Hymans Robertson and communication specialists Like Minds have created a new joint venture aimed at bringing together its communication practices.
The joint venture will marry the two entities in a 50/50 partnership with the existing Hymans Robertson and Like Minds communication teams combining, working from offices in London and Kenilworth in Warwickshire. The organisation will have a combined staff of 13.
The combined organisation, which will retain the Like Minds’ branding, aims to deliver different communication avenues to the employee benefits, reward and HR market.
It will offer a full range of communication services including concept development, creative design, copywriting and programme planning, and management.
Its focus will be on benefits, reward and HR communication, and supporting, in particular, pensions change, benefits adequacy, financial education, flexible benefits, workplace savings platforms, shares and long-term incentives, total reward, diversity, talent management, learning and development and the employer brand.
James Entwisle, managing partner at Hymans Robertson, said: “This is a fresh approach to providing engaging employee communication. Many existing providers have a communications team submerged within a large actuarial business, which doesn’t enable them to effectively demonstrate their skills.
“We want our [employer] clients to experience the creativity of a specialist team that lives and breathes the communication challenges of enthusing and engaging employees about pensions and benefits. There’s a gap in the market for this kind of service and we intend to fill it.”
Nick Throp, co-founder and director of Like Minds, added: “It is not a merger. It is a joint venture to blend both organisations’ skills together.
“The cultural fit with Hymans Robertson is perfect. We have quickly come to appreciate its collaborative and client-focused culture, which values innovation and creativity.
“Copywriters and designers think and behave differently from consultants and actuaries, and it’s important to support this in a flexible, free-thinking environment that can also meet their development needs.
“The challenges of insufficient retirement savings call for more effective communication, especially in the new flexible pension regime.
“This means thinking outside the box about how to overcome the current inertia and confusion about pensions, and engage with people emotionally. Our partnership is well placed to meet this challenge.”
