Driving Culture Change Toward Even More Empathetic Teams

ADITIO, a Barcelona-based eLearning services provider with offices in Madrid, specializes in high-impact eLearning solutions for big corporations. Also a partner of ELB Learning, ADITIO was commissioned by Zurich Group in Spain to create and deliver “Hello Empathy!” a mentoring program initially addressed to its 600+ front-end people, focusing on improving their emotional well-being and relationships with clients.

Founded more than 150 years ago, Zurich is a leading multi-line insurer serving people and businesses in more than 200 countries and territories and has about 60,000 employees. The Zurich Group in Spain opened its first office in Barcelona in 1884 and has more than 130 years of history. It currently has nearly 2,000 employees throughout Spain and 1.5 million customers. Zurich is consolidated in the market as a leading company that stands out for its solidity and solvency. In addition, it has some of the most reputable certifications in the market in the field of work-life balance, such as the EDGE LEAD (Gender Equality Certification), and has been recognized as a Top Employer for 16 consecutive years.

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In the words of Agata Milosz, Change Management Lead of Zurich Insurance: “We embarked on a mission to enhance the well-being of our front-end teams and alleviate the stress and challenges associated with difficult conversations. Our goal was to ultimately improve the experience of our clients and mediators, leading to higher satisfaction scores (TNPS). We sought to develop a powerful skill that would transform the way of working and the habits of our teams. Thus, we introduced Hello Empathy!” 

“This initiative was designed to support us throughout our strategic cycle, driving a cultural change towards a team even more empathetic. We faced significant challenges in finding solutions that would have a lasting impact on our habits while ensuring that the level of service remained unaffected. It was crucial to find a supplier who understood our vision and shared a similar work culture. Equally important was convincing teams that had long-standing relationships with clients that we could create something that adds significant value to their experience.”

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To begin with, we implemented a mentoring program that involved employees working both individually and in groups with mentors. For this purpose, we utilized the online tool Rehearsal, which provided the flexibility to mold the program according to individual time schedules and personal needs.

As Agata Milosz puts it: “This program focused on improving our people's emotional well-being and relationships with our clients. It was a tailored solution for all teams. As a bonus, we discovered that individuals who initially had reservations about recording themselves on video experienced significant improvement throughout the program. They became more confident in expressing themselves and communicating publicly.” 

“We also developed practical empathy tip videos, conducted empathy webinars, and organized empathy contests to reinforce the lessons learned over time. These initiatives were supported by effective communication, collaboration with directors, managers, and supervisors, adaptation of quality guides, and sponsorship from our project sponsors.”

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Regarding the program's results, Agata Milosz states: “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.”

“Most notably, the program has had a profound and far-reaching impact throughout the organization, being implemented universally across various teams and even influencing the steering committee. Each team has received a customized version of the program tailored to their specific needs and goals.”

Zurich received the 9th edition of Spain’s Change Management Institute Award for this program.