where to focus your efforts next.

Start small and iterate often, choosing a few meaningful metrics from your intranet analytics, testing them, learning from what you discover, and adjusting as you go. Think of measurement as an ongoing conversation with your organization, not a one-time audit.

What employee experience metrics does leadership care about?

The metrics your organization’s leaders care about will vary based on their priorities, so you’ll have to do some detective work to uncover them. To figure out which areas of the business are keeping leaders up at night, try the following:

• Identify your key stakeholders. This includes your C-Suite, senior leaders, and department heads. These are the people who set direction and hold budget authority.
• Review existing strategic documents. Look at OKRs, annual plans, and employee engagement survey results. What themes emerge? What problems are they trying to solve?
• Observe what metrics leaders already track. Are they obsessing over retention rates? Productivity metrics? Engagement scores? Are they already reviewing intranet KPIs (e.g., successful search rate, time‑to‑first‑login, content reach) ? These existing metrics reveal what they value.
• Conduct discovery sessions. Consult with key leaders and influencers across your organization. Ask open-ended questions about their goals, challenges, and how they define success. Listen for recurring themes and pain points – they’ll become the foundation of your measurement strategy.

Once you get insight into what your leaders care about, use it to figure out what to measure. The best internal communication tools and modern intranet solutions provide a variety of metrics related to leaders’ top concerns. These are the employee experience metrics you should track, report on, and work to improve.

7 areas to focus on when measuring employee experience

Employee experience is complex, but it’s not random. Every interaction, from onboarding to recognition, contributes to how employees feel, perform, and stay. That’s why we use the seven EX pillars as a diagnostic framework: they help internal comms teams move beyond surface-level engagement metrics and uncover what truly drives experience across the organization.

These pillars – Communication, Self-Service, Tool Access, Knowledge, Community, Alignment, and Recognition – represent core employee needs. They’re not just categories; they’re lenses through which you can assess friction, identify gaps, and prioritize improvements. Each pillar connects employee expectations with business outcomes, giving you a shared language to collaborate across HR, IT, Legal, and beyond.

By anchoring your measurement strategy in these pillars, you shift from reactive reporting to proactive insight. You’ll be able to ask sharper questions, gather more meaningful data from your intranet analytics, and tell stories that resonate with leadership.

How do you measure employee experience?

Rather than guessing what to measure, use the seven pillars laid out above as a diagnostic tool to systematically uncover priorities across your organization. This will help you understand what to track and how to track it.

To assess these areas of EX, meet with leaders across every function – not just HR and communications. Talk to IT, Legal, Finance, department heads, ERG leaders, project managers, and frontline supervisors. Each brings a unique perspective on what employees need to succeed.

Use the pillars to guide your discovery conversations. For each pillar, ask targeted questions that reveal both current state and aspirations. Document the language leaders use, the metrics they mention, and the problems they’re trying to solve. Then, combine what you’ve learned with intranet analytics and other internal comms data to paint a full picture.

1. Measuring Communication

What it covers: Keeping everyone informed and aligned

Who to talk to: Internal Comms, HR, C-Suite, Frontline Operations

Discovery questions:

• “How do you currently communicate company-wide news and announcements?”
• “Do you feel employees are well-informed about strategic goals?”
• “What communication channels get the best response?”

How to measure employee experience in this area:

• Strategy recall rate in follow-up surveys
• Open enrollment participation rate
• Percentage of frontline workers reached by key communications
• Engagement rate on strategic communications (clicks, comments, shares)
• Intranet KPIs on reach

2. Measuring self-service

What it covers: Empowering employees to find answers

Who to talk to: HR, IT, Legal, Finance

Discovery questions:

• “What are the most common employee questions or requests?”
• “Do you offer self-service options for things like benefits, tech support, or payroll?”
• “Where do employees get stuck when trying to solve problems on their own?”

Internal comms measurement metrics:

• Support ticket volume before and after launching self-service content
• Completion rate of self-service forms (benefits, PTO requests)
• Reduction in repetitive HR/IT tickets
• Compliance rate for mandatory tasks like policy acknowledgments

3. Measuring tool access

What it covers: Removing friction from daily work

Who to talk to: IT, HR Onboarding, Operations

Discovery questions:

• “How do employees access the tools they need?”
• “Are there any access or adoption issues with key systems?”
• “How long does it take new hires to get fully set up?”

Measuring employee experience with tools:

• Survey new hires on ease of tool access during onboarding
• Login frequency and time-on-tool metrics
• Number of support requests related to tool access
• System adoption rate post-onboarding (treat “time‑to‑first‑login” and adoption as core intranet KPIs)

4. Measuring knowledge

What it covers: Making information findable and useful

Who to talk to: HR, Department Heads, Learning & Development

Discovery questions:

• “How do employees find information or subject matter experts?”
• “Is institutional knowledge being captured and shared effectively?”
• “What information do employees repeatedly ask for?”

How to measure:

• Time-to-productivity for new hires
• Percentage of successful searches versus failed or abandoned searches according to intranet KPIs
• Frequency of document reuse across teams
• Knowledge retention scores via quizzes or feedback

5. Measuring community

What it covers: Building connection and belonging

Who to talk to: ERG Leads, Team Managers, Culture and Engagement Leads

Discovery questions:

• “Do employees feel connected to each other and the company?”
• “Are there active communities or collaboration spaces?”
• “How do cross-functional relationships form?”

Measuring internal comms impact on community:

• Percentage of community-generated ideas that are actioned
• Percentage of employees engaging in cross-functional groups
• Peer-to-peer support rate (questions answered by peers vs. admins)
• Retention rate among active community members

6. Measuring alignment

What it covers: Connecting daily work to strategy

Who to talk to: Project Managers, Strategy Leads, Communications

Discovery questions:

• “How do you track progress toward business goals?”
• “Are employees clear on how their work contributes to strategy?”
• “What happens after you announce a new strategic initiative?”

Internal comms measurement for alignment:

• Engagement with strategic communications
• Time between strategy rollout and task adoption
• Project success rates and on-time completion
• Percentage of employees who understand how their work connects to company goals

7. Measuring recognition

What it covers: Celebrating contributions and values

Who to talk to: HR, Team Leads, Culture Champions

Discovery questions:

• “How do you currently recognize employee contributions?”
• “Is recognition visible and tied to company values?”
• “Do employees feel appreciated for their work?”

How to measure employee experience with recognition:

• Correlation between recognition frequency and performance review scores
• Employee perception of recognition impact via surveys
• Correlation between recognition and retention rates
• Percentage of employees receiving peer recognition

What is the best way to share employee experience findings?

Now that you’ve gathered rich qualitative insights from across your organization, it’s time to turn those conversations into quantifiable indicators that are easy to understand and relate to. The following tips will ensure your findings can be understood by even the busiest stakeholders and collaborators:

• Choose a balanced mix of metrics. Combine quantitative data (intranet analytics on traffic, reach, and engagement; email open rates; survey scores) with qualitative insights (sentiment analysis, feedback themes). Numbers tell you what’s happening; stories tell you why.
• Map each metric to a business priority. Every metric you track should connect to either a business goal or a specific communications objective. If you can’t explain why a metric matters, don’t track it.
• Keep it lean to start. Focus on three to five core metrics initially. You can always add complexity later, but starting with too many metrics leads to paralysis, not insight.

How do you share employee experience progress with stakeholders and leaders?

