Uniting a company after acquisitions
LIXIL is a global manufacturer of water and housing products, headquartered in Tokyo. They operate approximately 270 subsidiaries and affiliates in more than 150 countries worldwide.
Why Workplace?
As LIXIL expanded through a series of acquisitions, it developed an urgent need to build a strong, unified culture to connect its employees around the world. Introducing Workplace in 2018 was a step in that direction, but when the COVID-19 virus spread, head office leaders realised there was a need to further improve the connection with frontline managers, and that Workplace would be the right tool to close this gap.
LIXIL was initially using multiple tools for communication and collaboration. Workplace turned out to be the multi-functional and versatile solution LIXIL's diverse workforce needed.
Manufacturing
60,000
APAC
"Workplace was already our main internal communications platform at LIXIL, but has become even more integral since the COVID-19 outbreak. It has become the giant water cooler around which employees congregate, for work and for socializing, both of which are key to a happier and more productive workforce. Our ability to maintain communications with colleagues and among teams, and to maintain workflows, would be very different right now if we weren’t using Workplace."
Results
Giving frontline workers a voice wherever they are
During the pandemic, LIXIL CEO Kinya Seto and leaders around the world frequently held townhalls. Live video enabled them to share company updates and listen to concerns and feedback from factory staff. Employees now feel heard and recognized and this has boosted employee engagement and morale.
Effectively communicating to employees
The official COVID-19 Group on Workplace has become the first line of communication and single source of truth for employees. LIXIL's leaders are able to disseminate important information effectively and mobilize their workforce quickly, which was critical during the pandemic.
Staying connected and enabling agile decision-making
Workplace empowers LIXIL's frontline managers by facilitating two-way communication with head office leaders. By breaking down these communication silos, it is helping decision-makers gain a better understanding of all facets of the company, which leads to swifter and better informed decisions.
Helping employees learn from one another
Frontline employees often use Workplace to understand other sites' functions, allowing them to discover best practices which they can then apply at their own site. When employees face an issue, they turn to the community on Workplace for help. This method of information-gathering and crowdsourcing has impacted productivity and employee engagement levels significantly.
