Let’s cut right to it: intranets are absolutely still relevant in 2025.
But here’s the thing. The intranets your organization might be clinging to from five years ago? Those clunky, document-dumping dinosaurs that nobody actually uses? Yeah, those need to go.
The modern workplace has changed dramatically. Your workforce is more distributed than ever. You’ve got office workers, remote teams, and frontline employees who rarely sit at a desk. They’re all trying to stay connected, access critical information, and feel like they’re part of something bigger than just showing up and clocking out.
And that’s exactly where today’s intranets come in. Not the old ones. The new breed of employee communication platforms that actually understand how people work in 2025.
Look, nobody wants to be the bearer of bad news, but if your intranet still looks like it was designed during the early days of the internet, you’ve got a problem.
Here’s what’s killing traditional intranets:
They’re communication graveyards. Remember when intranets were just places to dump PDFs and policy documents? Employees don’t want one-way announcements anymore. They want conversations. They want to ask questions, share ideas, and actually engage with the content. Traditional intranets weren’t built for that kind of interaction.
The technology is ancient. We’re talking about systems that need constant IT babysitting, can’t integrate with your other tools, and crash whenever more than 10 people try to access them at once. It’s like trying to run a modern business on a flip phone.
Frontline workers can’t access them. This is huge. Nearly 80% of the global workforce doesn’t sit at a desk all day. Retail associates, healthcare workers, manufacturing teams, hospitality staff… they’re all out there doing the real work, but traditional intranets left them completely out of the conversation. No computer access means no intranet access. Period.
Nobody actually uses them. When was the last time you heard an employee say, “You know what I love? Logging into the company intranet!” Exactly. Poor design, irrelevant content, and a total lack of social features have turned traditional intranets into digital ghost towns. Leadership keeps paying for them, but engagement stats tell a different story.
They create more work, not less. Your internal comms team is drowning in content updates. IT is constantly firefighting technical issues. And you’re still managing five other platforms because the intranet can’t actually do what you need it to do. That’s not efficiency. That’s chaos with a price tag.
The short answer? Everything changed except them.
We went from desktop computing to mobile first. From top-down communication to collaborative dialogue. From working in offices to working from anywhere. And traditional intranets just… stayed the same.
Think about the apps you use every day. Instagram. LinkedIn. Slack. They’re intuitive, engaging, and designed around how people actually communicate. Now think about your company intranet. See the disconnect?
Here’s where things get interesting. Modern intranets aren’t just updated versions of the old ones. They’re completely reimagined employee experience platforms built for how work actually happens today.
No more on-premise servers that your IT team needs to maintain at 2 AM. Cloud-based intranets mean automatic updates, better security, and zero maintenance headaches. Your team can focus on strategy instead of keeping the lights on.
This is non-negotiable in 2025. If your frontline employees can’t access your intranet on their phones, you’re leaving the majority of your workforce in the dark. Modern intranets are built with mobile as the priority, not an afterthought. Push notifications, offline access, and interfaces that actually work on a smartphone screen.
Remember when we said employees want conversations? Modern intranets deliver that. Think news feeds, comments, likes, employee shoutouts, and the ability to share stories and updates. It’s like LinkedIn met your company newsletter and they had a really functional baby.
Your HR system. Your communication tools. Your project management software. Modern intranets play nice with all of them. This means no more logging into seven different systems just to find one document or complete a simple task.
Not everyone needs to see everything. Modern intranets use smart targeting to show people the content that actually matters to them. Sales teams see sales updates. New hires see onboarding resources. Night shift workers see schedules relevant to their hours. It’s about making information useful, not overwhelming.
Want to know if anyone actually read that important policy update? Modern intranets tell you exactly who saw what, when they engaged with it, and what content is resonating across your organization. This isn’t just nice to have. It’s essential for proving ROI and improving your communication strategy.
Think of your digital workplace as an ecosystem. You’ve got Slack for quick messages, Zoom for meetings, Google Drive for files, and your HRIS for people data. Where do intranets fit?
They’re the center. The hub. The place where everything comes together.
Modern intranets serve as your single source of truth. When employees need to find something, know something, or connect with someone, they start there. But unlike traditional intranets that tried to be everything and ended up being nothing, today’s platforms integrate with your existing tools rather than replacing them.
It’s not about forcing everyone to abandon the tools they love. It’s about creating a central place where information lives, updates get shared, and your company culture comes to life.
Honestly? Any organization with more than 50 employees can benefit. But intranets become absolutely critical when you have:
Distributed teams. If your employees work in multiple locations, different shifts, or remotely, you need a way to keep everyone connected and informed. Email chains and scattered Slack channels won’t cut it.
Frontline workers. Healthcare, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, logistics… if you have employees who don’t work at desks, a mobile-accessible intranet isn’t optional. It’s how you reach them.
Complex operations. The more moving pieces your organization has, the more you need a central hub for information. Multiple departments, constant policy updates, and ongoing training all require a structured home.
Growth mode. Scaling organizations need systems that scale with them. Modern intranets grow as you do, maintaining consistency as you add locations, teams, and employees.
