Hazard a guess. How many different tech tools do you use at your organization? If you’re anything like the average business, you’ll have a hefty 112 SaaS apps in the mix.
But what does that mean for the employee experience (EX)? Are these tools supporting employees to do their best work? Or are they adding unnecessary noise and friction to the work day?
One thing’s for sure. With so much of our work now reliant on technology, the digital employee experience is forming an ever bigger part of EX. Slow and clunky tools cause frustration, while user-friendly tools help us achieve a state of flow.
Here, we explain what digital employee experience is. We also offer some examples and a guide on how to improve digital employee experience at your organization.
We’ll be covering the following:
- What is digital employee experience?
- The difference between employee experience and digital employee experience
- Why is digital employee experience important?
- Examples of effective digital employee experience
- How to improve digital employee experience
- Challenges to consider when improving DEX
- Best tools for improving digital employee experience
Ready to level up your tech stack? Let’s dive in.
What is digital employee experience?
Digital employee experience — or DEX — describes the way employees feel when using the digital tools, platforms, and technologies you provide for them.
Workers enjoy a positive digital employee experience when your tech ecosystem helps them to do their jobs well — when it supports easy communication and streamlined processes.
Workers are more likely to complain of a negative digital employee experience when systems are outdated, difficult to use, or overly complex.
Ultimately, we can boil DEX down to:
- The number of tech tools employees are expected to use
- The user interface and user experience of your workplace technology
- How fast, reliable, and responsive your tech tools are
- How well your tech tools integrate with other workplace software
- The level of personalization and customization provided by tech tools
- The support and training employees receive when using workplace tech
The difference between employee experience and digital employee experience
Employee experience (EX) is the way employees think and feel about their time at work. It encompasses every employee touchpoint, throughout every employee work day, and throughout every stage of the employee life cycle.
EX incorporates management and communication styles, how comfortable your workplace environment is, the benefits and perks you offer, and even the relationships between an employee and their co-workers.
Digital employee experience (DEX) is just one element of employee experience. But — because the modern organization relies so heavily on digital tools — it has a big impact on overall EX.
A video conference tool that lags. An intranet with inadequate search functions. A news feed populated with content irrelevant to you and your team. Poor digital experiences like these harm the employee experience.
Why is digital employee experience important?
Ivanti, the global IT company, has been creating a report on digital employee experience for the past few years. In 2024, its researchers revealed that 69% of organizations saw DEX as an essential or high priority. This was up from 61% in 2023.
So why is employee digital experience rising up the company agenda? Here are a couple of very good reasons.
Poor digital employee experience causes problems
Let’s look at some more stats from Ivanti’s latest report:
- 57% of office workers say they feel stressed by the number of tech tools they use at work
- 62% say they feel overwhelmed by the need to learn new technologies at work
- 53% say they feel frustrated by their workplace tech at least once every day
- 55% of office workers say negative experiences with workplace technology impact their mood and morale
Poor DEX causes headaches for your IT team too. 86% of IT professionals say poor digital experience encourages employees to use unsafe workarounds.
People use insecure login methods or shadow IT tools because the official software provided causes too much hassle. Your IT team is left to pick up the pieces.
DEX impacts business outcomes
Business leaders surveyed by Ivanti said that high-quality digital employee experience benefits their organizations:
- 97% said that it positively impacts employee productivity
- 96% said that it positively impacts employee satisfaction
- 90% said that it positively impacts employee retention
Workers who have the tools they need to connect with co-workers and complete tasks with ease are happier and do better work.
They’re more engaged, which means they’re more productive. And because they feel tech tools are working with them — not against them — they’re also more likely to stay working for your organization.
The tech landscape is constantly changing
There are new and more advanced tech tools hitting the market every day — faster, smarter, and more user-friendly than the last.
Workforce expectations around tech are also subject to change. Employees are used to evermore sleek and seamless tech tools at home. And they bring those same standards into the workplace.
