Grown too quick without implementing process to develop staff. Shifting objectives during one-sided performance reviews - Senior Account Executive Cherry Advertising Employee Review

Hi there, We’re glad to hear that you think our staff are great, we do too! I would like to address a couple of the points you’ve raised in your feedback. Staff retention issues – our headcount grew by 42% last year, and we are anticipating similar growth in 2020. Yes, people have left too but the overall number for a company our size it is less than the industry average. We don’t expect everyone to stay forever and are quite opened about why some people leave and some people stay, but we have a high retention rate and many have been here over 5 years. Training of staff – we implemented agency wide training at the start of 2019 and all managers and senior leaders have management training. In fact, in our employee engagement survey last year, 95% of employees felt they were offered training to further themselves professionally. Also, it’s important to highlight that just because someone has received the training doesn’t mean automatic promotion. The training is to help the individual develop their skills but it is still down to the individual to show they have acquired those skills and capable of performing at a higher level. Our appraisal process – we have two formal appraisals per year. Our employees take ownership of this process and are asked to provide feedback on how they feel they have performed, what they’ve enjoyed, any feedback they would like to give Cherry and also what they feel they would need to further support themselves in terms of development. Only in instances of under performance would this process not be followed. Also, we always ask for both the views of people who work in more senior positions and those that work in junior ones too. Feedback is not solely based on senior people and taken from the wider agency staff not just from within one’s team. Of course there are occasions when someone isn’t happy with the feedback they receive but based on it coming from a wide catchment of people, both senior, junior and from a number of departments, we have found it is a fair way of ascertaining someone’s performance. Thanks, Cherry