Description Overview In Milestone One, as an HR consultant, you submitted a change readiness repor ...
Description Overview In Milestone One, as an HR consultant, you submitted a change readiness report. While you were performing your change readiness assessment, five employees from the U.S. call center quit as a group, along with the well-liked team lead. Top management is very concerned about this sudden incident. The VP has asked for your help in identifying a permanent solution to the issue of attrition at the U.S. branch of the Singaporean software solutions provider. You understand that attrition is primarily the result of low employee engagement. You are also aware that different employees may be engaged in diverse ways. You decide to make a presentation to explain the significance of employee engagement to the company leadership. You plan to also include the critical factors that influence employee engagement. Prompt Create a PowerPoint presentation with on-slide text and narration or speaker notes to help the business leaders in the course scenario understand how and why their employees are disengaged. Specifically, you need to address the following criteria: Note: Remember to use both on-slide text and narration or speaker notes in your PowerPoint slides to convey your information effectively. If narration is not possible, precise and extensive speaker notes should be used, while addressing all of the rubric elements in the presentation. For example, you can use brief, bulleted lists on the slide and include detailed explanations in your narration or speaker notes. Determine the impact of employee disengagement on attrition and productivity. Which conditions adversely influence employee engagement? How does employee disengagement impact attrition? How does employee disengagement influence productivity? Describe two critical factors that influence employee engagement. How can an organization positively influence workforce engagement levels? Identify and describe strategies (at least one) that can be used for improving employee engagement at the U.S. branch. Use the Employee Engagement Surveys and Leaders’ Self-Evaluations to assess the engagement levels of the employees at the U.S. branch. Which conditions that adversely influence employee engagement are evident from the employee engagement surveys? Are there any data points that indicate employees are disengaged? Consider emphasizing these data points visually. What to Submit Create a PowerPoint presentation with on-slide text and narration or detailed speaker notes. Your presentation should be 8–10 slides in length. Sources should be cited in APA format and listed on a separate reference slide. Consult the Shapiro Library APA Style Guide for more information on citations. 3 attachments Slide 1 of 3 attachment_1 attachment_1 attachment_2 attachment_2 attachment_3 attachment_3 UNFORMATTED ATTACHMENT PREVIEW MBA 687: Employee Engagement Surveys Response Rate The survey response rate is the first indication of the level of employee engagement in any organization. Of the 140 employees invited to take the survey, 40 responded, which is a response rate of 28.5%. As a rule, rates higher than 50% are best, while rates lower than 40% may indicate trust problems within the organization, lack of faith in leadership, and employees’ reluctance to engage in improvement efforts until leadership demonstrates a clear commitment to change. Company Data 1. Years of service with this organization Less than 1 1–2 3–5 6–10 11–15 16+ Prefer not to answer 52.5% of respondents 27.5% of respondents 15% of respondents 2.5% of respondents 0 0 2.5% of respondents 2. My race/ethnic identification African American or Black Hispanic or Latino/a/x Anglo American or White Asian American Indian or Pacific Islander Multiracial or Other Prefer not to answer 60% of respondents 12.5% of respondents 12.5% of respondents 5% of respondents 0 7.5% of respondents 2.5% of respondents 3. I am currently in a supervisory role Yes No Prefer not to answer 7.5% of respondents 90% of respondents 2.5% of respondents 4. I received a merit increase during the past two years Yes No Prefer not to answer 7.5% of respondents 90% of respondents 2.5% of respondents 5. I received a promotion during the past two years Yes No Prefer not to answer 7.5% of respondents 90% of respondents 2.5% of respondents 6. I plan to be working for this organization in one year Yes No Prefer not to answer 60% of respondents 12.5% of respondents 27.5% of respondents Employee Engagement Questions Professional Development: • In the last six months, my manager has talked to me about my progress, and we developed goals to help me grow. o 36% agreement • I am satisfied with the on-the-job training I have received. o 27% agreement • There is adequate cross-training in my department. o 36% agreement Company Vision, Values, and Mission: • I am familiar with the company’s vision and values. o 26% agreement • I have a clear understanding of the organization’s direction. o 36% agreement • The organization is changing for the better. o 26% agreement Teamwork or Workgroup: • I receive the support I need from employees in my workgroup to do my job effectively. o 89% agreement • My coworkers make me feel that I am part of the team. o 78% agreement • I trust my coworkers. o 83% agreement • My workgroup cooperates to get the job done. o 73% agreement Senior Leader/Middle Manager: • Senior leaders focus on creating a positive team atmosphere. o 