Study Data · Part 4 · Indicator Deep-Dive Analysis

My manager knows the financial industry well

Indicator C081 · By Phil Hatch · Akholi · October 9, 2026

Indicator Specification

Table 1. Indicator specificationTable
FieldValue
Indicator codeC081
Question as askedMy manager knows the financial industry well.
Failure categoryNot one of the 100 rated indicators
Place in the surveyVendor Details > 4.2 My Manager > Domain Knowledge
Indicator classRespondent level
Indicator typeRated, POS
Response scale1 to 10, higher is the better outcome
Answering base800 of 850 respondents, across 150 of 150 engagements
Non-answersI do not know 0, I prefer to not answer 0, blank 50
Written responses addressing the indicator1 response from 1 respondent on 1 engagement (0 primary, 1 secondary)

Summary of Findings

Table 2. Key results: association of the indicator with the four study measuresTable
MeasureFormnr95% CIp
Cancellation rateDescriptive contrast150 engagements−0.62−0.71 to −0.51< 0.001
Customer satisfactionClean estimate94 engagements0.700.58 to 0.79< 0.001
Engagement indicator meanFull150 engagements0.820.76 to 0.87< 0.001
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clustered751 respondents−0.66−0.71 to −0.59< 0.001

The mean rating was 4.8 and the median 5.0 (n = 800 respondents). Ratings of 3 or below, the distressed range, made up 31.63% of the answers. The rating was associated with all four study measures. Higher ratings came with less cancellation (r = −0.62, 95% CI −0.71 to −0.51, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements), higher customer satisfaction among active engagements (r = 0.70, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.79, p < 0.001, n = 94 engagements), a higher engagement indicator mean (r = 0.82, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.87, p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements) and lower intent to leave (r = −0.66, cluster bootstrap 95% CI −0.71 to −0.59, p < 0.001 with standard errors clustered by engagement, n = 751 respondents). After Holm correction, ratings differed by engagement status and lifecycle stage (Welch F 37.15, Holm p < 0.001, omega squared 0.377), respondent role (Welch F 7.91, Holm p = 0.005, omega squared 0.014) and vendor type (Welch F 3.27, Holm p = 0.036, omega squared 0.014).

A single written response addressed the indicator, from C135, the comment field on the employer. It found the tooling and quality assurance sound and placed the gap in insurance knowledge: most of the team's leads had never worked on policy administration and were learning it at the same time as their staff.

Distribution of Ratings

Table 3. Distribution of ratings, respondent levelTable
AnswerRespondentsShare of answered (base 800)Cumulative shareEngagements with at least oneShare of 150 engagementsDistressed
1668.25%8.25%3724.67%Yes
2718.88%17.13%4832.00%Yes
311614.50%31.63%6543.33%Yes
413717.13%48.75%8556.67%No
510713.38%62.13%7147.33%No
610112.63%74.75%7046.67%No
79411.75%86.50%5637.33%No
8698.63%95.13%4228.00%No
9263.25%98.38%1812.00%No
10131.63%100.00%74.67%No
I do not know0Not in baseNot in base00.00%Not applicable
I prefer to not answer0Not in baseNot in base00.00%Not applicable
Answered, total800100.00%150100.00%
Table 4. Distribution of ratings, engagement levelTable
Engagement level summaryEngagementsMean of engagement meansSDMinMedianMaxEngagements with a distressed meanShare of engagements distressed
Engagement means, goodness view1504.81.91.04.59.62919.33%

Ratings of 3 or below, the distressed range, accounted for 253 of the 800 answers (31.63%). The engagement mean fell in the distressed range in 29 of 150 engagements.

Coverage and Origin of Written Responses

Figure 1. Written responses addressing the indicator, by question answered and written score (n = 1 response)Exhibit
00.280.560.841.12C135 (secondary)1−10 Strongly negative−5 Negative0 Neutral+5 Positive+10 Strongly positive
Note: The bar is C135, outside the indicator's survey section, so the response is secondary. Labels give counts. C135 asked: “Add any comments on your employer that the ratings in this section do not capture.”
Table 5. Written responses by originTable
OriginResponsesRespondentsEngagementsNegativeStrongest negative (−10)PositiveMean written score
Primary000000None
Secondary1111 of 10 of 10 of 1‡
All responses1111 of 10 of 10 of 1‡
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

The single response was secondary. It answered C135, “Add any comments on your employer that the ratings in this section do not capture.”, and said the tooling was fine and the quality assurance worked, but most of the leads had never touched policy administration before the engagement and were learning insurance alongside the team. The respondent did not blame them for it.

Distribution of Written Sentiment

Figure 2. Distribution of written sentiment (n = 1 response)Exhibit
00.280.560.841.12−10 Strongly negative0 of 1−5 Negative1 of 10 Neutral0 of 1+5 Positive0 of 1+10 Strongly positive0 of 1Responses
Note: Column height is the number of responses at each score. With fewer than 10 responses, labels give counts and no shares.

The single response carried −5. With fewer than 10 responses, the distribution is reported as counts only.

