Identifying Opportunities: Employee Journey Map in Finance

Challenge

A leading financial services company sought to become the “Employer of Choice” by understanding the employee experience across the entire career journey. With a diverse workforce that included both remote and on-premise employees, the company wanted to ensure that all team members, regardless of location or role, had a positive and supportive journey throughout their careers. This required insights into employees’ specific challenges from onboarding through long-term retention.

Recognizing the need for comprehensive data and enhanced organizational intelligence, the organization partnered with SIVO to map out the employee journey, focusing on identifying key areas for improvement. The goal was to uncover actionable insights that would enhance the experience of new hires while retaining existing talent across the organization.

Approach

To achieve this, SIVO facilitated a series of stakeholder interviews, developing hypotheses and field materials to guide the research process. Sixty-five in-depth employee interviews were conducted, capturing feedback from various departments, roles, and levels within the organization. These interviews, conducted anonymously, provided a candid look into the employee experience.

SIVO identified several “Moments of Truth” from these conversations in the employee journey. These pivotal points were where employees’ experiences had the most significant impact on their overall satisfaction. The focus was on the first year of employment, where engagement, technology readiness, and organizational support were particularly critical.

SIVO divided the employee journey into three key phases:

1. My Readiness to Start – Employees’ expectations and initial feelings after accepting the job offer.
2. My First Year – The critical early months when employees adapt to their new roles, build community, and establish their place within the company.
3. My Career – Long-term visioning and career development as employees envision their future with the company.

In each of these phases, SIVO identified critical steps and challenges that affected the employee experience, from technology setup to communication breakdowns and development opportunities. These insights became the foundation for a comprehensive roadmap that the company could use to address and enhance each stage of the journey.

Impact

The findings from SIVO’s employee journey mapping provided valuable insights that helped guide important organizational decisions. Organizational Development and HR teams leveraged these insights to adjust various aspects of technology, infrastructure, and processes, all aimed at improving the overall employee experience.

These findings also led to the development of several initiatives designed to enhance employees’ experiences, particularly during their first year with the company, working both remotely and in-office. These initiatives focused on addressing key areas that were identified as critical to employee satisfaction and retention. While the specific changes varied across departments, they all aimed to foster a more supportive and engaging environment for employees at different stages of their career journey. Through these efforts, the company continues refining its employee engagement and retention approach, with ongoing projects designed to improve the overall employee journey. 

Conclusion

SIVO’s research into the employee journey provided this financial services company with actionable insights that are now driving significant improvements across the organization. By focusing on key “Moments of Truth” and addressing them head-on, the company is well-positioned to retain talent and foster a work environment where employees feel supported and engaged throughout their careers.

Ready to enhance your organization’s employee experience with organizational intelligence? Contact SIVO today to learn how our customized research solutions can help you identify opportunities, improve engagement, and retain top talent. Let us help you transform your workforce journey for long-term success.