Lithko

Elevating Early-Career Communication with Abode Leads to a 50% Decrease in Reneges

Insights From

Jessica Coons

Talent Program Coordinator

Daniel W.

Lithko Intern

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Programs

Interns and Project Engineers – divided across 3 career tracks: Field Leadership, Field Engineering, and Project Management

Scale & Locations

Lithko hires early talent in each of their 25 locations. Recruiters are regionally aligned to support talent needs across the US including Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, and Nashville.

Hiring Goals

The team aims to hire 120-130 individuals annually, divided between interns and full-time Project Engineers. Lithko primarily targets undergraduate interns, with some graduate students in specialized roles.

Abode Features Utilized

Lithko leverages Abode Journeys and Forum to enhance the pre-boarding experience and knowledge sharing, centralize communication between mentors and new employees, and reduce reneges. This integrated approach ensures a cohesive experience for all hires coming on board in both the intern and Project Engineer roles.

Key Metrics and Impact Highlights

98%

candidate adoption rate

69%

candidates using the Abode Forum

50%

decrease in reneges

70%

registration rate (first 48 hours)

82%

candidates connected with the directory

Lithko Uses Abode Year-Round for New Hires & Intern Programs

The Need for Abode

Before Abode, Lithko relied on generic emails, individual text messages, and phone calls for new hire communication, and they tracked all of these communications manually in spreadsheets. This resulted in inconsistent messaging, poor communication quality and timing, and a lack of engagement from new hires. Lithko needed a seamless platform for communication and better exposure and understanding of the company and its employees.

The team wanted a unified and simplified approach to communication, which led the recruiting team at Lithko to explore Abode.

“In our industry, it can be difficult to find technology partners that understand the challenges of having the majority of users on a construction site all day. Abode has done a great job of ensuring a mobile-friendly solution that takes our specific needs into account.”

Jessica Coons

Talent Program Coordinator

The Challenge Before Abode

Lithko’s previous communication strategy was time-consuming, with recruiters spending 2-10 hours a week on planning and programming.

This approach didn't fully address employees' needs for holistic company understanding or knowledge of work outside their own. Manual efforts included creating content, sending emails, tracking data on spreadsheets, and managing information from managers, which was sometimes repetitive.

The lack of cohesion in communication created the opportunity for a more streamlined and effective way to reach incoming interns and employees before and during their programs, an absolute necessity with these individuals sitting cross-country and spread out on different teams.

Why Abode Was Chosen

Since implementing Abode in November 2023, Lithko has streamlined the pre-boarding process for interns and Project Engineers, enhancing knowledge sharing for employees starting at varying times and locations. Abode’s centralized platform has improved communication between recruiters and managers, increased early career talent engagement, and established a more organized pre-boarding strategy.

With employees being hired into the system on a rolling basis and on differentiating start dates, the Lithko recruiting team can utilize Abode to allow for a seamless rollout and consistent messaging for anyone who joins.

The implementation of Abode not only addressed the immediate communication challenges as the team ramped up for the summer, but also set a foundation for continuous improvement on program participation and knowledge sharing across Lithko as a whole. The customization of Abode also allows Lithko to segment their communications by region and office, while delivering content specifically for their intern or new hire classes.

“Abode was very easy to navigate and made orientation very easy compared to other programs I have used for internships in the past.”

David W.

Lithko Intern

Positive Impact and Results

The implementation of Abode has transformed Lithko's pre-boarding process, making it more intentional and less last-minute for those joining the company in intern or Project Engineer roles. New hires now receive crucial company and employee information in a timely manner, enhancing their preparation and confidence for their first day. It has also been critical in sharing industry specific information, and giving new hires the tools to get up and running in their role in a short amount of time. Overall campus team communication has become more meaningful, focusing on building personal relationships and training rather than providing generic information.

Reduced Renege Rates

From 13% to 4% for Project Engineers and from 9% to 5% across all entry-level roles. Overall 50% decrease in reneges.

Enhanced Candidate Engagement

Improved understanding of Lithko as a company and the projects where employees are doing their best work

Meaningful Manager Interactions

Focused on impactful engagements rather than basic information share outs

Proactive Engagement Tracking

Ability to identify potential issues or reneges before they arise with a 98% candidate adoption rate of Abode and 69% engagement rate in the Forum

The Road Ahead with Abode

Lithko plans to continue growing with Abode by exploring other use cases, including:

1. Extending Abode’s use beyond early-career programs to new enterprise hires

2. Fostering a better understanding of the company's operations across different teams

3. Implementing the Yearbook to showcase individual achievements to leadership at Lithko

By expanding Lithko’s use within the Abode platform, the team aims to further enhance engagement and communication across all levels of the organization, ensuring sustained growth and continued success in each cohort’s renege rate.