As the 1,000th UK employee joined Hitachi Rail this month, it struck me just how much the business has grown since we launched its magazine Fusion a year ago.
When the train manufacturer first approached us for help, the new internal communication manager was a team of one, and there were just two sites open in the UK.
They wanted a magazine for the frontline, and one that would change and grow with the workforce – welcoming new colleagues, while bringing those long-servers along for the ride.
So we formed an editorial panel from those working in the depots to find out what they wanted from their new magazine – from how it looked and the paper we used, to the stories we included. We wanted it to be the voice of the people.
Since then, the company has opened a brand new train factory and two maintenance sites, with more in the pipeline in the coming months.
As the business matures and becomes more complex, we have to make sure the magazine doesn’t get left behind. From introducing new brand guidelines into the design, to ensuring the content reflects the direction of the business, it’s all in a day’s work for the Fusion team.
So far it’s paying off, with a Class Win and three Awards of Excellence under our belts from this year’s Institute of Internal Communications awards (IoIC).
With Hitachi Rail’s growth story far from being over, I say here’s to another year.
