Providing transformative connections & engagement for a European FMCG business in response to COVID-19

Summary

A major client for several years, a household name, European FMCG launched their new portfolio of learning to 20,0000+ people, the Hub was seen as the perfect accompaniment to support delegates throughout their relevant journeys, highlighting the blended approach to delivering a range of subjects and offering content on demand. Most importantly it was underpinning their new people strategy, driving the organizations strategy to become more innovative and strongly underpinning their revised diversity and inclusion initiatives which were critical to their overall success.

Challenge

In March 2020 the impact of COVID-19 was felt across the business and more than 50% of staff placed on furlough within a single week. The centralized L&D team was given the critical challenge of ensuring that the whole workforce remained connected, and was given access to supportive and useful resources. 

With no time to plan or prepare, the solution had to be found within the existing pool of platforms and suppliers.

Solution

Our client had utilized Hemsley Fraser’s Learning as a Service approach to support specific L&D initiatives, such as the Modular Leadership Program, Performance Management Processes,  and Individual Contributor Sessions so that learners on these fully blended experiences had access to supporting digital learning materials anytime, anyplace. For all other learners in the organization, the Hub was always in the background as a performance support tool.

In conversations with Hemsley Fraser, the platform was positioned holistically as a hub for engagement, not just to support learning programs. The impact of COVID-19 provided the chance to try this out, and see if the whole Hub could be swiftly elevated to fulfill a much wider brief.

Results

First, a COVID information center was built, to meet the need to provide critical, up to the minute information. Next, all existing playlists were repackaged into a new information program that was rolled out at the same time companywide. This took very little time and was completed entirely by internal resources, without requiring input from Hemsley Fraser. Administrators in each country across the organization had direct input into the curation of materials to ensure that needs of different audiences were met.

The possibilities for the Hub have now opened up. It currently supports more initiatives in more ways than it ever has done before, including just in time playlists (e.g. Well-being). The primary purpose of the Hub is still a platform for learning, but information is now better contextualized and localized, and so can deliver more relevant and personalized learning experiences.

“The best thing that has come out of COVID has been how well we’ve been able to utilize the Hub to make sure that thousands of people out of the business are still able to learn, feel connected and learn from other things that are important to us right now”

Highlights

COVID-19 presented a host of challenges to the business. Using the Hub to its fullest potential offered quick and effective ways to meet them. Engagement rates have increased 10x which has raised the profile of the L&D team. This helps to not only support the core brief of delivering learning experiences but also to tie more closely with core business functions. The stronger and more collaborative partnerships that have been built, as a result, have served to drive further engagement.