Without a clear DEX strategy, these changes can get the better of your organization. New tools are brought into the tech ecosystem without proper oversight. Old tools start to feel ancient. Employee overwhelm and disengagement become more likely.
To build a tech ecosystem that truly supports your workforce, you need to keep your finger on the pulse, ensuring DEX at your organization keeps up with advances in technology.
A focus on DEX brings your organization together
In 2025, the workforce is dispersed. 80% of employees work away from a desk. Others are split between the office and remote working locations. And the digital experience isn’t always equitable across these groups.
43% of office workers say it’s not easy to access workplace tools when working remotely. Only 10% of frontline workers say they have high access to the tools, tech, and opportunities they need to connect and advance in their workplace.
When people feel left out, they check out — or leave your organization. But DEX strategy that considers the needs of all employees changes that. It levels the playing field, closes the gap, and builds an inclusive employee experience where everyone feels seen, supported, and connected.
Examples of effective digital employee experience
So what does good DEX look like? Here are a few examples of effective digital employee experience:
- Frontline digital inclusion. Frontline employees enjoy the same access to workplace tech thanks to mobile-friendly apps, which they can access via their smartphones. Sign-in processes are simple but secure — and don’t require a company email address.
- Automated onboarding. New hires get access to tailored training materials and resources, delivered at the right time in the onboarding process — plus a chatbot that can answer questions or direct them to new information.
- Employee self-service. Employees don’t have to submit requests to HR and wait for a response. Instead, they can swap shifts, view their pay stubs, and access benefits direct from a user-friendly digital dashboard.
- Going beyond email. Modern internal communication channels support employees to chat with managers and co-workers, view a multimedia company news feed, and respond to pulse surveys. These channels help organizations engage sectors of the workforce — like Gen Z and frontline employees — who don’t always embrace email.
- An integrated experience. Employees don’t have to toggle between tabs or remember lots of different login details. They can access all workplace software from the same dashboard thanks to in-depth software integrations.
How to improve digital employee experience
A comprehensive digital employee experience strategy can make all the difference to your workplace. Unsure where to start? Take a look at these tips for improving digital employee experience at your organization.
1. Take stock of your tech stack
First things first. Take a wide-angle view of the tech tools your organization currently uses. Look for redundant tools, areas where software overlaps, and features that are currently underutilized.
Also, assess whether any of your tools or platforms are beyond the point of no return. Perhaps you’re still using a legacy system that simply hasn’t kept pace with the demands of the modern workforce.
When auditing your software, don’t forget to seek feedback from stakeholders, including your employees. Their input can shape what stays, what goes, and what needs improving.
2. Streamline tech tools
If you’ve been steadily acquiring new workplace tech without considering its impact on DEX, it may be time to do a little pruning. A carefully curated selection means fewer platforms to maintain, fewer support requests to manage, and a more streamlined experience for employees.
When deciding what to keep, tech tools that cover as many bases as possible are a good bet. The best tools offer lots of functionality.
They also provide deep integrations with the other workplace software you use. Via single sign-on technology, employees can then access all workplace tools from one familiar dashboard.
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Too many workplace communication tools? Read this: How to simplify your internal comms tech stack
3. Invest in employee-centric software
If you decide to seek out new and improved tech tools, keep the end-user front of mind. Perhaps even include employees when test-driving shortlisted software solutions.
The best DEX solutions feel intuitive from day one. They provide:
- Easy login options
- Simple navigation
- A user-friendly interface that works for every skill level
- Self-help resources that support employees to use the platform
With the right tools, employees can complete tasks quickly and efficiently, without having to take unnecessary steps or wade their way through confusing processes.
4. Go mobile
Want to improve frontline digital inclusion? Then you need mobile-first apps that work just as well on a small smartphone screen as they do on a desktop computer.
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The best frontline tech is designed around the realities of deskless work — and doesn’t require a corporate email address. It gives everyone the tools they need to stay connected, informed, and productive.
