I don’t have a traditional mailbox.
Instead, I have a deep basket that has served as a de facto mailbox for years. Sometimes, it gets cobwebs or a section of eroding wicker, but it’s always been robust for collecting mail.
In early April, under the mail, we found a little nest.
This discovery grew even more fascinating when, a few days later, we found a small egg nestled within! The egg raised several questions:
Where was the mama bird?
Were there other eggs yet to be laid?
And, had our daily mail delivery interrupted her nest building?
We created a new mailbox and posted a sign redirecting our mail. Now, we have mail delivery and the joy of watching a clutch of eggs (four and counting!) come to fruition.
This unexpected delight came from a little bird who told us this basket that we considered just a mailbox was so much more.
The value of insights
At Data-Driven, we love to be that little bird who tells you about existing data insights you did not know you had or were unaware had value.
For example**, Organization X is experiencing high turnover, and management believed that the cause was a hiring freeze that resulted in an accumulation of tasks, overwhelming employees who remained.
We dug into the data, and before we surveyed or talked to employees, some alternative explanations emerged. Reviewing email and Slack message metadata, it was clear that communications were being sent at all hours, including weekends and holidays. In available HR data, we noticed that certain types of employees were leaving at higher rates than others, specifically those under age 35. Then we created a survey instrument and a focus group guide to build on the existing data.
We concluded that:
The hiring freeze was a stressor but not as much as the sense of work without boundaries. We found managers, in particular, delegate during non-work hours.
Younger employees, in particular, expressed they were unhappy about the lack of mentorship offered at work.
Younger employees aware of the Match Me Mentoring Program were 40% more likely to stay at the company for at least two years compared to those who were unaware of the program. For those who participated in the program, the two-year retention rate was 70% higher than that of those who did not.
Insights like these are just the beginning.
Publicizing a mentorship program may not be the best strategy since those aware and active in mentorship may simply represent organizational champions. But with these data as a baseline, Company X can start to tease out patterns, make changes, and evaluate success.
You have hidden insights, too. My team and I can help you discover them to strengthen your workplace, innovate your approach, and empirically inform your strategic map.
Give us a call or DM; we’d love to help you hatch some insights!
For the curious:
*We have yet to identify the bird but have landed on the black-capped chickadee based on the egg and nest characteristics, with assistance from the Audubon Society.
**Hypothetical example, based on client work.