Descriptive Statistics by Segment

Table 6a. Descriptive statistics by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentBaseAnsweredAnswer rateEngagementsMean95% CISD
Study set85080094.12% of 8501504.84.6 to 4.92.3
Outsourcing model
CXM23222295.69% of 232425.04.7 to 5.32.3
ITO24422893.44% of 244404.74.4 to 5.02.2
BPO20919995.22% of 209374.74.4 to 5.02.2
KPO16515191.52% of 165314.64.2 to 5.02.3
Institution type
Asset management13212292.42% of 132244.64.2 to 5.02.3
Wealth management and private banking14013495.71% of 140235.24.8 to 5.52.3
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)10510095.24% of 105194.03.6 to 4.41.9
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)787089.74% of 78145.14.5 to 5.82.6
Commercial and business banking827793.90% of 82134.64.2 to 5.12.1
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)716794.37% of 71134.43.9 to 5.02.1
Credit card and payments issuing736994.52% of 73124.54.0 to 5.12.2
Retail and consumer banking737095.89% of 73125.44.9 to 6.02.2
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)575494.74% of 57115.44.7 to 6.02.3
Private equity and private capital393794.87% of 3994.63.9 to 5.42.3
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions24823393.95% of 248474.64.3 to 4.92.2
Technology engineering and operations20419394.61% of 204354.94.6 to 5.22.3
Client servicing and communications948691.49% of 94165.14.6 to 5.72.5
Trade, settlement and reconciliation807593.75% of 80154.23.7 to 4.72.2
Payments, cards and disputes737298.63% of 73125.55.0 to 5.92.0
Credit, underwriting and suitability575291.23% of 5795.34.8 to 5.92.0
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal514996.08% of 5194.23.5 to 4.82.2
Financial crime and client onboarding434093.02% of 4374.23.5 to 4.92.2
Class of work
LOB Operational45142594.24% of 451764.84.6 to 5.12.3
Corporate Functional39937593.98% of 399744.74.5 to 4.92.3
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out17516393.14% of 175315.45.1 to 5.71.9
Active, Transition/Cut-Over25023895.20% of 250435.85.5 to 6.12.2
Active, Production1039794.17% of 103205.95.6 to 6.31.8
Canceled32230293.79% of 322563.23.0 to 3.41.7
Respondent role
Individual Contributor66761892.65% of 6671504.64.5 to 4.82.3
Engagement Manager150150100.00% of 1501505.14.8 to 5.52.2
Portfolio Director313096.77% of 31305.95.1 to 6.61.9
Customer Management Executive222 of 22‡
Vendor type
IT services major31630094.94% of 316595.04.7 to 5.22.2
BPO specialist19818995.45% of 198374.23.9 to 4.52.2
Consulting firm11710589.74% of 117234.94.5 to 5.42.3
Boutique or specialist provider878294.25% of 87175.04.5 to 5.62.5
Pure-play agentic AI firm757194.67% of 75145.04.5 to 5.52.1
Not reported, recovered by engagement575392.98% of 57444.84.2 to 5.32.1
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 6b. Descriptive statistics by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentMinQ1MedianQ3MaxDistressed nDistressed %
Study set1.03.05.07.010.025331.63%
Outsourcing model
CXM1.03.05.07.010.05926.58%
ITO1.03.04.06.010.07733.77%
BPO1.03.05.07.010.06532.66%
KPO1.03.05.06.010.05234.44%
Institution type
Asset management1.03.04.06.010.04536.89%
Wealth management and private banking1.03.05.07.010.03526.12%
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)1.03.04.06.08.04444.00%
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)1.03.05.06.810.01927.14%
Commercial and business banking1.03.04.06.09.02633.77%
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)1.03.04.06.09.02537.31%
Credit card and payments issuing1.02.05.06.08.02130.43%
Retail and consumer banking1.04.05.07.010.01217.14%
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)1.04.06.07.010.01222.22%
Private equity and private capital1.03.04.06.09.01437.84%
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions1.03.04.06.010.07833.48%
Technology engineering and operations1.03.05.07.010.06031.09%
Client servicing and communications1.03.05.07.010.02529.07%
Trade, settlement and reconciliation1.02.54.06.09.03040.00%
Payments, cards and disputes1.04.06.07.09.01115.28%
Credit, underwriting and suitability1.04.05.07.09.01223.08%
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal1.03.04.06.09.02040.82%
Financial crime and client onboarding1.02.05.06.08.01742.50%
Class of work
LOB Operational1.03.05.07.010.013331.29%
Corporate Functional1.03.04.06.010.012032.00%
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out1.04.06.07.010.03119.02%
Active, Transition/Cut-Over1.04.06.07.010.03715.55%
Active, Production2.05.06.07.010.099.28%
Canceled1.02.03.04.08.017658.28%
Respondent role
Individual Contributor1.03.04.06.010.021234.30%
Engagement Manager1.04.05.07.010.03724.67%
Portfolio Director3.04.06.08.09.0310.00%
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 2
Vendor type
IT services major1.03.05.06.010.08628.67%
BPO specialist1.03.04.06.010.07640.21%
Consulting firm1.03.05.07.010.02927.62%
Boutique or specialist provider1.03.05.07.010.02530.49%
Pure-play agentic AI firm1.03.05.07.09.02028.17%
Not reported, recovered by engagement1.03.05.07.08.01732.08%
Note: ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Every figure in the segment tables is at respondent level. Segments with fewer than 30 respondents carry no interval. Segments with fewer than 10 report counts only.

Tests of Difference Between Segments

Table 7a. Tests of difference between segments, part 1 of 2Table
Segment familyWelch FdfpHolm pOmega squared90% CI
Outsourcing model0.093, 78.60.9651.000−0.0190.000 to 0.000
Institution type0.908, 49.10.5241.000−0.0120.000 to 0.055
Process family0.804, 39.70.5311.000−0.0080.000 to 0.053
Class of work0.171, 147.30.6841.000−0.0060.000 to 0.025
Engagement status and lifecycle stage37.153, 58.7< 0.001< 0.0010.3770.281 to 0.467
Respondent role7.912, 75.2< 0.0010.0050.0140.004 to 0.033
Vendor type3.275, 232.20.0070.0360.0140.003 to 0.033
Table 7b. Tests of difference between segments, part 2 of 2Table
Segment familyKruskal-Wallis HpDistressed chi-squaredfpCramer's VLevels excluded
Outsourcing model0.490.9212.8130.4210.14None
Institution type6.300.6144.5780.820, simulated0.18Private equity and private capital, n = 9
Process family2.980.5614.0640.402, simulated0.18Credit, underwriting and suitability, n = 9, Regulatory, audit, tax and legal, n = 9, Financial crime and client onboarding, n = 7
Class of work0.320.5690.2910.5890.04None
Engagement status and lifecycle stage61.68< 0.00127.403< 0.001, simulated0.43None
Respondent role13.610.00111.9120.0030.12Customer Management Executive, n = 2
Vendor type15.140.0108.8850.1140.11None

