Case Study: Transforming Engagement & Retention Through AQ

A Compliance & Quality Control Department within a large global pharmaceutical organisation was experiencing a significant and escalating workforce crisis — one that threatened to undermine the successful launch of several high-potential products with material implications for the company’s bottom line. Staff turnover was rising, stress and anxiety levels were elevated, and critical institutional knowledge was concentrated in a small group of experienced employees, most approaching 50 years of age, while the remainder of the team had been with the organisation for less than ten years. A further organisational restructure had left employees feeling disconnected from leadership, with little clarity on the reasons behind the change.

With several high-potential product launches imminent, the organisation could not afford to lose its most experienced Compliance & Quality Control staff. Left unaddressed, the knowledge concentration risk alone had the potential to delay or compromise launches worth millions in future revenue — while compounding costs from attrition, retraining, and declining team performance continued to mount invisibly in the background.

AQ® Certified Partner Andrew Southwood of FreshXpressions deployed AQme individual assessments across the department, mapping adaptability through AQai’s ACE model — Ability, Character, and Environment. AQteam data was layered in to surface group-level patterns, and findings were validated through employee interviews. This diagnostic approach uncovered a critical insight: employees demonstrated strong individual capability, but low environmental support was generating burnout risk and active disengagement.

Three targeted interventions followed: a Junior Management Training Programme to strengthen adaptive leadership and people management capability; a Wellbeing & Anxiety Reduction Initiative focused on resilience-building and stress management; and an Enhanced Senior Management Communication Plan to increase transparency and close the perceived leadership distance.

By the end of 2024, the department had delivered measurable results across every target area. Sick days declined by 67% and staff turnover fell to just 12% — significantly reducing the compounding costs of attrition, retraining, and lost productivity. Active participation in team meetings rose from 1-in-5 employees to 3-in-5, signalling a fundamental shift in psychological safety and team cohesion. A structured mentorship programme, introduced as part of the Junior Leadership Development Programme, began transferring critical institutional knowledge from senior employees to the next generation of talent — directly mitigating the knowledge concentration risk that had threatened the product launch timeline. Most significantly, retaining its experienced workforce enabled the organisation to deliver its planned product launches successfully and on schedule, realising millions in projected revenue. AQ® assessment is now embedded as a core tool within the organisation’s Skills-Based Organisational Strategy.