CASE STUDY – Addressing Personnel Attrition: Retaining Talent and Boosting Employee Engagement

By Annita Katsikopoulou

SITUATION
The client was faced with personnel attrition that jeopardized operational efficiency and revenue targets. The company experienced a pressing need to retain talent and address underlying issues affecting employee satisfaction and engagement.

CHALLENGES
– Production delays
– Delivery setbacks
– Team overload
– Decline in client scores
– Dissatisfied team members
– Annual goal of $21 million in revenue and a 10% contribution to the global organization

JAL APPROACH
1. Accountability and Goal Setting:
– Clearly defined accountability for personnel retention.
– HR established a breakthrough goal for 2023: zero regrettable loss in personnel.
– Aligned the entire leadership team to own and drive the goal.

2. Supported the Leadership team in Identifying Causes and Solutions:
– The client identified the main causes as salary concerns, location challenges, and opportunities for career development.
– They addressed issues through strategic questioning, resulting in solutions like targeted training programs, managerial development, and streamlined workflows.

3. Strategic implementation: JAL guided conversations to explore possibilities and if they could be implemented. HR and the managing director decided to take the following actions:

Training and Efficiency:
– Developed a training program focused on equipping staff with the necessary skills to independently generate financial reports and manage tasks that were previously outsourced.
– Allocated the corresponding budget towards bonuses and salary increases to enhance overall compensation.
– Conducted a thorough review of accountabilities to enhance efficiency and eliminate overlapping procedures.

Financial Incentives and Flexibility:
– Established a tangible link between performance and financial incentives by setting an EBITDA-based goal for salary raises.
– Introduced flexible work arrangements, offering up to three days of remote work where applicable.

Strategic HR Planning:
– HR categorized personnel strategically and formulated a plan to fill vacancies promptly.

4. Connection and Purpose:
– JAL and the client focused on strengthening connections to purpose, company values, and interpersonal relationships using various tools and exercises with each individual.
– Cultivated a positive and safe work environment, ensuring that team members found personal value in their roles, and fostering commitment even in the absence of immediate financial incentives.

RESULTS
– Company survey results reflected a substantial improvement, with satisfaction and engagement soaring from 72% in 2022, to 98% in 2023.
– Achieved the breakthrough goal of $21 million in revenue and a 10% contribution to the global organization’s revenue.
– Successfully prevented any regrettable loss of personnel in 2023.