Sefiani & Staffbase launch Australia, NZ partnership

Sefiani and Staffbase have formed an employee communications partnership in Australia and New Zealand, making Sefiani Staffbase's first consultancy partner in the two markets.

The partnership combines Sefiani's internal communications advisory work with Staffbase's employee experience software, used by companies including Adidas, Alaska Airlines and DHL. It is intended to help communications and human resources teams manage messaging across frontline and office-based staff.

The announcement comes as Sefiani published research pointing to unease among Australian workers about artificial intelligence and broader economic pressures. In a survey of 1,000 workers, 53% said they were concerned economic challenges would affect their role, while 43% were worried AI would replace humans.

The research also found that fewer than one in three organisations had communicated any form of AI policy to staff. Where policies were in place, responses were mixed, suggesting many employers are still working out how to explain the technology's role in the workplace.

The findings reflect a wider gap between corporate spending on AI tools and employees' day-to-day experience, particularly among frontline workers. Many organisations are investing in workplace technology, but staff on the ground do not yet see that reflected in how they receive information or engage with their employer.

Worker concerns

That disconnect has become more pressing as businesses introduce AI into routine work while dealing with cost pressure and organisational change. Internal communications teams are increasingly being asked to explain restructures, technology roll-outs and changes to working practices without adding to staff uncertainty.

Under the partnership, the companies will offer research-led audits, communication planning for different employee groups, support for change programmes and analytics intended to link engagement with measures such as productivity and customer experience. The model is designed to combine strategic advice with software used for email, intranet, collaboration tools and communications to frontline workers.

Staffbase integrates with Microsoft 365, including email and Teams, and is designed to provide a single channel for reaching distributed workforces. The platform can be used to tailor messages across multiple channels and improve how employers reach workers who are not desk-based.

For Sefiani, the move adds a technology partner to a communications practice focused on employee engagement and internal change. For Staffbase, it creates a consultancy relationship in Australia and New Zealand that may help it reach more in-house communications and HR teams.

Ramak Salamat, Vice President - JAPAC at Staffbase, said rising uncertainty among workers had strengthened the case for the tie-up. "It is critical that Australian business leaders adopt clear, consistent communications with their employees particularly in the current environment given the heightened uncertainty and anxiousness among employees in today's AI-driven world. Organisations need a safe and reliable technology solution that turns strategy into a positive employee experience," Salamat said.

Salamat added: "We're proud to be available to Sefiani's clients via its employee comms service, delivering a single platform that connects messaging, managers, and frontline teams across channels. Together we'll help comms and HR teams reduce uncertainty, build trust, and measure the impact of employee engagement programs beyond basic open rates."

Strategy and tools

Mandy Galmes, Managing Partner at Sefiani, said the partnership was shaped by what clients are experiencing as they invest in new systems while trying to bring staff with them. "We're seeing a growing disconnect between the investment organisations are making in AI and technology tools, and the day-to-day reality of the employee experience, especially on the frontline.

For employee engagement to drive real impact in this landscape, technology and strategy must work in lockstep. We partnered with Staffbase because their platform provides the vital infrastructure to reach the modern, distributed workforce. Together, we ensure these powerful tools are guided by a clear strategic narrative and robust governance, empowering organisations to genuinely engage their entire workforce and drive ROI," Galmes said.

The emphasis on governance is notable as employers come under pressure to set rules around how AI is used internally. The survey finding that less than a third of organisations have communicated an AI policy suggests many businesses are still at an early stage of setting expectations for staff, even as the tools become more common.

That leaves internal communications and HR functions with a more central role in workplace change. Rather than simply distributing updates, they are being asked to explain what AI means for jobs, reassure employees about organisational decisions and show how new systems fit within wider business strategy.

In the survey, concern about economic disruption exceeded concern about AI replacing humans, indicating that workers are weighing both immediate business conditions and longer-term technology shifts. Against that backdrop, employers that fail to set out clear policies may face a harder task in maintaining trust across frontline and office-based teams.