Bright ideas campaign
Challenge:
Facing a market downturn, a company needed to reduce costs without affecting morale and engagement or cutting what employees valued. Instead of the typical approach of asking employees to do “more with less,” the challenge was to find a positive, collaborative way for employees to influence cost decisions.
Solution:
A global bright ideas campaign was launched inviting employees to propose cost-saving opportunities at stie, country or functional level – to help address the impact from the business context. Ideas were submitted to an open, searchable database where colleagues could comment, leave questions or participate in a discussion.
Local teams activated the campaign creatively – from displaying printouts of the ideas on clotheslines to printing idea titles to planter-box installations – to make local contributions visible and to encourage further participation. Employees voted on ideas locally, while a global panel reviewed concepts requiring broader coordination or investment to drive savings.
Ideas that required global or country support were considered by a panel, resulting in several larger-scale employee ideas being implemented and communicated.
Insight:
Crowdsourcing unlocks a wide range of new and creative ideas that leaders alone would not have generated. Employees valued being part of the decision-making process, especially during a time of financial pressure.
Impact:
Several hundred employee ideas were implemented globally. Employee polls showed strong support for the approach and a view that the company was taking the right steps to address the business challenge. Combined with functional cost measures, these ideas helped the organisation meet its saving targets while strengthening engagement.