Our approach to testimonials and case studies

The objective

Retention and engagement of key talent

The project

The local arm of a global drinks manufacturing and distribution business needed to identify the main segments that comprised its workforce, and understand the unique motivators of each group.  The goal was to be able to drive greater retention and engagement.

The company had already defined an aspirational employee value proposition (EVP) and had a strong consumer brand, so the project also provided validation for the authenticity and relatedness of the EVP to the experience of employees and what needed to be addressed.

The project had two elements:

1. Identifying the workforce segments
2. Identifying the defining characteristics and motivators of each segment.

We partnered with a market research business, overseeing both qualitative and quantitive research  to identify the possible workforce segments and what motivated each one.

We were able to identify 5 segments, based primarily on demographic indicators (age and time of life) which also correlated with the likely tenure with the organisation.  This insight was driven by comprehensive surveying of the workforce, and analysis of existing employee data.

Once identified, we undertook more qualitative analysis to identify the key motivators for each group and their future career focus.  We structured our findings into broad categories:

• The persona of the segment, including general likely demographics, function, location, and the type of focus they might have shared in an interview.
• Career motivators
• How to keep individuals in this segment engaged and motivated.

This analysis was incorporated into a "personas guidebook" which could be used by managers and recruiters to engage, recruit and retain individuals in each of the 5 talent segments we identified.

The results

The personas guidebook was launched throughout the business in 2019 and the results are still being measured.  The most recent feedback from  managers was that the guidebook was invaluable in understanding and managing the different motivators of employees in their teams.

The client is happy to provide a reference, so please contact malcolm@peakcorporatesolutions.com.au if you would like more information.

Photo by Gonzalo Remy on Unsplash

The objective

To retain people in a period of transition.

The project

The local arm of a global FMCG  was undergoing a major business enterprise initiative which impacted all employees as the organisation was moving from a large manufacturing and packaging site, to an office-only environment.

Every employee was impacted as traditional transport expectations (driving to work and working close to home) were going to significantly change as the new premises were located across town.

We partnered with the CEO and Executive Leadership team to build programs to assist in transition, retention, future talent attraction and what employees really value about the organisation. We developed an employee value proposition that aligned with the corporate brand and employee experience, and built a roadmap to assist the organisation transition to  a new way of working and engagement.

The result

There was minimal talent loss  (less than 2% in the 6 months after the move, and 5% in total after 12 months) with the transition to new offices.  The organisation was also provided a clear EVP which enabled the company to attract candidates who would not have considered the organisation based on its previous employer brand name.

The client is happy to provide a reference, so please contact malcolm@peakcorporatesolutions.com.au if you would like more information.

Photo by Hanson Lu on Unsplash

The objective

To retain and attract type of people needed to achieve the goals of a 5-year strategic plan.

The project

A government agency needed to redefine how it was perceived in the market, build a value proposition that was attractive, and then ensure its retention and recruitment activities aligned with the new messaging.

There were three phases to the project:

1. Definition of the current EVP
2. Definition of the aspirational EVP to achieve strategic goals
3. Embedding of the EVP with creative imagery, resonant messaging, and focused behaviour changes (current project)

The first step in the project was to define the organisation's current employee value proposition (EVP) and then ensure it aligned with the aspiration of managers and the experience of employees.  There were some gaps so we built a roadmap to help the organisation align these three aspects of their employer brand so what employees experienced and what managers wanted aligned with what the market perceived.

The second phase of the project was guided by a revised strategic plan.  A new value proposition and brand was required to allow us to refocus on a number of core talent segments deemed crucial to achieve the goals set out in the plan.  We undertook 

• A review of engagement survey information, learning and development, on-boarding and training materials,.
• Facilitated a number of focus groups
• Interviewed current and former leaders
• Compared and contrasted the offering of the organisation against other government and private sector talent competitors

We then applied our findings to understand where  employees and candidates interacted with the employer brand and what message they were hearing (we called this a touchpoint map).  We then used this document to map out what we wanted people to hear and what we needed to do ensure they heard it, which was the focus of the final stage of the project.