Segment families recorded at engagement level were tested on engagement means. Respondent role and vendor type were tested on respondents. Where an expected count fell below 5, the test of the distressed share used Fisher's exact test for a two-by-two table, marked exact, or a Monte Carlo test, marked simulated. After Holm correction, ratings differed by engagement status and lifecycle stage (Welch F 37.15, Holm p < 0.001, omega squared 0.377). Active engagements in Production rated highest (mean 5.9, n = 97 respondents) and canceled engagements lowest (mean 3.2, n = 302 respondents). Ratings also differed by respondent role (Welch F 7.91, Holm p = 0.005, omega squared 0.014). Portfolio directors rated highest (mean 5.9, n = 30 respondents) and individual contributors lowest (mean 4.6, n = 618 respondents). Ratings also differed by vendor type (Welch F 3.27, Holm p = 0.036, omega squared 0.014). Boutique or specialist providers rated highest (mean 5.0, n = 82 respondents) and BPO specialists lowest (mean 4.2, n = 189 respondents). Outsourcing model, institution type, process family and class of work showed no difference.

Association with Cancellation Rate

Cancellation rate is the share of engagements canceled by the study date, measured at engagement level (150 engagements, 56 canceled). Canceled engagements were rated after cancellation. The association is therefore a descriptive contrast and not a forecast of cancellation.

Table 8a. Association with cancellation rate by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentEngagementsCanceledCancellation ratePoint-biserial r95% CIpHolm p
Study set1505637.33% of 150−0.62−0.71 to −0.51< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM421535.71% of 42−0.64−0.79 to −0.42< 0.001< 0.001
ITO401537.50% of 40−0.53−0.72 to −0.26< 0.0010.006
BPO371437.84% of 37−0.74−0.86 to −0.55< 0.001< 0.001
KPO311238.71% of 31−0.56−0.76 to −0.26< 0.0010.011
Institution type
Asset management241354.17% of 24−0.76†< 0.001< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking23834.78% of 23−0.55†0.0070.042
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)19947.37% of 19−0.40†0.0870.174
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)14535.71% of 14−0.74†0.0020.021
Commercial and business banking13430.77% of 13−0.29†0.3440.344
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)13323.08% of 13−0.61†0.0260.113
Credit card and payments issuing12541.67% of 12−0.89†< 0.0010.002
Retail and consumer banking12433.33% of 12−0.78†0.0030.023
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)11327.27% of 11−0.77†0.0060.040
Private equity and private capital922 of 9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions471940.43% of 47−0.58−0.74 to −0.35< 0.001< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations351028.57% of 35−0.52−0.73 to −0.230.0010.013
Client servicing and communications16956.25% of 16−0.54†0.0310.113
Trade, settlement and reconciliation15853.33% of 15−0.89†< 0.001< 0.001
Payments, cards and disputes12216.67% of 12−0.65†0.0230.113
Credit, underwriting and suitability911 of 9‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal944 of 9‡
Financial crime and client onboarding733 of 7‡
Class of work
LOB Operational763039.47% of 76−0.61−0.74 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional742635.14% of 74−0.63−0.75 to −0.47< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out3100.00% of 31a
Active, Transition/Cut-Over4300.00% of 43a
Active, Production2000.00% of 20a
Canceled5656100.00% of 56a
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported. a Not tested: no variation in cancellation.
Table 8b. Association with cancellation rate by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentOdds ratio per point95% CIAUCRate, distressed engagementsRate, other engagementsFisher pTOST p
Study set0.310.21 to 0.460.8879.31% of 2927.27% of 121< 0.0011.000
Outsourcing model
CXM0.270.12 to 0.640.906 of 725.71% of 350.0050.997
ITO0.360.17 to 0.760.813 of 534.29% of 350.3450.953
BPO0.120.03 to 0.510.958 of 921.43% of 28< 0.0011.000
KPO0.450.25 to 0.800.836 of 826.09% of 230.0320.959
Institution type
Asset management0.12† n = 240.936 of 638.89% of 180.0160.999
Wealth management and private banking0.41† n = 230.832 of 330.00% of 200.2690.913
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)0.53† n = 190.713 of 440.00% of 150.3030.681
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)0.14† n = 140.992 of 225.00% of 120.1100.984
Commercial and business banking0.67† n = 130.671 of 227.27% of 111.0000.480
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)0.10† n = 131.003 of 40 of 90.0140.900
Credit card and payments issuing0.18† n = 121.003 of 32 of 90.0451.000
Retail and consumer banking0.05† n = 120.971 of 127.27% of 110.3330.986
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)0.22† n = 111.001 of 120.00% of 100.2730.977
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions0.370.20 to 0.670.8670.00% of 1032.43% of 370.0660.991
Technology engineering and operations0.310.12 to 0.830.833 of 523.33% of 300.1280.938
Client servicing and communications0.43† n = 160.841 of 257.14% of 141.0000.856
Trade, settlement and reconciliation0.13† n = 151.005 of 530.00% of 100.0261.000
Payments, cards and disputes0.28† n = 121.001 of 19.09% of 110.1670.918
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB Operational0.350.22 to 0.560.8781.25% of 1628.33% of 60< 0.0011.000
Corporate Functional0.230.11 to 0.480.9076.92% of 1326.23% of 61< 0.0011.000
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Outa
Active, Transition/Cut-Overa
Active, Productiona
Canceleda
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported. a Not tested: no variation in cancellation.