The best internal communication tools have a variety of data you can extract, but raw numbers won’t inspire action unless you put them to use. Your job is to transform data into narratives that demonstrate the strategic value of internal communications.

• Create a simple dashboard or monthly snapshot. Make your data visible and accessible with a small set of intranet KPIs tied to the pillars of the employee experience. Leaders should be able to understand your impact at a glance.
• Use storytelling to show impact. Instead of “Email open rate: 67%,” try “After we redesigned our strategy announcements, engagement rose by 24%, and strategy recall improved among frontline workers by 31%.”
• Share both wins and lessons learned. Transparency builds credibility. When something doesn’t work, share what you learned and how you’re adjusting.

Sample monthly reporting snapshot for measuring employee experience:

Real-world example: King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust reported that after launching its award-winning intranet – including a personalised onboarding homepage shown for two weeks after a new starter joins – and enabling mobile access, they saw smoother onboarding, fewer support requests, and a 75% positive rating in a pulse survey.

How do you improve the way you measure employee experience?

Measurement isn’t a one-time project – it’s an ongoing practice that evolves with your organization. Here are a few ways to improve your EX measurement strategy over time:

• Revisit your metrics quarterly or biannually. Business priorities shift, new challenges emerge, and what mattered six months ago may not be relevant today. Build regular review cycles into your workflow.
• Add complexity only when you have capacity and clarity. It’s tempting to track everything, but more metrics don’t automatically equal better insights. Only expand your measurement framework when you’ve mastered the basics and have a clear reason for the addition.
• Celebrate progress, not perfection. Every improvement – no matter how small – represents real impact on employee experience. Share those wins widely.

The difference between static EX reporting and dynamic EX reporting

The challenge with traditional measurement approaches is that annual employee engagement surveys and quarterly reports provide valuable snapshots, but they can’t capture the dynamic nature of the modern employee experience.

The limitations of static reporting include:

• Annual surveys reveal problems six to twelve months too late
• Quarterly reports can’t respond to real-time challenges
• One-time measurements miss trends and patterns

Modern internal comms measurement requires continuous listening. Consider implementing tools and approaches that enable ongoing feedback:

• Pulse surveys allow you to take the temperature of specific initiatives or topics quickly, gathering employee feedback when it’s most relevant rather than waiting for an annual cycle.
• Real-time signals from your communication platforms – such as engagement patterns, sentiment shifts, and information-seeking behavior – provide early warning signs of emerging issues or opportunities.
• Always-on feedback channels like digital suggestion boxes, monthly temperature checks, or integrated communication platform analytics help you stay connected to the employee experience as it unfolds.

The most effective measurement strategies combine periodic deep-dive assessments with continuous listening mechanisms. This approach allows you to be both strategic and responsive – understanding long-term trends while remaining agile enough to address immediate concerns.

Invest in modern intranet solutions with built‑in intranet analytics and pulse surveys – the best internal communication tools combine listening and intranet KPIs. These tools shouldn’t create more work – they should make it easier to gather, analyze, and act on insights that improve employee experience every day.

Start measuring what matters

Measuring employee experience doesn’t require a massive budget, a team of data scientists, or perfect conditions. It requires curiosity about what matters to your people, alignment with what matters to your business, and commitment to continuous improvement.

Start with one pillar. Choose three metrics. Build your first dashboard. Tell your first story about impact.

The journey from gut-feel communications to data-informed strategy begins with a single step – and that step can happen today.

Frequently asked questions about measuring employee experience

The post Measuring employee experience: A strategic blueprint for internal communications appeared first on Interact software.

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Employee experience (EX) platform onboarding and intranet onboarding refer to the structured processes of planning, configuring, training, launching, and optimizing your new EX software or intranet so that teams adopt it quickly and get value over time. This post – the third in our Steps to EX platform success series – covers everything you need to know about the onboarding process and how it can set you up for long-term success.

This post provides a practical roadmap for launching an employee experience platform or intranet, focusing on how to organize work, make informed decisions, and keep the project moving forward. It outlines what to expect at each stage, responsibilities across teams, and how to align stakeholders around clear outcomes.

We’ll cover collaboration with your vendor, the essentials of strategy and ownership, preparing content for day one, and more. You’ll also find concise guidance on the tactics that sustain momentum after release, metrics that signal healthy adoption, and common pitfalls to avoid. Let’s get started.

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What is employee experience platform onboarding?

Onboarding for an employee experience platform covers everything between “we’ve chosen a platform” and “employees reliably use it”: outcomes and scope, EX governance and roles, content readiness (audit and migration), platform configuration, author training, change communications, launch, and continuous optimization.  

The intranet onboarding process plays out in the same way – the only difference is what you’re launching, as an employee experience platform will have more features to coordinate and deliver. 

If you’ve been tasked with leading your company’s intranet or EX platform onboarding process, or if you’re shopping for EX software and want to know what the journey entails, read on for details, tips, and answers. 

What are the phases of employee experience software onboarding and intranet onboarding?

Employee experience platform onboarding and intranet onboarding phases include planning, setup, training, launch, and ongoing optimization, typically following these steps:

1. Pre-onboarding & project planning
2. Strategic planning & governance
3. MVP launch
4. Implementation & build-out
5. Soft launch or phased rollout (optional)
6. Full launch
7. Optimization & ongoing success 

The onboarding process will be guided by your intranet or employee experience vendor, who should ensure everything unfolds smoothly and that your team is well-supported from start to finish. Let’s review the basics for each phase of the project:

Phase 1: Pre-onboarding and planning 

• Discovery of business goals, how to best meet your organization’s EX needs, and challenges to solve for 
• Mapping of project roles (IT, HR, comms, content owners) 
• Projecting your onboarding timeline 
• Development of a migration plan and initial content identification or content audit 

Phase 2: Strategic planning and governance 

• Working with your vendor to set objectives (we recommend sticking to between three and five goals) and create a comprehensive strategy for your EX platform 
• Establishing governance frameworks, publishing models, and approval channels 
• Identification of essential content and assignment to content owners 

Phase 3: MVP creation 

• A minimum viable product (MVP) is typically built by your vendor at this stage 
• An MVP is an initial version of your employee experience platform, featuring core functionality and sample content
• Early author training and feedback sessions (including with stakeholders) help refine the MVP before broader rollout 

Phase 4: Implementation and build-out 

• Finalization of site structure and configuration of integrations 
• Building out content, which should include content owner training and author training for admins and contributors 
• Continuation of iterative design and technical setup 

Phase 5: Soft launch or phased rollout (if applicable)

• Release of the platform to a select group or department for pilot testing (soft launch) 
• Gradual expansion of access before the full launch (phased rollout) 
• Gathering feedback, monitoring adoption, and making improvements 

Note: Soft launch and phased rollout are optional, but both are recommended for larger organizations

Phase 6: Launch 

• Launching your new EX platform for all users at your organization 
• Execution of launch communications and engagement campaigns 
• Providing training, guidance, and support to new users 
• Monitoring initial adoption and engagement metrics 

Phase 7: Ongoing optimization 

• Analyzing usage data and user feedback post-launch and over time to drive continuous improvement 
• Offering ongoing training, refreshers, and advanced feature workshops 
• Conducting regular strategic reviews and planning for future enhancements 

Who should be involved in the employee experience platform onboarding or intranet onboarding process?

The onboarding team for your intranet or employee experience platform should include individuals on both the vendor side and the customer side. 

This can vary by project, but on the vendor side, expect to work with an Onboarding Manager, strategy, design, and technical consultants, training and build consultants, and a Customer Success Manager.

