As KBC Group expands its operations internationally, the communication team has the challenge of keeping employees engaged on a global and local level. In this session you’ll hear how the company is overcoming language and cultural differences to ensure employees understand the business strategy.

Learn about:

• Managing cross-cultural differences in internal communication
• How to marry the local and groupwide approach within a new
  organizational structure
• Current challenges and lessons learned along the way

Viviane Huybrecht,

Technology has a valuable role to play in getting business messages across in unique and engaging ways. In this session, Michelle Cullen will talk about how an internal TV channel called “Fab 24 TV” is supporting Intel’s quest to connect employees to the business strategy and Fab24 Culture.

You’ll hear about:

• The company mission and culture at Intel
• How leaders are using Fab 24 TV to fulfil their roles as teachers of the business strategy and culture
• How employees use the channel to share updates and demonstrate progress towards quarterly goals
• The impact of visual communications on employee engagement

Michelle Cullen,

This session will use the example of an on-going project for a large UK business to explore how adopting a strategic approach to your induction process can bring benefits to all your colleagues, not just new starters.

It will focus on:

• The importance of setting goals for the project from the outset
• Thinking about the audience and how that affects execution
• The most effective channels that can and should be used
• Empowerment = Engagement: how self-service induction can increase ownership and buy-in

Paul Middleton, Managing Director, Yellow Communications

In this session you’ll learn about the initiatives and tools used at T-Mobile Austria to engage employees during a merger with a local competitor. T-Mobile’s approach focuses on the cultural integration of employees to gain their commitment for a new future.

You’ll hear about:

• Using information and communication tools during the merger process
• Bringing people together through the T-Mobile “Buddy System”
• The role of feedback and employee dialogue
• Monitoring progress and measuring the impact on employee engagement

Annabella Pineda, Senior Specialist HR Development, T-Mobile Austria

When Peter Bakker became CEO of TNT in 2001, the company’s group communications function introduced a broad range of strategic dialogue initiatives to connect, involve and engage 150,000 employees in the company’s future plans and goals. In this session, Job van Harmelen will share examples of these initiatives in action.

You’ll hear about:

• The company’s interactive CEO dialogue tools – virtual CEO office, weblogs, online-chat sessions, pod and vodcasting, companywide surveys and senior management meetings
• Lessons learned by TNT in applying these tools in a global organisation

Job van Harmelen, Senior Communications Consultant, TNT

It is now a widely accepted view that levels of employee engagement have an
impact on business performance. Many organizations see engaging employees
as a strategic priority, but how do you know what drives your workforce?
Understanding culture and demographic differences helps you to build a focused
engagement strategy.

Marleen Reinke, Project Director, Towers Perrin-ISR

Jeff Boudens, Project Director, Towers Perrin-ISR

When Volvo launched an ambitious change project to enhance effectiveness of its global supply chain, there was widespread reluctance among 3,700 affected employees. To overcome this, the communication team involved more than 100 managers to help engage employees in the new strategic direction. In this session
you’ll hear how managers learned to collaborate across functions and cultures and openly address cultural differences.

You’ll learn about:

• Why employees and managers resisted change
• Finding the “icebergs” that prevent or block change
• How to tackle employee fear and resistance to change
• Volvo’s research and how it shaped decisions
• The outcomes of getting managers involved

Charlie Nordblom, Vice-President Strategic Internal Communications, Volvo Group

Kennie Kjellström, Information Manager, Volvo Parts