Managing Change while Boosting Employee Engagement, Customer Satisfaction & Business Outcomes

As part of the creation of a major British banking institution, a large UK life and pension company were merging with Clerical Medical. The group sought to launch a single distribution channel to market, within a very tight, ambitious timescale.

As the brands prepared to integrate, it was vital to win over the hearts and minds of both customers and colleagues. It was critical to deliver strong messages and to build a programme which clearly identified the benefits of change for individuals, teams and business outcomes.

Bigrock were approached to partner with the large UK life and pension company’s internal L&D function to:

• Create a competency framework for all roles.

• Help appoint individuals to appropriate roles within the new structure.

• Train and embed the required skills and behaviours.

• Coach sales techniques to enable employees to take the new single integrated proposition to market.

• Assist in a sensitive transition where individuals were experiencing significant personal and business change.

Bigrock ran a comprehensive discovery programme, including a TNA covering products, processes, skills and behaviours, to assess the skills and competencies across all roles in scope. The findings were presented to the large UK life and pension company to assist with appointments and structuring. Bigrock also used their findings to create a development plan, to guide employees through the transition period.

Bigrock delivered a series of workshops to implement a wide range of blended learning solutions to cover the knowledge, skills and behaviours pertinent to employees’ new roles. Identified competency gaps were addressed and delegates were taught how to articulate and act on the new integrated Value Proposition. Via role plays, examples and discussion, delegates practiced handling introductions and potential objections. Employees were provided with 100 day action plans to cover pre and post launch. A full programme of activity followed post integration, enhancing overall capability and embedding the new culture.

• Employee engagement scores showed an increase from 68% to 74%, moving very close to the Towers Watson benchmark of 78%.

• Orcee rating (customer views): Overall rating increased from 71% to 73% & Service rating moved from 63% to 67% – the client was delighted to see an increase is customer satisfaction coincide with this difficult transition phase.

Post Launch Day, the large UK life and pension company re-engaged Bigrock to take all functions through our Sales Excellence Programme.

In recognition of the success of this programme, in terms of the care and integrity taken with client employees, the rise in customer satisfaction levels and the excellent business outcomes, Bigrock and the large UK life and pension company were presented with an NTA for Partnership and Collaboration (Scotland).