Your organization’s side of the team will include an internal project manager (this could be you) and any other relevant players from comms, HR, and IT. It will also include content owners and internal champions.

Which individuals need to be part of employee experience platform or intranet onboarding?

Here’s an example of a typical team during the EX software onboarding process (note that there may be overlap between these roles on your team – for example, the Project Manager may also serve as the Comms Lead, and your HR Lead may also be a content owner):

What support do vendors provide during the EX platform onboarding process or intranet onboarding process?

A good EX or intranet software vendor will offer the following forms of support during the onboarding process: 

Dedicated project management

An onboarding manager on your vendor’s team should serve as your primary point of contact, coordinating all activities, managing timelines, and ensuring smooth communication between you and the vendor. They keep the project organized and proactively address risks before they escalate. 

Strategic consultancy 

Vendors should help align your platform with business goals by guiding governance planning, content strategy, and feature prioritization. This includes workshops, best-practice frameworks, and tailored recommendations to maximize adoption. 

Change management expertise 

Your vendor should guide you through a structured change management approach that includes: 

• Stakeholder engagement and communication planning 
• Role-based training programs and self-service resources 
• Identification and support of internal “change champions” to drive adoption 

Technical support and integration 

Expect your EX software or intranet vendor to provide infrastructure review, integration planning, and secure data migration. Your vendor’s IT experts should coordinate with your team’s IT Lead during the project to ensure compatibility with existing systems and future scalability. 

Comprehensive Training 

Training should be role-specific and flexible – covering administrators, content authors, and end users through workshops, webinars, and e-learning modules. Vendors should also provide ongoing resources to maintain engagement post-offboarding.

Post-Launch Optimization 

Vendor involvement doesn’t stop at launch. Your vendor should continue to offer support, including: 

• Usage analytics and adoption insights 
• Advanced feature training and best-practice updates 
• Opportunities to participate in case studies, awards, and other opportunities to highlight your achievements 

Spotlight: What is the role of a Customer Success Manager in the EX software and intranet onboarding process (and beyond)?

Your vendor should assign you a dedicated Customer Success Manager during the onboarding process. This person will be your partner and advisor throughout the journey and beyond, ensuring continuous value for your investment. Their role is to:

• Align and focus on your business outcomes  
• Identify continuous opportunities to meet your needs, address challenges, and advocate for you
• Advise on strategy, best practices, and trends  
• Provide updates and guidance for increased adoption and engagement with your new platform 

Tips for successful employee experience software onboarding

How do I measure success during employee experience platform onboarding or intranet onboarding?

Here are some key metrics to track your EX platform’s success, starting during onboarding:

• Adoption: Track active mobile and desktop users, repeat visits, and mobile app onboarding rates to understand engagement.
• Findability: Monitor search success rates, top failed queries, and average time-to-content to ensure users can easily find what they need.
• Content health: Review the percentage of pages with current review dates and the number of content updates per month to keep information fresh. 
• Outcome alignment: Regularly assess progress against the goals set during the pre-onboarding and strategic planning phases of the project to ensure your EX onboarding plan or intranet onboarding plan is delivering on business objectives. 

Tracking performance (particularly adoption, findability, and content health) from the start allows you to make changes that improve experiences and lead to higher engagement and adoption. The earlier you spot potential improvements, the better your long-term outcomes will be.

How do you get the most out of the employee experience software onboarding process?

Do the following during the EX-platform or intranet onboarding process to make things easier for your team, move the project along faster, and get the best results: 

• Prioritize and keep it simple: Start with the most important features and content. Don’t try to do everything at once. 
• Get content owners involved ASAP: Ask the people who know your company’s information best to help prepare and review content well in advance. Getting tasks on their radar early helps them budget their time and helps you avoid chasing people. 
• Complete baseline IT setup early: Address technical requirements and integrations at the outset to avoid surprises – and resulting delays – later on. 
• Keep leadership involved and informed: Regular status updates and check-ins with leaders help keep the project moving and show you’re making progress. 
• Tap your vendor’s experience: Your vendor has done this many times before. Ask plenty of questions and take advantage of their frameworks, best practices, and tips. Above all, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, let them know – they can provide reassurance and solutions to help. 
• Invite and act on feedback: Collect and use feedback from pilot groups, stakeholders, and end users to refine the platform and your launch efforts. This means engaging multiple audiences – for example, frontline workers, remote workers, and office workers will all have different perspectives. 

How can companies ensure the long-term success of their EX platforms starting at onboarding? 

Start applying these strategies during onboarding to boost long-term adoption and success for your EX platform: 

• Make training part of your strategy: Take advantage of vendor training resources to be sure employees are engaging with – and making the most of – your new EX platform. Include training as part of your internal onboarding process for new hires, so every employee starts off on the right foot.
• Monitor and share adoption metrics: Use analytics to track usage, highlight wins, and identify areas for improvement. This is especially important early on, so that you can work with your vendor to optimize your platform and content – leading to higher usage now and in the long run. 
• Keep content relevant and up to date: Plan for regular content reviews and updates to maintain trust and usefulness. Establish the when, how, and who of these processes early to keep everyone accountable. 
• Promote champions and peer advocates: Empower internal champions and early adopters to support and encourage others. Peer influence goes a long way. 
• Celebrate milestones and successes: Recognize teams and individuals for high adoption, innovative use, or content quality. 
• Keep partnering with your vendor: As we mentioned above, a good EX software vendor doesn’t disappear after onboarding – they’re there to provide continuous support, guide you through any new features, and optimize your platform over time. They want to see you succeed, so take advantage of this partnership. 

Employee experience platform onboarding and intranet onboarding: Frequently asked questions

The post Employee experience platform onboarding: How to succeed when launching a new EX platform or intranet appeared first on Interact software.

We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone in our journey: we have secured a majority investment from Castik, a leading Private Equity firm.

This partnership is a profound affirmation of the value we deliver, the strength of our technology, and our unwavering commitment to our customers.

Investing in Innovation and Customer Success

Castik’s decision to partner with Interact validates the incredible success and rapid growth achieved through our innovation-first approach and customer-centric operations. They recognize the significant untapped market potential we hold, and our reputation as an established leader in the employee experience space.

This strategic investment will serve as a catalyst, allowing us to:

• Accelerate Product Innovation: Substantially increase investment in our product roadmap to deliver groundbreaking features faster.
• Expand Global Reach: Pursue strategic acquisitions and market expansion to bring the Interact platform to more organizations worldwide.
• Scale Operations: Leverage Castik’s deep operational expertise to scale the business and enhance our global service capabilities.

We are confident that Castik is a true strategic partner who shares our vision for growth and success. Our focus remains squarely on serving our incredible customers and delivering the cutting-edge innovations our customers and the market expect from us.

Read the full press release below:

November 27, 2025. Funds managed by Castik Capital S.à r.l. (“Castik”) have entered into an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Interact Software (“Interact”) from Unicorn Asset Management (“Unicorn”), Octopus Ventures (“Octopus”), Perwyn Advisors (“Perwyn”), the former Chairman, Executive management and other minority shareholders. The significant strategic investment will accelerate Interact’s mission to become the definitive operating system for the enterprise employee experience, powering substantial growth through targeted M&A and deep product development.

Unicorn AIM VCT plc, the former Chairman and Executive management will remain shareholders in the business following the transaction. Simon Dance, CEO of Interact, will continue to lead the business alongside his executive management team.