Across the study set, higher ratings came with less cancellation (r = −0.62, 95% CI −0.71 to −0.51, Holm p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). The association held after Holm correction in fifteen of the 20 segment levels tested.

Association with Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction is the percentage recorded against each engagement. The primary estimate uses the 94 active engagements. A descriptive contrast uses all 150 engagements.

Table 9a. Association with customer satisfaction by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentActive engagementsClean r95% CIpHolm pSpearman rhop
Study set940.700.58 to 0.79< 0.001< 0.0010.71< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM270.75†< 0.001< 0.0010.72< 0.001
ITO250.69†< 0.0010.0010.69< 0.001
BPO230.67†< 0.0010.0030.69< 0.001
KPO190.76†< 0.0010.0010.71< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management110.88†< 0.0010.0030.94< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking150.66†0.0080.0310.660.008
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)100.69†0.0260.0790.580.077
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)9‡
Commercial and business banking9‡
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)100.62†0.0570.1150.440.199
Credit card and payments issuing7‡
Retail and consumer banking8‡
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)8‡
Private equity and private capital7‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions280.78†< 0.001< 0.0010.79< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations250.74†< 0.001< 0.0010.73< 0.001
Client servicing and communications7‡
Trade, settlement and reconciliation7‡
Payments, cards and disputes100.49†0.1550.1550.560.093
Credit, underwriting and suitability8‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal5‡
Financial crime and client onboarding4‡
Class of work
LOB Operational460.750.59 to 0.86< 0.001< 0.0010.73< 0.001
Corporate Functional480.670.47 to 0.80< 0.001< 0.0010.68< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.540.23 to 0.750.0020.0080.510.004
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.760.60 to 0.86< 0.001< 0.0010.76< 0.001
Active, Production200.77†< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
Canceled0a
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported. a Not tested: canceled engagements fall outside the active population.
Table 9b. Association with customer satisfaction by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentSlope, points per rating point95% CIR squaredTOST pAll engagementsDescriptive rp
Study set4.793.79 to 5.790.491.0001500.74< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM5.82† n = 270.560.999420.77< 0.001
ITO3.80† n = 250.480.995400.66< 0.001
BPO4.62† n = 230.440.986370.82< 0.001
KPO5.18† n = 190.570.997310.72< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management5.30† n = 110.770.999240.83< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking3.27† n = 150.430.952230.640.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)6.36† n = 100.480.925190.550.015
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)‡ n = 9
Commercial and business banking‡ n = 9
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)5.16† n = 100.380.862130.770.002
Credit card and payments issuing‡ n = 7
Retail and consumer banking‡ n = 8
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)‡ n = 8
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 7
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions5.27† n = 280.601.000470.74< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations4.14† n = 250.540.999350.71< 0.001
Client servicing and communications‡ n = 7
Trade, settlement and reconciliation‡ n = 7
Payments, cards and disputes3.75† n = 100.240.721120.740.006
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 8
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 5
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 4
Class of work
LOB Operational5.924.35 to 7.490.571.000760.74< 0.001
Corporate Functional3.882.59 to 5.160.451.000740.75< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out3.301.36 to 5.250.290.943310.540.002
Active, Transition/Cut-Over5.253.84 to 6.660.581.000430.76< 0.001
Active, Production5.93†0.590.998200.77< 0.001
Canceleda
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported. a Not tested: canceled engagements fall outside the active population.

Across the active engagements, higher ratings came with higher customer satisfaction (r = 0.70, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.79, Holm p < 0.001, n = 94 engagements). The association held after Holm correction in thirteen of the 16 segment levels tested.

Association with the Engagement Indicator Mean

The engagement indicator mean is the mean of an engagement's ratings across the rated indicators, measured at engagement level (150 engagements). The indicator does not enter the mean.

