Your employees scroll through Instagram before work starts. They get push alerts from Netflix during lunch. They watch YouTube videos after dinner. All day long, smart algorithms fight for their attention — and win.
Then Monday morning arrives. You send a companywide email about the new health plan. Plain text. No images. Subject line: "2025 Benefits Update - Action Required."
Wonder why nobody reads it?
Consumer apps spend millions studying what makes people stop scrolling. They use bright colors, short videos, and personal stories. They create urgency without being pushy. They make every message feel like it matters.
Your internal communications don't need to become TikTok. But they can learn from what works.
Start with your subject lines. "Benefits enrollment deadline" tells them what to do. "Three ways to save money on healthcare" tells them what they'll gain. People care more about benefits than deadlines.
Use visuals that help. A simple chart beats five paragraphs of text. Screenshots show steps better than written instructions. Even basic graphics make emails feel more important than plain text walls.
Make it personal. Instead of saying "All employees must complete training," try "This 10-minute course will help you handle difficult customers better." Connect every message to what matters in their daily work.
Create some urgency. Not fake pressure, but real deadlines that matter. "Submit your time off requests by Friday so we can approve them before the holidays." Clear cause and effect.
Keep it short. If your announcement needs three screens of scrolling, break it into pieces. Send the main point first. Follow up with details for people who want more.
Test your timing. Consumer apps know exactly when their users are most active. You can learn this too. Try sending important messages when people actually check email, not when it's convenient for you.
The goal isn't to manipulate people. It's to respect their attention. Every day, your employees choose what deserves their focus. Rent payments. Kids' school events. Work deadlines. Funny videos from friends.
Your messages compete in that same mental space. Make them worth the competition.
You can't change human nature. People will always pay more attention to things that feel relevant, urgent, and valuable. But you can work with human nature instead of against it.
Stop sending messages that feel like chores. Start sending communications that feel like opportunities. Your employees want to stay informed about work. Help them want to read what you write.
The algorithm didn't eat your announcement. It just offered something more interesting.