Okay, so you’re convinced that intranets aren’t dead. Great. But not all modern intranets are created equal. Here’s what separates the winners from the almost rans:
This sounds obvious, but it’s shocking how many “modern” intranets still feel like navigating a government website from 2005. Clean design matters. Intuitive navigation matters. If employees need a training session just to find the benefits portal, you’ve already lost.
Let’s be real. Nobody cares about dense policy documents written in corporate speak. Modern intranets prioritize engaging, relevant content. Videos, infographics, employee stories, quick polls, and bite-sized updates that people actually want to consume.
This also means empowering employees to contribute. When your team can share wins, ask questions, and post updates, your intranet becomes a living, breathing community instead of a corporate billboard.
Ever searched for something on your intranet and gotten 847 irrelevant results from 2016? Modern search uses smart algorithms, filters, and tagging to help employees find exactly what they need in seconds. This single feature can save hours of productivity every week.
Your intranet should connect with the tools your team already uses. Single sign-on with your email. Calendar integration. Direct links to your LMS for training. The ability to pull in feeds from other platforms. When everything talks to each other, work flows naturally instead of grinding to a halt at every system boundary.
Not “mobile responsive.” Not “technically works on phones.” An actual, purposefully designed mobile experience. Frontline workers checking schedules on the factory floor need the same seamless experience as office workers at their desks.
Surface-level metrics like page views don’t tell you much. Modern intranets show you engagement patterns, content effectiveness, user journeys, and communication reach. This data helps you continuously improve and prove value to leadership.
Let’s get practical. Here are the features that make modern intranets indispensable:
Send announcements to specific teams, locations, or departments instead of blasting everyone with everything. Night shift nurses don’t need to see office closure notices. Remote sales teams don’t need updates about cafeteria menu changes. Smart targeting means relevant information reaches the right people.
Breaking news doesn’t wait for your weekly newsletter. Push notifications ensure critical updates reach employees immediately, whether it’s a schedule change, safety alert, or company-wide announcement.
Stop playing email detective trying to figure out who handles vendor contracts in the Atlanta office. Searchable directories with rich profiles (including photos, contact info, and expertise areas) make it easy to find and connect with colleagues across your organization.
Everyone working from the most current version of documents. Automatic version tracking so you know what changed and when. Permission-based access so sensitive documents stay secure. No more “final_final_v3_ACTUAL_FINAL.pdf” nightmares.
News feeds where employees can share updates. Comment sections for discussions. Like buttons to show appreciation. Built-in recognition tools to celebrate wins and milestones. These features transform your intranet from an information repository into a community hub.
New hire portals with everything rookies need in one place. Automated welcome messages. Onboarding checklists. Introduction to team members. Training resources. Making someone’s first week less overwhelming and more productive starts with good technology.
Pulse checks to gauge employee sentiment. Quick polls to gather opinions. Feedback forms that actually get responses because they’re easy to access and complete. Understanding your workforce requires listening, and modern intranets make that simple.
Building it is one thing. Getting people to actually use it is another. Here’s how to make your intranet sticky:
Stop duplicating information across emails, Slack channels, shared drives, and bulletin boards. Choose one home for each type of content and make it the intranet. When employees know they can find what they need there, they’ll keep coming back.
If leadership isn’t using the intranet, why should anyone else? Get executives posting updates, celebrating team wins, and engaging with content. When the CEO responds to comments and shares personal updates, it signals that this platform matters.
Company culture isn’t built on policy documents. Share employee spotlights. Post behind-the-scenes photos. Run contests and challenges. Celebrate milestones. The more human and engaging your content, the more people will engage with your platform.
If employees can’t find what they need within three clicks, you’ve lost them. Clear menus. Logical categorization. Prominent search bar. Bookmarks for frequently accessed pages. Remove friction at every opportunity.
Don’t just launch and pray. Create quick training videos. Host demo sessions. Designate champions in each department who can answer questions. Send tips and tricks regularly. Support takes effort, but it pays off in adoption rates.
Nothing kills an intranet faster than stale content. Set up a content calendar. Assign ownership for different sections. Review and refresh regularly. If employees see the same outdated announcement three months in a row, they’ll stop checking.
Encourage questions and feedback. Respond to comments. Run polls and act on results. When employees see that their input matters and creates change, engagement skyrockets.
If a significant portion of your workforce doesn’t sit at desks, your intranet strategy needs special attention. Frontline workers in healthcare, retail, manufacturing, hospitality, and logistics often lack regular access to company computers, which can leave them feeling disconnected.
Not nice to have. Not eventually. Right now. Your frontline employees live on their phones. If your intranet doesn’t work flawlessly on mobile devices, you’re essentially saying those employees don’t matter.
WiFi isn’t always available or reliable in warehouses, retail floors, or healthcare facilities. Modern intranets offer offline access to essential documents and information, syncing automatically when connectivity returns.
Frontline workers can’t check email every hour. Push notifications ensure they see schedule changes, safety alerts, and critical updates immediately, no matter where they are or what they’re doing.
These employees are busy. They don’t have time to dig through layers of menus. Information architecture for frontline workers should prioritize speed and simplicity. Schedules, training materials, and common resources should be one tap away.
