How Land O’Lakes launched flex work for manufacturing employees

When new and hip trends in employee experience surface, they aren’t always embraced by billion-dollar, legacy companies. So when Land O’Lakes Inc. (LOL), the 103-year-old ag co-op decided to implement a flexible work program for its manufacturing employees, people took notice.

Landing an in-depth feature in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) was followed by a steady stream of coverage from local and national outlets including Fortune, Inc. and the Star Tribune.

This effort required an integrated and coordinated communications strategy, led by a team that understood how to do it.

This past summer at Ragan’s Employee Experience Conference, LOL Director of Communications Abbey Shilling shared how the comms team led the efforts that got this program off the ground.

Researching industry challenges from within

The LOL communications team understood from the outset that it played a pivotal role in shaping a complex narrative that would resonate internally and externally. Doing this required activating the right internal partners.

“The creation of flex hours in manufacturing originated from our talented supply chain team, and the communications team identified it as a standout story amidst the prevailing media discussions on remote work as well as labor challenges,” explained Shilling.

“Recognizing the unique nature of implementing such a program within manufacturing, we swiftly moved to highlight its significance and find the right voices, both internally and externally, to amplify.”

Nurturing strong internal relationships across the org

The culture of fostering and maintaining strong internal relationships helped LOL immediately identify who those right voices were.

Shilling cited effective communication across departments as a crucial means of ensuring the storytelling around flex work was successful.

“We ensured close coordination with several key internal stakeholders, including human resources’ talent marketing and recruiting teams, to align on messaging about the program’s benefits to attract and retain talent,” she said.

“We also engaged with supply chain and manufacturing facility teams to ensure buy-in and include perspectives from frontline staff. Additionally, our creative studio visually represented the program through photography and other creative assets.”

“That alignment also fostered a nurturing environment for employees to open up,” Shilling said, “where team members, like the plant workers, feel empowered and comfortable sharing their experiences openly and authentically.”

Robust data from their HR team pointed to the growing demand for flexible work options among manufacturing employees.

“By leveraging this data, tapping into broader industry trends, and providing tangible evidence of success, we effectively positioned our company as a leader in fostering innovative workplace practices,” explained Shilling.

Coverage drives recognition and additional internal touchpoints

Since the publication of the WSJ feature, the atmosphere among LOL employees has been incredibly energized and positive.

“The manufacturing and supply chain teams are particularly enthusiastic, seeing the program’s recognition as a validation of their innovative approach to workplace flexibility,” Shilling said.

The feature and related assets have also been used in other ways, including:

• Being prominently highlighted in LOL’s Community Impact Report to showcase the co-op’s commitment to innovative employment practices.
• Being deployed by the talent marketing and recruitment teams in its recruitment efforts to emphasize how LOL is a trailblazer in the manufacturing sector.
• Driving increased media inquiries and speaker opportunities for leaders who are focused on flex hours.
• Giving internal teams insights and best practices to share with other companies working to implement flex work options for their manufacturing workers.

“This collaborative effort has transformed our narrative from an internal success story to a recognized industry benchmark,” Shilling said, “generating momentum and inspiring others to explore similar initiatives in their manufacturing operations.”

Check out Shilling’s full  presentation here:

Shilling is a member of Ragan’s Communications Leadership Council. Learn more about joining here.