This week members of the press, bloggers, photographers and stakeholders are visiting some of our stations to see what’s happening behind the scenes to prepare for the opening of the East London Line section of London Overground.
As a company we have been giving our employees the chance to see the new stations first for themselves as a series of open days are being held for people from any department. This works particularly well in encouraging employees who wouldn’t ordinarily visit these stations to discover them first hand rather than just read about them through internal communication channels. It also means they can ask questions from people at the frontline and have the chance to work across functions while talking with employees they may not ordinarily encounter.
I went to the first open day at Shadwell station on Thursday and was shown around by some of our newest Customer Hosts (pictured). Their enthusiasm was infectious as they guided me around the platforms, ticket office and even up onto the roof. I was shown pretty much every last centimetre of the place by the team, who have an incredible sense of pride and were happy to pose for the photo on this page.
What is your policy on new products, offices, etc? Do you give your employees the chance to discover them first? The phrase ‘brand ambassadors’ is bandied about a lot but how does your organisation turn this into reality? I believe giving employees the opportunity to discover what is happening inside the company first is key. I’m interested to know your thoughts on what your company does. Do leave a comment and share your thoughts with other readers.
I think the idea of allowing employees to see new stations first is great because it allows them to feel part of the company and its’ future plans. One question, do you work in tandem with HR to carry off these initiatives when they involve the employees of the company?
Hi, thank you for your comment. This is very much work in progress and we’re learning as we go along. Yes HR is aware but the majority of decisions are down to local managers to see when their teams are rostered on (so if/when they could be released from duties to attend, or whether another day/session would be better for them).
Having a variety of options is key to help find time slots which suit people. Making them open house – eg you don’t have to choose a specific time to attend is also sensible so you don’t restrict attendance. Hope that helps to answer your question, Rachel.
I think the open house technique you mentioned sounds like a good idea, because then employees can be more flexing. It sounds like a good communication technique.
Thanks for answering the question!