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If you’re reading this, you’re probably already thinking about getting an employee app — and you’re probably hearing a lot of “buts” from the sidelines. Or maybe some of these doubts are ones you’re even having yourself.

The truth is, most concerns about frontline apps are based on myths that don’t hold up anymore. In this blog, we’re busting eight common objections — and showing why a mobile-first approach to internal communication and employee engagement isn’t just nice to have... it’s essential.

Frontline employees deserve better. Full stop.

While office workers are busy drowning in Slack notifications and 14 versions of the same Google Doc, frontline workers are... squinting at faded bulletin boards and chasing down answers in chaotic WhatsApp groups. 

It’s no wonder missed shifts, safety issues, and sky-high turnover rates keep happening. In fact, almost half of businesses lose clients because of ineffective internal communication. And 67% of employees have thought about quitting over it. (Yes, two-thirds. No, we’re not making that up.)

Even when companies know this, suggesting a mobile-first employee app for the frontline still somehow gets met with an avalanche of "but what about—" objections.

"It's too expensive."

"Our people won't use it."

"We already have something."

You name it.

Look, change is uncomfortable. We get it. But a lot of these objections? They’re running on assumptions that stopped being true sometime around the Nokia 3310 era.

In this blog, we’re taking eight of the most common arguments against using an employee app—and breaking down exactly why they don’t hold up anymore.

Ready? Let’s debunk some myths.

8 objections against using a frontline employee app & why they’re false

Objection #1: There’s no clear ROI

This is among the most common qualms. We get it: Without a visible ROI, advocating or even deciding to implement a new employee app to management is tricky. Interestingly, this challenge arises not because the ROI isn’t there, but because there is no way to prove and demonstrate its impact.

Here’s a different perspective: According to research from Axios HQ, which surveyed over 1,000 employees, the cost of poor communication in the workplace amounts to anywhere between $10,000 and $55,000 per employee per year. This is a mountain of avoidable costs from missed shifts, inefficient processes, and staff churn. And using a mobile-first employee app is the simplest, most cost-efficient way to close this loop. With built-in analytics and employee engagement metrics, the right app that’s built exclusively for the frontline, can let you see precisely how your communication lands. You can track real-time usage and tie improvements directly to outcomes like more clarity, reduced mishaps, lower turnover, and faster onboarding.

Objection #2. Employees will resist change.

The last few years have been dramatic, with changes to the power of infinity. A pandemic, shifts to remote and hybrid work, labor shortages, tech overload, and more—we’ve seen it all. In light of this, change fatigue is real, and you’re not alone if you feel employees will resist more newness with technology.

However, if you look deeper, you’ll realize employee resistance to change can easily be addressed with value. If you can show your employees how something makes their day smoother, for example, fewer missed updates or easier schedule access, they’ll be inclined to use it. The success formula is framing the employee app rollout in a manner that clarifies what’s in it for the employees. While you do this, work on a personalized experience at a pace that works for everyone. Start in small batches and optimize. Make sure enough support is available for whoever needs it, and you’ll see this objection doesn’t hold ground anymore.

Objection #3. We can’t ask employees to use personal devices.

Another fair concern is against using personal mobile devices at work. In many regions, employers must pay employees for time spent using apps for work. There are security concerns as well. In this situation, the apparent way out is to issue work devices for everyone to separate personal and work-related time spent on apps. From a cost standpoint, we know this isn’t always practical. 

While this sounds like a catch-22 situation, here’s the reality check: If you look around, you’ll realize that most frontline workers already use their phones at work. For example, to check their schedules, view pay stubs, or chat with coworkers. 

Considering this, implementing the right app allows you to customize usage terms that clarify boundaries. The ideal solution lies in using frontline employee experience apps (ahem, like Speakap) that come with sophisticated usage analytics. These features help to measure time spent on the app. With it, you can introduce custom Terms & Conditions, Legal Statements, and usage controls to balance equitable access to information without infringing on employees’ right to “unplug.” For employees in locales with strict regulations on paying for time spent in work-related apps, Speakap can integrate with payroll providers to ensure compliance with accurate usage reporting. Remember, this is not about forcing phones into workflows but respecting privacy while ensuring equitable access to information. 

Find out how Tifre improved internal communication by moving away from WhatsApp. 

