Lviv (Ukraine) – Guildford (United Kingdom), Nov 22, 2022 – An internal campaign launched in the first hours of the full-scale Russian invasion that helped to evacuate more than 1,000 people was shortlisted in the leading European Excellence Awards in communications.
The Intellias project “Life-saving words: Internal Communication at war,” which describes the company’s internal communication after the Russian invasion on February 24, became a finalist in the European Excellence Awards 2022. Starting from the first hours of the full-scale war, Intellias specialists provided day-and-night access to information and unimpeded communication, which contributed to creating a safe environment for the whole team.
Intellias was among five finalists in the Internal Communications category in the 2022 European Excellence Awards. The “Life-saving words: Internal Communication at war” project covers all communication channels within the company. These communication channels helped the team to act fast, stay in touch, and provide informational assistance and emotional support to colleagues.
Unimpeded 24/7 communication helped to transfer 1,300 specialists and their families from dangerous areas to safe places in the west of Ukraine. More than 300 female specialists and their relatives were evacuated to Poland, where Intellias also has development centers.
In the first days of the full-scale war, the lives of our people and the future of our business depended on how fast and clearly we were able to communicate. For us, the greatest appreciation of our efforts were the words of gratitude from our colleagues. For the project, we actually recorded and shared their messages which they sent us in the first weeks of the invasion
In two weeks, 99% of the team returned to its pre-war level of work.
Seeing Russia’s preparation for the full-scale war in November 2021, Intellias updated its Business Continuity Plan, which was developed back in 2014. In compliance with the plan and using robust internal communication, we managed to organize a smooth process of evacuation, relocation, and further adaptation of our colleagues.
Intellias directed all of the company’s internal communication efforts towards strengthening the team’s morale. We provided our colleagues with up-to-date information using regular town halls and emails from the CEO. Apart from existing communication channels, Intellias set up additional local channels to facilitate communication and help people who were searching for accommodation or transportation. Afterwards, a “thank you” campaign was launched on the internal communication platform to give our colleagues a chance to express their gratitude.