Your workforce might speak multiple languages. Modern intranets support translations and accessibility features that ensure everyone can access and understand critical information regardless of language or ability.
Let’s talk money. Modern intranets cost something. Is it worth it?
The answer depends on what you’re comparing it to. The cost of poor communication is massive, even if it’s harder to calculate.
Think about the time wasted when employees can’t find information. The mistakes made because someone worked from an outdated policy. The turnover that happens because frontline workers feel disconnected. The productivity lost to managing multiple disjointed systems.
Studies consistently show that poor internal communication costs large companies millions annually. Smaller organizations feel it too, just on a different scale.
Faster onboarding. Higher engagement scores. Lower turnover rates. Better safety compliance. More efficient operations. Stronger company culture. These aren’t soft benefits. They hit your bottom line directly.
When you centralize communication, you also reduce redundancy. How many tools are you currently paying for that a modern intranet could consolidate? Email newsletter services. Document storage. Recognition platforms. Announcement systems. The list adds up.
Modern analytics make ROI visible. Track engagement rates to see if your communication is actually reaching people. Monitor time to find information before and after implementation. Measure onboarding completion rates. Survey employee satisfaction and connection to company culture.
The data tells the story. And for most organizations, that story shows a modern intranet paying for itself within the first year.
Ready to modernize? Here’s what should be on your checklist:
Not mobile friendly. Not mobile responsive. Mobile first. The experience on phones should be just as good, if not better, than desktop.
Ask specifically about integrations with your existing tools. SSO with your email. Calendar syncing. HRIS connections. The more seamlessly it integrates, the more valuable it becomes.
Your organization will grow. Your platform should grow with you without requiring a complete overhaul or pricing that becomes prohibitive.
Especially critical for regulated industries. Ask about data encryption, access controls, compliance certifications, and how employee data is protected.
Your organization is unique. Your intranet should reflect your brand, culture, and specific needs. Cookie-cutter templates only take you so far.
Implementation is just the beginning. Look for vendors who offer robust training resources, responsive support, and ongoing partnership rather than just a product sale.
Hidden costs kill budgets. Understand exactly what’s included, what costs extra, and how pricing scales as you add users or features.
Look, we’re obviously biased, but there’s a reason organizations trust theEMPLOYEEapp to transform their internal communication.
We built our platform specifically for companies with deskless employees and distributed workers. That means every feature, every design decision, and every integration was created with real-world workplace challenges in mind.
We’re frontline first. Our platform bridges the gap between your frontline force and the resources they need to thrive. Mobile app. Push notifications. Offline access. Everything frontline workers need to stay connected.
We’re built by HR pros. theEMPLOYEEapp was created by expert HR professionals who understand the challenges organizations face communicating with deskless, hybrid, and frontline workers. We’re not tech people trying to solve HR problems. We’re HR people who built better tech.
We’re ridiculously comprehensive. News feeds. Document libraries. Surveys. Recognition tools. Training resources. Interactive features including newsfeed, surveys, and reactions, plus easy access to vital resources all in one convenient place. You’re not cobbling together five different tools. It’s all here.
We integrate with everything. Your HRIS. Your communication tools. Your existing systems. We play nice with the tech stack you already have instead of forcing you to rip everything out and start over.
We deliver real results. Our clients see measurable improvements in engagement, communication reach, and employee satisfaction. The platform’s detailed insights improve your internal communications by showing you exactly what’s working and what needs adjustment.
We’ve helped healthcare systems keep thousands of shift workers informed and engaged. Manufacturing companies have used our platform to improve safety compliance and reduce workplace incidents. Retail chains have boosted employee retention by making frontline workers feel valued and connected.
Employees using shared workstations appreciate an app that helps team members stay connected even if they are at home or in a different location.
So, are intranets still relevant? Absolutely.
Are traditional intranets that haven’t evolved with the times worth keeping? Absolutely not.
The workplace has changed. Your workforce is more distributed, mobile, and diverse than ever. Communication can’t rely on everyone checking email at a desk between 9 and 5. Culture can’t be built through quarterly all-hands meetings alone.
Modern intranets solve these challenges. They meet employees where they are, on the devices they use, with the information they need, when they need it. They transform internal communication from a one-way broadcast into a genuine community experience.
But here’s the thing: just having an intranet isn’t enough. You need the right platform, implemented thoughtfully, supported properly, and used strategically. You need leadership buy-in, quality content, and a commitment to keeping it fresh and relevant.
Most importantly, you need a solution built for the reality of modern work. Not the office-centric model from 20 years ago, but the distributed, mobile, always-on environment we’re actually working in today.
If you’re ready to move beyond email chains, scattered information, and disengaged frontline workers, it’s time to seriously evaluate what a modern intranet can do for your organization.
theEMPLOYEEapp helps organizations like yours connect, inform, and engage every employee, whether they’re in the office, in the field, or on the frontline.
Want to see how we can transform your workplace communication? Let’s talk.
Request a demo today and discover how theEMPLOYEEapp can bring your distributed workforce together.
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