36% agreement • Senior leaders are open, honest, and transparent. o 36% agreement • Senior leaders encourage and empower me to take initiative and suggest improvements. o 26% agreement • My middle manager is open, honest, and transparent. o 70% agreement Culture: • This company is a team-oriented organization. o 36% agreement • This company challenges the status quo and seeks continuous improvement. o 18% agreement • Employees have a strong sense of personal responsibility for the performance of their department and the performance of the company. o 80% agreement • Overall, people care about my well-being at work. o 34% agreement Work Environment: • I see the connection between the work I do and the benefits received by customers. o 65% agreement • I have enough authority to make the decisions I need to make. o 36% agreement Communications: • I usually hear about important changes through management communication rather than rumors. o 36% agreement • In my workgroup or team, my opinions count. o 72% agreement Diversity: • • • The company tries to promote a work environment free from discrimination and harassment. o 41% agreement The environment at the company is supportive of the expression of different opinions, styles, and perceptions. o 18% agreement I am satisfied with the company’s efforts to support and encourage differences. o 34% agreement Productivity: • The technology, tools, and resources I have access to allow me to be as productive as possible. o 83% agreement • Staffing levels have kept up with the increasing customer base, workload, and infrastructure. o 26% agreement • Deadlines set by senior management are realistic. o 18% agreement • I am given the opportunity to do my best work. o 26% agreement Performance Management: • I have a clear understanding of work expectations. o 60% agreement • My performance has a significant and direct impact on my pay. o 26% agreement MBA 687 Leaders’ Self-Evaluations Note: Individuals rate their skill levels on the following scale: Not Skilled | Minimally Skilled | Somewhat Skilled | Skilled | Very Skilled Title: Vice President Job Summary Leads departments and operations for an entire organization and creates its overall vision, mission, values, beliefs, and strategic goals. Directs and evaluates other executive leaders' work and the success of the organization. Maintains awareness of external and internal competitive landscapes, opportunities for expansion, customers, markets, and new industry developments and standards. Manages the strategic plan that guides the direction of a team's business and collaboratively works with the executive management team to identify, prioritize, and act upon company needs, focusing on integration strategies to ensure optimal efficiency. This position requires competencies such as analytic and strategic thought, vision, orientation to detail, customer focus, talent management, resource management, and leadership skills. Vice President Self-Assessment As I reflect on this past year, I have driven business expansion from startup and evaluated the organization’s success. This past year, we identified ways to increase revenue and decrease costs by 10%. I analyzed financial reports with the accounting manager, prepared new operating budgets, and greenlit pilot projects using AI and chatbots to compete in an increasingly digital economy. My understanding of the external factors affecting the organization will help us think ahead and be ready for changes in the market. My most tremendous success was bridging the gap between the company’s day-to-day running and the board of directors' sweeping visions. Since taking on the new role, I realized my leadership skills come from years of experience and knowledge throughout life. This wisdom has impacted my judgments, decisions, and actions. I have learned to focus on a clear purpose and mission. I have consistently shown commitment and motivation since joining the company, and I want us to succeed. I am a leader who focuses on meeting set deadlines and objectives on time. I realize that I can be too controlling in a project, and I don't give other team members enough room to contribute or develop their ideas. I must learn to give others more space and let them take the initiative, too. Maybe I should try harder to promote the company's culture and values within my team. While I regularly hold meetings with this in mind, I should focus on boosting team spirit and collaboration. I am often frustrated, and I find it hard to communicate when faced with other leaders' behaviors. Despite the challenges we faced this past year, I am incredibly proud of what my team and I have accomplished during the past year. Skill Level: Not Skilled: Minimally Skilled: Somewhat Skilled: Skilled: Very Skilled: Your level of experience demonstrating each competency I have not learned this skill I have little experience demonstrating this competency and need substantial direction to perform it effectively I have some experience demonstrating this competency but still need guidance I have a good amount of experience demonstrating this competency independently I always demonstrate this competency and could provide guidance/training to others Leadership Skills ? Strategic Thinking Skills People Management Skills Change Management Skills Communication Skills ? ? ? ? ? Ethical Practice Tech Savvy/Computer Skills Fostering Teamwork ? Visioning ? Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Cross-Cultural Awareness Learning Agility ? ? ? ? Title: Sales Manager Job Summary Leads the sales and marketing functions, including strategic planning, budgeting, forecasting, and maintaining scalable processes that differentiate and highlight the value proposition from concept to execution for all business areas. Drives profitable revenue and market share growth through domestic and international marketing programs to email, print/digital, CMS, and social media platforms. This person is highly collaborative and works cross-functionally to devise campaigns that engage, inform, and motivate to raise brand awareness. Manages and coaches inside sales and outside sales teams. Sales Manager Self-Assessment After taking the time to evaluate my performance, I would like to highlight a few of my best achievements from the past year. At the beginning of the period, I spearheaded the launch of our organization's first sales industry research report. My promotional efforts helped secure a speaking engagement at two national sales conferences, which will help the company meet its annual objective of increasing industry exposure and promoting our customer value proposition. Additionally, I assisted in overhauling our website content with IT and helped procure a new data partner. As a result, our paid search efforts’ ROI has increased by 120% year over year and influenced $6 million in our latest service line sales. Because of this year's marketing strategy's ambitious nature, there were times when I pushed my team hard to perform at their best, put in extra hours, and deliver on highly demanding projects. While I would never compromise on my drive for results, I must take the time to give more thoughtful and considerate feedback to members of my team. This quarter, I noticed that I could have delegated and communicated strategic goals to our team better. Passing more projects to the outside sales team will help me become more efficient while also providing them with more opportunities for skill-building and career development. Additionally, I believe meeting with the VP, call center, and sales team bi-weekly instead of monthly will help improve cross-department communication and ensure marketing campaigns are better aligned with overall company goals. By the end of next quarter, my goal is to improve my cross-cultural practices by taking an online training session. I've been working more closely with the call center team in the past few months and want to collaborate more effectively to understand and achieve our team goals. Skill Level: Not Skilled: Minimally Skilled: Somewhat Skilled: Skilled: Very Skilled: Your level of experience demonstrating each competency I have not learned this skill I have little experience demonstrating this competency and need substantial direction to perform it effectively I have some experience demonstrating this competency but still need guidance I have a good amount of experience demonstrating this competency independently I always demonstrate this competency and could provide guidance/training to others ? Leadership Skills Strategic Thinking Skills People Management Skills Change Management Skills Communication Skills ? ? ? ? Ethical Practice ? Tech Savvy/Computer Skills Fostering Teamwork ? ? ? Visioning Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Cross-Cultural Awareness Learning Agility ? ? ? Title: Accounting Manager Job Summary Manages accounting functions, including analyzing various accounting functions (A/R, A/P, cost, and accounting) to understand what makes clients profitable, ensures accurate transaction records, evaluates financial processing, and controls transaction processes. Manages sub-ledger agreements (inventory, AR, sales, COGS) to the general ledger and investigates and corrects any variances. This person sets the example of integrity, ensuring monies and assets are protected against unauthorized use or removal and loss due to a criminal act or breach of trust. Works cross-functionally, multitasks, problem solves, thinks of the big picture, and focuses on process improvements to improve efficiency and follow generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Coaches accounting associates and works with operating managers to ascertain their need for accounting data. Accounting Manager Self-Assessment After taking the time to evaluate my performance, I would like to highlight a few of my best achievements from the past year. At the beginning of the period, I initiated corrective actions to maintain accounting records, improving record accuracy by 75%. The accounting team implemented an accounting records maintenance system, replacing the old, inefficient one. I spearheaded our organization's new digital timekeeping system, replacing the outdated process and eliminating "paper" timekeeping. We continuously met audit standards this year, and this is for two years in a row, owing to exceptional account management skills. This quarter, I noticed that I have not been delegating enough work to other team members and have challenges communicating strategic goals to our team. Passing more projects to the accounting team will help me become more efficient while also providing them with more opportunities for skill building and career development. By the end of next quarter, my goal is to streamline the accounting systems by implementing standard operating procedures for each subsystem. It is important not to build silos and understand the big picture and our