Workplace Reviews
WORKPLACE REVIEWS
Independent, Proactive Workplace Reviews
Do you have a workplace team or work area with problems, but there is no easily identifiable cause or solution? Are staff telling you their team is toxic but are struggling to pinpoint the issues and it’s difficult to know which levers to pull?
There may not be any formal complaints or legal claims lodged, but you suspect that unless the situation is proactively dealt with, it will only be a matter of time.
The causes are often systemic, cultural, or hidden, and staff are often reluctant to talk with employers or internal HR representatives, which makes resolving the issue even more challenging.
These people management issues are some of the most challenging employers, and HR professionals have to face.
An independent Workplace Review can help identify and diagnose hidden or systemic issues or problems in a team or work area and then provide you with clear, pragmatic advice and solutions.
While workplace investigations typically occur after a complaint has been made, this type of Workplace Review is generally proactive. It is designed to clear the air and stop situations from escalating.
By having an independent, external expert proactively conduct a Workplace Review, you gain valuable insight into the causes of the problems and actionable strategies to help you make informed decisions.
INSIGHT. CLARITY. FOCUS.
When to Conduct a Workplace Review
Some situations where a Workplace Review may assist:
- There is evidence or suspicion of a toxic workplace culture, where negativity, hostility, or pervasive dissatisfaction impacts employee morale and overall productivity.
- Interpersonal conflicts are brought to management’s attention, such as tension between team members, team members and management, or management and Board members.
- There are signs or measures of conflict or disengagement, such as increased turnover, increased absenteeism, increased workplace incidents and accidents, lower productivity, or lower profitability.
- There is a suspicion of unfair practices such as bullying, harassment, discrimination, unfair pay or leave or flexible working arrangements.
- There are reports of personal negative impacts, such as employees saying that they feel stressed, overwhelmed, have too high a workload, have problems sleeping, feel their career growth is being stunted, or feel unappreciated undervalued.
- Cultural impacts are apparent, such as staff not speaking up at meetings; feedback not being provided on projects or tasks; response rates to staff surveys are low; gossip in hallways is occurring, but staff won’t speak up when asked directly what their concerns are; or a pocket of a toxic culture is obvious but resistant to change.
- Organisational structural issues appear to impact your ability to fill positions with capable and skilled staff.
- Policy and procedural deficits lead your organisation to lack full compliance with key performance indicators or fulfil alignment with organisational values and mission.
OUR EXPERTISE
How We Can Help: Complex and Sensitive Workplace Reviews
People and workplace cultures are often contradictory, complicated, and messy. We are experts in complex issues and identifying and diagnosing hidden systemic issues and problems in often emotionally charged or sensitive environments.
Interviewing skills
Using our sophisticated interviewing skills gained from our many years of conducting workplace investigations, we expertly explore and draw out your employees’ real concerns.
As we are independent, we are able to work with our clients around the appropriate confidentiality of the Workplace Review process. In our experience, employees often feel psychologically safe to be truthful and honest when meeting with us, and so provide a level of feedback that helps us distil matters to their fundamental core.
Policy analysis skills
Our extensive policy analysis expertise allows us to review and assess workplace policies to identify risks and improvement areas.
Data analysis skills
Often clues to issues can be found in data. We review and analyse human resources metrics to identify unmanaged conflict, employee disengagement and cultural issues.
Business expertise
With extensive backgrounds, qualifications and experience in business, we understand how organisations work.
We have worked across industries and sectors providing our range of services, so we have a deep knowledge of management and leadership approaches, various organisational structures, risk management, contemporary governance, strategy execution and performance management and monitoring.
Practical reports
Our reports and recommendations are thorough, pragmatic, and actionable. They are not bound up in theory nor trying to up-sell you with further services.
Our recommendations consider individual personalities, roles and over-arching organisational contexts and political environments. They provide clear guidance for recommendations for interventions that will logically suit your organisation. Our advice is workable, practical and designed to be straightforward to immediately implement.
Our Workplace Review Process
Our Workplace Reviews follow similar broad steps.
Terms of Reference
We start by meeting with you to understand your needs and to create clear and comprehensive instructions (usually through Terms of Reference).
Workplace Review Planning
We plan the Workplace Review process and the methodology that we will be applying. This includes ensuring the gender balance of our team wherever appropriate.
We schedule meetings with relevant staff members and arrange access to essential information.
Evidence Gathering
In this phase, we analyse HR metrics, conduct a desktop review of relevant policies, and meet with appropriate staff.
While not an investigation, our reviews benefit from the many years of forensic interviewing that we have undertaken in formal workplace investigations that ensure that our Workplace Review interviews gather every piece of valuable knowledge and perspective that each staff member has to offer.
Report Preparation and Presentation
After our review process, we prepare a thorough and detailed analysis and report. This report documents the process adopted in the review, contains all evidence that has been obtained, as well as the findings and recommendations.
Client feedback is that our Workplace Review reports are comprehensive, logical, and sensible, enabling decision-makers to implement changes with confidence, leading to improved workplaces.
Need help with a Workplace Review?
Book a consultation to determine if an external independent Workplace Review is the best course of action for your situation.
