Encouraging cross-functional exchanges, simplifying business communication, accelerating the integration of new employees… So many issues Plenetude—after having tried Microsoft Teams and other tools—finally addressed with Talkspirit. HR Manager Laurence Perrou lays out what made the difference with our competitors.
Plenetude is a project management and building engineering firm that manages rehabilitation or renovation projects for clients. Based on four different sites, the teams are involved in the entire project management process—from the feasibility study to the costing phase to monitoring. The activity is structured around three business lines: project management, thermal and fluid building engineering, and structural engineering. The project managers travel very regularly to the building sites, as do the engineers during the diagnostic phases.
Key figures:
- 54 employees
- Headquarters in Lyon Part-Dieu with support functions
- 3 agencies: Chambéry, Annecy, Villeurbanne
- 30 years of average age
A lack of cohesion identified by the company
As part of its prevention approach, Plenetude carried out an internal study on its social climate. This study of employee expectations revealed both lacking links between agencies and a lack of clarity in communications. “When I took up my position,” explains Laurence Perrou, “I wanted to act on the subject of QWL. We wanted to have a dedicated tool to strengthen the sense of belonging, facilitate cross-functional exchanges between teams, and top-down communication emanating from the Codir [management committee], by creating a real company dynamic. With the implementation of Talkspirit, I think we’ve succeeded!”
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Internal mail management, a daily irritant
Laurence Perrou points out another problem linked to the business tool teams use, forcing them to reprocess emails that have already been processed in Outlook. “Our project managers and engineers are very busy, receiving between 100 and 150 emails per day, to which are added internal emails. This ‘double filing’ meant that each person lost about one hour per day, and this could no longer be sustained.“ Plenetude wanted the chosen tool to eliminate internal emails and thus eliminate this additional workload for employees.
Also read: How the Bergamot Agency Reduced Email by 95% and Boosted Productivity with Talkspirit
A thorough benchmark between Teams and Talkspirit
To meet the firm’s three challenges, develop cross-functional exchanges, ensure top-down communication and reduce the flow of internal emails, Laurence Perrou benchmarked various tools—in particular Teams—used upstream by the teams for videoconferencing and document sharing.
“We found Talkspirit to be much more dynamic and enjoyable to use than Teams, thanks in part to the news feeds. And Talkspirit is very close to the environment of a social network. It’s very intuitive and easy to use, even when you have little appetite for computers.
Teams offers fewer features, such as the possibility to make a collaborative press review. Instead, the whole interface is more fixed, less ergonomic, and looks too much like a “work tool”. Talkspirit, on the other hand, combines a user-friendly interface with all the important functionalities in our business: videoconferencing, chat, storage, and document sharing.“
Also read: Choosing the Right Enterprise Social Network (ESN) Solution
Lockdown, a gas pedal of adoption
Plenetude validated the choice of Talkspirit just before the first confinement, “And what a good move that was!” remarks Laurence Perrou. “It immediately became our main working tool, and it allowed us to stay connected throughout this challenging period. Each manager created a group with his team, and exchanges were done through chat and video. We relied on telephones very little.”
Since then, everyone has downloaded the Talkspirit application to their cell phones. Even outside the company, employees can use the tool to answer messages and stay informed of news.
A tool that’s become an essential part of the company’s daily life
For formal exchanges…
Since the spring of 2020, all new employees immediately join Talkspirit. “We’ve turned it into an HR integration tool by gathering all the documents intended for new employees. They immediately set it up on arrival, so it’s become an essential tool,” explains Laurence Perrou.
The news feed allows you to broadcast a collaborative press review on regulations and industry news, a very important point in the building sector. “Today, we couldn’t do without it,” adds the human resources manager.
… and informal ones, too!
Employees use it for internal exchanges, to consult the Codir’s communications… and to wish each other happy birthdays! “It’s very nice, everyone uses it for informal celebrations. Talkspirit corresponds to the young and dynamic spirit of the company, with functionalities similar to those of social networks that our employees like and use. 70% of employees are under 30, so it was important to have a tool that resembles them. “
Talkspirit’s perspective on Plenetude
To respond to these three issues, Plenetude has chosen a tool that corresponds as much to its business needs as to its young and dynamic business culture. Its rapid anchoring in the uses was favored by an upstream reflection on their priorities and indispensable functionalities. Making Talkspirit a central element in the integration process for new employees guarantees immediate adoption of the tool and facilitates access to information for all.
As Laurence Perrou points out, the ability to stay in touch with a local support team and escalate business needs facilitates the deployment of a digital workplace. This proximity allows our customers to send us suggestions for new functionalities which, once developed, benefit all Talkspirit users. We’re proud to pursue this co-construction approach with companies that choose our solution.
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Seeking to find out more about the Talkspirit solution? Contact us or schedule a demo with our team. We’ll be happy to assist you with your project.
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Author: Clémentine Garnier
