Background 

Founded by Ernest Bader, Scott Bader is a global chemicals manufacturer known for its business-for-good philosophy. The company was gifted to employees in 1951, preserving Scott Bader from any potential sales and creating a structure for optimal operation. Even today, the balance of commerciality with community initiatives continues. However, with the company celebrating its 100th business year, it was observed that many employees struggled to understand how the legacy played out in the future. The company’s key communications vehicle – The Constitution – which outlined the company’s principles and responsibilities had only been read by 26% of its more than 800 colleagues. This led to the decision to modernise The Constitution, offer employees a greater voice, ramp up engagement and create a full-time role to represent employee interests.

Approach 

To address the issue, Scott Bader initiated a two-year research and consultation phase in 2020, aiming to reaffirm the company’s purpose to its employees. The engagement project sought to simplify the company’s governance and spark employee participation. Data was collected through steering groups, external focus groups and company-wide surveys. The findings indicated the necessity of translating The Constitution into a more accessible and inspiring format and the need for more representation across the regions to make every single location feel heard, valued and involved moving forwards.

This led to a comprehensive internal communication programme that included webinars, town hall meetings, virtual ‘drop-ins’, videos, newsletters, posters and polls. The Constitution was made shorter and renamed The Members Guide. TV screens and posters on notice boards across all sites made sure everyone, at every level of the business, was aware of the pending updates, from the boardroom to the factory floor.

Teaser communications prior to an AGM where the plans were to be voted on were delivered in multimedia formats and five languages (Zulu, Urdu, Croatian, French and English). Core assets have also since been translated into Hindi, following the acquisition of Scott Bader India.

Outcome

The changes were positively received, with an unprecedented 83% of employee members voting in favour of the planned changes – the highest count in the past decade. Virtual events attracted 1,500 attendees and more than 3,000 viewings (during and post- delivery), throughout the duration of the programme. Scott Bader’s appointment of its first, full-time, independent representative to the Global Members Board representative was a significant outcome, giving colleagues a trusted ally to formally champion their collective beliefs. The company now publishes a Members Report every quarter, ensuring accountability to its employee shareholders. The Members Guide explains what being a Scott Bader Member means to each and every one of their colleagues and an accompanying animation sets out the benefits of being part of a business that embraces the employee ownership model. All indicators point to enhanced global engagement and a more empowered employee pool thanks to this ‘living’ document that informs colleagues about the core values at the heart of the business.