Executive Team

10/30/2013

Page 1

[Your Name]

CxPhoenix Advertising

Charlotte, North Carolina

10/30/2013

Executive Team

Phoenix Advertising

1122 Phoenix Drive

Charlotte, North Carolina

11122

DearExecutive Team:

The key issues that need to be addressed at the Roanoke branch are the problems with morale and productivity. These issues seem to be the root cause of many of the other issues that are plaguing this branch of Phoenix Advertising, and once they are alleviated it will be possible to deal with the other issues that have cropped up from them. The benefit is that employees will be more likely to work with executives once they begin to feel that they are valued members of the team. This issue is to be dealt with first as high turnover rates and low morale will not allow any of the other issues to be solved. As a human resource expert, I believe that my qualifications are ample to work on solving this issue. I understand that communication will be vital to helping to improve conditions at the branch, and my knowledge in the field will ensure that all parties’ issues are addressed without ruffling too many feathers beyond what has already happened.

BACKGROUND

There is a dire need at this company to solve the issues with morale and productivity as this is directly leading to the high turnover rate with valued employees and ultimately customer dissatisfaction. Customers are usually well aware when there are issues at a company with morale because they start to see that the work that they are paying for comes later than deadline or is not of the same quality as it had been previously. Customer satisfaction surveys showed that 68% of clients have noticed a difference in the quality of the work that has been supplied to them. Of the same clients surveyed, 12% noted that they are thinking of moving to a different branch of Phoenix Advertising, and 28% noted that they are thinking of moving to a new advertising branch all together if the work quality does not improve in the near future.

This dissatisfaction rating that is evident from client dissatisfaction comes directly from the fact that employees are not happy, and feel that they are being overworked. The fact that two high ranking employees have quit and seven other employees have threatened to resign demonstrates a true problem. Turnover can be not only expensive in terms of having to hire new employees, but it can be expensive in that replacing the experience they have with the company is almost impossible. Clients notice when they are working with newer employees in comparison to those employees that are well-versed in working for the company. Also, turnover can make it harder on those employees that stay as they are required to train the new employees while still getting their own workload completed. In some cases, their workload may be even larger due to having to give the new trainee a smaller workload to ease the transition.

  • Identify Key Issues of Morale and Productivity
  • Evaluate Changes to be Made
  • Implement Reward System
  • Implement New Collaborative System
  • Train Employees and Management on New System
  • Re-Evaluate Situation

PROPOSAL

The first step is to continue identifying the key issues of morale and productivity that was touched upon in the previous investigation. This will help to get exact details that will be used in a new reward system that will help to improve morale by identifying those employees that contribute to the system along with the collaborative system of management that will be implemented. This will act to fine-tune the changes to be made, such as what rewards are most desirable by employees.

The next step will be to evaluate the changes to be made to the branch, and ensure that nothing will be left out. This will cover each issue that needs to be addressed. It may be decided that some things need to be implemented at a different time after the re-evaluation.

The following step will be to implement the reward system so that each employee is able to earn rewards for their hard work. This system will look to reward positive behaviors, such as accepting work that may need overtime hours or going above and beyond to satisfy a client. Some of these rewards will be based on a specific action taken, such as working overtime, but others will be based on management notice. A locked box for nominations will also be available for employees to note the great behaviors of their fellow co-workers.

As the reward system is implemented, the implementation of the collaborative system will need to begin. The collaborative system will consist of breaking down groups of teams involved with particular clients, weekly meetings about clients with teams, and new client reports where each team is able to evaluate how many new clients they are able to accept in a given time period. Each of these tools will be used to make the office atmosphere more collaborative.

This will be followed by training on the collaborative system. It will be important to have a few weeks where this new system is put into place with the help of an unbiased party that is able to work with the groups involved to streamline the process. Anything that needs adjusted can be noted for later along with any suggestions.

The final step will be a re-evaluation of the processes implemented. This will ensure that all of the things implemented have worked to improve the morale and productivity of the employees at this branch. This stage can help to improve any part of this process by changing things, implementing suggestions, and any other tweaking it may require. This stage will also require a new questionnaire given out to employees and customers to evaluate if any changes have occurred in their perception and experience with the branch.

SCHEDULE

Stage / Timeframe
Identifying / 1 week
Evaluate / 1 week
Implement the Reward System / 4 weeks
Implement the Collaborative System / 1 week
Training / 4 weeks
Re-evaluation / 12 weeks

STAFFING

The entire staff will be involved with each stage of this proposal to increase morale and improve productivity, but there will be some staff members that will be needed to work a little more on the different stages. Beth Sayer from the employee side has been very vocal about the issues occurring in a positive manner, and will be an excellent choice to head up the employee side of this process. She will be instrumental in each of the stages, and will help to convince other employees of the positives that will come from this change. Beth has been a valued employee for over five years and has worked in several positions, which will give her the unique viewpoint of understanding the different departments. Jeff Havan will be Beth’s counterpart on the management side of this process as he is aware of the way that management is currently working through issues and willing to work with employees to find the best way to deal with these issues. Although Jeff is a newer member of management, his previous experience working in a similar environment will help to identify what worked and what did not. The human resources counterpart that will be addressing this issue is Jane Ward. She will work as the perfect unbiased party, especially during the training phase as she does not have any personal stock in the situation, but is familiar enough with the different departments at the branch.

BUDGET

Stage / Estimated Amount
Identifying / 150
Evaluate / 100
Implement the Reward System / 1,500
Implement the Collaborative System / 100
Training / 100
Re-evaluation / 150
ESTIMATED TOTAL: / 2,100

REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION

Time is of the essence in dealing with the problem of morale and productivity. When clients start to be impacted by internal issues, it is no longer something that can be ignored. This proposal needs to be approved in the next two weeks to ensure that the damage done to the branch and their clients is minimized. Improving morale and increasing productivity will improve the quality of the work that is being done by the Roanoke branch, and hopefully act swiftly enough to retain all client accounts. A bad reputation for one branch is a bad reputation for the whole company, and this damage needs to be dealt with before it overcomes the company as a whole. This fix may seem complex at first, but will offer a great deal of relief for the whole company once it has been put into place.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Vice President of Human Resources Management