CASE STUDY TWO
Client: Financial Services Company with 60+ employees.
Background: This company was experiencing a trend of low employee morale identified by high levels of internal complaints, high staff turnover and high rates of sick leave. The company’s leaders were concerned about the company’s performance and reputation, costs involved in re-training staff and felt the company culture was contributing to these issues. They were not sure how to identify, diagnose or address the issue.
Objectives: We suggested a comprehensive cultural assessment and followed by the provision of recommendations.
Methodology: We suggested both qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection including surveys as well as interviews with staff at different levels to understand the companies culture and its impact on employee experience and behaviour.
Findings: After data analysis Qualia identified several cultural factors that are contributing.
High pressure and long hours - employees report pressured expectations to meet sales targets and requirement to stay back and work late resulting in high stress and burnout where they were not enjoying the work.
Lack of trust - employees report lack of transparency from management with little guidance and mentorship and poor communication channels to share thoughts and challenges resulting in frustration and contempt.
Hierarchy and power - employees feel the staff on the ground have no ability to contribute to ideas or solutions as their is a rigid power structure with no cross collaboration.
Diversity and inclusion - some staff felt given the lack of cultural and experiential diversity in the management team that the company is not inclusive of diverse backgrounds and therefore people felt excluded and misunderstood and underrepresented.
Our Recommendations:
Re-design sales targets and workload to improve employee retention and reduce employee burnout. Review changes and invite feedback from staff.
Communication and education workshops were provided to management including suggestion of ‘open door hours’ and how to use language effectively. Suggestion to communicate all company decisions to all staff openly with an invitation for feedback.
Neutralisation of power - provide more opportunities to cross communicate ideas and thoughts across teams and hierarchy levels where staff are able to collaborate and contribute to company decisions united.
Diversity and inclusion - providing diversity and inclusion training across the teams.