“In Castik, we have found our partner of choice to support us in expanding our capabilities within the broader employee experience space. We look forward to a close collaboration in the coming years. Castik has deep expertise in the space from previous employee experience investments, and is the perfect partner to take on this journey with us.” says Simon Dance, CEO of Interact.

Headquartered in Manchester, UK, Interact provides a SaaS platform that helps organizations facilitate internal communication, foster knowledge sharing, and boost employee engagement. The company currently serves a broad range of blue-chip customers across North America, EMEA, and the Middle East, with its largest markets being the United States and the United Kingdom.

The global employee experience market continues to demonstrate strong growth as organizations prioritize talent retention and culture alignment in a hybrid world. Interact is strategically positioned to capitalize on this trend by accelerating investments in its core platform and expanding its feature set to address complex enterprise communication challenges.

Interact plans to continue executing its ambitious growth strategy, focused on establishing itself as a leading employee experience platform for enterprise customers. This will include targeted investments in its core intranet platform and further expansion into the broader employee experience space, both organically and through strategic M&A.

“We would like to thank Interact’s management team for the trust they have placed in us, and we are very much looking forward to working together. Interact is perfectly placed in the market to expand its offering and support customers in achieving their communication and engagement goals. Castik will apply its experience from prior human capital management investments to support Interact further accelerate growth,” says Michael Phillips, Partner at Castik Capital.

Interact was advised on the transaction by KeyBanc Capital Markets and Clearwater (M&A), EY Parthenon (Commercial), Deloitte (Financial and Tax), Greenberg Traurig (Legal), Slater Heelis (Legal), and Crosslake (Tech).

Castik Capital S.à r.l. was advised by Houlihan Lokey (M&A and Financing), William Blair (M&A), Bain (Commercial and Tech), PwC (Financial, ESG and Tax structuring), EY (Tax), Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (Legal), and White and Case (Financing legal).

The post Interact Enters a New Era of Growth with Strategic Investment from Castik appeared first on Interact software.

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Part two of our series on the journey to a better employee experience covers best practices for navigating EX platform demos, EX platform trials, and EX platform proofs of concepts. We’ve got tips on all three, so that you can spot vendor gaps easily and evaluate employee experience software options with clarity. Start making the most of your tours and trials with these expert strategies. 

Evaluating employee experience (EX) platforms is no easy task. With so many options, features, and buzzwords, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. 

While feature lists and guides can be helpful, there’s truly nothing that can replace seeing (and in some cases, testing) EX platform capabilities in action. That’s where demos and customized trials – or proofs of concepts (POCs) – come in. 

This post will take you through the steps to confidently navigate EX demos, trials, and POCs so you can make the best decision for your organization. You’ll learn what to expect at each stage, how to ask the right questions, and how to set yourself up for EX platform success. 

Want even more tips for big EX decisions?

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Why are demos, trials, and POCs key parts of EX platform buying process? 

Demos, trials, and POCs are your chance to move beyond marketing promises and see how an EX platform really works for your team during the buying process. Each stage gives you a deeper look at the product and helps you make a more informed decision. 

Want more proof? In a 2025 survey of software purchasers, 62% ranked a product trial as a top factor in their final purchase decision, and 54% ranked a product demo as a top factor.

Steps involved in the EX platform buying process 

While every journey is unique, most organizations in search of new employee experience software follow seven steps: 

1. Define your requirements: Start by identifying your organization’s EX platform needs. Knowing what you’re looking for – and what your dealbreakers are – will save you time and frustration down the road. 
2. Search for potential vendors. Common ways to find solutions include: reports and reviews from third-party analysts such as Gartner, Forrester, or G2; seminars, events, and conferences for comms and EX pros; and recommendations from colleagues or specialist groups (often found on LinkedIn or in other online communities).
3. Create a shortlist: Narrow your options by seeing which vendors check your boxes, weighing initial impressions or concerns, and reading reviews and customer testimonials. 
4. Request demos: Invite your shortlisted vendors to show you their platforms in action and answer your questions. 
5. Compare features and fit: Evaluate how each platform matches your requirements, culture, internal comms needs, and work processes, and rank your top contenders. 
6. Run a proof of concept (POC): If needed, test your top contenders’ platforms in a real-world setting through tailored POCs.
7. Make your final decision: Gather feedback, compare results, and choose the platform that best fits your needs.

What to know about EX platform demos

Do I really need a demo for EX software?

Yes. While sitting through a software demo doesn’t top many people’s lists of favorite activities, it’s an essential step in the EX buying process.

A demo is your first opportunity to see a potential EX platform in action. It’s not just about flashy features. When done right, it can be much more of a strategic conversation than a sales pitch. 

EX software demos are also crucial for avoiding costly mistakes – according to research from Gartner, 58% of buyers regret at least one software purchase made in the past 18 months. The demo process can spot what potential platforms can and can’t do, and help raise any red flags before it’s too late.  

This is your chance to understand how each EX software vendor can solve your real challenges and support your goals – and it’s a meeting that’s totally focused on YOU. Take advantage of this by coming prepared. Knowing what you’re looking for and what questions to ask can go a long way in setting you up for success. 

What should I expect from an employee experience platform demo? 

Most EX platform demos, regardless of vendor, will include the same basic components: 

Introduction and context 

• Brief overview of the demo’s purpose and what will be covered 
• Discussion of your organization’s goals and challenges, touching on where you are now and any desired outcomes for your EX platform 

Vendor overview 

• Introduction to the vendor’s mission and philosophy around employee experience 
• A general sense of what the platform does and doesn’t do, and what sets it apart from competitors 

Live platform demonstration 

• Guided tour of the homepage, navigation, and personalization features 
• In-depth look at core features and capabilities (for example, content creation and management, search functionality, analytics and reporting, mobile app, multichannel comms, application of agentic AI, etc.)

Branding and UX information 

• Overview of branding options, themes, and accessibility to ensure a good fit 

Integration capabilities 

• Explanation of how the platform connects with other workplace tools (e.g., Microsoft 365, ServiceNow, etc.) 

Security and hosting 

• Information on hosting, security certifications, and other technical factors

Support and success services 

• Introduction to how the vendor approaches onboarding, training, guidance on governance, customer success management, product updates, and technical support 

Q&A and next steps 

• Opportunity to ask questions and discuss how the platform addresses specific needs 
• Guidance on next steps, such as setting up a proof of concept if necessary 

How do I prepare for an EX software demo? 

Going into the demo process prepared means you’ll be better equipped to spot gaps and strengths, so get ready for your EX demo by doing the following: 

• Define your must-haves and nice-to-haves: Hopefully, you’ve already got a good idea of which features are essential for your organization. Write down the main capabilities you’re looking for and keep them handy during the demo so that you don’t lose sight of the big picture.
• Think about your challenges: Your biggest day-to-day frustrations may not be mapped to specific features, but that doesn’t mean a vendor can’t solve them. List out your problems and the person you speak with may just have the perfect solution.
• Involve the right stakeholders: Consult team members in IT, HR, and other key roles. They likely already contributed their thoughts as you created your shortlist, but they may have vendor-specific questions as well – and a few may want to sit in on demos with you. 
• Refresh your memory: Sure, you already evaluated each vendor when creating your shortlist, but all those features can blur together, making it tough to remember which platform does what. A quick trip to the product page on the vendor’s website or a review of your notes from the research process will give you an edge in any demo. 
• Bring a list of questions: Don’t count on coming up with questions on the fly. Demos can move fast, and laying out what you want to know ahead of time puts you in the driver’s seat. 

