From Manual Surveys to Meaningful Action
How a leading law firm transformed employee engagement with PerformYard
Leading NYC law firm leverages PerformYard Employee Engagement to move past manual feedback collection and towards a sophisticated system yielding a 75% participation rate and department-specific insights.
"You don't need an outside subject matter expert. You have your subject matter experts in-house. You just have to ask them in a safe place."
- Formation of dedicated steering committees based on engagement survey results
- Development of a comprehensive client roadmap
- Enhanced client journey mapping using internal expertise
- Support for recent reorganization efforts
Under forward-thinking leadership, this law firm has consistently demonstrated its dedication to continuous improvement in all aspects of its operations. This commitment extends beyond legal excellence to creating an exceptional workplace environment where employees feel valued and heard.
When the Chief Human Resources Officer joined, she was tasked with further elevating the firm's already strong workplace culture. Her proactive approach to employee engagement reflects the firm's overall philosophy: that the best client experience stems from engaged, supported employees who feel meaningfully connected to the organization's mission.
After careful evaluation of various platforms, she selected PerformYard's engagement survey solution, noting it was "best in class while not breaking the bank." The implementation included:
Strategic Survey Design
- Blend of standard and custom questions
- Thoughtful exclusion of questions about policies not under consideration
- Open-ended prompts to capture specific improvement ideas
- Customized questions about client journey and service improvement
Comprehensive Roll-Out
- Full marketing campaign with posters throughout the office
- Clear messaging about anonymity and purpose
- External survey links for enhanced privacy
- Integration with existing HRIS system
Results
"According to [PerformYard data], we had stellar participation. I think we had 75% participation, which is from what I understand, amazing." — CHRO
The move to PerformYard's engagement platform delivered impressive outcomes:
Robust Participation
- 75% response rate - Far exceeding typical engagement survey benchmarks
- Increased trust in the anonymity process
- Staff confidence that critical feedback wouldn't lead to adverse consequences
Actionable Intelligence
- Department-specific insights rather than just firm-wide averages
- Ability to identify both high-performing departments (scoring "5s") and struggling areas (scoring "2s")
- Confirmation of suspected issues, providing evidence to support already-planned initiatives
- Discovery of new improvement opportunities directly from staff
Operational Improvements
- Formation of dedicated steering committees based on survey results
- Development of a comprehensive client roadmap
- Enhanced client journey mapping using internal expertise
- Support for recent reorganization efforts
"We are having different teams, steering committees and regular committees that execute based on the survey." — CHRO
Engagement Data Spotlight: Client Journey Mapping
One key initiative spawned from the engagement survey was the creation of a client roadmap showing the entire client journey from beginning to end. This initiative:
- Validated leadership hunches about needed improvements
- Leveraged internal expertise instead of expensive external consultants
- Improved both client and employee satisfaction by creating clear expectations
- Reduced client frustration and repetitive status inquiries
"You don't need an outside subject matter expert. You have your subject matter experts in-house. You just have to ask them in a safe place." — CHRO
Why PerformYard?
The law firm selected PerformYard's engagement solution for several critical advantages:
✓ Seamless HRIS Integration
- Automatic department tracking without compromising anonymity
- No manual data entry or manipulation required
✓ Enhanced Analytics
- Ability to segment results by department
- Identification of specific areas needing intervention
- Comparison against industry benchmarks
✓ True Anonymity
- External survey links separate from regular system login
- Locked survey design preventing post-launch additions
- Built staff confidence in the feedback process
✓ Reduced Administrative Burden
- Automated calculations and reporting
- Easy distribution and follow-up
- Professional presentation-ready results
"I was able to slice the data into departments because overall firm satisfaction in various categories is great, but if you really want to get down to actionable items... you need to go department by department." — CHRO
Looking Ahead
Having established a baseline with their initial survey, the firm plans to:
- Conduct follow-up surveys semi-annually
- Measure the impact of their recent reorganization
- Track improvement initiatives stemming from the first survey
- Explore additional ways to leverage employee feedback
The CHRO anticipates even higher participation and more candid feedback in future surveys as staff continues to see their input translated into meaningful workplace improvements.
"Because people didn't see any adverse action with the survey if they were critical, I believe that they'll be more inclined to be even more forthright at the next one." — CHRO.
About PerformYard
PerformYard provides integrated performance management and employee engagement solutions that help organizations build high-performing, highly engaged teams. Our platform combines powerful analytics with ease of use to deliver actionable insights that drive real business results.
See how PerformYard can streamline and automate your performance management process.
