Overview

Lawrence Stephen Partners (LSP) works with its clients to develop an analytical tool that will assist those organizations in better understanding their culture and subcultures, enabling them to apply the analytical tool to evaluate candidates in advance of any interviews to determine if they would fit within the organization. The objective would be to eliminate the time and expense of interviewing or screening of candidates where it is predicted that there would not be a good cultural fit.

What we need from the client

To begin, we would need any recent employee surveys and detailed summary reports with specific functional overviews, as well as any other recent surveys that assessed the organization’s attributes or data from a formal gathering of associates’ opinions regarding the organization. If possible, we would be interested in the breakdown of the results, including the functional areas or divisions each of the set of results emanated from. This would include any reports in either summary form, Excel spreadsheet, Tableau or other format in which the reports were generated.

What we will do as a result of reviewing the surveys

We would ask the client for headcounts across the different areas/divisions so that we can ascertain what constitutes a representative sampling of the organization (e.g., the division headquarters and the different major groups, such as (for example) distribution centers, field sales staff, and any other remote components of the organization). This would include levels of associates from the senior officers to individual contributors. We would utilize that information, together with the survey data, to develop a model of the overall and unit (sub) cultures that exist within the organization.

While LSP might have sufficient data to develop a working model, we would use the results of this preliminary student to craft a survey instrument that could then be administered to the client’s employees.   The survey may be an essay with a limited number of words, or a series of adjectives or attributes or both. We would work with the client on the instrument and how it could be administered (insofar as many individuals would not have easy access to computers).  It goes without saying that we would require assistance from the organization’s leadership to ensure as close to 100 percent participation as possible.

What the final product would look like

Based upon our analyses of the data, we would develop a report that describes our understanding of the culture and subcultures that exists within the organization and provide a presentation to the leadership team for feedback and comment. We expect to build a cultural statement and a cultural assessment and profile. From that exchange of information, we then would create a mechanism that captures data from potential job candidates (potentially from LinkedIn or cover letters or even an assignment).  Using these data, alongside the model of the culture, we would hope to determine if the tool provides insight and assistance as to whether the candidate will fit within the organization or not, and gain additional consideration for screening and interviewing. We see the tool as a dynamic and ongoing effort, where updates to the tool would be required with either acquisitions, additional organic growth or rightsizing.

The experts that provide this service include Dr. David Greenberger, Associate Dean of the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University, and Ralph Greco, Director, Business Analytics Initiative, Nationwide Center for Advanced Customer Insights, Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University. Dr. Greenberger’s bio is available in the section entitled “HR Advisory Board”. Ralph Greco supports the design and implementation of applied curriculum in the area of business analytics for undergraduate students, graduate students, and practicing managers through executive education. Prior to joining Fisher, he was a client executive for IBM and a business unit executive for the company’s North American channels. He was a vice president of worldwide business development for Sterling Commerce, which was acquired by IBM in 2010. Greco has also held a senior leadership role at Accenture, where he led efforts to create and manage technology alliances with clients in both the private and public sectors. Ralph holds an MS, Industrial and Systems Engineering, from The Ohio State University, and a BS, Industrial and Systems Engineering, from The Ohio State University.

For inquiries regarding this service, email Larry Imely at limely@lawsteptnrs.com