CASE STUDY  |  RETAIL CHAIN DRIVES EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT & RETENTION THROUGH SHIFT IN LEAD STYLE

“Our engagement scores are down and we are losing people.”
Company
Retail 
Size
7,000 employees, 1,750 managers

Challenge
An established retailer built on marketing innovation struggled with employee retention, and subsequent engagement surveys showed consistently dipping engagement scores.

Approach
  • Our interviews and survey revealed that people were losing their connection to the purpose of their work. Leaders were task masters and career development felt like an afterthought. Axe & Arrow launched the IGNITE program (a two-day version of Leader as Coach) and rolled it out across the company to cohorts of 18 leaders at a time.

  • Cohorts developed six coaching pods that stayed intact for ongoing coaching that lasted throughout the year.  
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  • We launched a 1:1 coaching engagement with key departmental leaders and entered into a consulting relationship to transform the HR department.  

Results
  • Over 1,600 managers completed the Leader As Coach two-day offsite

  • The overall program scored a 92% VGE rating (Very Good to Excellent)
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  • 100% of those surveyed stated they have shifted their style of leadership to be more coach-like. That same group was polled one year later and reported an overall increase in effectiveness

  • Individuals reported feeling increased trust between themselves and their leaders

  • Individuals reported a greater sense of purpose in their work and more awareness around their career path

  • In a one-year-post-program survey, leaders report spending less time managing, and more time leading and strategizing

  • Engagement scores saw significant improvements

  • Retention raised quarterly and has stayed strong since all 300 managers completed the program
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  • For the first time in three years, the company reported a 20% increase in earnings within one year of implementing the Leader As Coach program