What’s New Dawn Risk like as a company?
Everyone gets on fairly well and people are very engaged. Most of our employees are quite young – I’m probably one of the oldest people here. I’ve just been doing some appraisals and everyone’s very upbeat about the company and positive about Wotter.
You’ve only had Wotter for a few months, but has any feedback affected how you run appraisals?
We’re going to make some changes in the future; it has only been a short time since we started using Wotter, but we’re already in discussions about adjusting the appraisal process in line with Wotter.
We want to move towards continuous performance management. A fireside chat with HR asking bespoke questions to each individual, pertinent to their objectives and how they feel about the company. Wotter will be a help to generate some of these questions.
What were your goals with Wotter?
My goal is that with Wotter’s help, we can achieve the Investors in People Award and/or The Times’ Best Place to Work award.
Also, I think it’s great to have a touch point that’s constantly updating to show how your employees feel – somewhere they can speak openly and not be afraid.
What have you noticed since you started using Wotter?
People were positive before, and they’re still positive – but it’s been proven that everyone’s positive. There’s a good feel to it. Getting all this positive input in and then people verbalising positivity has a domino effect that gets everyone feeling great. If our scores do start to drop because of certain things, we will know about it instantly, and we can solve them.
Where are people verbalising all this positivity?
Through the Wotter notes but also in person. I’m also hearing employees say they’re happy with Wotter during appraisals; I’ve only met two people so far who have forgotten to go on Wotter. People are feeling more confident to write notes now that they know it’s truly anonymous. Our eNPS is also a good indicator that most people are engaged, and our heatmap is mostly green. When I bring up Wotter feedback with employees, people are saying that yes, they agree with the data and that it represents how they feel.
New Dawn Risk does have an impressive eNPS score of 71 – this is very high considering eNPS scores have a range of -100 to 100. What has led you to have such a highly recommended culture to work in?
We’ve got good managers who keep their ear to the ground and who care about maintaining a great atmosphere. Ultimately, our team is engaged so they’re happy to recommend us.
How have you managed to keep such high engagement with the app seeing as it’s a continuous survey?
Because Max (our CEO) and Connie (COO) strongly believe in it. At management and board meetings, they’re reminding managers to remind their team members about Wotter. We make a habit of reminding people on a Friday – you know, time to do your Wotter questions!
What got you onboard with Wotter?
Wotter was Max’s idea, but it was easy for him to sell it to us because engagement is such a big thing. If people are engaged, they’re working well and happy to be doing what they’re doing.
What would you say employees are particularly enjoying about having Wotter?
I guess just being asked about how things are. However, some days, things/feelings will be negative, but that’s still a positive thing because people can outline what’s missing and we can solve the issue.
And what do employees think about the Wotter app?
Employees are saying that it’s easy to use and that the questions are good. Some employees have said that there’s some repetition in the questions, but when I explained that these are to keep tabs on topics continuously, they understood. But generally, people say it’s quick and easy to use. And fun. I like the quotes you get after you answer your questions, too.