The final phase of the project (which is still in progress) was to define the creative imagery, internal messaging, and behaviour changes that would be needed to bring the  new brand to life.  This part of the project included:

• Development of an "anchor" creative asset to be used in retention and  recruitment activities
• Development of an employer brand user guide which included an overview of the value proposition offered by the organisation and the specific pillars that underpinned it.  The guide aimed to provide recruiters and managers with insight to help them retain and attract good people.
• Development of a talent sourcing strategy to more effectively target key talent segments needed to achieve strategic goals.
• Definition of how to communicate the value proposition at each stage of the employee lifecycle including key messages and media to use.

The result

This project is still in progress, however the client is happy to provide a reference, so please contact malcolm@peakcorporatesolutions.com.au if you would like more information.

Photo by Malcolm Peak

The objective

To attract, recruit and retain people to work in the State and see a role in government as a first-choice career option.

The project

This State Government wanted to improve its status as a preferred employer, and sought to identify and leverage the key aspects of its employee value proposition that were currently not utilised.

The project commenced with the identification of the key propositions the government needed to be able to  clearly communicate, which needed to extend beyond job security and other lifestyle considerations.  In order to effectively compete with other employers (both locally and interstate) the Government needed to identify clearly what motivated the type of individuals needed to achieve organisational goals, and then build a framework to attract, recruit and retain them.

The project commenced with a market review to clearly understand the current employer brand of the organisation.  This was followed by interviews with key leaders to understand what they believed would motivate key people they needed to achieve the organisational goals.  Finally, we undertook a series of focus groups to gauge the experience of employees.

We then compared the three data points to understand any differences between the market perception, leadership aspiration, and employee experience in relation to the Government's employer brand.

From there, we worked with the strategic communications and marketing teams to develop clear messaging, imagery and recommended leader behaviours to bring the aspirational brand to reality.

The result

The organisation significantly improved it's relative attractiveness compared with other state government commercial entities (measured using an external employer branding survey).

It highlighted not just the lifestyle benefits of working in State Government, but emphasised the purpose-led elements of public service employment which could not be matched by either larger governments or commercial entities.

Photo by Sean Pollock on Unsplash

The objective

To reduce 1st year turnover and build an attractive message to reduce length of vacancies

The project

This global manufacturer of building products needed to redefine and reshape its offering to the market as it sought to address some of the inaccurate perceptions that they felt were prominent in the market.

The project involved identifying how the external market perceived the brand, how employees perceived and experienced the brand, and whether there was alignment with how the executive viewed the brand.

We achieved this through utilising a mix of desktop and market research, focus groups, interviews and review of culture and engagement survey results.

We then identified:

• The value proposition the organisation could offer employees which consisted of a simple message, backed by a number of key pillars around safety, accountability, growth and opportunity
• Any gaps between the value proposition and the aspirations of the executive team

From this work we developed a roadmap which incorporated:

• Development of a creative theme for use in digital and print media
• Inclusion of  key messaging in all communications with employees and candidates including job advertisements, letters of offer, welcome emails, employee on-boarding surveys and the employee handbook
• Alignment of any required behavioural changes into the leadership development program, and mapping of these behaviours to the recently revised competency framework

We then commenced implementation of the roadmap where we developed the creative imagery, redesigned the company careers page and provided content for all documents.

The result

This project is now in final stages, and once completed, we will share the results.  Initial feedback from the leadership team and candidates is that the new message is attractive, compelling and authentic.

Photo by Max LaRochelle on Unsplash

This organisation needed to define clearly the roles of accountability for achievement of local goals and results in the context of a global matrix reporting structure.

Like many global companies, this organisation had local management responsible for performance of the local business unit, however  members of the local leadership team reported to business unit heads located off-shore.

The Objective

To provide clarity within the leadership team as to who was responsible for executing which part of the strategy, and what they needed from other leadership team members to be successful.

The Project

The leadership team attended a 2-day offsite which was structured to build both team cohesion and awareness.

In addition to undertaking a unique approach to "ice-breaking" we commenced by feeding back some analysis from a number of interviews we had undertaken with each leadership team member regarding what was working and what was not in relation to the operation of the leadership team.

