Mars Inc. Your today
starts tomorrow.
Client
Mars Inc.
Scope of work
UX Research
UX Analysis
UX Service Design
Workshops
Introduction
The Mars Cultural Transformation Project assessed the company's current culture and developed a roadmap to create a more inclusive and diverse workplace. The project centred around user experience and UX research techniques as well as UX Service Design processes.
Contribution
I worked as a UX Project Research Analyst to assist in all aspects of the project. I helped design product deliverables, assist in workshops and user interviews with key Stakeholders and C-Suite Executives. I was also involved in the majority of user interviews, and in addition was responsible for collating interview findings and providing a thorough analysis.
Research
Competitive Benchmarking
In order to gain insights into best practices for creating a more inclusive and diverse workplace, I conducted a competitive benchmarking analysis of three other industries: Facebook, Atlassian, and Red Hat. (The below image is an excerpt from a presentation to the Mars team)
The following are some of the key findings of my analysis:
- Removing all mention of "culture fit" from job postings: This will help to ensure that all candidates are considered fairly, regardless of their background.
- Providing unconscious bias training: This will help to raise awareness of unconscious bias and how it can impact hiring decisions.
- Interviewing based on company values: This will help to ensure that candidates are a good fit for the company's culture.
- Specially training a cohort of "value fit assessors": This will help to ensure that candidates are assessed fairly and consistently.
- Asking questions about culture add: This will help to ensure that hiring managers are looking for candidates who can bring something new and progressive to the company.
Online Surveys
In order to obtain a clear understanding of the perspectives and experiences of employees within People, Processes and Organisation roles, we conducted an online survey of 250 employees from all levels of seniority. The survey consisted of multiple choice questions, which made it easier to analyse the large data set. Mars has 5 Principles: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, Freedom; that it uses as a framework for conducting business daily. The primary goal of the survey was to understand what employees thought about The 5 Principles and their impact on staff and how they carried out their work day to day.
Findings:
- The majority of employees (80%) agreed that The 5 Principles are important to the company's culture.
- Employees also agreed that The 5 Principles have a positive impact on their work, with 40% saying that they feel more motivated and engaged since the principles were introduced.
- However, there were some areas for improvement. For example, only 45% of employees said that they feel they have a clear understanding of The 5 Principles, and 50% said that they do not feel they have enough opportunities to discuss The 5 Principles in their daily work or with their managers.
User Interviews
As part of the Cultural Transformation Project, we conducted a series of user interviews to assess the Associate experience at each phase of the associate journey. The interviews were conducted with a diverse group of Associates from all levels of the organisation. We conducted a total of 15 Interviews across two weeks.
The interviews were designed to gain insight into the following:
- The Associates' objectives and goals at each stage of the journey.
- The Associates' previous experiences with the associate journey.
- The Associates' pain points and areas for improvement.
- The Associates' thoughts on the refreshed Five Principles and how they could be used to improve the associate journey. We realised we needed to refresh the existing principles because half of the employees were not using them in practice everyday.
Findings and Insights:
- Associates are often confused about the different stages of the associate journey. They don't know what to expect at each stage, and they don't have a clear understanding of how to progress through the journey.
- Associates need more support and guidance at each stage of the journey. They need help understanding the requirements of the role, they need help navigating the company's systems and processes, and they need help resolving problems.
- Associates have a number of pain points with the current associate journey. These pain points include lack of clarity, lack of support, lack of opportunities for growth, and lack of recognition.
- The refreshed Five Principles can be used to improve the associate journey. The principles can be used to create a more transparent and clear journey, to provide more support and guidance to Associates, and to address the Associates' pain points.
In addition to this we also mapped out the Associate Journey into three different areas of responsibility to help us understand the process better and who was responsible for these areas.
Analysis
Affinity Mapping
To gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with the 5 Principles, I conducted a series of interviews with associates and line managers. I then used an affinity diagram to organise the data collected from the interviews.
The affinity diagram identified the following categories:
- Challenges
- Opportunities
- Blockers
- Recommendations
- Positives
- Brand Integrity
The affinity diagram also helped me to identify several patterns and potential fixes that could be integrated into the design stage for the 5 Principles featuring in the Associate Journey.
These include:
- Streamlining and simplifying the structure and flow of the Associate Journey. This would make it easier for associates to find the information and resources they need to do their jobs.
- Displaying only relevant and essential information to associates. This would help to reduce clutter and make the Associate Journey easier to navigate.
- Transparent and unambiguous communication of the 5 Principles throughout the Associate Journey. This would help associates to understand the 5 Principles and how they apply to their work.
Journey Mapping
To visualise the associates' experiences, we used an adaptation of a Customer Journey Map to map out the flow of the Associate Journey. The map was created by first identifying the key stages of the associate journey, such as onboarding, training, and development.
The associate journey map revealed a number of key insights, including:
- Onboarding is a critical stage of the associate journey. Associates who have a positive onboarding experience are more likely to stay with the company and be successful in their roles.
- Training and development are essential for associates to be able to do their jobs effectively. Associates who receive regular training and development opportunities are more likely to be engaged and productive.
- The associate journey should be personalised to the individual associate's needs and interests. Not all associates have the same needs and interests, so the associate journey should be tailored to each individual.
We believe that these changes will make the associate journey more positive and productive, and will help to attract and retain top talent.
Service Design
Transformation Roadmap
The project concluded with a final version of the Transformation Roadmap, which outlines the actions needed to implement the Five Principles across the Associate Journey in a more successful manner for employees and new hires.
We identified four critical focus areas across the journey:
- Pre-Join: This stage includes activities such as job postings, interviews, and onboarding. We can improve the Pre-Join stage by making sure that the Five Principles are communicated to candidates throughout the recruitment process, and by providing more support to new associates during onboarding.
- Onboarding: This stage is critical for setting new associates up for success. We can improve the Onboarding stage by making sure that new associates are clear about the Five Principles, and by providing them with the resources they need to succeed in their roles.
- Mid-Career: This stage is when associates are typically most engaged in their work. We can improve the Mid-Career stage by providing associates with opportunities to learn and grow, and by recognising their contributions to the company.
- Late Career: This stage is when associates may be considering retirement or other opportunities. We can improve the Late Career stage by providing associates with opportunities to mentor and coach younger associates, and by helping them to transition to retirement.
Impact
Future Deliverables
The research process on the Associate Journey and how the Five Principles feature throughout it have positively impacted the future work at Mars. On my completion of the project an output of this research from the rest of the team was the digital and interactive Five Principles eBook. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay on the project to see this element through due to staying within the project budget and the total project timeline of 6 months. But I am happy that my research on the team has helped contribute to real digital assets used by Mars today.
Client Feedback
“A couple of days late but… Just wanted to say a huge thanks for all of your support on the Mars project! We would not be where we are without you! I really enjoyed working with you - thanks so much for getting stuck in so quickly and for your infectious positivity in the midst of some of the madness of the project!” - VP at Mars Inc.