Objectives
Experian is the leading global information services company, with over 17,000 people in more than 44 countries. The company has been building a strong, sustainable, global brand and has grown every year, both organically and through acquisition. To sustain its global growth and sense of identity, Experian needed to develop a global internal communication strategy that would:
- provide employees with a global context to their work
- generate pride and enthusiasm in being part of a growing global company
- enable employees to serve current and new global clients efficiently, effectively and consistently
- encourage people to collaborate and to share products and ideas across the globe
- help attract more global investors.
Internal communication was well-established in some of the regions and business lines but the moment had come, in late 2010, when the communications teams needed to forge stronger links across the global organisation.
Approach
Working closely with Nadia Ridout-Jamieson, Director of Investor Relations and Communications, and the Head of Group Communications, we interviewed the leadership team, the internal communication leaders and members of the CR and HR teams across the company to understand:
- how internal communication could best support goals and strategy
- what employees needed to know and feel about the global organisation (as opposed to their region, function or business unit), its strategy and structure, and also the brand
- what ‘raising the bar' in internal communication might look like and what the communication ‘deal' should be for any Experian employee anywhere in the world
- what good practices already existed in the company that could be shared
- how the communications teams could work more closely together
- the communication role of leaders in a global company.
These interviews provided insights as to what the business needed from internal communication but also helped to build ownership of the internal communication strategy that would later evolve. The employee survey provided information about employees' needs.
We facilitated sessions with the global internal communication team both by phone and face-to- face to share the findings from the research and to gain their input to the strategy.
Outcomes
With Experian, we developed an internal communication strategy and prioritised the activities over the next three years. The aim was to focus on two or three activities each year and to do them well rather than spread resource too thinly. These activities ranged from defining communication roles and guiding principles for communication to ensure consistency across the 44 countries, through to Heart of Experian, a major campaign to help employees understand and connect with the brand, the global company and what it offers to both internal and external stakeholders. The strategy was accepted and fully supported by the leadership team. A new global internal communication role was created to help deliver the strategy.
Client's view
"One of the great benefits of working with Hilary was that her approach really brought our global IC group together and encouraged them to collaborate. The teams had been effective locally, but to deliver globally they had to work as one. Her work has helped us manage all manner of communications campaigns, from improving employee understanding of the business through to the launch of Heart of Experian."
Nadia Ridout-Jamieson, Director of Investor Relations and Communications