L&D Best Practices

Promoting corporate values to improve employee engagement at Alstom

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Corporate values

Alstom was able to increase employee engagement by launching a new training project promoting its corporate values.

Employee engagement is key to driving business performance, but it can be difficult to understand and achieve. The latest statistics show that 85% of global employees worldwide feel disengaged at work. This can cause a company to lose about half a trillion dollars every year.

To be truly engaged, an employee must feel a connection to the business and company culture. This is often achieved by educating people on their roles and incentivizing them to make progress and improve performance. Actively asking for employee feedback is also an effective way to engage them so that they feel like they are contributing to the company.

Sometimes organizations have specific initiatives that they launch to increase employee engagement. A good place to start is by identifying and promoting the business’ core values, making sure employees fully understand and embrace them. Indeed, 77% of employees state that working within a strong company culture helps them do their best work.

An organization’s corporate values should be outward looking too, in order to attract more talent. And leadership should actively live them and promote them among their teams to maximize success. It also increases a company’s value and attractiveness as an employer, positively impacting recruitment efforts. Defined DE&I policies and initiatives are also a good way to engage potential new hires before they’ve even started, and to make current employees feel included and understood. A focus on employee wellbeing is also a great way for an organization to show that they care about their workforce.

Alstom wanted to increase employee engagement by launching a new corporate values training project with the help of CrossKnowledge. The Alstom University project perfectly aligned with the company’s desire to contribute to employee and team progress through continued shared corporate values.

Engaging employees with core values at Alstom

Alstom is a global leader in the transportation sector, developing and marketing integrated systems to drive sustainable transportation. Alstom’s values are centered on agility, inclusion, and responsibility. The new training is aimed at imparting these values through a series of learning exercises.

To reinforce their connection to the business, the training took Alstom’s employees on a metaphorical train journey to help them understand the company’s values and how they fit into the bigger picture of the business.

During the training, everyone was invited to choose a cause that was personal to them, helping to cultivate Alstom’s inclusive values. To encourage healthy competition, teams and countries were ranked, and prizes and donations were awarded at the end of the program.

To achieve its goals, the learning platform needed to be agile, while engendering inclusivity and responsibility. Altruistic initiatives were also key to giving employees purpose – because when staff have a purpose, they tend to work better, since they feel invested in a meaningful project.

The platform had to be digital, to reach so many employees; everyone must feel like the content that’s offered within their digital training space applies to them on an individual level, keeping humans at the heart of our goal.

Franck Gaillard, Global Learning Director at Alstom University

Sparking employee engagement through training

When trying to improve employee engagement, it’s important to reach all employees by making learning accessible. CrossKnowledge worked closely with Alstom to make sure the learning platform was accessible, flexible, and easy to use.

Learning should also be relevant and personal to everyone. To feel valued, employees must feel that their training meets their unique needs and preferences, customized with individual recommendations and personalized content. CrossKnowledge worked with Alstom to develop the learning solution home page, complete with business information, project manager interviews, sales director testimonials, and other tailored content.

To enhance engagement, employees should be encouraged to exchange knowledge with peers and through social learning. This provides a more relaxed environment in which to communicate with colleagues, helping to create a continuous feedback loop. Also, connecting with employees outside of their teams, helps them understand where they fit in the organization.

Rewards and recognition are another powerful way to drive engagement. This can be achieved through reward-based learning systems, where staff are awarded points or badges for completing key program milestones. Employees tend to be more productive when their efforts are acknowledged. A study found that 72% of respondents noticed a significant improvement in employee engagement once high performers were recognized for their work.

Coaches and facilitators can also enhance employee engagement by helping them visualize and attain their career goals, during more individual one-to-one sessions. Training programs can be specifically developed to engage leaders and managers. This enables them to lead by example, inspiring workers to actively participate in supporting the company culture.


Opening up the world of learning solutions to everyone

CrossKnowledge in partnership with Alstom Over 26,000 employees completed their training after the initial rollout, with an average of 3 hours spent on the platform.


Understanding and appreciating corporate values are key to driving employee engagement. By developing and launching a training program incorporating such values, as with the one initiated by Alstom, L&D teams can help staff feel that their contributions are valued.

Achieving these goals often depends on finding the right digital learning partner. CrossKnowledge provided Alstom with a training platform, complete with customized home page and personalized CrossKnowledge content, along with expert governance, to guide the project to success.

Find out how you can drive true and lasting employee engagement at your organization with personalized training for every employee, no matter how large or global your workforce!