team’s goals. I am working on improving transactional accounting, but I also think a strategic approach is necessary. I have worked closely with the customer success coordinator/team leader, but I would like to address with top leadership the communication breakdown, the top-down approach, and ways to collaborate more frequently. I can offer my professional opinion on where best to align finance and accounting programs to the strategic plan and on building action plans to support overall business success. Skill Level: Not Skilled: Minimally Skilled: Somewhat Skilled: Skilled: Very Skilled: Your level of experience demonstrating each competency I have not learned this skill I have little experience demonstrating this competency and need substantial direction to perform it effectively I have some experience demonstrating this competency but still need guidance I have a good amount of experience demonstrating this competency independently I always demonstrate this competency and could provide guidance/training to others ? Leadership Skills Strategic Thinking Skills ? People Management Skills ? Change Management Skills ? Communication Skills ? Ethical Practice ? Tech Savvy/Computer Skills ? Fostering Teamwork ? Visioning Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Cross-Cultural Awareness Learning Agility ? ? ? ? Title: Customer Success Manager Job Summary Manages the customer success function and provides input on strategic customer plans to help identify areas where the company can improve overall service delivery, quality, and excellence. Develops customer relationships that promote retention and loyalty. Creates department policies and procedures that optimize the customer experience. This person has the highest accountability level for call center supervision and performs basic human resource tasks such as hiring and training staff. Coaches the customer success coordinator/team leader in improving service efforts, scoring performance, and developing support strategies based on customer feedback. Customer Success Manager Self-Assessment In the past year, as a call center manager for the company, I've increased the customer satisfaction rate by 37% by overseeing day-to-day contact center operations and business planning, employee development, operational efficiency, and service excellence. I worked with the customer success coordinator to revise the existing cold call script and added a stronger value proposition, resulting in an increased call time average. We started interfacing closely with the sales department to ensure alignment and spent a great deal of time "QC-ing" or monitoring queues and tracking inbound call performance. I coached our customer success coordinator on performance metrics, including inbound calls, call waiting, and abandonment rates. We started working on creating a new customer service training manual and quality assurance form. I empowered the customer success coordinator to work with the accounting team on the new timekeeping implementation. After reflecting on my performance, I noticed that while my ability to build rapport with employees and customers helps me as a manager, I will need to delegate more to the customer success coordinator as the business grows. I began serving as the backup trainer and assisted in onboarding nine new representatives, all of whom finished their first quarter meeting performance standards. Given this experience and my commitment to continued growth, I think there is room for improvement. I want to shift the call center culture to a more employee-centric workplace where our employees are happy, comfortable, and valued. I am aware of the possibility that the various technological advancements in AI voice processing, customer analysis, and chatbots may improve customer satisfaction; however, it could also make some employees redundant. I am unsure if our employees see leadership as approachable and observant or sensitive to what the agent is trying to tell us, even indirectly. If we can fix this, we can improve business performance and reduce turnover. Skill Level: Not Skilled: Minimally Skilled: Somewhat Skilled: Skilled: Very Skilled: Your level of experience demonstrating each competency I have not learned this skill I have little experience demonstrating this competency and need substantial direction to perform it effectively I have some experience demonstrating this competency but still need guidance I have a good amount of experience demonstrating this competency independently I always demonstrate this competency and could provide guidance/training to others ? Leadership Skills Strategic Thinking Skills ? ? People Management Skills Change Management Skills ? Communication Skills ? Ethical Practice ? Tech Savvy/Computer Skills ? ? Fostering Teamwork Visioning Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Cross-Cultural Awareness Learning Agility ? ? ? ? Title: Customer Success Coordinator/Team Leader Job Summary Provides industry-leading customer care, order assistance, technical customer service, and customer success team leadership while engaging in real-time troubleshooting of inbound Tier II and Tier III customer requests by email and telephone. Coaches employees in all customer service and contract sales facets, manages the customer care escalation chain, and works with the customer success manager to improve overall service delivery improvement, quality, and excellence. This person has a high level of accountability for