Table 10a. Association with the engagement indicator mean by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentEngagementsLeave-one-out r95% CIpHolm pSpearman rhop
Study set1500.820.76 to 0.87< 0.001< 0.0010.82< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM420.830.71 to 0.91< 0.001< 0.0010.82< 0.001
ITO400.820.68 to 0.90< 0.001< 0.0010.77< 0.001
BPO370.870.75 to 0.93< 0.001< 0.0010.86< 0.001
KPO310.790.61 to 0.90< 0.001< 0.0010.77< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management240.89†< 0.001< 0.0010.82< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking230.77†< 0.001< 0.0010.76< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)190.80†< 0.001< 0.0010.76< 0.001
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)140.89†< 0.001< 0.0010.87< 0.001
Commercial and business banking130.70†0.0080.0240.680.010
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)130.69†0.0090.0240.620.024
Credit card and payments issuing120.84†< 0.0010.0020.87< 0.001
Retail and consumer banking120.95†< 0.001< 0.0010.96< 0.001
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)110.88†< 0.0010.0020.850.001
Private equity and private capital9‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions470.830.72 to 0.91< 0.001< 0.0010.83< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations350.840.70 to 0.92< 0.001< 0.0010.81< 0.001
Client servicing and communications160.86†< 0.001< 0.0010.82< 0.001
Trade, settlement and reconciliation150.85†< 0.001< 0.0010.84< 0.001
Payments, cards and disputes120.68†0.0140.0240.670.017
Credit, underwriting and suitability9‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal9‡
Financial crime and client onboarding7‡
Class of work
LOB Operational760.820.73 to 0.88< 0.001< 0.0010.83< 0.001
Corporate Functional740.820.73 to 0.88< 0.001< 0.0010.81< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out310.650.38 to 0.82< 0.001< 0.0010.65< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over430.730.56 to 0.85< 0.001< 0.0010.72< 0.001
Active, Production200.89†< 0.001< 0.0010.80< 0.001
Canceled560.490.26 to 0.66< 0.001< 0.0010.45< 0.001
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 10b. Association with the engagement indicator mean by segment, part 2 of 2Table
Segmentr with indicator includedChange in rSlope95% CIR squaredTOST pEquivalent
Study setNot a component0.630.56 to 0.700.671.000No
Outsourcing model
CXMNot a component0.680.53 to 0.820.691.000No
ITONot a component0.580.45 to 0.710.671.000No
BPONot a component0.600.48 to 0.710.751.000No
KPONot a component0.630.45 to 0.810.631.000No
Institution type
Asset managementNot a component0.70† n = 240.781.000No
Wealth management and private bankingNot a component0.56† n = 230.590.999No
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)Not a component0.59† n = 190.630.999No
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)Not a component0.61† n = 140.791.000No
Commercial and business bankingNot a component0.57† n = 130.490.960No
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)Not a component0.58† n = 130.470.954No
Credit card and payments issuingNot a component0.54† n = 120.710.997No
Retail and consumer bankingNot a component0.87† n = 120.911.000No
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)Not a component0.62† n = 110.780.999No
Private equity and private capital‡ n = 9
Process family
Corporate and back-office functionsNot a component0.670.54 to 0.810.701.000No
Technology engineering and operationsNot a component0.560.44 to 0.690.711.000No
Client servicing and communicationsNot a component0.69† n = 160.741.000No
Trade, settlement and reconciliationNot a component0.61† n = 150.731.000No
Payments, cards and disputesNot a component0.51† n = 120.470.944No
Credit, underwriting and suitability‡ n = 9
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal‡ n = 9
Financial crime and client onboarding‡ n = 7
Class of work
LOB OperationalNot a component0.650.55 to 0.750.681.000No
Corporate FunctionalNot a component0.610.51 to 0.710.681.000No
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-OutNot a component0.430.24 to 0.630.420.993No
Active, Transition/Cut-OverNot a component0.480.34 to 0.620.541.000No
Active, ProductionNot a component0.81† n = 200.791.000No
CanceledNot a component0.260.13 to 0.390.240.946No
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Higher ratings came with a higher engagement indicator mean (r = 0.82, 95% CI 0.76 to 0.87, Holm p < 0.001, n = 150 engagements). The association held after Holm correction in twenty-four of the 24 segment levels tested.

Association with Intent to Leave

Intent to leave is the answer to C019, “How likely are you to leave your current job in the next 12 months?”, rated 1 to 10. It is measured at respondent level on up to 798 respondents, with the engagement-level form reported alongside.

