Slack was born to kill email.
Now, it’s the digital HQ for over 80% of Fortune 100 companies. And if you’re reading this, it might be on its way to becoming yours too.
You’ve probably already gotten your bases covered—set up your channels, integrated your favorite apps, and employed bots to do your bidding.
Psst…if you’re new to the Slack appverse, start here: What are Slack apps?
But beyond PTO and employee benefit Slack apps, your remote teams need a workspace that keeps them engaged and connected to the company’s goals and their coworkers.
So we did some digging and found 5 employee engagement apps for Slack that foster team spirit, cultivate workplace connections, and make remote work fun.
1. Intros: Make introductions simple
- Add to Slack
- Pricing: Free Early Access
Onboard new hires and connect colleagues across teams or companies, with Intros by Airspeed.
Here’s how it works: Use Airspeed’s most popular introduction questions to create an Intros template. You can also customize these questions.
The templates help teammates learn more about each other and instantly discover what they have in common. And you don’t have to import a list of new users—the app automatically prompts new members to answer the prompt.
User Review:
“I enjoy the functionality of the Intros by Airspeed. It has truly changed the way members introduce themselves in our community, making it easier and more engaging for others!”
– Hunter Weitzman, Founder/COO, PORCH
When to use it: Onboarding new hires, contractors, or consultants
Who uses it: Breville, Nubank, Women in Tech
2. Giphy: Because the world needs more GIFs
- Add to Slack
- Pricing: Free
Whether you pronounce it GIF or JIF, Giphy is a fun way to start and respond to conversations and make communication less stressful.
You can type /giphy followed by any word and it will show you a collection of GIFs to choose from.
When to use it: Virtual happy hours, birthday celebrations, after all-hands meetings, or daily standups. Honestly, feel free to deploy GIFs in any conversation during the workday. There are no rules here!
You might like: 3 Reasons Why Remote Teams Are the Future of Startups
3. SuperQuickQuestion: Sometimes all you need is 60s of facetime
- Add to Slack
- Pricing: Free
SuperQuickQuestion (SQQ) is the quickest way to meet with someone. It encourages productivity, helps you reclaim your time and eliminates all those meetings that could have been an email 60 second 1:1 conversation.
Here’s how it works: Say you have an hour long office hours every week but you would like it to be more personalized. Schedule a time and invite your team. Everyone gets into a queue to grab 60 seconds of facetime with you.
And if you have a quick question you need to ask your coworker, you can ditch Zoom and invite them for a quick 1 minute call.
When to use it: Office hours, knowledge transfer sessions
Who uses it: Adobe, Yelp
4. Loom: Get your point across with asynchronous video recordings
- Add to Slack
- Pricing: Free
While Slack is a great tool for asynchronous messaging, the risk for miscommunication remains. After all, it’s hard to convey tone over a Slack message.
That’s where Loom comes in. Loom helps you add context to your Slack threads through video messages. You can record videos directly from Slack, and seamlessly switch between text and video messaging in one place.
Tip: Use the /loom command to start recording directly from Slack.
User Review:
“Loom creates an ongoing visual and audible experience across our business and enables our employees to feel part of a unified culture and company.”
–Tyson Quick, Chief Product Officer, Instapage
When to use it: Enhancing team alignment, feedback sessions, asynchronous standups
Who uses it: Tide Cleaners, Brex
5. Celebrations: Never forget a birthday or work anniversary again
- Add to Slack
- Pricing: Free early access
Track special occasions, sign virtual cards, and make virtual celebrations easier with Celebrations by Airspeed.
Here’s how it works: Airspeed asks users to share their birthday and start date on Slack, and keeps track of everything so you don’t have to. When a special occasion is around the corner, Celebrations by Airspeed sends everyone a reminder to sign a card.
And no, not a boring static card. Users can choose a template to write a special note and add GIFs to the message. They can also comment on other teammates’ messages and add reactions.
Airspeed also follows up with those celebrating to see if they want to share pictures from their day.
User Review:
“We went 100% remote during COVID. [Celebrations by] Airspeed allowed us to socialize with each other in a fun way and keep track of our birthdays and anniversaries. They make it super easy to wish someone a happy birthday or anniversary by suggesting stuff to say. Now everyone gets a big virtual card on their special day, it’s really great.”
– Matt Kaufman, Chief Executive Officer, MK Partners
Who uses it: Rupifi, PicCollage, RipCord
Here’s an app, there’s an app, everywhere’s an app for Slack
Listen, we get it. Keeping employees engaged remotely is not a cakewalk. And while apps for Slack can make it easy, you might also find yourself in analysis paralysis.
How do you choose one or a few when it’s raining apps? Plus, we’re sure you’ve noticed how some of these share similar features.
Our expert advice: Leverage a solution like Airspeed—a suite of apps built to work together instead of amassing a hodgepodge of apps that have gaps or overlapping features. Plus, if you ever need help, you can always count on customer success to save the day.
Need a quick shot of engagement? Try Airspeed’s Intros—an app for Slack that facilitates introductions for new hires, contractors, or coworkers. And if you’re looking for an easy way to commemorate your colleagues, you need to try Celebrations by Airspeed – you’ll never forget a birthday or work anniversary again. The best part? You can do this completely aysnc.