This information was then incorporated into the development of a Role Clarity statement for the CEO and the leadership team  as a group, where we workshopped KPIs, accountabilities, key responsibilities, delegations of authority and interdependencies.  Once complete for the CEO and leadership team, each member was then asked to work on their own document and present the results back to the group for comment/feedback.

The result

We built a puzzle and interlocked all the individual role clarity statements so that the leadership team were able to visually represent how their roles interacted with one another in pursuit of the broader corporate goals.

This puzzle was positioned in a common area of the business to showcase for all employees to view.

The subsequent interactions of the leadership team were much more cohesive, and significantly contributed to the business maintaining successful financial results ahead of budget expectations.  The leadership team commented that understanding the motivations of other members allowed them to more effectively engage with each other.

The client is happy to provide a reference, so please contact malcolm@peakcorporatesolutions.com.au if you would like more information.

Photo by Bernard Hermant on Unsplash

Following a piece of work to define their employer brand, this medical device business recognised that the leadership team were not aligned and were not able to leverage the skills of each other.

The Objective

We were engaged to help build awareness of the common goal and purpose of a leadership team, while also changing the mindset of members to work cohesively rather than as representatives of their own business units.  The ultimate goal was to have a leadership team that performed as a unit and supporting business growth.

The Project

We commenced by working to build a common understanding of the purpose of the organisation (including defining common language), and used this as a platform to build role clarity statements for each member of the leadership team and the leadership team itself.

The work was conducted over two 4-hour sessions, where the first session defined the role of the CEO followed by the Leadership team as a group.

Once the process was understood, each leadership team member then went away and developed their own role clarity statement and presented these back to the group at the second session.  This approach built common understanding of each members area of focus and also highlighted any strategic priorities that had fallen through the cracks.  

The Result

The leadership team were able to identify a number of key areas where they previously overlapped (which caused confusion) and some strategic priorities that were not "owned" by anyone.  As a result the team started working far more effectively, which was evidenced through employee survey feedback and achievement of key strategic milestones.

The client is happy to provide a reference, so please contact malcolm@peakcorporatesolutions.com.au if you would like more information.

Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash

The Objective

This manufacturer of building materials needed to provide clarity of purpose and role for a newly formed leadership team to drive business growth in a challenging and highly competitive market.

The Project

After interviewing each member of the new leadership team, we had a clear understanding of what was working and what was not across a number of dimensions including decision-making, interaction, collaboration, reporting and results.  

This gave us the framework to development role clarity statements for each member of the leadership team, the CEO, the Chair of the board, and the Board itself.  The inclusion of the Board and Chair was brought about as the Chair was an Executive Chair role, who was heavily involved in the strategic direction of the business.

We then worked through (over three separate sessions) the role clarity statements for each member which was an invaluable exercise as each individual up to that point was focused on their own business area and did not have an appreciation for how they could facilitate and support growth in other areas - and garner support for their growth from other business units.

The Result

The Leadership team began operating very effectively, and were able to clearly define joint and individual accountabilities of team members and what was needed to support their achievement of goals and KPIs.

This project is ongoing.

Photo by Charles on Unsplash

Our founder Malcolm Peak was engaged by the University of NSW following  recognition by the University that the higher education sector was becoming more competitive as institutions competed not only for the top academics and the research funds they brought with them, but also for top non-academic talent that helped the organisations operate effectively. 

Malcolm Peak was selected to undertake this project as he clearly understood the nuances of the higher education sector, brought to the table an approach that managed a wide number of stakeholders, was focused on the underlying messages and not simply creating attractive marketing material, and understood the need to align employer brand with organisation direction and strategy.  

Castle Group is a leading private development and construction company of residential projects in Sydney’s North West Region.

As a growing business, we initially engaged Malcolm Peak from Peak Corporate Solutions to assist us develop some clarity over the strategy we needed to take to align the efforts and focus of our people with our business direction. 

Malcolm’s value to our business was as someone who could not only strategically provide advice, but also roll-up his sleeves and get into the detail. We would feel very comfortable recommending him to any organisation looking for someone who can really get into a business and understand the levers that will support business growth.