Case Study: Using Surveys to Gauge Cultural Environment

Client Challenge

With aggressive remodeling, re-branding, and growth plans, Company A knew it needed to have the strongest talent possible for its management and hourly teams. A critical business strategy for the casual dining company was to become "the sought after employer — the employer of choice." The company identified three key areas to support this strategy: recruiting, training, and environment.

Solution

Batrus Hollweg International (BHI) was already working with Company A on assessment systems to help improve the selection of applicants. BHI then partnered with Company A to develop and implement an organizational survey to help gauge the pulse of the cultural environment, better understand what attracts employees to their company, and identify road blocks to becoming the sought-after employer.

The first organizational survey conducted included all hourly and management employees. The survey results revealed some key areas of opportunity to achieve a cultural environment for an employer of choice, including:

The need for better methods of communication to reach all employees
Improving the level of support provided by the Home Office to the restaurants
More effective communication regarding benefits (Company A wasn't getting credit for the level of benefits it was providing employees)
Enhancing training programs, especially for managers
Perception of the executive team as not working together as a team, role modeling company values

Meetings were held with groups of employees to discuss the results of the survey and develop action plans to address issues. These plans were communicated broadly. This process encouraged employees to speak up and give feedback.

When the second survey was conducted a year later, it was broadened to include the Home Office employees and to address specific business initiatives and cultural keys (working as a team, taking ownership, respect training, opportunities for advancement, communication, and leadership). The results of the second survey showed improved progress in all areas.

Results

Company A recently received a prestigious award from a national restaurant industry organization recognizing its outstanding accomplishments as an employer of choice.

"Batrus Hollweg's survey process has helped us discover and address critical issues that could interfere with our strategy of becoming the sought-after employer to support our growth plan," said the Vice President of Training & Development for Company A. "In addition, with the correlations of the survey results provided by Batrus Hollweg, we can measure our employees' intent to stay. Bottom line, being able to assess our cultural environment like this from year to year has been a contributing factor in reducing our turnover, increasing sales and opening new restaurants."

"Our employee turnover has gone from 200% three years ago, to 134% last year and down to 82% year-to-date annualized for this year," said the Vice President. "Management turnover has dropped from 74% three years ago to 36% last year and 19% in this year." "Our sales have been higher than most other restaurant companies in this region of the U.S. and we continue to grow in terms of new restaurants," said the Vice President. "We're currently fully staffed with managers, and that's essential for our continued growth."