Turning feedback into action at Abbott Laboratories

Abbott Laboratories is a global healthcare and medical devices company, with 115,000 employees across more than 160 countries.
In the UK, Abbott has been named one of the country’s best workplaces in the Great Place to Work (GPTW) Super Large category for four years running. But despite that success, leadership noticed something worrying – employees didn’t seem all that interested in the results of the latest survey.
Why?
Because many felt like their feedback wasn’t going anywhere. They’d spoken up before, but it didn’t feel like anything had changed.
Was it a case of too much talking, not enough listening?
Not exactly. Leadership had been listening — really listening — and had already been working hard on the feedback they’d received. But a lot of that work was happening behind the scenes. And because it wasn’t always visible or quick to implement, people just didn’t know it was happening.
That’s where we came in.
We teamed up with Abbott to close the gap between what was being done and what was being seen. Our goal? To show employees that their voices do matter, and that real change was underway.
We rolled out a four-month campaign that brought the message to life across multiple channels, including:
- Takeovers in canteens and communal areas – tray liners, coffee cup sleeves, banners, and interactive screens.
- Voice notes and podcast-style interviews with leaders, shared directly via SMS and WhatsApp.
- A printed flyer designed to fit perfectly in a lab coat or jacket pocket, featuring key messages and a QR code linking to the survey and digital guide.
- A dynamic digital guide that evolved throughout the campaign, packed with real stories and updates – all signposted via branded emails and onsite materials.
- Candid interviews, videos, and employee stories that celebrated the many “reasons to love it here.”
From start to finish, the tone was open and honest. Leadership didn’t claim to have all the answers, and they didn’t offer excuses. Just clear, straightforward explanations and a genuine desire to improve.
And while surveys often produce a sea of numbers, we focused on the people behind them. We let employees’ voices bring those numbers to life — showing that they weren’t just being heard, but that their input was shaping the future of the workplace.


