1.6 Million Messages, 6 Countries, and One Platform to Power It All
How a multi-brand European retailer brought consistency to communication, training, and scheduling with WorkJam
Introduction
Operating diverse retail brands across multiple European countries, this retailer needed a way to keep tens of thousands of associates informed and connected—without relying on unsanctioned apps or scattered systems. Because each brand has its own identity, from the muted tones of HomeGoods to the vibrant red of T.J.Maxx, headquarters also needed a platform that could tailor communications and design to each team while still operating from a single system.
Before WorkJam, store communication often flowed through consumer messaging apps, scheduling lived in a separate platform, and training required manual tracking. Leadership lacked real-time visibility into tasks and scheduling, and associates had little flexibility or transparency.
To create a single source of truth for communication, learning, and scheduling, the retailer launched WorkJam—starting with a pilot in Ireland and quickly expanding across all European markets.
The Challenge: Disconnected Communication and Operations
- Reliance on unsanctioned messaging tools created compliance risks.
- Scheduling, training, and task management were handled in separate systems.
- Associates lacked self-service access to schedules and updates.
- Leadership had limited visibility into completion rates and capacity planning.
- Headquarters teams were responsible for multiple brands and required a single platform that could deliver brand-specific visuals, policies, and training without duplicating effort.
Before 2019, store teams across six European countries relied on WhatsApp groups and handwritten schedules to stay connected. Important updates were lost in long chat threads, training was scattered across binders and back rooms, and managers spent hours each week coordinating shifts by phone.
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The ability to target content, tasks, and training to specific groups has transformed how we communicate with and engage our store teams.
The Solution: A Phased Digital Transformation
Phase 1 – Ireland Pilot
Phase 1 began in Ireland, where a pilot replaced unsanctioned apps with WorkJam chat, channels, and schedule view—quickly achieving a 92% engagement rate and proving the model.
- Introduced secure WorkJam chat, channels, and schedule view to replace unsanctioned apps.
Phase 2 – Rapid Expansion
When the pandemic hit, the retailer accelerated expansion across the UK, Germany, Poland, Austria, the Netherlands, and its distribution centres, ensuring consistent real-time communication when operations were changing daily.
- Rolled out digital communications across all European markets and distribution centres during the pandemic.
Phase 3 – Workforce Management Integration
Next came the workforce-management integration, linking WorkJam with UKG Workforce Central to add mobile punch, time-off requests, and shift transparency.
- Integrated with UKG Workforce Central for schedule view, mobile punch, and time-off requests.
Phase 4 – Recognition & Learning
Finally, the team layered on recognition programs, digital badges, targeted training, and next-generation task management, creating a single digital workplace that now connects more than 26,000 frontline team members across six countries
- Added digital badges, “Associate of the Month” voting, and seasonal engagement channels.
- Expanded the Training Centre with over 230,000 eLearnings accessed in FY23.
Phase 5 – Task Management & Automation
Launched next-generation task management with real-time updates and automated onboarding journeys.
The Impact: Connected Teams, Consistent Execution
Engagement & Culture
- Engagement rates reached 92% in Ireland, 76% in the UK, and 74% in Poland.
- Seasonal and cultural channels fostered connection across diverse markets.
- Digital “Associate of the Month” voting and badges boosted morale.
“Through the use of seasonal channels and targeted messaging, we’re creating spaces that bring people together across markets while still delivering the local content they need.” — Digital Collaboration Team Lead
Operational Excellence
- 1.6 million+ direct messages and 110,000+ inline translations support multilingual collaboration.
- Integrated scheduling, Shift Marketplace, and real-time task management give associates transparency and flexibility.
- Eliminated security vulnerabilities that come with unsanctioned messaging tools by introducing WorkJam’s GDPR-compliant communication platform.
- Brand-level targeting ensures associates see content, schedules, and training that match their specific store identity, strengthening culture while keeping operations centralized.
“We’ve been able to empower our associates with transparency over their schedules and flexibility in their work patterns.” — Digital Collaboration Team Member
Learning & Development
- Over 230,000 eLearnings completed, with badges recognizing skills and training achievements.
A Consistent, Connected Workforce
With WorkJam as its digital workplace, this European retailer has replaced unsanctioned apps with secure communication, integrated scheduling and training, and introduced flexible shift management across six countries. Associates now have one platform for updates, learning, and scheduling—strengthening culture, improving efficiency, and delivering a consistent customer experience at scale.
For a closer look at the WorkJam solution, visit workjam.com
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