P.J. Lhuillier uses Facebook to engage employees

Most of the 7,000 employees of the Philippines-based P.J. Lhuillier work in local remittance, micro-lending, micro-insurance and pawnbroker locations. The largest nonbank financial services company in the Philippines, P.J. Lhuillier needed another way to reach and engage its employees. Because one-third of Filipinos maintain a Facebook account, the organization decided to set up a Facebook group just for its employees—an innovation that has won it first place in the “Employee Engagement” category of PR Daily’s 2017 Digital PR & Social Media Awards. 

The organization planned to use the group to distribute news and information (including the CEO’s monthly video), and also to provide a venue for employees to engage with one another, get feedback from staff and build engagement at events and activities. Among other things, the group would all but eliminate the need for all-employee email. 

A campaign encouraged employees to join the group, with a special focus on those who did not already have Facebook accounts. Those who joined were invited to special activities. To encourage engagement, P.J. Lhuillier sponsors a monthly photo contest and a weekly question soliciting employee input. The organization also introduced the “Patrol Team,” made up of employees with smartphones who could upload photos and other content from special events (e.g., branch openings, training and employee events). 

After only two years, 99 percent of P.J. Lhuillier employees have joined the group, and it continues to add 10 new members each day. Congratulations!