Table 11a. Association with intent to leave by segment, part 1 of 2Table
SegmentRespondentsr95% CICluster bootstrap 95% CIpHolm p
Study set751−0.66−0.69 to −0.61−0.71 to −0.59< 0.001< 0.001
Outsourcing model
CXM206−0.68−0.75 to −0.60−0.77 to −0.55< 0.001< 0.001
ITO218−0.54−0.63 to −0.44−0.67 to −0.38< 0.001< 0.001
BPO186−0.75−0.80 to −0.68−0.83 to −0.63< 0.001< 0.001
KPO141−0.64−0.73 to −0.54−0.76 to −0.50< 0.001< 0.001
Institution type
Asset management113−0.74−0.81 to −0.64−0.83 to −0.58< 0.001< 0.001
Wealth management and private banking126−0.58−0.68 to −0.45−0.76 to −0.34< 0.001< 0.001
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)93−0.47−0.62 to −0.30−0.71 to −0.16< 0.001< 0.001
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)63−0.69−0.80 to −0.53−0.83 to −0.50< 0.001< 0.001
Commercial and business banking71−0.49−0.65 to −0.29−0.71 to −0.16< 0.001< 0.001
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)65−0.59−0.73 to −0.40−0.79 to −0.28< 0.001< 0.001
Credit card and payments issuing67−0.83−0.89 to −0.74−0.88 to −0.73< 0.001< 0.001
Retail and consumer banking64−0.71−0.81 to −0.56−0.83 to −0.49< 0.001< 0.001
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)52−0.73−0.84 to −0.58−0.84 to −0.51< 0.001< 0.001
Private equity and private capital37−0.66−0.81 to −0.43§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions213−0.72−0.78 to −0.64−0.80 to −0.60< 0.001< 0.001
Technology engineering and operations184−0.55−0.64 to −0.44−0.68 to −0.38< 0.001< 0.001
Client servicing and communications81−0.57−0.70 to −0.41−0.75 to −0.18< 0.001< 0.001
Trade, settlement and reconciliation70−0.76−0.84 to −0.64−0.83 to −0.60< 0.001< 0.001
Payments, cards and disputes69−0.70−0.81 to −0.56−0.85 to −0.45< 0.001< 0.001
Credit, underwriting and suitability48−0.53−0.71 to −0.29§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal47−0.76−0.86 to −0.60§ n = 9< 0.001< 0.001
Financial crime and client onboarding39−0.74−0.85 to −0.55§ n = 7< 0.001< 0.001
Class of work
LOB Operational399−0.66−0.71 to −0.60−0.73 to −0.57< 0.001< 0.001
Corporate Functional352−0.66−0.71 to −0.59−0.74 to −0.56< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out155−0.61−0.70 to −0.50−0.73 to −0.46< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Transition/Cut-Over227−0.57−0.65 to −0.48−0.70 to −0.40< 0.001< 0.001
Active, Production89−0.53−0.67 to −0.36−0.70 to −0.30< 0.001< 0.001
Canceled280−0.08−0.19 to 0.04−0.21 to 0.060.2090.209
Respondent role
Individual Contributor570−0.67−0.71 to −0.62−0.72 to −0.60< 0.001< 0.001
Engagement Manager150−0.63−0.72 to −0.52−0.71 to −0.53< 0.001< 0.001
Portfolio Director30−0.61−0.80 to −0.33−0.83 to −0.34< 0.001< 0.001
Customer Management Executive1‡
Vendor type
IT services major287−0.63−0.70 to −0.56−0.72 to −0.51< 0.001< 0.001
BPO specialist175−0.73−0.79 to −0.65−0.82 to −0.59< 0.001< 0.001
Consulting firm97−0.60−0.71 to −0.46−0.75 to −0.41< 0.001< 0.001
Boutique or specialist provider74−0.71−0.81 to −0.57−0.84 to −0.53< 0.001< 0.001
Pure-play agentic AI firm69−0.67−0.78 to −0.51−0.80 to −0.46< 0.001< 0.001
Not reported, recovered by engagement49−0.51−0.69 to −0.26−0.73 to −0.24< 0.001< 0.001
Note: § Too few engagements for a cluster bootstrap interval. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.
Table 11b. Association with intent to leave by segment, part 2 of 2Table
SegmentSpearman rhopShare at 7 or above, distressedShare at 7 or above, otherEngagementsEngagement level r95% CITOST p
Study set−0.65< 0.00188.56% of 23637.86% of 515150−0.74−0.81 to −0.661.000
Outsourcing model
CXM−0.68< 0.00183.64% of 5529.14% of 15142−0.76−0.86 to −0.591.000
ITO−0.52< 0.00185.14% of 7446.53% of 14440−0.63−0.78 to −0.390.995
BPO−0.75< 0.00191.80% of 6134.40% of 12537−0.84−0.92 to −0.721.000
KPO−0.64< 0.00195.65% of 4643.16% of 9531−0.71−0.85 to −0.480.999
Institution type
Asset management−0.72< 0.00197.56% of 4147.22% of 7224−0.83†1.000
Wealth management and private banking−0.56< 0.00168.75% of 3238.30% of 9423−0.67†0.987
Investment banking (advisory and capital-markets origination)−0.49< 0.00187.80% of 4148.08% of 5219−0.50†0.833
Insurance (life, property and casualty, health)−0.70< 0.00194.44% of 1835.56% of 4514−0.73†0.981
Commercial and business banking−0.51< 0.00179.17% of 2429.79% of 4713−0.63†0.918
Payments and merchant acquiring (networks, acquiring, processing)−0.56< 0.00183.33% of 2436.59% of 4113−0.66†0.939
Credit card and payments issuing−0.84< 0.001100.00% of 2038.30% of 4712−0.96†1.000
Retail and consumer banking−0.72< 0.001100.00% of 1031.48% of 5412−0.82†0.994
Markets and trading (sales and trading, global markets)−0.74< 0.001100.00% of 1227.50% of 4011−0.81†0.991
Private equity and private capital−0.66< 0.00192.86% of 1439.13% of 239‡‡
Process family
Corporate and back-office functions−0.71< 0.00191.30% of 6938.89% of 14447−0.78−0.87 to −0.641.000
Technology engineering and operations−0.56< 0.00178.95% of 5734.65% of 12735−0.63−0.79 to −0.370.992
Client servicing and communications−0.47< 0.00178.26% of 2356.90% of 5816−0.67†0.965
Trade, settlement and reconciliation−0.73< 0.001100.00% of 2943.90% of 4115−0.85†0.999
Payments, cards and disputes−0.70< 0.00172.73% of 1122.41% of 5812−0.80†0.992
Credit, underwriting and suitability−0.55< 0.00190.91% of 1132.43% of 379‡‡
Regulatory, audit, tax and legal−0.69< 0.001100.00% of 1935.71% of 289‡‡
Financial crime and client onboarding−0.73< 0.001100.00% of 1740.91% of 227‡‡
Class of work
LOB Operational−0.65< 0.00191.27% of 12638.46% of 27376−0.75−0.84 to −0.641.000
Corporate Functional−0.66< 0.00185.45% of 11037.19% of 24274−0.73−0.82 to −0.611.000
Engagement status and lifecycle stage
Active, Build-Out−0.63< 0.00161.29% of 3117.74% of 12431−0.70−0.84 to −0.450.998
Active, Transition/Cut-Over−0.55< 0.00168.57% of 3520.31% of 19243−0.63−0.78 to −0.400.997
Active, Production−0.53< 0.001‡ n = 819.75% of 8120−0.56†0.907
Canceled−0.090.134100.00% of 162100.00% of 118560.07−0.20 to 0.330.040
Respondent role
Individual Contributor−0.66< 0.00190.26% of 19537.33% of 375150−0.75−0.81 to −0.671.000
Engagement Manager−0.63< 0.00181.08% of 3739.82% of 113150−0.63−0.72 to −0.521.000
Portfolio Director−0.59< 0.001‡ n = 337.04% of 2730−0.61−0.80 to −0.330.983
Customer Management Executive‡ n = 1
Vendor type
IT services major−0.62< 0.00182.14% of 8441.87% of 20359−0.69−0.80 to −0.531.000
BPO specialist−0.72< 0.00191.30% of 6934.91% of 10637−0.87−0.93 to −0.761.000
Consulting firm−0.61< 0.00192.59% of 2734.29% of 7023−0.65†0.981
Boutique or specialist provider−0.72< 0.00191.30% of 2339.22% of 5117−0.81†0.999
Pure-play agentic AI firm−0.65< 0.00194.74% of 1926.00% of 5014−0.70†0.969
Not reported, recovered by engagement−0.49< 0.00192.86% of 1445.71% of 3541−0.51−0.71 to −0.240.944
Note: † Base under 30. No interval is reported. ‡ Base under 10. No statistic is reported.

