Providing HR support and advice to SME across the UK since 2006
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Providing HR support and advice to SME across the UK since 2006
CASE STUDY
Our client, a long-established leader in a niche, high-demand industry, had historically enjoyed low staff turnover and a strong reputation as an employer of choice within their sector. Over time, subtle changes within the organisation led to noticeable signs of employee dissatisfaction.
The Challenge
Despite its strong external brand, our client faced increasing internal dissatisfaction. Some of the key issues included:
• Rising employee turnover, including senior and highly skilled staff
• Loss of institutional knowledge and expertise due to frequent departures
• Declining workplace culture, with employees feeling disengaged and undervalued
• Increased sickness absence, with employees citing workplace stress
• Poor management practices, including inconsistent communication and lack of transparency
• A sense of being unheard, where employee voices and concerns were not acknowledged or acted upon
Together, these factors led to an unstable workforce, declining morale, and growing concerns about the company’s ability to maintain its talent resources.
The Solution
Phase 1: Survey & Analysis
HRCentral worked with the senior leadership team to launch a structured employee engagement survey initiative to:
• Give employees a confidential, safe space to voice their views and concerns
• Understand the root causes of dissatisfaction and disengagement
• Use data to drive meaningful and transparent change
The online surveys, conducted at carefully planned and regular intervals, covered areas such as communication, recognition, security, workload, wellbeing, resources and cultural alignment.
In addition, onboarding and offboarding surveys were introduced to gather meaningful feedback from employees at the start and end of their journey with the Company.
Phase 2: HR Recommendations & Actions
HRCentral translated the survey findings into targeted recommendations, which included:
• Leadership training focused on communication, accountability and managing performance
• Improved feedback mechanisms to ensure employees felt heard and supported, whilst also ensuring line managers could manage performance and productivity
• Recognition programs and tailored benefits to acknowledge achievements and contributions
• Regular team meetings and updates to increase transparency
Phase 3: Continuous Monitoring
Following the initial surveys and changes, we introduced quarterly pulse surveys to:
• Measure the effectiveness of implemented actions
• Identify any new or ongoing issues
• Keep a real-time pulse on engagement and morale
The Result
• Improved Retention: The workforce became more stable, with a significant reduction in turnover from key roles, minimising the need for frequent recruitment and helping to preserve knowledge.
• Stronger Leadership Capability: Managers felt empowered with the right tools, training and support to lead effectively, resulting in better communication and more consistent day-to-day performance management.
• Cultural Transformation: The workplace culture evolved into one where employees felt genuinely heard, and feedback was both welcomed and acted upon.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Leadership gained access to meaningful insights, enabling them to introduce targeted initiatives and practices aligned with both employee expectations and business needs.
• Ongoing Responsiveness: Regular surveys enabled the Company to remain responsive to employee needs, adapt quickly to emerging issues and track the impact of changes.
• Positive Leavers: Departing employees no longer cited culture as a reason for leaving and frequently reflected positively on their overall experience with the Company.
• Improved Business Performance: As engagement and morale improved, so too did overall business performance, reflected in increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and stronger collaboration across teams.
The Conclusion
Employee engagement surveys didn’t just highlight what wasn’t working – we used them to help our client understand what needed to change and how to move forward. By listening to employees, acting on their feedback, and staying open along the way, the company is once again positioning itself not only as a leader in its field, but as an employer of choice.
Businessbenefits
Higher Productivity & Performance
Improved morale, reduced absenteeism, and better collaboration translated into stronger overall business performance.
Agility and Responsiveness
Regular pulse checks allowed quick adaptation to emerging challenges, preventing issues from escalating.
Reduced Turnover Costs
Lower employee attrition minimised recruitment expenses and preserved valuable institutional knowledge.
We're here to help
Are you hearing murmurs of dissatisfaction from your employees? Are you losing top talent and key members of your team to competitors?
If so, we can help you not only identify the root cause of your employees’ frustrations, but also embed meaningful, targeted changes to improve employee engagement and business performance before its too late.
