The causes of the increase in turnover at the Roanoke branch of Phoenix Advertising - Assignment Example

Field Investigative Report of Investigation The purpose of the investigation was to unearth the causes of the recent increase in turnover at the Roanoke branch of Phoenix Advertising and the complaints lodged by a few of our top clients with the President. The first method used to determine this was through informal one-on-one sessions with staff from various levels in the company. I had meetings with the Graphics and the Design teams: interviews were conducted and group discussions were held with various staff members so that individually as well as collectively their thoughts could be heard.

This was to discover employee satisfaction and morale. These sessions were designed to gather how the employees see the company, understand its values and picture themselves fitting into the overall scheme of things. They were encouraged to share how the information flowed from each department to the next and whether there were any gaps. A short survey was also conducted. The second assessment was regarding customers. All the frontline staff including account managers and department heads, was brought together in a group meeting on customer service.

They were asked how they served the clients, what the service process was like and what kind of hindrances they faced in their work. Everyone was collectively asked to define what they think of it. Then customer visits were held where I was accompanied by the Marketing and Client Services heads. The clients were asked how they felt interacting with our team – who was helpful and who failed to deliver. These sessions were very open and frank. Throughout my stay, employees were carefully watched, especially their interactions with clients.

I also attended some department meetings to see actual staff interaction. Results 1. There is a lack of clear communication between departments. Because of this, unclear instructions are passed on, deadlines are not mutually agreed and unnecessary delays occur. Employees feel very disheartened for all the time wasted. 2. Performance metrics are tied to the performance of every department independently, so staff of different departments do not prefer collaboration and even undermine the performance of others.

The company as a whole suffers because of this. 3. Organizational culture is not strengthening as the department heads are somehow failing to establish a common ground for all to follow. Employees feel disconnected with the company. 4. Good customer service goes unnoticed and unappreciated as it is not a part of the performance grid. This creates a self-defeating cycle where the staff refuses to serve the clients immediately and complaints increase. Conclusion The top management is responsible for inculcating a culture in the company that fosters mutual dependence and respect.

Goals set for the company are not trickling down to the staff, which remains clueless about the direction of the company and thus work as independent units, rather than parts of a whole. Customer-first attitude is lacking also as the top management fails to develop this into everyday practice and business requirement. Recommendations In order to ensure smooth flow of communication, fine-tune the company intranet and implement a complete open information policy. Top management must take a more hands-on approach to business and get involved deeper.

Link performance of every department to each other and tie it to the performance of the company. So if the company suffers, every departments feels the heat too. Top management should adopt an open door policy and also conduct regular sessions with the staff, educating them about the company strategy and vision. The function of each department must be reiterated and emphasis must be placed on treating every employee as a valuable asset of the company. Customer service standards must be included in performance requirement of staff.

At least 10% of overall performance of support staff and 50% of frontline staff must be dedicated to customer satisfaction. Databases for customer complaints and issues must also be established.