Objection #4. It’ll be too hard to implement.

Most organizations imagine an employee app implementation as a long-winded project that spans light years and involves endless meetings, frustrating IT bottlenecks, and messy system integrations. That’s pretty much what happens with most new tech, right?

But here’s the fact: launching a modern employee app doesn’t have to be this heavy. Implementation can take as little as 8 weeks when you choose the right platform. There are excellent employee apps(we mean us); 

Using Speakap, content setup is as simple as plug-and-play. There’s no need for custom coding or complex data migration, and there's no chaos. In case of any issues, the support team does all the heavy lifting. 

Objection #5. What about security and privacy?

Security and privacy are top concerns against new apps, and we concur for all the right reasons. These often become blockers to employee app adoption. Does this mean employee apps threaten security and privacy? Not exactly. 

Security isn't an afterthought with the right employee apps; it’s built in. Screening the options available for this is simple. All you need to do is look for one where you control the data, not the vendor. In addition, sieve the options for certifications like ISO 27001 and SOC 2. This will tell you how much you can trust it. (Hint hint: Check Speakap) Other good checks include screening for end-to-end encryption, GDPR compliance, and integrability with your existing systems.  With these factors, your comms will be secure and compliant with industry best practices. 

Objection #6. No, it costs too much.

Cost inevitably appears whenever there’s a talk about implementing new tech or making significant changes. But let’s flip this. Think about how much miscommunication is costing you today. 

Here’s how: Try to put a number to the cost of a missed safety update, the hours wasted chasing down answers, or the price of one disengaged employee walking out. Estimate the hidden costs of managing multiple platforms. This exercise will help you realize that not implementing an employee app is way costlier than getting one on board. 

When you use the right employee app, you can reduce friction, create a single source of truth, and cut through noise. Your teams will spend less time finding what they need and more time getting the job done right. Imagine how much more money this seamless communication can make you. 

Objection #7. Our employees already know what’s going on.

Think frontline communication is a freeway in your organization? We suggest you reconsider, pause, and re-examine because this is rarely true. Look deeply; you’ll know there’s a disconnect between what your leadership thinks they’ve communicated and what your frontline workers actually understand. 

Even today, it is common to find most companies still communicating company news with frontline workers using traditional methods like bulletin boards. There’s no way to track who knows and doesn’t know what’s going on. As a result, one team might be in the loop while another is entirely out. 

Using a dedicated communication app that facilitates real-time conversations helps get the message across from the corner office to the far-flung corner. Built analytics and read receipts confirm who’s read and hasn’t, eliminating assumptions and gaps and ensuring a consistent, reliable channel. Do you still think, without it, your employees know what’s going on?

Objection #8. We already have many tools.

It’s reasonable to oppose installing yet another app in the increasingly tech-driven world. Nobody wants more tech. There are HRIS platforms for admin, task management tools for execution, and the list goes on. But here’s a quick question: Do any existing tools lead with communication? 

If you expect employees to seek information buried deep in your existing tools, they won’t. They’re using these tools to execute tasks, complete documentation, etc. They will seek out these functions as part of their daily work and skip the comms portion. However, if you take the reverse approach, start with comms, and keep people updated and informed with quick information, they will navigate to the section to execute whatever task they need, right?

Our point: We’re not saying you need too many tools, but you need better tools. Ideally, a one-stop or comms-first tool that consolidates everything in a single pane of glass. With it, people have a place to get updates, easily access policies, view shifts, recognize coworkers, simplify onboarding for new hires, or submit feedback. In essence, your comms app becomes the first stop, and not another halt.

Still waiting for a sign to use an employee app? This is it

Objections come from a good place, a place of protecting employees, budget, and bandwidth. However, what’s important is to be open-minded and not let them keep you from solving real communication challenges. 

Good communication isn’t a nice-to-have for frontline teams. It’s the difference between being safe and unsafe, informed and confused, and engaged and checked out. Implementing a great employee app can double as a digital front door to everything your workforce needs.

And it works: Research confirms employee productivity increases by 25% in organizations with efficient communication tools.

So, are you ready to explore smarter communication with the best employee app out there ( you know, we mean, Speakap)? 

Book a demo and explore how Speakap can elevate your frontline experience without adding complexity.

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