It’s not often that culture gets so hands on…

Northwell Health is a non-profit, 66,000 employee strong, health care system based in New York. Northwell isn’t a normal 9-5. You have to be truly made for health care to deliver an exceptional patient and customer experience. That’s why, this year, they invited 10,000 of their team members to Jones Beach Theatre, NY for a special Rally event, recognising and celebrating the Northwell culture and the everyday heroes that shape it. We had two core objectives. We wanted employees to feel recognised like they never had before, and to create a truly game-changing experience to remember.

Storytelling is right at the heart of our Northwell engagement strategy to celebrate and recognise employees in an emotional way. And, told through their own unique voices, this was the Story of Us.

The 2018 Rally was split into a two-part experience:

The Wellgate

We played around with the idea of enabling employees to touch and feel the Northwell culture, so we created an experiential tailgate with a difference.

We split The Wellgate into four storytelling zones representing key strategic focus areas. We wanted employees to explore and discover the true depth of the work they contribute towards.

We know that it’s difficult to always create a rounded, consistent employee experience. Experiences often differ from one part of a business – or team – to the next. Creating a clear line of sight to mission and purpose across every site and role is a challenge. That’s why it was such a fantastic opportunity to engage employees through stories, interactive installations and tangible experiences.

We took to the stage…

In the evening, the storytelling was taken on stage for a jam-packed show featuring inspirational speakers, music and the celebration of Northwell’s annual President’s Awards winners – a long standing recognition programme.

Continuing the conversation

Sometimes events can feel like an afterthought, we often hear they’re an ‘extravagance’ and not a necessary budget spend. Sound familiar? For us though, it’s about what you can achieve with that event. How else can you bring 10,000 employees together to hear the same message, to experience their culture, and to genuinely have a great conversation? And it really was a conversation. One that’s still ongoing through social media. People are openly talking about what it feels like to work at Northwell. They’re asking questions about different parts of the business. They’re seeking out new and innovative projects. They’re engaging.

The Rally was the perfect moment to reflect and to celebrate the Northwell Health story so far, whilst shaping the next chapter to come. You can read more about our work with Northwell Health here.