What questions should I ask in an EX software demo? 

Here are some of the most important questions to ask in an EX software demo based on the latest best practices: 

• How customizable is the platform to our brand and workflows? 
• Can you walk us through a typical user journey – from logging on to finding key information? 
• How does your platform support different types of employee communications (e.g., news, updates, peer-to-peer)? 
• Can you show how the intranet integrates with our existing tools (like Microsoft 365 or HRIS systems)? 
• What analytics and reporting features are available? 
• What support and training do you provide during onboarding and after launch? 

For a more comprehensive list, check out our 14 questions to ask in an EX product demo. 

Standard EX platform trial vs. proof of concept: What’s the difference when evaluating software? 

Defining “trial” and “proof of concept” for EX software 

• EX platform trial definition: A trial is a standard, out-of-the-box version of the platform that lets you explore features and get a feel for the user experience. It’s usually self-guided and gives you a broad overview. 
• EX platform proof of concept (POC) definition: A POC is a tailored, goal-driven test environment. It’s designed around your specific needs, with custom branding, workflows, and support. A POC helps you validate that the platform can solve your unique challenges before you commit. 

The difference between a proof of concept and a standard EX software trial

Which is better for evaluating EX tech – a trial or a POC? 

If you need to try out the platform for yourself (more on that below) a POC is a better choice. That’s because, technically, a POC is a more intensive type of trial that’s tailored to your needs. This allows you to test the product as it would work in your organization. 

Traditional, non-tailored trials give you the opportunity to explore a generic version of the product on your own. However, they don’t paint a full picture of your team’s day-to-day experience and don’t let you test specific use cases. This is whyPOCs are considered more robust for those wanting to take a closer look. 

Why some vendors offer POCs (and when you should consider one) 

Not every vendor offers a POC, but it can be essential for organizations with complex needs or high-stakes projects. A POC is especially valuable if you need to: 

• Test specific integrations or workflows 
• Get buy-in from multiple stakeholders 
• Validate that the platform can handle your unique requirements 

If your needs are straightforward, you may not need all this. Many organizations secure the right solution through standard procurement methods such as demos, proposal processes, and robust vendor vetting. But if you want to reduce risk and make a confident decision, a POC is worth considering.  

What to know about EX platform proofs of concepts (POCs)

What should I expect from a POC for EX software? 

A typical EX platform POC should include: 

• A dedicated test environment: You’ll get access to a version of the platform set up just for your organization. 
• Some level of customization: Expect basic branding, sample content, and workflows that reflect your real use cases. 
• Support and training: The vendor should provide guidance, training, and checkpoints to help your team get the most out of the POC. 
• A defined test period: Most POCs run for 2–4 weeks, giving you plenty of time to explore and evaluate. 
• Clear objectives: You’ll typically work with the vendor to set goals and define what success looks like. 
• Opportunities for feedback: Regular check-ins and feedback sessions help you stay on track and get answers to your questions. 

How do I prepare for an EX platform POC?

Preparation is key to getting value from your POC. Here’s what you and your team should do: 

• Lay out your expectations: Know what you want to achieve and which features or workflows you need to test. 
• Identify use cases: Develop specific scenarios or tasks that reflect your real business needs. 
• Assemble the right team: Assign a project lead and involve stakeholders from IT, HR, communications, and end users. 
• Gather resources: Provide brand assets, guidelines, and any sample content needed for customization. 
• Allocate time and commitment: Make sure your team is available for training, testing, and feedback sessions during the POC period. 
• Clarify roles: Decide who will test which features and who will provide feedback. 
• Understand vendor requirements: Be ready to sign any necessary agreements (e.g., NDA, data protection) and coordinate with IT or InfoSec if integrations are being tested. 

What are some tips for getting the most out of a POC for EX software?

Maximize your POC experience with these best practices: 

• Set measurable goals: Decide how you’ll evaluate success (e.g., ease of use, integration, user adoption). 
• Keep your search team tight: Involve enough people to get diverse feedback, but keep the group focused and engaged. 
• Plan user journeys: Assign different roles and permissions to mimic real-world scenarios. 
• Test real tasks: Don’t just explore – try to complete actual tasks your team will perform on the platform. 
• Use vendor support: Take advantage of training, documentation, and Q&A sessions. 
• Document feedback: Collect input from all participants and track issues or questions as they arise. 
• Stay on schedule: Stick to the agreed timeline and attend all checkpoints or review meetings. 
• Be open about challenges: Share any blockers or concerns with the vendor early so they can help address them. 

What are the signs an EX software POC is going well? 

During your POC, look for these positive indicators to help inform your decision: 

• Stakeholder engagement: Team members are actively participating, asking questions, and providing feedback. 
• Smooth onboarding: Users can access the platform easily and understand how to use key features after training. 
• Platform reliability: The test environment is stable, and any technical issues are resolved quickly. 
• Customization success: Branding, content, and workflows reflect your organization’s needs. 
• Use case validation: Your team can complete real tasks and scenarios without major roadblocks. 
• Clear communication: The vendor is responsive, transparent, and proactive in addressing questions or challenges. 
• Actionable feedback: You’re able to gather meaningful input that will inform your final decision. 
• Measurable progress: You can track outcomes against objectives and see tangible results. 

Handling EX demos, trials, and POCs with confidence 

Choosing the right employee experience platform is a big decision, but with the right approach to demos, trials, and proofs of concept, you can move forward with confidence.  

By preparing well, asking the right questions, and involving your team, you’ll be able to evaluate each option thoroughly and find the best fit for your organization. Remember: a thoughtful, hands-on evaluation process is key to EX platform success. 

EX platform demos, trials, and POCs: Frequently asked questions 

The post Evaluating employee experience platforms: Making the most of EX software trials, demos and POCs appeared first on Interact software.

The study, The Employee Experience Blueprint: What’s Working, What’s Not and What’s Next, surveyed more than 200 internal communicators and reveals that while many teams collect data, few are using it to drive meaningful action. 

Key findings include: 

• 71% of communicators collect data, but only 11% use it to guide decision-making. 

• 54% lack a single go-to platform for internal communications. 

• Just 1% say they’re effectively reaching deskless or frontline workers. 

• 67% cite information overload as their top frustration. 

These findings come as organizations continue to navigate hybrid work, evolving technology stacks, and rising expectations around employee engagement and productivity. 

“Too many organizations are not delivering the results they want because their workforces are not aligned, informed, and productive,” said Simon Dance, CEO of Interact. “As our research with Ragan shows, many organizations are collecting data but don’t know how to act on it to drive results. At Interact, we’re helping organizations bridge that divide by unifying communication systems so every employee is set up to do their best work.”  

The report also found that more than half of communicators want greater control over their tech stack, with only 15% saying they’re satisfied with their current tools. 

“Internal communications continues to evolve at speed,” said Allison Carter, 
Editorial Director, Ragan Communications. “The teams that embrace unified technology and data-driven strategy are the ones leading culture and engagement across the organization.” 

Interact customer, Kent, added: 

“Employee communication is central to our culture at Kent,” said Joanne Hennigan, SVP, Communications & Advocacy, Kent. “Frank, our Interact-powered intranet, connects engineers, leaders, and frontline staff in one digital space. It isn’t just a communications tool; it’s a cultural differentiator that helps our people feel seen, connected, and empowered.” 

