Korbyt-Commissioned Study Conducted by Reworked Reveals Why Employees Tune Out Workplace Communication

Employee EngagementArtificial IntelligenceNews

By Business Wire On Apr 24, 2026

New Survey of More Than 1,100 U.S. Workers Reveals Increasing Demand for More Relevant Messaging, and a Growing Interest in AI and Digital Signage to Help Cut Through the Noise

Korbyt, the leader in enterprise digital signage and workplace experience solutions, announced the results of its 2026 State of Workplace Communication Survey, offering new insight into how employees receive, trust, and act on internal communications. Conducted in partnership with Reworked, the study surveyed 1,175 full-time U.S.-based employees at organizations with 50+ employees and reveals that employees tune out when communication is not actionable, not trusted, or repetitive across channels.

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In a survey of more than 1,100 U.S. workers, Korbyt and Reworked found that employees tune out workplace communication that isn’t actionable or trusted, fueling interest in smarter, AI-driven messaging.

While roughly half of employees say the amount of communication they receive is “about right,” a significant portion still report tuning out messages due to lack of clarity, relevance, and channel overload. The findings suggest that the challenge facing organizations is not how much they communicate, but how effectively those messages are delivered and understood.

“Organizations have spent years trying to solve workplace communication by adding more channels and more messages,” said Travis Kemp, VP Product Management at Korbyt. “What this research shows is that employees aren’t asking for more communication, they’re asking for better communication. Clarity, relevance, and trust now matter more than volume.”

The survey findings point to a clear shift in how employees engage with workplace communication, highlighting a need for more intentional, value-driven messaging strategies. Key insights from the study include:

Employees don’t want less communication, they want clearer communication: Half of respondents say the message volume they receive is “about right,” yet 44% still feel overwhelmed. The issue is relevance and clarity, not quantity. Satisfaction with volume may actually be a signal of disengagement, not good communication.
Trust in workplace communication is driven by operational value: Employees feel the most connected when communication helps them do their jobs. They are also most likely to trust communication that comes from their direct manager and helps them do their jobs — not communication that mimics leadership performance.
Channel discipline is broken and needs more attention: Repetitive messages across channels create fatigue and drive employees to unofficial communication tools.
AI should reduce noise, not increase it: Employees know the difference between AI-generated messages and human ones. They are not opposed to AI, but they become skeptical when those messages feel repetitive, untrustworthy, or otherwise add to the noise.
Digital signage can inform without interrupting: 72% of workers see workplace screens as a low-friction channel to stay informed. Screens are most useful for company-wide announcements and operational updates.

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