The Brief
Lloyd’s Register, a global leader in maritime insurance, faced a fundamental challenge in their workforce: progression was tied to tenure, not talent. With newer hires growing frustrated, they needed to shift mindsets.
The Solution
We built Propel, an interactive career progression portal based on a universal skills framework. At its heart was a diagnostic tool designed not just to assess but to empower: employees at all levels would gain clarity on where they stood in the organisation, what skills they needed to grow, and how to have better conversations with their managers.
Background
Lloyd’s Register is a legacy organisation with a deeply technical DNA. For over two hundred years, they’ve ensured safety and compliance for maritime vessels across the world. It’s complex work requiring rigour, attention to detail, and a very specific knowledge base. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a lot of employees have worked there for decades, leading to an internal culture valuing tenure above all else.
But this mindset was starting to crack. Younger employees, frustrated by limited progression pathways, were leaving. Simultaneously, a wave of senior retirements loomed, threatening to take valuable institutional knowledge with them. The organisation needed a new approach to career development: one that rewarded performance and potential, not just time served.
Our Approach
We began by listening. From interviews with employees across the organisation, we were able to map the entire landscape of valued skills at Lloyd’s Register. Based on these conversations, we designed a universal skills framework: 15 capabilities relevant to every employee, with expectations tailored by role and seniority.
Then we brought it to life, using a custom diagnostic tool designed to feel more like a conversation than a test. Instead of one-to-ten ratings or ‘strongly agree’ boxes, the assessment used a variety of carefully crafted questions to subtly elicit genuine responses, leading to more insightful feedback about the employee.
Finally, we layered in design-thinking. We prototyped, tested, iterated, and tested again. We ran workshops, worked closely with the client, and fine-tuned until we had something special.
The result was Propel. A high-end, data-rich digital platform that gives employees a clear sense of where they are, where they’re going, and how to get there.
Key Deliverables
Impact
- A tailored skills framework, modelled on 15 cross-functional capabilities and adaptable to different roles and seniority levels across the organisation.
- A 45-question, algorithm-backed diagnostic tool providing personalised insight on performance and growth areas, without feeling like a test.
- The Propel portal, a bespoke digital experience built on Lloyd’s Register’s infrastructure, providing a go-to destination for career progression. Future plans include layering in learning journeys, mentor matching, placements, and succession planning.
- Downloadable reports and insight summaries to support richer, more actionable career conversations.
Rollout is ongoing, but early signals are strong. A quarter of the workforce has already used the tool, sparking conversations between employees and managers about what growth at Lloyd’s Register really looks like.
The client has embraced not only the platform, but the strategic shift it represents. We’ve continued to work together to refine the experience and build out the next chapter. Propel is just the first leg of a longer journey, towards shifting mindsets for the better.
“What can I say other than you are amazing and I love you all. Thank you for bringing our vision to life in such a short space in time. Please do pass our gratitude to everyone involved. Your brilliance never ceases to amaze me.”
Elizabeth Pedler Global People Development Director
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