5. Offer training and support
Even the most user-friendly tools can feel overwhelming without the right support. You can’t just hand over login details and expect employees to get on with it.
So offer training sessions. Provide employees with accessible, bite-sized tutorials that help them get the most from your software. Appoint software champions who can share their platform knowledge with co-workers.
Also, consider rolling out new software capabilities in stages, allowing employees to get used to one new set of features before introducing new ones. This helps ensure high levels of digital engagement and better software adoption.
6. Make it personal
The best digital experiences are tailored to each employee — their role, team, location, and tenure.
Start by mapping out a few core user personas. Think about the tools and information these users need. Also, consider how, when, and where they work. You can then use this insight to shape everything from the layout of dashboards to the delivery of internal comms.
The right platforms make it easy. They allow you to customize employee journeys and permissions. You can ensure that someone in marketing sees a different homepage to someone in HR, team leaders get access to insights their crew can’t, and nobody is left sifting through irrelevant noise to find need-to-know information.
The more personalized your tech tools are, the more useful — and used — they become.
7. Measure your DEX efforts
The beauty of DEX is the ease with which you can measure it. Most tech tools provide analytics and reports that reveal exactly how employees are using your software and where they’re experiencing points of friction.
You can keep track of metrics like these:
- Adoption rates — the proportion of your workforce that uses a software solution
- App open rates — the average number of times an employee opens the app each day
- Feature usage — which features are used and how often
- Number of support tickets — how regularly your employees have to reach out for software help
Want to dig deeper? Track metrics that relate specifically to the function of your tech tools. For example, you might track content engagement rates within your internal communication tools or your eNPS score within employee engagement software.
It’s also a good idea to segment your findings for different sectors of the workforce. That way, you can find out whether tech tools are having a positive impact for both desk-based and frontline employees.
Challenges to consider when improving DEX
Digital employee experience management is not without its challenges. But understanding a few of the most common hurdles can help you clear them faster. Here are a couple of issues you’re likely to face, plus some strategies for overcoming them.
A complex, outdated tech stack
It’s tempting to keep piling on new tools. But without a clear strategy, your tech stack can become a tangled mess. This overwhelms employees and causes confusion. Troubleshooting eats into your IT team’s productivity — and tech subscriptions eat into their budget.
Solution: Conduct a regular audit of your tech stack. Identify redundant or outdated tools and work to sunset them. Prioritize all-in-one solutions or apps with strong integrations to simplify the digital landscape. The simpler the system, the happier and more productive your team will be.
Getting senior buy-in
Digital transformation can be a tough sell at the top, especially when ROI isn’t immediately clear. But without executive support, securing the budget and resources you need is impossible. Your DEX efforts stall before they even get started.
Solution: Build your case with data. Use employee feedback, engagement scores, and productivity metrics to demonstrate the real impact of DEX. Share success stories from other companies and propose pilot programs to get the C-suite on board.
No insight into frontline needs
If you’re only hearing from desk-based staff or leadership, you’re missing whole chapters from the story. Frontline workers often have unique tech needs — and challenges that get overlooked. This leaves critical gaps in your DEX strategy.
Solution: When choosing tech for frontline workers, involve employees early and often. Use surveys, focus groups, listening tours, or quick pulse checks via mobile-friendly tools to gather honest feedback. Design technology and processes with the frontline’s daily realities in mind, ensuring solutions truly support their work.
Employee resistance to change
New tools won’t improve employee experience if no one actually uses them. And employees can be resistant to change, particularly if they feel unsupported or unclear about tech benefits. If they’re reluctant to give new software a chance, it’s hard to build the momentum you need to achieve high levels of platform adoption.
Solution: Roll out new tech thoughtfully. Communicate openly why changes are happening and how they’ll make work easier. Provide hands-on training and easy-access support. Also, champion digital ambassadors who can encourage adoption and boost employees’ software confidence.
Best tools for improving digital employee experience
Ready to start optimizing your DEX? Then the following digital employee experience software may come in handy.
