Global Pharmaceutical/Medical Technology Company pay, time, and attendance system transformation

Summary
See how The O’Keefe Group helped prepare 45,000+ employees—leaders, managers, and frontline teams—for a smooth transition to a complex new payroll and attendance system.
Challenges
- Develop a comprehensive communication plan introducing a new pay, time, and attendance system.
- Reach a diverse audience of 49,000 employees in the U.S and Puerto Rico across 170 offices and 40 manufacturing sites in 33 cities.
- Work within a compressed time frame to communicate required employee actions, including mandatory system training, during busy year-end period.
- Keep the project moving forward while navigating access and resource limitations.
- Customize detailed messages and channels for salaried and hourly employees, including distinct system changes and effective dates.
- Address unique needs of other key audience segments, including cross-border managers, hourly managers/supervisors, and commission-based employees.
- Respond nimbly to evolving requirements, challenges, and solutions.
Solutions
- Designed and delivered a “surround sound” campaign that built awareness, momentum and guided managers and employees through the change.
- Created timely, clear, and accurate materials, using multiple channels to reach a variety of employee groups:
- Articles for company intranet and on-line newsletters for office-based employees
- Targeted emails to reach key audience segments
- Print assets for manufacturing sites, including flyers and meeting support materials
- Innovative short-form videos, accessible internally and externally
- Preparation checklists, “What’s Changing” fact sheets, and quick reference guides for salaried and hourly employees and managers
- Digital displays for on-site plasma screens and promotional banners
- Developed an online communication toolkit for HR and team leaders/supervisors, promoting these key messages:
- The new system will benefit the company and its employees through improved efficiency and ease of use.
- While technology will be streamlined and improved, pay, time off, and related policies aren’t changing.
o’Keefe Group Services
- Strategy, planning, and project management
- Consulting on communication protocols and distribution logistics
- Communication workplan to track open issues and manage deliverables
- Writing/editing all materials
- Design and production of printable assets (e.g., flyers, fact sheets, quick reference guides)
- Video production and distribution
- Design, production, and distribution of stand-alone banners to multiple sites
Results
- Highly favorable response to communications. Short-form videos, stand-alone banners, and online toolkit were especially well received.
- Positive feedback from executive team, including Corporate Communications leadership
- High email open rates
- 90% for salaried employees
- 80% for hourly employees
- Help Desk queries indicated strong understanding of how to access and use new system