Napp Pharmaceuticals is a UK healthcare company that saw its best ever year of sales in 2016 thanks to its table-turning Timely Transformation and employee engagement project.

Having followed a designated path for over 30 years, in 2014, Napp was faced with the dilemma of potential revenue loss due to expiration of patents and generic competition. The solution was clear – a leaner, more agile business with a high flexible, customer-facing and sales-driven mindset. But the change in direction was to start a fundamental redesign of the business as it had never seen before.

As the Timely Transformation developed, the leadership team set employee engagement as one of their top company priorities. This was a testament to the company’s commitment to bringing people along for the business’ transformation, not leaving them behind.

Results in Abundance

The business got much more than in bargained for with their new approach as Napp reached record sales in 2016 and, perhaps the bigger challenge, its employees became fully engaged with business priorities. The focus and accountability of each and every employee, irrespective of their function, unified the business’ goal to compete as an asset-led business with sustainable improvements. And we all know what a business’ greatest asset is – its people!

To build the Napp community and bring it together, the business involved everybody. Napp set about its engagement strategy with the leadership team, a convened group of so-called ‘firestarters’, and the help of a retained external consultant (our own Faye Holland, Cofinitive Ltd), who all collectively defined, shaped and shared the message. Those early months of 2016 fixed a foundation for success as all employees went on to contribute to and own the engagement strategy.

Ready, Steady, Action!

Agility, accountability and ambition – these were the three behaviours that Napp wanted its business and employees to be known for. To bring everything into alignment, the company used some more traditional means such as surveys and performance assessments, but they also took to internal communications and facilitated organisation-wide engagement with NappTalks, the Napp InFocus e-magazine, a Wellbeing event and both online and physical message boards. With the new employee engagement strategy in place, Napp was able to refocus on the business’ core and think long-term.

Along with the outstanding results of the Timely Transformation, and the engagement strategy, it was the efficiency and speed with which the project propelled from identifying needs to strategy and implementation that has seen Napp celebrated in numerous award categories across Europe. These included: –

  • HRO Today Europe – Finalist: Employee Engagement Programme of the Year and Rising Star, Laura Lewis (Winner)
  • Employee Engagement Awards – Finalist: Employee Engagement Programme of the Year and Unsung Hero, Faye Holland
  • Business Weekly (Cambridge) Awards – Finalist: Business of the Year
  • Cambridge News Awards – Finalist: Business of the Year

Napp needed to change its reputation and corporate image, but it also changed the hearts and minds of its people to foster an inspiring workplace environment where committed and entrepreneurial employees can flourish, make a difference and be rewarded for their excellence.