The Employee Experience Blueprint outlines practical recommendations to help organizations: 

• Turn employee data into actionable insights 

• Simplify and align fragmented tech stacks 

• Build communication strategies that truly reach the frontline 

The full report is available now for free download here. 

The post New Interact × Ragan research reveals only 1% of company communicators reach frontline workers effectively  appeared first on Interact software.

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This post – which kicks off our five-part series on the journey to a better employee experience – tackles the first step to selecting your new employee experience platform: laying out your EX needs. Read on for tips and tactics to help you get clear on requirements so you can make decisions with confidence. 

Thinking about a new employee experience (EX) platform, intranet, or internal comms software?  

Before you start comparing features and prepping for EX platform demos, it’s important to take a step back and get real about your EX strategy. Because no two organizations are alike, every successful EX project must begin with a deep understanding of unique needs and pain points.

When you’ve finished reading this article, you’ll have a new approach to asking the right questions, defining your employee experience platform needs, and getting your team on board.

Why is defining your needs essential to choosing the right EX platform? 

Taking time to determine employee experience needs upfront saves time, money, and headaches in the long run. It ensures your platform solves real problems specific to your workplace instead of simply adding another tool to the pile.

What does it look like when organizations skip this crucial step?

Take this example: A company invests in a shiny new EX platform packed with bells and whistles. It promises better communication, higher engagement, and a sleek interface – so it should work for any workplace, right? Wrong. Six months later, employees barely use it, IT is frustrated, and leadership wonders why adoption is so low.

Several factors could be at play here. Maybe the platform failed to address waning frontline engagement. Perhaps it lacked the ability to personalize comms for different regions. Or maybe it didn’t have the self-service capabilities needed to support overstretched HR and IT teams.

The truth is, these issues are avoidable – but only if we rethink how we approach EX software selection. Instead of starting with a feature checklist, start with your organization’s needs. Define what matters most, then look for a platform that delivers on those priorities.

Tips to identify employee experience needs

Your first step to defining your EX needs is observing what is and isn’t working for you right now. This helps you get clear on exactly what to look for, so that you’re more likely to land on a platform that meets your specific requirements.

Common employee experience gaps to look for 

Depending on your organization’s structure, geography, and culture, you’ll likely notice several common employee experience problems as you take a look around.

Here are a few issues we see all the time: 

• Missed updates: Critical news and messaging end up buried and unseen. This tends to happen when comms aren’t personalized, which makes employees tune out. 
• Subpar knowledge management: Policies are in one system, benefits are in another, platform governance is lacking, and there’s no searchable, single source of truth for employees. (This one is especially common – 47% of digital workers struggle to find the information they need to do their jobs)
• Low engagement: Employees ignore existing digital workplace tools because they’re clunky, don’t have enough relevance, or aren’t useful enough.  
• Disconnected teams: Remote or frontline workers feel out of touch with broader organizational goals and culture.
• EX is a black box: Poor analytics fail to capture employee sentiment, engagement, and other data, making it difficult to replicate what’s working and shift what’s not.

In the next section, we’ll dive deeper into how to identify these and similar pain points in your employee experience so that you can better select a platform that suits your needs. 

Mistakes to avoid when defining employee experience needs 

Here are several common missteps to steer clear of when exploring your EX needs: 

• Jumping straight to features. Before creating a wish list of capabilities, lay out current problems and desired outcomes. 
• Only asking leadership. Include employees, managers, and frontline staff in your discovery. 
• Leaving out key stakeholders. Be sure to loop in any relevant players in HR, IT, and other departments – forgetting just one person can make your findings less accurate and a potential solution more difficult to implement.
• Overcomplicating requirements. Keep your list of needs focused and actionable by separating the “need-to-have” from the “nice-to-have.”
• Ignoring culture. Culture is hard to define, but it’s a crucial part of the employee experience. Consider which aspects of your culture employees engage with the most and which could use a boost.

Three steps to identify your organization’s employee experience needs

1. Review usage data from your current digital workplace tools

If you have any analytics from your current tools, it’s time to put them to use. 

Look at data from your intranet to answer questions like: 

• Which pages or features get used most?  
• Where do people drop off?  
• How does mobile engagement compare to desktop engagement? 
• What does frontline engagement look like? 
• How effective is search?  
• How often do tickets get raised about your intranet?

Internal comms metrics are helpful as well. For example, identifying which emails tend to get opened and read the most tells you what type of content employees are interested in, and which aspects of your current strategy are working well. The more information you have, the better. 

2. Use pulse survey questions to evaluate EX needs 

Pulse surveys are a strategic way to assess EX without overwhelming employees. Aim to ask five to ten questions, with each targeting different pillars of the employee experience (more on that below). Try these: 

• How connected do you feel to coworkers in different departments or locations? (What it measures: Community) 
• Agree or disagree – I receive the amount of credit and positive feedback I deserve when I do good work. (What it measures: Recognition) 
• How easy is it to find the people and information you need to do your job? (What it measures: Self-Service and Knowledge) 
• Agree or disagree – My personal values align with the company’s vision and mission. (What it measures: Alignment) 
• Do you receive the right amount of communication about company news, updates, and decisions? (What it measures: Communication) 
• Do you have access to the right technology to do your job well? (What it measures: Tool access) 

3. Use the seven employee experience pillars to rank what matters  

Form a focus group of internal experts 

Once you’ve gathered some initial data, it’s time to assemble a cross-departmental team that knows your organization well. This group – whether it’s three people or ten – will provide insight into your current experience and help determine which facets of EX you should focus on improving. 

First, share any research you’ve done already, including digital workplace data, pulse survey results, and any anecdotal observations or feedback.

Then, open up the discussion. Ask the group to use the seven key pillars of the employee experience as a rubric to measure current performance and establish which needs are most important. These pillars are: 

• Communication: Are messages timely, relevant, and reaching everyone who needs them? 
• Self-service: Can employees easily find answers and complete tasks without help? 
• Tool access: Is it simple to get to the apps and resources people use every day? 
• Knowledge: Is information accurate, up-to-date, and easy to search? 
• Community: Do people feel connected and able to share ideas or feedback? 
• Alignment: Is company strategy visible and understood at every level? 
• Recognition: Are wins and contributions celebrated in meaningful ways? 

Individuals in different departments, roles, or locations may have different views and priorities, but that’s a good thing. You’re looking for a wide range of perspectives, so take note of every contribution.  

Decide on your top three EX priorities 

Once you’ve landed on a collaborative, big-picture ranking of what’s important, it’s time to lay out your top three pillars. They’ll be the areas you’ll focus on optimizing and will be at the center of your project’s goals.

Laying out your top three pillars is especially useful when it’s time to decide on your must-have features. For instance, you may rank Knowledge, Communication, and Self-service as your top three pillars. This means you should prioritize solutions that offer a centralized, searchable knowledge hub, personalized comms, and tools that make it easy for employees to complete tasks without assistance. 

When looking for a new EX solution, you’ll still want it to address every pillar of the employee experience. That said, your top three pillars are non-negotiable. Treat them as deal-breakers and monitor them more closely during the decision-making process – this means seeking them out in feature lists and asking extra questions in product demos.

How do you start the process for selecting an EX platform? 

It’s time to turn that newfound knowledge about your EX into a clear plan of action. Once you’ve gotten clear on your EX needs, you’ll want to summarize them in one place, link them to desired outcomes and specific features, and use them to create a list of next steps.

