Case Study

Professional institution works with Rhema Group on unifying diverse operation through new competency-based personal development and performance management.

The challenge of managing, measuring and reporting performance across the entire range of roles in an eminent, globally-respected professional institution, with distinct business and academic cultures within its group, called for a skilled and experienced training partner.

As the chosen partner Rhema Group has spent a large part of this year working very closely with the client - a historic UK-based qualifying body, centre for the exchange of specialist knowledge and a provider of resources to over 77,000 individual professionals worldwide.

Rhema’s task has included creating and introducing the organisation’s first competency framework and related job descriptions, then conducting a comprehensive series of management and staff briefings and instructor-led training sessions (face to face and via the intranet), as well as liaising with a closely-aligned internal communications strategy.

Significantly, this process needed to be applied to and understood by every manager and employee across diverse roles in commercial and not-for-profit arms of the organisation – from kitchen staff to editors of learned journals - in the London HQ and regional offices.

The new personal development and performance management process, included the introduction of a bespoke competency framework and an on-line performance development review system.

The entire process represented a radical shift in the organisation’s approach to connecting its internal cultures and introducing personal accountability for performance against corporate goals. It required careful planning, piloting, attention to feedback, adjustment and delivery in order to win consent and co-operation.

The combination of briefing, training, technology and communication has proved successful, as growing numbers of managers and staff are already beginning to complete all stages of training and move on to running through their first online appraisal cycles.