Construction Company

Case: Construction Company – Review our current communication environment and provide advice on how to improve internal communication, strengthen commitment, and enhance employee satisfaction by better addressing employees’ communication needs. 

Our client is known for its expertise in building complex infrastructure — such as bridges, streets, tunnels, and waterworks — and for developing sustainable and energy-efficient buildings.  

In the construction industry, there is often a gap between people in the office and those on the construction site. This is understandable because of the significant differences in their ways of working, as well as the physical distance between them. So, how do you ensure that all employees feel committed to the organization as a whole, despite these differences? 

Question

The client sees employee commitment and engagement as important factors for the continuity, adaptability, and overall success of the organization. An effective internal communication environment is a key prerequisite. It appears that certain target groups are not being sufficiently reached by communications from the headquarters. The renewal of the strategy is a logical moment also to optimize the internal communication environment. The client’s request to Involve was: Review our current communication environment and provide advice on how to improve internal communication, strengthen commitment, and enhance employee satisfaction by better addressing employees’ communication needs. 

Approach

Next to our expertise and experience with internal communications and similar (benchmark) audits, objectivity is an important reason to involve us as an external party. It makes it easier for employees to speak openly, resulting in more reliable results. We engage with employees and managers at all levels of the organization through group discussions and interviews. Additionally, we conduct surveys and provide our expert opinion on the current internal communication structure.

Result

We translate the insights from our research into a set of quick wins and long-term actions for each target group and implement these in collaboration with the organization. This involves developing a clear channel strategy, establishing a more predictable communication rhythm, and addressing gaps in the communication structure, such as clarifying the role of leaders in internal communications. Our research revealed that leaders do not always have a clear understanding of their communicative role and are not adequately prepared or trained to fulfil it effectively. On a broader level, our findings indicate that it is not necessary to create a unified ‘communication world’ for the entire organization to foster a sense of community and achieve organizational commitment. On the contrary, to add value for employees, communication should be local and linked to their area of work. This contributes just as much to their commitment to the organisation and their identification with the ‘brand’.