Build a strategic wish list 

Translate your findings into a focused list of goals. These goals should cover all seven EX pillars, but be sure to lead with those related to your top three. 

Below each goal, note any potential features that could help achieve it. This exercise will help you get granular about your EX strategy without losing sight of your why.

Want a comprehensive list of modern features to pair with your goals? Check out our 28 things to look for in EX tech resource – it maps must-have capabilities by pillar to simplify the process. 

Summarize your EX needs and desired outcomes 

 Create a simple summary that includes: 

• An overview of the EX gaps you identified using digital workplace data, pulse surveys, and conversations with internal leaders
• A rundown of the three EX pillars you’re prioritizing, and why
• The feature wish list you crafted above
• A short explanation linking proposed EX improvements to business outcomes

This document will help you maintain focus during the search for better EX tools (especially when those shiny new tools threaten to pull your attention away from the essentials). You can also use it to brief coworkers who join the process later on, and even to get started on building a business case for a new EX platform. 

When you’re done creating your summary, share it with any relevant stakeholders as an FYI. The information you’ve gathered will help them understand the need for change before you propose potential solutions – priming them for buy-in. 

Plan what’s next in the process for selecting EX tech 

Next, use your insights to plot out the rest of your EX project. Decide what other tasks are involved, when they should happen, and how you’ll use your new findings about the employee experience to inform them. Here are a few steps you’ll want to plan for: 

• Explore potential solutions 
• Define success metrics 
• Outline a realistic timeline that covers the entire process – from search to EX platform onboarding to launch
• Secure stakeholder buy-in 
• Draft your business case 
• Compare vendors strategically 

Mapping out these pieces of your project turns your employee experience needs into a practical, actionable roadmap, ensuring you choose an EX solution that provides real value for years to come. 

Defining your employee experience needs: Frequently asked questions

The post How to figure out what you need from an employee experience platform appeared first on Interact software.

MANCHESTER, UK / NEW YORK, NY – November 12, 2025 – GLOBE NEWSWIRE – Interact, the provider of the Employee Experience (EX) Platform that powers the world’s best workplaces, today announced its Autumn 2025 launch featuring agentic AI capabilities, an intranet integration with Microsoft Copilot as a Microsoft Cloud AI Partner, enhanced workplace social tools, and more. 

The launch addresses a critical workplace challenge: context-switching between disconnected tools fragments employee focus and drains productivity, while valuable signals buried in workplace conversations—from emerging risks to moments of recognition—remain invisible to leaders. By bringing everyday systems into a unified intranet, surfacing praise that would otherwise stay hidden, and deploying AI agents that analyze workplace sentiment, Interact enables organizations to accelerate work and strengthen culture. 

“Success in the modern workplace is not about having more tools—it’s about having a smarter one,” said Simon Dance, CEO of Interact. “Our agentic AI is the bridge that turns raw data into human insight, eliminating the noise that slows employees down. We are fixing the ‘signal-to-noise’ problem in the enterprise, empowering leaders to act faster and ensuring every single employee feels seen and connected to the mission, because that leads to results.”  

New capabilities in the Autumn 2025 launch 

Move work along by simplifying the tech 

Organizations can now reduce context-switching by consolidating tools and answers in one place. The Microsoft Copilot Connector securely exposes intranet content within Microsoft 365 Copilot, delivering permission-aware answers without requiring employees to leave their workflow. New out-of-the-box integrations with SAP Success Factors and ServiceNow bring HR and IT self-service directly into the intranet via Interact’s Marketplace, allowing employees to check PTO balances, view task lists, submit tickets, and access knowledge articles without switching systems.  

Know where your focus is needed 

The Signal Agent uses agentic AI to transform workplace chatter into context-rich insights. This always-on capability analyzes posts, comments, and forum discussions to detect sentiment shifts, trending topics, and potential risks, then sends detailed alerts to Internal Communications, HR, IT, or Security teams. Organizations gain a real-time pulse on employee concerns, unanswered questions, emerging themes, and compliance risks without manual monitoring or survey fatigue, so action can be taken before it’s too late.   

Make success the norm 

The new Recognition Agent ensures praise never gets lost. This agentic AI for managers detects recognition signals across internal channels and routes them to the right leaders with full context. It automatically conducts employee listening and surfaces moments of achievement, especially among frontline teams. By doing so, managers can celebrate contributions promptly and foster a stronger culture of recognition. 

Customers participating in early access programs are already seeing the impact. 

“Culture and recognition really matter to our teams,” said Jessica Jensen, Senior Manager of Communications at Love’s Travel Stops. “With so much great activity happening across our intranet every day, it can be hard to keep up and spot what truly matters. Interact recognized this challenge and delivered Signal Agent—which we’re excited to use to amplify our core values.”  

New features released during the Autumn 2025 launch are available now to all Interact customers. Learn more here.

The post Interact’s enterprise employee experience platform adds agentic AI to drive employee listening at scale in Autumn Launch appeared first on Interact software.

Organizations pour valuable time and resources into SharePoint, and while they may be happy with the initial results, cracks begin to show over time. Because here’s the reality: SharePoint isn’t designed to be a true intranet, and that’s likely holding your workforce back. 

If you’re experiencing any of the five warning signs below, it’s time to face the music: your current setup is failing you… and it might be time to consider a SharePoint intranet alternative. 

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How do you know it’s time to find a SharePoint intranet alternative? 

1. Information is MIA  

Are employees on a perpetual scavenger hunt (or worse, a wild goose chase) for crucial documents, people, and policies? According to Gartner, 47% of digital workers struggle to find the information they need. SharePoint is likely making matters worse.  

Poor searchability, unintuitive structure, and “site creep” (an unwieldy accumulation of disorganized content, data, and sites) make it a black hole for information, leaving your team frustrated and unproductive.  

If you hear frequent complaints about hard-to-find information, or if you and your colleagues are bogged down by requests for documents or policies, you may want to look into alternatives to a SharePoint intranet that offer intuitive navigation and powerful search. 

2. IT is drowning in requests 

Is your IT team swamped with requests to fix, update, or customize your intranet? SharePoint demands significant technical expertise and ongoing maintenance, turning comms and EX into a burden. 

In our talks with former SharePoint customers, we found that they made an average of nine SharePoint requests to IT per month, each taking an average of 3.5 days to resolve. 

In addition to siphoning technical resources away from work that matters, this IT dependence creates bottlenecks that prevent organizations from sharing key knowledge and improving their intranets. Modern intranet software lifts this burden from IT, making it a compelling SharePoint alternative. 

3. You’re getting “ghost-town” vibes 

An intranet can only serve its purpose if people actually use it. If you’re seeing low visits and engagement levels, SharePoint’s limitations may be to blame. A poor user experience and outdated features can cause employees to view your intranet as a last resort. 

In contrast, an effective intranet is a traffic magnet. When Interact customer Audacy switched from SharePoint to a full-featured intranet, 98% of users visited the new intranet weekly, with engagement holding steady at 91% two years later. To get numbers like that, you’ll likely have to say goodbye to SharePoint and hello to an alternative that truly engages and supports your workforce. 

4. Employees are left behind 

With approximately 80% of the global workforce in deskless roles, mobile accessibility is non-negotiable. If employees on the front line, in the field, or on the road struggle to access important company information on their devices, your SharePoint intranet is falling short.  

Even the best content in the world is ineffective if it doesn’t get in front of the right audience at the right time. A modern intranet should be accessible anywhere, anytime – a key feature to look for when considering SharePoint intranet alternatives. 

