Rolling out an employee experience platform isn't just a digital transformation project - it's a behavior shift. Few leaders understand that better than Kara Ruchti, Corporate Director of Culture & Retention at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions. Over the past three years, Kara helped roll out My Kalahari, the resort group’s employee experience platform (available both on desktop and mobile fyi) created by Speakap, connecting thousands of their hospitality employees across multiple properties.

For most hospitality teams, communication isn't the problem - reach is. When updates live in inboxes or on bulletin boards, they rarely make it to the people running the show: line-level associates. That's what Kalahari set out to fix.

This blog unpacks the real-world lessons behind that rollout - what worked, what didn't, and what every hospitality leader can learn from Kalahari's journey.

A bit of context before we dive in

Each Kalahari property employs around 1,300 associates across 20+ departments, supported by roughly 60-70 managers and 90 supervisors. Every year, they welcome around 350 international students, and about 10% of staff have been with the company for five-plus years. It's a young, diverse workforce - 45% Gen Z and 34% Millennials - working across multiple shifts, locations, and languages. 

Before My Kalahari, internal communication relied on emails (only managers had accounts), cluttered bulletin boards, and managers relaying information by word of mouth. Text messages handled urgent updates, and daily newsletters didn't always reach every shift. Everything required manual translation. That was all before Kalahari decided to switch to Speakap. But more about that here.

9 lessons on rolling out an employee experience platform

1. Don’t assume employees will be excited about new platform launch - focus on building this excitement

When Kalahari launched My Kalahari, the team assumed everyone would be as excited as they were. They weren't. People don't automatically embrace change, especially when they've relied on bulletin boards and WhatsApp for years. The real work wasn't launching the app - it was turning people toward it through clear communication, leadership endorsement, and early success stories.

Keep in mind that technology adoption is a change-management challenge. Excitement is earned through visibility, repetition, and credibility.

2. Pay attention to the platform engagement metrics, but don’t overanalyze 

Early on, some managers hesitated to post because they were worried about how their messages would perform. Would people comment? Would they react? Would it look “successful”?

Kara calls this “posting paralysis.” It’s what happens when teams get so focused on engagement numbers that they stop communicating altogether. Her solution was to focus less on vanity metrics and more on consistency. The goal was to keep the conversation alive.

Remember - progress beats perfection. Internal communication should feel natural, not performative. If you focus on frequency and authenticity, the engagement will follow.

3. Make content human, not corporate

The posts that performed best were always the most human - birthdays, team photos, shoutouts, wellness moments, behind-the-scenes snapshots. In hospitality, where work is personal and teamwork matters, these moments build belonging.

Lesson? People connect with people, not policies. Celebrate your teams, not just your operations. Learn more about creating human-centered content that drives engagement.

4. Use FOMO to drive your platform adoption

Kalahari made My Kalahari the single source of truth. Adoption didn't skyrocket until they positioned the app as something employees didn't want to miss. Menus, shift updates, event details, and training links appeared exclusively in My Kalahari. People joined organically because they didn't want to be left out.

The bottom line - create value inside the platform. When the most relevant information lives in your app first, adoption becomes natural.

5. Be intentional with leadership visibility on the platform

Kara posts selectively - not because she's disengaged, but because she wants her voice to signal importance. When leaders post too often, they dilute their impact. When they post strategically, they reinforce trust.

And remember that at the end of the day, leadership visibility isn't about volume - it's about timing and tone. Post purposefully to cut through the noise.

6. Give local teams creative freedom

Each Kalahari property has its own rhythm. Instead of enforcing uniform content, Kara's team gives each property freedom to tailor communication. Some post staff dining menus; others focus on guest feedback wins or wellness events. Keep in mind that "consistent" doesn't mean "identical." Give teams creative freedom to make the platform their own.

7. Change takes time - especially for leaders

Some managers embraced My Kalahari immediately. Others needed proof. That moment came when they saw how much their associates valued being included and recognized. Kara built adoption through evidence, not pressure. Over time, skeptics became advocates.

So keep in mind that behavior change rarely happens overnight. Let leaders experience success firsthand - they'll drive adoption better than any email campaign.

8. Engagement starts at the top

When a property's engagement dips, Kara's team starts with leadership. When general managers begin posting, engagement from associates rises almost immediately. Leadership participation legitimizes the channel. Again, an important reminder that frontline teams follow the tone leaders set. When GMs are visible, they normalize open communication - and real engagement begins.

9. Make it part of onboarding

Every new associate joins My Kalahari during onboarding. It's not "extra" - it's how the organization operates.

From day one, employees understand My Kalahari is where they'll get schedules, updates, and recognition. That makes communication part of the employee experience, not an afterthought.

So the bottom line? Treat platform adoption like a core process. Integrate it into onboarding and workflows so communication feels as natural as clocking in.

Technology only drives part of the connection - behavior does the heavy lifting

Kara Ruchti's approach shows that success doesn't come from launch-day hype or perfect analytics. It comes from trust, patience, and meeting people where they are. When your workforce spans generations, shifts, and job types, technology alone won't drive connection. Behavior will.

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