James Docherty
Focusing on wellbeing and communications to boost engagement
Communicating with a dispersed workforce is always a challenge, and one that is made more difficult without technology in place to centralize company-wide communications. This was one of the issues that Dunelm, a leading home furnishing retailer with 10,500 employees across the UK, was dealing with when the organization decided to partner with Reward Gateway.
While Dunelm was originally looking to improve its EVP and discounts offering back in 2017, the organization shifted its focus to improving internal communications and employee wellbeing in 2020 amidst the global pandemic.
Dunelm’s employee engagement platform, "Home Comforts," was created to host its bespoke range of discounts, which employees could access easily from anywhere to create a seamless user experience. More recently, the organization added peer-to-peer recognition with customized eCards, a company-wide news feed to improve internal communications and a wellbeing content hub to offer support through challenging times.
Here’s what Ben Waterfield, Internal Communications Manager at Dunelm, says about the platform:
There have been periods this year when our stores needed to close completely and the platform naturally became the main way to stay in touch with everyone. It has allowed us to communicate key updates and video messages from our senior leaders two or three times per week and, more importantly, we can actually see the engagement, likes, comments and feedback from staff that have viewed the content – and then act on it!
Dunelm’s dedication to regular communications throughout the pandemic has paid off, as the organization has seen a 600% increase in communications engagement since February. The organization has also seen an increase in the number of eCards sent, with more than 8,600 eCards sent in the last year and the largest numbers being sent in April and May.
In addition to increasing its focus on communications, the organization also focused on employee wellbeing through mental, physical and financial wellbeing initiatives during the pandemic. Interested in learning more about Dunelm’s engagement journey? Read the full story here.
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