It started with a familiar frustration. Cart.com’s People team was rolling out a critical update—one that mattered for every employee, from corporate HQ to the warehouse floor. They hit send, confident their carefully crafted email would do the trick. Days later, the feedback trickled in: “I never saw it.” “Was that in my inbox?” “Can you resend?” The message had landed, but it hadn’t truly arrived.
This wasn’t a one-off. In a workforce as diverse and distributed as Cart.com’s, a single-channel, one-size-fits-all approach to internal communication just wasn’t cutting it. The team knew something had to change. But what does it really take to reach every employee—on their terms, in their context, and in a way that actually sticks?
The Problem: When “One Size Fits All” Fits No One
For years, internal comms teams have relied on the trusty all-hands email. It’s easy, it’s trackable, and it feels comprehensive. But as Cart.com grew—adding remote knowledge workers, warehouse teams, and field staff across time zones—the cracks in this approach became impossible to ignore.
Corporate employees lived in Slack, barely glancing at their inbox. Warehouse workers, constantly on their feet, checked their phones between shifts but rarely opened email. Meanwhile, important updates—policy changes, benefits enrollment, safety protocols—were getting lost in the shuffle. The People team found themselves chasing down confirmations, resending messages, and wondering if their efforts were making an impact at all.
The old approach assumed that everyone consumes information the same way. But in reality, every segment of the workforce has its own rhythms, preferences, and pain points. The result? Messages missed, engagement lagging, and a growing sense that internal comms just wasn’t keeping up with the business.
The Shift: Meeting Employees Where They Are
Forward-thinking teams like Cart.com’s realized that the future of employee communication isn’t about blasting louder or more often—it’s about being smarter and more personal. The breakthrough came with ChangeEngine’s segmentation and multichannel messaging features.
Instead of treating the workforce as a monolith, segmentation allowed Cart.com to break it down into meaningful groups: corporate employees, warehouse staff, field teams, and more. Each segment could be reached through the channel that made the most sense for them—Slack for HQ, SMS for the warehouse, email for field teams, or even a combination.
This wasn’t just a technical upgrade. It was a philosophical shift. The People team began to see communication not as a broadcast, but as a conversation—one that adapts to the realities of each employee’s day-to-day experience.
The Smarter Way: Segmentation and Multichannel in Action
Here’s how it played out on the ground. When Cart.com needed to roll out a new safety protocol, they didn’t just send a mass email and hope for the best. Instead, they used ChangeEngine to segment their audience. Corporate employees received a Slack message—right where they spend most of their workday. Warehouse workers got an SMS, knowing that a quick text would cut through the noise and reach them between shifts.
The impact was immediate. Warehouse managers reported that staff were referencing the new protocol in real time. Corporate teams responded to the Slack thread with questions and feedback, creating a live dialogue instead of a static announcement. The People team could see, in real time, who had received and engaged with the message—and who might need a follow-up.
This approach didn’t just improve message delivery. It changed the way the team thought about communication strategy. They began to tailor not just the channel, but the tone and timing of each message. A benefits enrollment reminder might go out as a friendly SMS nudge to hourly workers, while a detailed FAQ could be shared via email to managers. The segmentation feature made it easy to experiment, iterate, and learn what resonated best with each group.
The Impact: Clarity, Connection, and Confidence
The results spoke for themselves. Engagement rates soared. Critical updates reached the right people, in the right way, at the right time. Employees felt seen and respected—no longer just recipients of generic blasts, but participants in a conversation tailored to their needs.
For the People team, the benefits went beyond numbers. Time spent chasing down confirmations and resending messages dropped dramatically. Leaders could trust that their workforce was informed and aligned. Most importantly, the team could focus on higher-value work—listening, strategizing, and building culture—instead of playing communication whack-a-mole.
Cart.com’s experience is a reminder that technology, when paired with empathy and strategy, can transform the employee experience. Segmentation and multichannel messaging aren’t just features—they’re a smarter, more human way to connect.
Closing: Rethinking the Message, Reaching the Person
So, what’s the real lesson from Cart.com’s journey? It’s not just about sending more messages, or even about using more channels. It’s about recognizing that every employee is different—and that effective communication starts with meeting people where they are.
As organizations grow and diversify, the old playbook just won’t cut it. The teams that thrive will be the ones who treat communication as a living, evolving practice—one that adapts to the unique needs of every segment, every channel, and every person.
Are you still relying on the one-size-fits-all approach? Or are you ready to segment, personalize, and truly connect? The choice, and the opportunity, is yours.
