PROMETRIC COMPANY

NAME: Shyamalah Rajangam

POSTION: Quality Assurance Manager
LOCATED: Damansara Heights, K.L.

QUESTIONS:
Company Background and overview
1. Please do explain your company background?
- We are a leading provider of technology-enabled testing and assessment solutions
to many of the world’s most recognized licensing and certification organizations,
academic institutions, and government agencies. Established in 1990, we have
been delivering and administering tests to about 500 clients in the academic,
professional, government, corporate and information technology markets globally.
Based in the U.S., we support more than 7 million test takers annually at our
testing locations in more than 180 countries around the world. Besides test
development and delivery services, we also provide data management capabilities.

2. How did your company manage during this Pandemic?

- During this unprecedented time, the company had to take drastic measures
including voluntary layoffs (senior management roles), end of contract (for
contractual staff) and placing about 60% of work force on furlough (unpaid leave)
- Moved from Test-Center based to Home-based testing (ProProctor) to help keep
business afloat
- WFH mode activated with only basic payout. Other benefits including allowances,
incentives & bonuses were omitted.

3. Did your sales and ROI increase?

- Negative. We had to close all our test centers globally as safety of our candidates
& employees was our top priority.

Organizational Development Changes Issues

1. Being in your position, what are the changes made in your organization development?
- Repurposed employees to perform revenue churning activities, providing them
training and exposure to other departments role while supporting the company to
generate revenue

2. Did the organizational development changes affect your company’s performances?

For example: Lack of efficiency in customer service, Time Consuming due to manual
compilation and reporting, and technology & structure.
- Yes, there were certain level of impact as these were very new & sudden changes
and hence accepting & adapting did consume time. The traction mechanism
changed with the mode of support, there were challenges in keeping employees
 engaged and motivated at the desired level. However, over time, these improved
although there are still room for improvement.

3. What kind of changes have been practiced in your company?

- More focus placed on Home-testing, engaging BPO to manage contact center,
reduction in in-house resources, hiring contractual staff, WFH mode, down-sizing
office space, reorganization department & reporting structures.

4. Was organizational change required in your company?

- Yes, due to the change in business needs and environment. In order to meet
clients’ requirements and sustain the business, significant changes were made.

5. What challenges faced by your company to implement the changes?

- Extensive analysis and consultations including financial, legal advisory were
required to make executive decisions in short duration. Resistance in adapting to
changes in roles & designations, challenge in accepting the new structure, lack of
confidence and trust, hence a significant increase in attrition.

Diagnostic Process
1. How are the communication patterns and flows in the organization?
- Communication is a major pain point even so now that mostly are conducted
virtually - conference/video call, lacking the “in-person” touch. Although
technology has helped us stay connected during this pandemic, there are other
challenges emerging in other areas especially employee related matters.

2. What are the goals settings in the company?

- To be the world’s best assessment company

3. What is the flow in decision making, problem solving and action planning in the
organization?
- i) Identify the problem and desired goal
- ii) Gather info & data
- iii) Weigh the options & alternatives
- iv) Make the decision/action
- v) Evaluate the decision/action

4. How do we manage conflict in terms of resolutions and management?

- The key in managing conflict is communication which includes being concise in
addressing the concern, using appropriate language (choice of words), listening
actively and being empathetic. We promote collaboration, shifting the focus
towards resolution and team goal instead of individual interests.

5. What are the prevailing leadership style, and the problems arises between superiors
and subordinates?
 - While there is a combination of leadership styles adopted based on the needs, the
most apparent Transformational, Strategic & Democratic style.
- Problems – when suggested actions are not implemented, miscommunication,
misinterpretation, over promised – under delivered.

6. Is there any strategic management and the long-range planning for the organization?
- Yes, they are mainly focused on these 3 main elements, exam delivery growth,
developing highest quality content at lowest cost and transforming customer’s
experience.

Overcoming Resistance to Change

1. Did your company have any overcoming resistance to change?
- Yes, communication was key to ensure employees were kept informed and set the
expectation.

2. What causes of Resistance to Change within Your Organization?

- Uncertainty, lack of confidence and trust, fear of the unknown, maintain “comfort-
zone”

3. Did your company implement any strategies?

- Getting employees to be involved in the process of change and progress,
empowering them to make certain level of decision and champion the change.

Organization development intervention – a set of planned actions intended to help the

organization to increase its effectiveness.
1. What are the interventions happened in the company?
- Technostructural & Human process

2. What are the objectives of the intervention?

- To move towards hybrid testing delivery model employing other methodologies
delivering secure tests, to allow test takers to “test anywhere” via their devices at
their preferred locality.
- Employee development by retaining “A” standard talents and to promote better
interpersonal relationship among the team members. To cultivate coaching culture
and motivated each other for increased productivity.

3. How many employees involve in the intervention?

- Technostructural = 60 employees
- Human process = 50 employees

4. How long will the intervention take?

- Technostructural = 2 years
 - Human process = 1 year

5. What have been done for the intervention?

- The initial stages including investigation, exploration & designing have been
completed. Implementation has been initiated partially.

Organization Transformation and Strategic Change

1. How you know the company need a change? / Why the company need to change?
- When the needs of our clients and candidates (customers) changed.

2. What is the strategy / culture changes in the company?

- We have adopted the Engineering (Technocratic) strategy moving away from the
mundane and old-school style, that required more manpower & manual efforts,
towards more automated and advancement technologically.

3. Who initiates the change?

- The top management team including CEO, CCO & CFO.

4. Have the changes completed/or on-going?

- There are combinations of completed and on-going. Change is inevitable.

5. Are you able to see / explain the benefit of the changes?

- Mostly yes, especially the ones that has direct impact to my department. However,
there are some that we don’t have visibility to.

Challenges and Future Direction

1. Do the employees support changes in the company?
- There were challenges in the initial stages, however, with a good level of
transparency coupled with proper communication, they have been very
supportive.

2. What are the challenges for the changes?

- To regain the confidence & trust of the employees towards the management &
organization
- To change practices and shift focus on the new direction

3. What are your actions to face the challenges?

- Being transparent and keeping the team well informed of challenges, progress and
plans, directing their focus on the opportunities that lies in the adversities

4. What do you expect will happen in next 3 - 5 years?

 - Increase in virtual testing platform, better home-testing delivery with better
security, to have rebranded, new facelift, more diversified, not just limited to
current services but add-on, value added services.

5. What have you prepared to face the future which you had expected earlier?
- Adjustments made to previous expected deliverables to meet the current
requirements, changes in approaches and strategies, revised contracts/agreements
with clients and stakeholders to cater latter needs.