Change can often feel daunting for many people, whether it involves personal relationships, a significant career shift, or even minor adjustments to daily routines. Yet, change is a fundamental aspect of growth and personal development — and the same holds for organisations. Staying up to date with trends, technological advancements and adjusting objectives when appropriate, is challenging for companies but crucial for remaining competitive and leaving a lasting impression on customers.

In the corporate world, employee well-being has always been a top priority. It not only boosts productivity but fosters a positive, welcoming work environment. Encouraging open communication, self-expression and collaboration. This builds confidence, strengthens relationships and ultimately drives better outcomes for both employees and their clients.

Zurich Insurance Group Case Study.

 

Cultural change

Zurich Insurance Group, a leading multi-line insurer serving people and businesses in more than 200 countries with approximately 60,000 employees, fully recognises this principle. Despite already having a reputation for exceptional work-life balance and being named a Top Employer for 16 consecutive years, Zurich Insurance Group aspired to cultivate a cultural change towards an even more empathetic workplace culture.

Their mission: to enhance the well-being of their front-end teams by addressing the stress and challenges tied to difficult conversations. By equipping employees with the skills to navigate these challenging interactions, the goal was to improve the experience of their clients and mediators, leading to higher satisfaction scores (TNPS). The organisation hoped that creating a program like this would empower teams to transform how they work, thereby ensuring sustainable success while maintaining high levels of service. 

 

Mentoring program

ADITIO, a Barcelona-based eLearning services provider with offices in Madrid, was commissioned by Zurich Insurance Group in Spain to create and deliver ‘Hello Empathy!’, a mentoring program focused on improving employees' emotional well-being and relationships with clients. For this purpose, they utilised ELB Learning’s asynchronous video-based coaching tool, Rehearsal, which provided the flexibility to mould the program according to individual time schedules and personal needs.

The program focused on improving the employee's emotional well-being and relationships with their clients, offering tailored solutions for all teams within the organisation. It included empathy tip videos, empathy webinars and organised empathy contests. These resources all aim to support effective communication by collaboration with directors, managers and supervisors, the adaption of quality guides, and sponsorship for the project sponsors. 

As Zurich Insurance Group demonstrated, embracing cultural change can have a profound impact on both employees and the organisation as a whole. By prioritising employee well-being and fostering a more empathetic workplace, Zurich empowered its teams to navigate challenges more effectively, leading to higher client satisfaction.

Agata Milosz, Change Management Lead at Zurich Insurance Group: “The mentoring program exceeded our expectations, impacting not only TNPS but also the lives of the participants. The program received a satisfaction rating of 4.58 out of 5. TNPS scores improved across all teams compared to the previous year, 2.3 pp, with the best historical score reached in Contact Center Service.”

Investing in programs that address the well-being of employees doesn’t just benefit individuals — it strengthens the entire organisation. ‘Hello Empathy!’ proves that cultural shifts within a company can foster a more positive, connected and resilient workforce. Just as Zurich Insurance Group saw the value in this initiative, organisations that embrace change will be better positioned to meet the demands of the evolving workplace landscape and leave a lasting impact on their employees and their customers.

Liesl Twaalfhoven 

Content Marketing Specialist at ELB Learning