Europe Snacks: Taking engagement global

Europe Snacks is a leading food manufacturer renowned for creating affordable yet innovative and healthy snack options. Europe Snacks partners with a number of customers across Europe and the UK offering a wide range of crisps and snacks.

With over 2150 employees spanning nine factories across the UK, France, and Spain, they are particularly known for their innovative flavours and high quality ingredients, and are the masterminds behind beloved snacks like Burts Crisps.

Embodying values of Entrepreneurship, Excellence, and Care, Europe Snacks is committed to delivering not only quality products but also fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace culture.

Our journey with Europe Snacks began with the UK division, where a formal employee survey program was non-existent before 2021. Despite a longstanding commitment to employee engagement, the company relied on informal check-ins rather than a structured engagement strategy.

Recognising the importance of amplifying employee voices and fostering a culture of feedback, Europe Snacks embarked on the journey to establish a robust employee engagement program from scratch.

Related: How PRS for Music created an incredible engagement strategy

A new approach

In search of a survey partner, Europe Snacks prioritised collaboration, understanding, and flexibility. With two large manufacturing facilities in the UK and plans for expansion, it was crucial to implement a structured listening strategy that transcended geographical barriers.

People Insight stood out as the ideal partner due to our commitment to understanding their business comprehensively and our ability to translate surveys into multiple languages. Additionally, our benchmarking capabilities provided valuable insights for a company without prior data for comparison, helping them gauge their position within the manufacturing industry.

In their inaugural 2021 survey with People Insight, Europe Snacks achieved a commendable 55% response rate and 81% engagement score, laying the groundwork for future surveys.

Following our recommended best practice of implementing an intentional pre-survey comms strategy, the lead-up to the subsequent 2022 survey included posters, a “You Said, We Did” style campaign reminding employees of actions taken based on feedback from the 2021 survey, countdown messages, and “Coffee Sessions” with the new HR Director Cheryl Sharp and MD Rikin Lakhani. These sessions aimed to facilitate face-to-face open dialogue and prepare employees for the upcoming survey.

In 2022, Europe Snacks witnessed remarkable improvements following their concerted efforts to boost pre-survey momentum and demonstrate the efficacy of their action planning. The results were impressive: the engagement score surged to 85%, accompanied by a significant increase in participation to 83%.

This upward trajectory not only reflected employees’ growing willingness to engage but also underscored the organisation’s proactive approach to addressing feedback. Moreover, Europe Snacks earned recognition for their outstanding performance, qualifying for People Insight’s Outstanding Workplace Award, reserved for top-tier clients excelling in engagement.

Building on the success of their partnership with People Insight in the UK, Europe Snacks made the bold decision to expand their survey programme across the entire international group in 2023, including operations in France and Spain. Despite the challenges of launching in new territories, both Europe Snacks and People Insight embraced the opportunity with enthusiasm, collaborating closely to develop and implement the survey programme.

Europe Snacks’ 2023 employee survey showcased remarkable achievements:

Strong Group Participation: Despite expanding the survey program across the entire Europe Snacks group, the organisation maintained a robust 81% group response rate, demonstrating the enthusiasm of employees to participate and contribute to shaping the company’s trajectory. Additionally, the overall engagement score reached an impressive 79%, reflecting positive sentiments across the organisation and surpassing industry benchmarks along the way.

Targeted Stakeholder Insights: Launching a multinational programme required tailored approaches to address the unique needs and challenges of each country’s operations. People Insight supported this effort by designing a complex survey that incorporated localised questions, allowing for a deeper understanding of specific issues, both at a country-level and for individual sites.

Consultancy Support: Europe Snacks maximised the impact of People Insight’s consultancy support by engaging them for a comprehensive results presentation. This presentation, created and delivered by People Insight, provided senior leaders with valuable insights into the survey results and guidance on prioritising areas for improvement. The tailored recommendations offered actionable strategies for addressing workplace challenges and driving long-term positive change.

Outstanding Performance in the UK: The UK division maintained exceptional standards, achieving an outstanding 88% engagement score. This remarkable accomplishment earned them the Outstanding Workplace Award for two consecutive years, highlighting their sustained dedication to employee engagement.

Looking ahead, one key aspect of Europe Snacks’ future plans is the evolution of its survey partnership with People Insight. While annual surveys will remain crucial, the organisation plans to incorporate more frequent and targeted pulse surveys. This agile approach will enable Europe Snacks to stay attuned to employee sentiment in real-time and address emerging issues proactively.

Additionally, Europe Snacks aims to integrate employee feedback into its broader organisational strategy. By aligning engagement initiatives with business objectives, the organisation will create a culture where employee voice is valued as a strategic asset for driving performance and innovation.

As Europe Snacks continues to advance its engagement initiatives by leveraging insights from annual surveys and exploring new opportunities for innovation, the organisation remains committed to fostering a culture of collaboration and success. People Insight remains committed to helping them every step of the way!

Ready to embark on your own journey to workplace excellence? Reach out to us today and start your transformational journey like Europe Snacks did! ?