In industrial or field-based organisations, cohesion often looks like a given, until you look at the reality on the ground: distant trades, staggered shifts, sprawling sites, teams that never cross paths, internal communication that struggles to reach everyone. The result: a fragmented collective, a sense of belonging that erodes, and bonds that quietly, almost mechanically, come loose.
And yet, some companies manage to set movement back in motion, to revive a sense of unity, to bring out genuine collective momentum, even in the most fragmented settings. That is the case at Orano Recyclage La Hague, one of the largest industrial sites in Europe.
During a recent webinar, Élodie Leborgne, the site's HR Director, shared a rich case study: cohesion does not depend on in-person encounters, but on a deliberate, well-paced, embodied approach, supported by tools that are accessible to everyone.
This article looks back at:
✔ the human challenges of a multi-trade, multi-rhythm site
✔ the 7 levers Orano activated
✔ the best practices that transfer to any dispersed organisation
1. Why cohesion is crucial in multi-site organisations
In multi-site or multi-rhythm environments, working conditions do not let cohesion emerge on its own. Teams operate in very different professional worlds, with incompatible schedules, vast geographical areas and complex information flows that make interactions rare and collectives hard to structure.
Orano Recyclage La Hague is the emblematic example: 4,500 employees and 1,500 partners, a 300-hectare site organised into dozens of buildings, and teams working 2x8, 3x8 or 5x8 shift rotations without ever crossing paths. This context is not an obstacle but a reality to work with. Cohesion has to be thought through, structured and steered, not left to chance.
To address these challenges, Orano structured the Inspire programme, designed to reconnect trades, showcase know-how and build a shared foundation of belonging. As Élodie Leborgne pointed out during the webinar: "Communicating regularly genuinely brought the teams together. Employees became relays themselves". United Heroes plays a key role in this dynamic, by offering a shared space accessible to everyone, whatever their shift, trade or location.
2. The 7 levers Orano activated: a method that works for any multi-site organisation
The webinar discussion brought out 7 actionable best practices for multi-site organisations.
Lever no. 1: Turn constraints into cohesion drivers
At Orano, constraints (staggered shifts, geographical spread, no personal cars on site) were turned into resources for bringing people together.
- the smartphone as a common denominator
- the daily walk as a shared ritual
👉 Key takeaway: any constraint can become a collective rallying point.
Lever no. 2: Make managerial commitment a cultural driver
The executive committee and the management line carried the initiative from the very start. This visible leadership gave the dynamic a clear framework and legitimacy.
👉 Key takeaway: without managerial commitment, no cohesion initiative lasts. With it, every action becomes a cultural signal.
Lever no. 3: Launch the initiative with an embodied event
The day United Heroes was rolled out to employees made a lasting impression: an in-person presence from 5 a.m., activities, banners, a wheel of fortune, goodies for everyone. The result: 800 downloads in 24 hours, and more than 1,300 users to date.
👉 Key takeaway: an embodied launch creates far more momentum than a digital-only one.
Lever no. 4: Structure the year around solidarity highlights
Orano paced its year around 5 major moments, including the Objectif Lune (Target the Moon) challenge in aid of Restos du Cœur: the goal was reached in under 3 weeks.
These highlights generate:
– a fresh wave of downloads,
– a renewed burst of collective energy,
– a lasting anchoring of cohesion.
👉 Key takeaway: rhythm creates engagement, not isolated actions.
Lever no. 5: Connect digital and in-person to anchor the collective
United Heroes created a digital collective, which Orano extended "in real life". For example: gathering the top 15 of a challenge around a solidarity breakfast.
👉 Key takeaway: a real-life encounter is essential to turn a digital dynamic into something lasting.
Lever no. 6: Embed cohesion over time
Cohesion is not a "one-shot". It is built through continuous communication, local relays and an incremental logic.
👉 The key: Inform → Involve → Recognise → Celebrate → Start again.
Lever no. 7: Integrate cohesion into the overall workplace well-being approach
United Heroes is not a standalone initiative. The tool extends the "Inspire" initiatives and connects with well-being days, "Vis-ma-vie" (job-swap) days, the gym and Partners Days.
👉 Key takeaway: a digital solution multiplies the impact of a coherent workplace well-being strategy.
3. Universal best practices for multi-site environments
Orano's experience reveals several universal and useful lessons:
- Cohesion starts with simple, regular internal communication.
- A shared cause unites people more than isolated actions.
- Digital can become a social space for teams that never see each other.
- Cohesion rests on rhythm, not on a single event.
- In-person moments remain decisive to anchor cohesion and a sense of belonging.
Want to activate your teams' cohesion differently?
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🟣 Going further, read also: 🔗 Collective performance: 5 concrete levers HR can activate to grow it
🟣 And don't miss: 🔗 Employer brand 2026: 5 keys to turn your employees into ambassadors
Conclusion: cohesion is a movement you decide to create
Orano La Hague shows that a vast, technical and fragmented site can become a genuine ground for cohesion, provided the approach is structured, embodied and well-paced. United Heroes makes this movement easier with a shared space, rituals, common moments, and a sense of belonging that builds over time.
Want to activate cohesion between the field and head office?
We would be glad to talk with you.
Useful resources:
- 2025 SROI Report
