The EX Files

People-First Comms Through Behaviour-Based Personas

The Challenge
In early 2024, NATS' Internal Communications team found themselves at a pivotal moment. After a couple of years of navigating the after-effects of Covid on the business and its employees, the team recognised the need for a strategic reset.

"We needed to reconnect our communications team with the organisation’s broader vision, reset our purpose, and move from being reactive to truly strategic," explains Lynsey Davidson, Head of Employee Communications at NATS.

As part of refreshing their five-year strategy, the team wanted to strengthen their foundations: reassessing channels, clarifying messaging, and building closer links with HR and broader employee experience (EX) efforts.

Rather than fixing a problem, the team was proactively building towards a common objective: To become a Top 25 employer in the UK — by putting people at the heart of communication and experience design.

To achieve this, they needed a deeper, evidence-based understanding of employees as individuals — not just broad functional or professional groups. In short, they wanted to move towards a people-first approach to IC.

That's where behaviour-based personas came in.
“We weren’t fixing something broken — we were building on a strong foundation to stretch towards our objective of becoming a top 25 UK employer.”
— Helen Sierwald, Employee Communications Consultant at NATS.

What we did...

1. Discovery and Planning
We began with a discovery workshop to:
  • Understand NATS' operational, regulatory and cultural landscape
  • Review existing data
  • Design a phased approach sensitive to operational demands
This early collaboration ensured the project aligned with the business context and strategic goals.
2. Employee Research
We conducted:
  • 16 employee workshops across different teams, locations and demographics
  • 6 in-depth interviews to deepen understanding
The focus wasn’t just on feedback — it was on moments that mattered, best experiences, communication preferences, and barriers to a great employee experience. Far from a chore, employees found the sessions energising:

“The process was genuinely positive. People appreciated the opportunity to reflect and share what really matters to them.”

One team even asked to adapt the workshop format for their own internal use.
3. Insights and Opportunity Mapping
We consolidated insights into an Employee Insight Pack highlighting:
  • Cultural themes
  • Strengths and pain points
  • Employee preferences
  • Opportunities for better experiences across the lifecycle
This insight laid the foundation for persona development — and for broader EX conversations across the organisation.
4. Behaviour-Based Persona Development
We created a set of behavioural personas — grounded in real data, reflecting employees’ motivations, needs, and preferred ways of working.
Personas were designed to:
  • Challenge assumptions
  • Build empathy
  • Enable human-centred communication and design


“Using personas challenged our assumptions. It forced us to move beyond instinct and really understand our colleagues as individuals.” 
5. Capability Build and Live Application
We equipped the Internal Comms team with practical EX Design tools — including empathy mapping, journey mapping, ideation, and prototyping — using the personas as a foundation.
The team then tackled a live challenge: reimagining Internal Communications channels through the eyes of the personas.
While stepping outside their comfort zones at times, the team found the experience energising and transformational:

“It stretched us in a good way — it reminded us that to truly put colleagues at the centre, we have to use different perspectives, not just default to what’s easy or familiar.”— Lynsey Davidson, NATS
“It stretched us in a good way — it reminded us that to truly put colleagues at the centre, we have to use different perspectives, not just default to what’s easy or familiar.”
— Lynsey Davidson, NATS

The impact...

Although it’s early days, the impact is already clear:
  • Mindset Shift: 
New conversations about employees’ real needs, moving beyond assumptions and instincts.
  • Strategic Foundations: 
Personas and EX Design tools are now embedded into Internal Communications planning.
  • Stealth Change: 
Change is spreading organically through little victories and ambassador-style influence.
  • Cross-Team Interest: 
Other departments, like HR for example, are already engaging with the approach.
"Working with People Lab has been a real highlight for us — a fantastic partnership that helped us achieve real change. The process was energising, challenging in the best way, and really rewarding. It’s helping to future-proof our team — giving us skills that will keep us strategic, relevant, and valuable in a world where the human touch matters more than ever."
— Lynsey Davidson & Helen Sierwald, NATS

Why personas?

Behaviour-based personas offer a powerful way to:

  • Deepen empathy
  • Challenge assumptions
  • Design experiences around real human needs
  • Create a shared language for EX conversations

For NATS, they were a catalyst for moving from tactical, reactive communications to truly strategic, people-first experience design.
“In a world of automation and AI, the ability to think empathetically and connect with people is how we’ll continue to add value.”— Helen Sierwald, NATS

What's next for NATS?

The persona work now sits at the foundation of NATS’ refreshed five-year internal communications strategy.The focus for the year ahead is embedding this approach into major campaigns and communications, building EX maturity across the organisation, and continuing to strengthen the human touch that makes NATS a great place to work.

“This work feels like a reset — reconnecting us with why we work in communications: to make things better for people, not just to churn out content.”— Helen Sierwald, NATS
"Working with People Lab has been a real highlight for us — a fantastic partnership that helped us achieve real change. The process was energising, challenging in the best way, and really rewarding. It’s helped to future-proof our team — giving us skills that will keep us strategic, relevant, and valuable in a world where the human touch matters more than ever."
— Lynsey Davidson & Helen Sierwald, NATS