An employee app
An employee app can transform the workplace experience. And it’s a great way to reach frontline employees. They can access an app from their smartphones, without requiring a corporate email address.
The best apps feature tools for employee recognition, employee feedback, and workplace communication. They also provide easy access to all the workplace software your employees need.
From HR self-service to policy documents to company news, an app puts all tools and resources into the palm of every employee’s hand.
A modern employee intranet
To level up DEX for both frontline and desk-based teams, a mobile-first intranet, built for the modern workforce, could be just what you need.
The best modern intranets aren’t just a repository for outdated docs. They provide a centralized hub for workplace culture, connection, and collaboration — and have a big impact on EX. In fact, there’s increasing overlap between intranets and employee experience platforms, so you can kill two birds with one stone.
Today’s intranets act as a digital water cooler. They provide personalized and relevant experiences for every employee — and the digital tools you need to share resources, collaborate with team members, onboard new hires, and more.
Find an intranet that comes with a comprehensive mobile app and you can improve employee experience for every member of the workforce.
HR self-service tools
Empower employees to manage HR tasks, anytime, anywhere. By making HR self-service tools available digitally, you make life easy for employees and reduce pressure on your HR team.
With secure digital access, employees can view their paychecks, request time off, and swap shifts. They can view their benefits and access wellbeing resources.
Integration with other workplace software makes it easy for employees to access training programs and learning goals too — and to share their thoughts on the employee experience.
Collaboration and communication tools
The right internal communication tools are a modern workplace essential. You need tools that support a range of different communication preferences.
From video calls to real-time chat to news feeds to modern social tools, the best tech combines a variety of communication channels in one platform.
It provides a link between the C-suite and employees — and allows co-workers to build connections with one another. So you can develop a positive and inclusive company culture.
These days, ticking all these boxes doesn’t mean building an internal comms platform from scratch. Off-the-shelf comms tools now have the personalization, scalability, and flexibility you need to create a platform employees will flock to, without the cost and hassle of a self-build solution.
An employee experience platform
What better way to improve your digital employee experience than with a dedicated employee experience platform? The best employee experience software helps you optimize all areas of employee experience, including its digital elements.
It supports improved talent management, streamlined HR processes, and better employee engagement. You get the tools you need to recognize employee efforts and promote a positive company culture.
These EX tools also provide the data-driven insights you need to make meaningful improvements to every aspect of your employee experience.
Time to level up DEX: creating a digital employee experience your workforce will love
Digital employee experience is about giving every employee the tech tools they need to feel connected, supported, and set up for success in the workplace.
We’ve seen the numbers. Bad DEX causes friction, frustration, and stress while good DEX has the power to boost employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention.
So what’s next? Start with your people. Find out what they like and dislike about your current tech stack. Identify areas for improvement. Figure out how you can simplify and streamline the digital experience without losing any of the features and functionality your employees rely on.
And if you decide that new workplace tech is a wise idea, take a closer look at Blink.
Our employee app acts as a digital hub for your organization, providing employees with mobile-first access to all the workplace tools and resources you use — and a user experience we know they’ll love.
Blink. And deliver a streamlined digital experience for all employees.
Digital employee experience FAQs
What is employee digital experience?
The digital employee experience is how employees feel about the technology they use in the workplace. Also known as DEX, digital employee experience has a big impact on employee satisfaction, productivity, and engagement.
What is an example of digital employee experience?
Onboarding is one of the first opportunities you have to create a strong digital experience for employees. Digital onboarding helps to create a unified experience for all employees, including remote and frontline workers.
By giving everyone easy, digital access to personalized training materials, a content hub, and real-time co-worker chat tools, employees have everything they need to find their feet during those first weeks in a new role.
What are the components of digital employee experience?
Key components of the digital employee experience include:
- The user interface and user experience
- The number of workplace tech tools you use
- The speed and reliability of your workplace tech
- How well tools integrate with other workplace software
- The level of personalization and customization provided
- Software training and support