Respondents who gave higher ratings reported lower intent to leave (r = −0.66, 95% CI −0.69 to −0.61, Holm p < 0.001, n = 751 respondents). The association held after Holm correction in thirty-six of the 37 segment levels tested.

Comparison of Associations Across the Four Measures

Table 12. Associations across the four measuresTable
MeasureFormUnitnr95% CIpEquivalent to zeroRank among the four
Cancellation rateDescriptive contrastEngagement150−0.62−0.71 to −0.51< 0.001No4
Customer satisfactionClean estimateEngagement940.700.58 to 0.79< 0.001No2
Engagement indicator meanFullEngagement1500.820.76 to 0.87< 0.001No1
Intent to leaveRespondent level, clusteredRespondent751−0.66−0.71 to −0.59< 0.001No3
Table 13. Pairwise comparison of associationsTable
Pair comparedDifference in rSteiger zpHolm pReading
Cancellation rate and customer satisfaction−0.12−5.98< 0.001< 0.001Differed
Cancellation rate and engagement indicator mean−0.20−5.33< 0.001< 0.001Differed
Cancellation rate and intent to leave−0.12−3.250.0010.005Differed
Customer satisfaction and engagement indicator mean−0.08−3.040.0020.006Differed
Customer satisfaction and intent to leave0.010.250.8000.800Did not differ
Engagement indicator mean and intent to leave0.083.110.0020.006Differed

The four associations were compared in pairs on their engagement-level forms, each oriented so that a higher value is the better outcome, across the 150 engagements with all four measures. After Holm correction, five of the six pairs differed. The association with the engagement indicator mean was the strongest and the association with cancellation the weakest. The associations with customer satisfaction and intent to leave did not differ (Holm p = 0.800).

Clustering and Effective Sample Size

Table 14. Clustering and effective sample sizeTable
StatisticValueReading
Clusters (engagements)150Engagements with one or more answers.
Mean respondents per engagement5.3Answers per engagement, among engagements with one or more answers.
ICC(1)0.66Share of the variance that lies between engagements.
Design effect3.86One plus the product of the ICC and the mean cluster size less one.
Nominal respondent n800Respondents who answered.
Effective n207Nominal n divided by the design effect.
Cluster bootstrap appliedYesApplied to every respondent-level interval where the ICC is 0.05 or above.

Answers clustered within engagements (ICC 0.66). Clustering reduced the 800 respondent answers to the equivalent of about 207 independent answers. Respondent-level intervals therefore used the cluster bootstrap. Respondent-level tests of intent to leave used standard errors that allow for clustering by engagement.

Equivalence Tests of Null Results

Table 15. Equivalence tests of null resultsTable
MeasurenrEquivalence boundTOST p, lowerTOST p, upperEquivalent to zeroAchieved powerMDE at power 0.80Detection floor for this n
Cancellation rate150−0.62|r| < 0.301.000< 0.001No0.960.230.23
Customer satisfaction940.70|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.840.290.23
Engagement indicator mean1500.82|r| < 0.30< 0.0011.000No0.960.230.23
Intent to leave751, effective 194−0.66|r| < 0.301.000< 0.001No0.990.200.23

No association was equivalent to zero. Each of the four differed from zero. The detection floor shown is the study floor at 150 engagements. Intent to leave was tested on its effective sample size.

Robustness Checks

Table 16. Robustness checksTable
CheckMeasurePrimary rCheck r95% CIChangeConclusion holds
Rank correlation in place of PearsonCancellation rate−0.62−0.64a−0.02Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonCustomer satisfaction0.700.71a0.00Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonEngagement indicator mean0.820.82a0.00Yes
Rank correlation in place of PearsonIntent to leave−0.66−0.65a0.00Yes
Non-answers excluded, then imputed at the engagement meanIntent to leave−0.66−0.65a0.00Yes
Active engagements onlyEngagement indicator mean0.820.730.62 to 0.81−0.09Yes
Active engagements onlyIntent to leave−0.66−0.56−0.62 to −0.500.09Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook's distance)Cancellation rate−0.62−0.63−0.72 to −0.53−0.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook's distance)Customer satisfaction0.700.710.59 to 0.800.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook's distance)Engagement indicator mean0.820.830.77 to 0.870.01Yes
Most influential engagement removed (largest Cook's distance)Intent to leave−0.66−0.66−0.70 to −0.620.00Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCancellation rate−0.62−0.62a0.00Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countCustomer satisfaction0.700.69a−0.01Yes
Engagements weighted by respondent countEngagement indicator mean0.820.82a0.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCancellation rate−0.62−0.62−0.70 to −0.530.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsCustomer satisfaction0.700.700.60 to 0.790.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsEngagement indicator mean0.820.820.77 to 0.870.00Yes
Bootstrap of engagementsIntent to leave−0.66−0.65−0.71 to −0.590.00Yes
Thin-base segments removedCancellation rate−0.62−0.56−0.69 to −0.390.06Yes
Thin-base segments removedCustomer satisfaction0.700.750.60 to 0.850.05Yes
Thin-base segments removedEngagement indicator mean0.820.830.75 to 0.890.01Yes
Thin-base segments removedIntent to leave−0.66−0.64−0.70 to −0.580.01Yes
Note: a No interval for this check.

Each change was computed before rounding and may differ by 0.01 from the difference between the two printed values.

All 22 checks held. A check holds when its test falls on the same side of 0.05 as the primary test. Where the primary test falls below 0.05, the check must also keep the sign of the primary correlation. The thin-base check removes the engagements in any level of outsourcing model or process family with fewer than 30 engagements. Institution type is not used for that check, because every one of its levels has fewer than 30 engagements.