call monitoring to improve service efforts and scoring performance and develops support strategies based on customer feedback. Works with a knowledge-sharing mindset, works with a sense of urgency, works cross-functionally, is a problem solver, and thinks outside the box while troubleshooting the root cause of all customer success center problems to identify the action(s) required to resolve the customer’s issue immediately. Serves as customer success trainer. Customer Success Coordinator/Team Leader Commentary In the past year as lead agent in the call center for the company, I've worked with my manager to increase customer satisfaction rate by 37% through revising the existing cold call script, adding stronger value propositions, and focusing on quality control QC-ing and agent dashboards. I spent time with agents, communicating performance expectations on inbound calls, call waiting, and abandonment rates. I monitored calls using our new quality assurance form. I handled 15–20 customer requests to speak with a supervisor per day and positively resolved the issues. I assisted my manager in 36 employee evaluations, detailing observations of positive performance, opportunities for improvement, and specific details of supervisor calls taken for the week. I demonstrated the ability to handle 50 or more calls a day as the lead customer success agent, too. By decreasing my talk time by 15 seconds per call, I believe I can increase my call-per-hour rate by at least 10% next quarter without negatively impacting customer satisfaction. I also worked with the accounting manager and her team to implement the new digital timekeeping system and train all agents. After reflecting on my performance, I noticed that while my ability to work with employees at all company levels is one of my best skills, I understand our customers. I am ready to take on more HR-related responsibilities. I began serving as the lead customer success trainer and helped my manager onboard nine new representatives. I would like to understand the call center's company goals and work with my manager to shift the call center culture to a more employeecentric workplace. Many call center workers have been here for less than two years (27.5 %), and most call centers have an average turnover of 30–45%. Let's focus on retention. I believe that additional sales training and education about our products would help me increase my up-selling performance in line with company expectations. I want to discuss a potential promotion to assistant customer success manager. Skill Level: Not Skilled: Minimally Skilled: Somewhat Skilled: Skilled: Very Skilled: Your level of experience demonstrating each competency I have not learned this skill I have little experience demonstrating this competency and need substantial direction to perform it effectively I have some experience demonstrating this competency but still need guidance I have a good amount of experience demonstrating this competency independently I always demonstrate this competency and could provide guidance/training to others ? Leadership Skills ? Strategic Thinking Skills ? People Management Skills ? Change Management Skills Communication Skills ? Ethical Practice ? Tech Savvy/Computer Skills ? Fostering Teamwork ? Visioning Self-Awareness and Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Cross-Cultural Awareness Learning Agility ? ? ? ? 1 MBA 687 Milestone One: The change readiness/needs assessment audit Jill Lovely SNHU 11/20/2025 2 Introduction A solution to issues an organization faces is to identify the root cause of the issue and implement changes that will bring about desirable outcomes. However, it can be challenging for most employees to embrace the changes. For this reason, in this paper, the primary aim is to perform a change readiness/needs assessment audit for a U.S. LLC in Wilmington, Delaware. The LLC is a branch of a software solutions company situated in Singapore that was looking to expand into the U.S. market. The need for change is because standard operating procedures adhered to at the parent company’s headquarters in Singapore are not being replicated at the branch, resulting in employees with low job morale. Overall, this paper identifies areas within the branch that are in need of change, discusses employees’ confidence in change management practices, identifies opportunities to increase change readiness, and uses the exit interviews and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to identify cultural dimensions that could have negatively impacted employees at the branch. Areas in need of change Job-role stagnation, Appraisal, and promotion Analysis of the employees’ engagement data revealed that one area that is in need of improvement is how employees at the branch are promoted and recognized for their excellent performance. Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, 90% of the employees reported that they had not received a merit increase or a promotion during the past two years. Only 7.5% reported that they had received a merit increase and promotion over the same period. Figure 1 3 I received a merit increase during the past two years 3%7% Yes No 90% Prefer not to answer Figure 2 I received a promotion during the past two years 3%7% Yes No Prefer not to answer 90% Apathy regarding the company’s mission, vision, and values An understanding of an organization’s mission, vision, and values is critical in enabling employees to work towards helping it attain them. Thus, it is cause for concern that only 26% of employees report familiarity with a company’s vision and values. Additionally, it is worrisome when only 36% of employees report that they have a clear understanding of the organization’s direction. For these reasons, it is essential to ensure that all employees understand a company’s mission, vision, and values. Figure 3 4 Company Vision, Values, and Mission % OF EMPLOYEES IN AGREEMENT 40% 35% 36% 30% 25% 26% 26% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% I am familiar with the company’s vision and values. I have a clear understanding The organization is changing for the better. of the organization’s direction. Lack of trust in managers Managers, especially senior leaders, play a crucial role in enabling an organization to achieve its goals. They are tasked with formulating strategies that align with the goals and overseeing the implementation of the strategy. However, they rely on employees to successfully implement proposed strategies in a manner that will enable the company to be successful. However, the employee survey revealed that only 36% of employees at the U.S. branch believed that senior leaders focus on creating a positive team atmosphere, and are open, honest, and transparent. Additionally, only 26% felt that senior managers empower them to take initiatives. The only positive to note is that 70% of the employees reported that middle managers were open, honest, and transparent. Figure 4 5 Senior Leader/Middle Manager 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Senior leaders focus on creating a positive team atmosphere Senior leaders are open, Senior leaders encourage honest, and transparent. and empower me to take initiative and suggest improvements employees in disagreement My middle manager is open, honest, and transparent employees in agreement Impressions about the company’s attitude to diversity and inclusion Diverse work environments have been linked with high job satisfaction levels because employees feel at home in the workplace. For this reason, there is a need for the U.S. branch to adopt new ways of promoting diversity at the workplace since only 41% of its employees reported that the company has mechanisms for preventing discrimination and harassment. Additionally, only 18% of employees reported that the company is supportive of the expression of different styles, opinions, and perceptions. Lastly, as shown in Figure 5, only 34% of employees were satisfied with the company’s efforts to encourage and support diversity. Figure 5 Diversity 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% The company tries to promote a The environment at the work environment free from company is supportive of the discrimination and expression of different harassment. opinions, styles, and perceptions. employees in disagreement I am satisfied with the company’s efforts to support and encourage differences. employees in agreement 6 Justification for the selected data points The first reason in support of the selected data points from the employee engagement survey results is that they reflect issues the branch faces that need change. Secondly, they directly highlight employee engagement levels, thus acting as indicators of the willingness to embrace changes. Lastly, the selected data points represent drivers of organizational culture, therefore indicating ways of achieving desirable change at the branch. Employees’ confidence The employee engagement survey revealed that employees have a low degree of confidence in the company’s leadership, especially the senior leadership. For instance, as shown in Figure 4, only 26% of employees reported that senior leaders empower and encourage them to suggest improvements and to take initiatives. Additionally, only 36% of employees reported that senior leaders focus on creating positive teams. Lastly, 64% of employees did not believe that senior leaders were honest, open, and transparent. All these indicators show that employees have low confidence in the abilities of the company’s leadership team to turn things around. Secondly, the leadership self-evaluation demonstrated a need for urgent changes at the leadership level. In particular, all leaders involved in the self-evaluations reported that their change management skills were in need of improvement. Specifically, even though they had some experience that demonstrated competence in change management, they still needed guidance on how to implement changes at the organizational level. Similarly, there is an urgent need for change at the employee level as supported by the employee survey data. In particular, the survey results revealed a need to ensure all employees are aware of the company’s mission, vision, and values. Necessary changes that can help the organization achieve this include the introduction of employee training programs that aim to inform them of the company’s values and 7 mission. Additionally, change is needed in how the company appraises, recognizes, and promotes employees since a significant percentage of the employees reported that they had not been considered over the past two years. Change will help improve employee morale and job satisfaction levels, thus reducing turnover rates and ensuring employees can deliver at their very best (García-Cabrera et al., 2016). One approach to facilitating the adoption of change is to leverage the middle manager’s role of creating an adoption mindset. As per the employe