5. It looks the same… to everyone 

One-size-fits-all experiences just don’t cut it anymore. If a hybrid operations manager in London, a delivery driver in Indiana, and a marketing associate at your New York headquarters have identical (or even very similar) experiences on your intranet, your digital workplace isn’t delivering what it should, and SharePoint may be to blame. 

Employees expect a level of personalization that SharePoint intranets usually lack, and they often become frustrated and disengaged when they have to sift through irrelevant content to find what they need – or when they get comms that don’t apply to them. This limited experience is a sure sign that you may need to change things up and consider alternatives to SharePoint for your intranet. 

Shedding SharePoint: A real-world success story 

Post Consumer Brands (PCB) faced the all-too-common SharePoint struggle: an outdated system that was a black hole for engagement and a constant drain on IT. By transitioning to a dedicated, full-featured intranet, “The Better Center,” PCB transformed their internal landscape and unlocked remarkable results.  

Frontline adoption shot up by 41% and time wasted searching for vital HR and Finance resources dropped by 45%, instantly boosting efficiency across thousands of workdays. For PCB, ditching SharePoint was more than a software change. It was a strategic tactic that paid off in newfound productivity and connection. 

Your path beyond SharePoint: How to choose the best SharePoint intranet alternative

If any of these SharePoint red flags resonated, you’re likely feeling the strain of an intranet that’s not measuring up. So, what now? Switching digital workplace tools is a big deal, and charting your journey in advance is essential. Here are the key steps you need to take to ensure a smooth process: 

• Map your needs and pain points: Start by gathering honest feedback from employees and internal teams. What’s currently missing? What causes frustration or slows down work? Understanding these specifics will define your ideal solution. 

• Envision your ideal digital hub: Picture an employee experience platform that truly empowers your workforce. What does seamless communication look like? How would it connect disparate teams? Defining this vision helps you recognize the right fit. 

• Build a compelling case for change: Translate your defined needs and vision into a persuasive argument for stakeholders. Highlight the measurable benefits of a new employee experience platform, such as improved productivity, high ROI, and reduced IT burden. 

• Weigh your options: Explore modern alternatives that are designed from the ground up as employee experience platforms. Set up walkthroughs of your favorites and arrive prepared with smart EX product demo questions to be sure their features address your key challenges – for example, a large frontline workforce or flailing engagement. 

• Plan for adoption, not just deployment: A new employee experience platform’s success hinges on employee adoption. Plan your approach strategically. Consider solutions that prioritize user experience and offer robust support for onboarding and continuous engagement to ensure long-term results. 

• Craft your launch strategy: Develop a comprehensive plan to introduce your new platform to the organization. This can include building excitement, creating incentive-driven challenges, and coordinating multichannel communications to drive adoption and engagement. 

• Optimize and evolve: Recognize that your employee experience platform is a living tool. That means you must continue to gather user feedback, measure EX over time, and make improvements. This will ensure your digital workplace remains relevant, valuable, and supportive of your evolving organizational goals. 

From SharePoint’s failures to a stronger future 

Coming to terms with digital workplace issues can be daunting, but remember: you’ve already taken the most important step. By recognizing current pitfalls and understanding what’s truly possible, you can turn your digital workplace into a must-visit destination that keeps communication, productivity, and business goals on track. 

The post 5 signs your SharePoint intranet is failing – and how to find an alternative appeared first on Interact software.

For us, this recognition isn’t just about a position on a chart. It’s validation of the approach we’ve always taken: building the tools employees actually need, not distracting them with features they don’t.

Why Interact was recognized as a Modern Enterprise Intranet Platform

Our placement as a Leader highlights strengths that matter most to organizations today:

• Frontline Reach → Connect dispersed and hard-to-reach employees through a mobile-first solution, digital signage, and targeted content delivery.
• Deep Personalization → Deliver tailored experiences based on role, location, or persona, giving every employee access to the most relevant tools and information.
• Ecosystem Integration → Centralize the tools employees already use (Microsoft 365, HRIS, ServiceNow, Salesforce, etc.) for a seamless, unified experience.
• Balancing Flexibility with Ease → Combine configurability with intuitive management so teams can adapt the platform without technical expertise.
• All-in-One Employee Experience → Go beyond communication to support the entire employee journey, from clarity around organizational goals to recognition and community-building.

These aren’t just technical capabilities – they’re the foundations of a modern intranet that powers the employee experience. From communication and self-service, to knowledge, community, alignment, and recognition – Interact helps enterprises tackle their most pressing business challenges: reducing support costs, cutting lost productivity, retaining talent, and building highly engaged, connected teams.

Why this matters for our customers

Recognition as a Leader isn’t the end point. It’s proof that Interact can deliver intranet solutions at scale – without unnecessary complexity. Some platforms pile on features for features’ sake. Our approach is different: we focus on modern intranets that are just right – powerful enough to serve thousands, simple enough to use every day.

Customer outcomes in action

Earning recognition as a Leader is meaningful, but what truly matters is the impact Interact delivers for enterprise organizations. Here’s how our customers are achieving measurable business outcomes with the platform:

• Fast Casual Franchise: Moving to Interact’s modern intranet resulted in an 83% reduction in IT support tickets compared to their previous communications platform. This meant significant savings in IT resources while giving 300,000 frontline workers and franchisees a smoother, more reliable digital workplace experience.
• Love’s Travel Stops: With 40,000 frontline employees, Love’s needed an enterprise intranet platform that could truly engage dispersed teams. After migrating to Interact, they saw an 11% improvement in retention, a 28% increase in catering sales, and an 80% participation rate in their annual open enrollment. This proves that employee experience drives tangible business results.
• King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: For 13,500 clinicians and staff, Interact has become a mission-critical communications hub. With over 1 million monthly page views and 6,000 daily users, the award-winning intranet ensures real-time updates reach frontline workers and helps the Trust stay aligned and responsive.

Together, these examples show why Interact is trusted by leading organizations to drive measurable outcomes: clear communication, easier access to tools, stronger community, and alignment around organizational goals.

Looking ahead

Being named a Leader is an important milestone, but it’s not the destination. We’re doubling down on customer-led innovation, with new features arriving in our Autumn 2025 launch that will take the employee experience even further.

Stay tuned: this is only the beginning.

With our Autumn 2025 launch, we’ll introduce new ways to strengthen communication, streamline self-service, simplify tool access, and improve alignment and recognition – further linking employee experience pillars to business outcomes like productivity, retention, and engagement.

Simon Dance, CEO, Interact Software:

“Too often, vendors build for the sake of novelty – piling on features that look impressive on paper but do little to solve real challenges in the workplace. Our approach has always been different: we build what’s needed, when it’s needed, and we keep it simple enough for every employee to use. Whether you’re a frontline worker at King’s College Hospital, a franchise operator at Domino’s, or part of a global team at Levi’s, Interact is there to make work easier, not harder. That’s what this recognition says to me – that being practical pays off.”

Ready to see more?

Want to see how a modern intranet platform can drive real business impact?

“It’s no surprise to us that Interact has been recognized as an industry leader. Since launching our platform, adoption has exceeded expectations, and the intranet has become a strategic tool that aligns our employees with our goals and culture. This recognition reflects the real value Interact delivers every day.”

Jessica Jensen, Corporate Communications Manager at Love’s Travel Stops

Disclaimer:
Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Intranet Packaged Solutions, 2025. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

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