Measure Independence and Part-Whole Correction

Each of the four measures was computed from data the indicator does not contain. Each result is therefore a finding and not an arithmetic consequence.

Comparison with the Study Norm

Table 17. Comparison with the study normTable
MeasureThe indicator, oriented rStudy median, oriented rDeviationFisher zpHolm p
Cancellation rate0.620.600.020.400.6901.000
Customer satisfaction0.740.720.020.580.5601.000
Engagement indicator mean0.820.84−0.02−0.610.5421.000
Intent to leave0.740.710.020.620.5371.000
Spread of deviations0.04
VerdictTypical

Each deviation was computed before rounding and may differ by 0.01 from the difference between the two printed values.

The comparison covered 150 engagements. The indicator followed the study's typical pattern on all four measures, and no deviation held after Holm correction.

Co-Occurring Indicators and Themes

Figure 3. Other indicators in the same written response (n = 1 response)Exhibit
00.280.560.841.12C1291 of 1C1271 of 1C1201 of 1C0121 of 1Other indicatorsThemes
Note: Labels give counts. C012: “How well do you know the financial industry?” C120: “Rate the depth of your employer's knowledge of the financial industry.” C127: “Rate your employer's quality assurance capability for agents whose outputs are not identical every run.” C129: “Rate how well the technical platforms your employer builds or licenses are optimized for agentic AI outsourcing.”

The response also addressed C012, on the respondent's own knowledge of the financial industry, C120, on the employer's knowledge of it, C127, on quality assurance for agents, and C129, on the employer's platforms. It carried no theme.

Interpretation of the Data

Close to a third of all ratings of whether the manager knows the financial industry well fell in the distressed range (253 of 800 answers, 31.63%). The rating was associated with all four study measures, and every association held under each of the 22 robustness checks. Canceled engagements rated far below the three active stages (mean 3.2, n = 302 respondents).

The single written response is an anecdote. It records leads learning the financial domain at the same time as the people they lead.

Limitations

The evidence is the reported experience of the vendor's delivery teams, collected in a single cross-section. The associations reported here are not causal.

Tests by respondent role and by vendor type treated respondents as independent. The section on clustering reports how far clustering within engagements reduced the information in respondent-level figures.

Customer management executives gave 2 answers, a base of anecdote strength.

Counts of written responses describe the respondents who wrote and not the study set of respondents. With one responses, the written evidence supports counts only and no statistic.

Definitions

Table 18. DefinitionsTable
TermDefinition
Response scaleRatings run from 1 to 10, from the worst outcome a respondent can report to the best.
DistressedA rating of 3 or below. At engagement level, an engagement mean of 3 or below.
Answering baseRespondents who gave a rating from 1 to 10.
Non-answers“I do not know” and “I prefer to not answer” are counted separately and excluded from the mean.
Indicator classRespondent level: a value recorded for each respondent and computed across the respondents who answered.
Failure categoryThe five failure categories of the Study Taxonomy apply only to the rated indicators. The indicator is not a rated indicator and carries none.
Engagement indicator meanThe mean of an engagement's ratings across the rated indicators. The indicator does not enter it.
Written responseA written answer about the respondent's own engagement that addresses the indicator. Non-answers and answers about another engagement are excluded.
Primary and secondaryA primary response answered the written-answer question of the indicator's survey section. A secondary response answered a question in another section and addressed the indicator in its content.
Written sentiment scoreEach written response carries one of five scores: −10, −5, neutral, +5 or +10. The sign records whether the response described the state of the indicator as harmful or helpful to the engagement. The magnitude records its strength. A score of −10 marks a statement of totality, constancy or serious harm.
Cluster bootstrapAn interval computed by resampling engagements rather than responses, so that the responses from one engagement stay together.
Anecdote strengthA base under 10, reported as counts only.

Sources and Provenance

Table 19. Sources and provenanceTable
SourceValue
Study dataStudy Data.xlsx, Data sheet, column C081, sha256 219eba0457274d04
Statistics enginecompute_statistics.py, sha256 738319eef764602b
Statistics recordComputed Statistics.json, record C081, sha256 1ae50a3637fc9370
ComputedOctober 13, 2026, 04:57 UTC
TemplateIndicator Template v2, version 2.0 of 10 October 2026
Figures placed by script2,798
Written responsesQuotes Master.jsonl, sha256 27da38085e2b13fd
Written sentiment scoresQuote Coding Rulebook, version 0.6, with section 21
Written-response computationqa_stats.py, sha256 74a61f3a96169da9. wfacts.py, sha256 b85fae20adf812a1. build_indicator.py, sha256 a97ad6e74627e11e
Written-response recordsC081.qa.json, sha256 2d56fea211246dd0. C081.wfacts.json, sha256 566693a8c9b004dc. Hand-written text handcraft/C081.json, sha256 1d2cc6ac55ead350

Continue the report

Executive summary →
Overview

Executive Summary

Four findings from 150 engagements

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Introduction

Introduction

Scope, evidence, and how the report is organized

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Part 1

Engagement Outcomes

Poor results on every measure, and what separates them

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Part 2

The Five Failure Categories

Where failure concentrates, category by category

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Part 3

Governance, Oversight, and Control

Controls that existed in name only

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Part 4

The Delivery Workforce

Early in their careers, dissatisfied, and many intending to leave

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Part 5

Manual Alteration

How the delivery team altered the work to sustain it

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Part 6

Executive Action Plan

Seven immediate actions and a first-year plan

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Appendices

Appendices

Definitions, indicator inventory, method, and disclosures

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Data

Study Data

Deep-dive analyses of the study indicators, published in stages

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