May 22, 2006
Davis & Company Helps Corporations Engage Their Diverse Workforce

Davis & Company redefines communication to meet today’s evolving employee population

GLEN ROCK, NJ (May 22, 2006) – Award-winning employee communications firm Davis & Company has developed a new solution to a growing challenge in corporate America: Today’s workforce is so diverse that it’s tough to reach employees, much less motivate them. “Employees still show up to work, but they don’t know how to do their jobs to contribute to the company’s goals,” said Alison Davis, CEO of Davis & Company. “As a result, productivity suffers. And in today’s competitive business environment, that can be the difference between success or failure for a company.”

The solution, which the firm calls The New Engagement Approach, addresses the fact that the workforce is now as fragmented as a company’s typical customer base. “A one-size-fits-all communication strategy isn’t going to get employees’ attention—or move them to action,” said Davis. “Instead, you must treat employees as internal customers, and design communication that appeals to them. This seems so logical—marketers routinely tailor their efforts to customers —yet this approach is rarely practiced inside today’s corporations, where so much communication is designed only to meet executives’ preferences, not employees’ needs.”

The Davis & Company approach was built on two decades of research, surveying and interviewing tens of thousands of employees from a wide-ranging group of companies. The firm found that this new, diverse workforce is not an easy audience to reach: Employees represent every demographic segment, including age, gender, ethnic background, languages spoken, jobs performed, and geography. They work all different hours: full-time, part-time, on three shifts, 24/7. And many workers are not “employees” at all—they’re contractors, freelancers, or temporary workers.

To engage this new workforce, Davis & Company works with companies in five areas. The first is understanding who employees are by analyzing microdemographics, the demographics unique to a particular company. Second, the firm creates simple, action-oriented messages designed to appeal to employees. Third, Davis & Company creates real-time communication that reaches people when they need it. Fourth, the firm designs vehicles in the formats employees prefer: electronic, print, and face-to-face. And last, the company guides senior leaders and managers to redefine their communication roles, with front-line managers as “timely translators,” and senior leaders as “executive evangelists.”

“Communicating effectively is not easy,” said Davis. “But the ROI is high, because the right approach can lead to an engaged and productive workforce.”

Davis & Company is an award-winning firm that helps companies succeed by reaching, engaging and motivating their workers. Clients include Fortune 100 and other major corporations such as Dow Corning, Georgia-Pacific, Honeywell, IKEA, MasterCard, and Wyeth. Founded in 1984, Davis & Company offers a full range of employee communication services, as well as corporate speakers, web-based workshops and reports. The company is based in Glen Rock, NJ. www.davisandco.com