Insurance Firm

Business Case

Initially sought to address a volatile situation in one division characterized by conflict between newly hired professional employees and longer service staff; perception of newcomers of favoritism and preferential treatment of longer service employees by the supervisor. Simultaneously took the opportunity to educate all the divisions in the system.

Approach
Focus groups with two factions
Interviews with supervisors
360° feedback on supervisors
Provided education, training and consultative interventions (where indicated).

Strategies
Provided separate, then joint education and training for supervisors and staff
Created open dialogue with all parties
Established accountability for actions
Provided in-house staff follow-up
Strategized with head of diversity council in at-risk division to guide and develop structure and actions for the council
Provided education and formal dialogue with crisis group; followed by providing feedback to senior leaders.

Outcomes
Increased leader/management awareness of diversity challenges and solutions that should be actively managed
Raised acknowledgment of personal responsibility for environment by all parties
Greater attention to diversity’s impact on the business needs of the unit
Corroborated employee survey data; provided expertise to at-risk divisions
Instituted changes in selection, performance appraisal, development and mentoring processes
Increased communication around issues leading to dissatisfaction
Identified processes for addressing critical issues in at-risk divisions
Trained 4,000 managers and associates across 10 business groups (multi-state).