Humanity + Tech at Work: Insights From ExxonMobil & Virgin Group

In an increasingly digital world, humanity in the workplace has never been more important. 

Take the challenge of employee disengagement as an example, which carries an estimated global cost of $8.9 trillion.

This was an important topic of discussion at this year's Zoomtopia, which asked the question: how can technology enhance workplace experiences?

And in one of our favorite sessions from the day, Humanity in the Workplace: How Modern Organizations Bring Their Culture to Life, our COO Gavin spoke to Michele Williams, Communications Lead at ExxonMobil, and Lea Hawkins-Gaboc, Head of Employee Communications at Virgin Group, about just that.

Here's a recap. 

Bringing culture to life in a digital world

One of the biggest takeaways from the session was this: when it comes to EX, humanity and technology aren't mutually exclusive. 

In fact, bringing them together is key.

Gavin emphasized that a human-centered approach to workplace technology is crucial. He explained that tools like Workvivo do more than streamline operations—they foster a sense of community and help bring an organization’s culture to life. That's what sets modern employee experience platforms (EXPs) apart from outdated intranets. 

He also highlighted Workvivo’s ability to replace multiple disconnected platforms with a unified solution, ensuring employees feel recognized and connected, regardless of location. 

This part is a non-negotiable; you simply can't focus on a human approach to workplace tech for only the members of your workforce who sit behind desks. Their unwired colleagues—typically without a desk, a work computer or a company email—require (and deserve!) just as much attention. 

That's why building a holistic digital employee experience is so important. We were super grateful to hear from Michele and Lea about Workvivo's role in helping them champion digital EX in ExxonMobil and Virgin Group. 

Leaving fragmented communications behind

Michele offered practical insight into the topic by sharing ExxonMobil's Workvivo journey. 

The American natural gas multinational, headquartered in Texas, employs 65,000 people across four distinct brands: Exxon, Mobil, Esso, and XTO. 

Michele shared that before Workvivo, ExxonMobil employees had been overwhelmed with fragmented communication systems, making it hard for them to connect and engage. They also didn't have channels through which they could share ideas and feedback, so it was a challenge for more senior staff members to make decisions that took their needs and concerns into account.

She explained that ExxonMobil wanted to go from "decentralized comms systems" to "one source of information" and, along the way, build a sense of employee pride in the goals and impact of the company.

So, her team was tasked with consolidating the communication tools used by those tens of thousands of workers.

By adopting Workvivo, it succeeded in simplifying information sharing, encouraging collaboration, and empowering employees to become brand advocates.

Leveraging tech to empower people at work

For Virgin, Lea talked about Virgin Group’s success in building a unified digital platform for its 70,000 global employees. She shared that until a couple of years ago, those colleagues didn't have a shared home where they could connect or communicate. The company was relying on email and printed assets to keep peole in the loop, leaving little room for meaningful collaboration and lots of tedious and time-consuming work on internal comms teams. 

That's where Workvivo came in.

Lea said that Virgin's Flourishing People value "is where Workvivo really comes into it".

"What we needed was a single digital home, something that didn't exist for us - somewhere we could bring our brand to life, but also make it super easy for our people, no matter where they worked or what they did, to connect and flourish.

"Through Workvivo, we've been able to meet all of those key objectives. The mobile app is absolutely key in particular for our workers who aren't desk-based." 
Lea's team can now run international events entirely through Workvivo, employing features like livestreaming, live Q&As, and collaboration spaces to bring everyone together. 

"We're soon launching live chat. For the very first time, people will be able to communicate together one-to-one and in groups." 

Beyond improving connections across teams, Virgin leveraged the platform to launch initiatives like a mentoring program that reinforced both employee engagement and brand identity.

Human connection in a digital era

As hybrid and digital-first workplaces become the norm, leaders must prioritize fostering human connection alongside operational efficiency. Modern EXPs (like Workvivo) demonstrate how technology can be the deciding factor in creating a culture where employees feel seen, supported, and connected.

By investing in tools designed for the employee experience, organizations can bridge the gap between physical distance and meaningful engagement, ensuring their teams thrive no matter where they work.

Happy employees should be at the top of every company's priority list in 2025. 

Watch the webinar now!