Survey data by workspace management platform Korbyt suggests relevance and delivery – not volume – are the core issues, with digital signage and AI seen as tools to improve engagement if used carefully.
Research: Korbyt Study Finds Employees Tuning Out Workplace Messaging
Korbyt has released findings from a new workplace communications study indicating that employees are disengaging from internal messaging when it lacks clarity, relevance, or trust.
Conducted with Reworked, the survey polled 1,175 full-time U.S. employees at organizations with more than 50 staff. While about half of respondents said the volume of communication they receive is “about right,” 44% still reported feeling overwhelmed, suggesting message quality rather than quantity as the underlying issue.
The results suggest many organizations continue to rely on high message volume across multiple channels, creating repetition and fatigue. Employees are more likely to engage with communication that is directly useful to their work and delivered through trusted sources, particularly line managers.
The study also highlights ongoing challenges with channel strategy. Repeated messaging across email, chat, and other platforms can drive workers to ignore official channels or shift to informal alternatives, undermining consistency and reach.
On emerging tools, respondents expressed cautious openness to AI-generated communication, but only when it improves clarity rather than adding to the noise. Messaging perceived as generic or repetitive was more likely to be dismissed, regardless of whether it was produced by AI or humans.
Digital signage, meanwhile, was identified as a relatively low-friction channel. Some 72% of respondents said workplace screens are useful for staying informed, particularly for company-wide updates and operational information that does not require immediate action.
The findings point to a shift in workplace communication strategy, where effectiveness is increasingly tied to relevance, trust, and channel discipline rather than frequency.
The full report is available here.