IT Consulting Firm

For instance, Dave, the COO of an IT Consulting firm with 780 employees, engaged us to help them solve the challenge they were experiencing with high volunteer employee turnover.

They could not hold on to their talent, even though they threw money at them. We partnered with them to discover the core issue. We helped them design a survey to get feedback from their employees. A broad sample of employees in each department and at various levels was selected, and 234 (representing 30% of the employee population) 360 verbal interviews were completed. Collected the data and found common themes; they liked their compensation. However, they felt deep disappointment from the lack of clear responsibility; employees felt their talents needed to be better utilized. This firm was designed on a flat organizational model to minimize hierarchies, hoping to create an empowering environment. However, they had created a culture that lacked giving employees a true sense of responsibility, acknowledgment of individual contributions, and a sense of belonging, which was exasperated by the pandemic that forced everyone to work from home. The highlight of the employee experience was that they stocked the breakroom with food and drinks at no cost. When asked if they would actively consider leaving the company, 25% said they were actively looking, and 15% said they would consider a new opportunity if approached.

In examining organizational behavior, we discovered that although the organizational model is flat, the behavior is based on a top-down model. We recommended looking at the organization's behavior through the lens of design thinking, putting the employee experience first to improve productivity by designing compelling, enjoyable, and simple solutions. As a result, the leadership identified where the system was breaking down and changed the relationship logic in the org chart so every employee would receive consistent feedback and acknowledgment. Instead of throwing bodies at the projects, they devised a system to leverage talent and skills and changed the bench model so employees could be on multiple projects instead of one.

We repeated the same survey and the interviews three months after the changes were implemented. The results indicated a resounding positive difference in how employees felt about the organization, their trust level, and their sense of belonging. The surveys had a 28% increase in positive responses and a 32% improvement in adverse reactions. The 360 verbal interviews showed a drop in employees actively searching for new opportunities from 25% to 8%, and those open to leaving if approached decreased to 7%. We have moved forward to the next phase of the project to develop the leaders within the organization to be ready for the growth they are experiencing.