Internal communication is an essential tool to accelerate the development of processes, assist and support organisational changes and business strategies, and develop a common corporate culture, directing efforts towards the achievement of Group objectives, which become shared and pursuable through each individual’s contribution.
The role of internal communication has been central in dealing with the crisis situation due to the pandemic. It was necessary to communicate in a timely and effective manner, so that each worker was aware of the protective measures and behaviour to be adopted to work safely in a constantly evolving health and regulatory situation. A variety of tools: e-mails and text messages, to communicate the measures adopted and regulatory updates, and the Company Intranet, where a section dedicated to the Covid-19 emergency was created, in which all internal communications, the manual for in-person activities and the single text of Group provisions for working in safety were collected. It was necessary to spread and explain the company’s choices, to reassure the workers, highlighting the commitment and the actions taken to cope with the emergency and the restart, to maintain a high level of involvement in a context of low interaction, in the first half of the year, and of distrust, in the second half, when the health situation allowed the return to the office, but the company population was still intimidated by a general state of insecurity. These were challenging objectives, pursued through video messages from top management, publication of regular news bulletins, external visibility to the commitment of all the Group’s resources to the continuity of essential services, possible thanks to the responsibility with which employees responded and the ability they demonstrated in reinventing their work to deal with the emergency.
The main tool for internal communication, information and sharing, was confirmed to be the corporate intranet Noi Iren: more than 6.7 million pages were consulted, and 150 news articles were published to stay connected and updated, with viewing and interaction also possible through the company smartphone distributed to all staff. Noi Iren is the “common home“, a place to feel part of the Group, providing a gateway to information, documentation and company services. Strategic (Business Plan, economic-financial results and sustainability data), organisational (notifications, staff structure, documentation of certified systems), regulatory (service orders, Model 231) and corporate (acquisitions, non-recurrent transactions) information is published on the Intranet. The Intranet also disseminates news from the “Iren Informa” magazine, ads on the internal notice board for the sale and exchange of items between personnel and information on cultural, environmental, sporting and social initiatives supported by the Group held in the various areas.
In 2021, the web magazine Iren Informa was the main tool to share, with about 270 articles visible internally and externally, the Group’s resilience.
The video storytelling activities were enhanced with the creation of three different columns, which, with different styles and content, accompany workers and allow them to feel close, share a vision, and team up:
- Iren people is the column dedicated to the professions, aimed at sharing the many activities and getting to know the colleagues who deal with them. In 2021, 7 videos were made, published on You- Tube, recalled on the intranet, on Iren informa and through social campaign;
- Il tempo di un caffè is a column of interviews with business managers to engage the corporate population on long-term strategies and goals. In 2021, it was also the means of introducing everyone to the Group’s new CEO;
- Io lavoro in Iren (I work in Iren) is the column dedicated to skills, in which expert colleagues talk about the peculiarities of the job, the training and the necessary skills. A useful tool in training new hires as well.
In a context of low internal mobility and reduced opportunities to meet, it has been necessary to devote particular attention to digital activities for the reception of new recruits. The Welcome area has therefore been implemented on the Intranet, dedicated to new people in the Group and aimed at facilitating their integration, through the collection of information and services essential for moving within the company. In the same area training materials and recordings of onboarding speeches are published. An App was also developed for people waiting to be hired by the company, through which new colleagues can be informed and involved.
In 2021, an important event was the presentation of the Business Plan that involved about 300 managers in-person and all Iren people through a live streaming with over 2,000 connected. The recording of the event was published on the Intranet, available to all those who could not follow in real time, allowing the sharing of objectives and strategies.
The infrastructure set up also made it possible to hold the end-of-year event digitally, which saw around 2,300 employees connected and whose leitmotif was the future. The future of the company and the future envisioned by colleagues, whose voices were shared through recorded videos.