Case Study
Engaging Employees In Times of Change
Client
A Fortune 500 energy company with more than 4,000 employees
What We Did
Lead a series of employee focus groups during a major company divestiture. Listened to feedback and executed communication strategies shaped by needs of employees
Outcome
Improved company communication, leadership transparency, and a highly informed and engaged workforce
Seizing Change as an Opportunity to Establish a New Company Culture
THE SITUATION
In the midst of divesting a major arm of their business, a Fortune 500 energy company sensed an unprecedented opportunity to engage more directly with their employees. They sought Blue Beyond’s help crafting a two-way communications strategy to promote diffused leadership and increase employees’ sense of ownership in the company.
This engagement was an opportunity to thoughtfully and deliberately establish a new company culture – one of two-way communication, active engagement and involvement of employees – to set the foundation for a high-performance culture and productive employee engagement.
WHAT WE DID
With a series of town hall meetings led by the CEO already underway, the company needed a process by which to tap into the wisdom and experience of the employee population to determine whether the vision, mission, and values of their new company were taking hold. Blue Beyond stepped in to lead a series of focus groups and one-on-one interviews with employees aimed at taking the pulse of the company as the divestment approached.
To maximize the benefit of these conversations, we assembled an engagement team representing voices from across the company to help interpret the results. After processing their feedback and listening to their suggestions, we:
- Shared all of the findings across the company.
- Helped craft transparent communications between executives and their workforce — creating a culture of trust and reliability.
- Helped start an employee website and editorial calendar for internal communications.
- Began preparations for a smartphone app that would allow for the efficient dissemination of information throughout the company.
- Helped develop plans for community engagement and volunteerism programs.
- Planned a series of launch day celebrations for the company’s offices across California.
- Worked with individual management teams to give these celebrations unique local flavor, with communication strategies and activities targeted towards the specific teams at each location.
OUTCOME
By asking the right questions, listening to employee feedback, and soliciting employee input on a regular basis, Blue Beyond helped identify critical gaps in communication. Working with executives, human resources, and internal communications departments, we helped close these gaps through the use of efficient, targeted messaging.
Built from the ground up, our communication strategies were shaped by the specific needs of the company’s employees, ensuring the workforce was informed, empowered, and comfortable with the the newfound mission, vision, and values of the company.
