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During my internship at Campfire I lead a qualitative study which increased manager attendance by +20.7% and improved product ratings by +.1.
View CampfireSpearhead a qualitative study to uncover reasoning behind low manager attendance and poor training ratings.
Research Question
Why do managers give low ratings to training sessions and fail to attend their scheduled sessions?
Impact & Return on Investment (ROI)
Increased Attendance +20.7%
Improved Ratings from 4.4 to 4.5
A look into what the project entailed across the many changes,iterations and explorations! So much to delve into.
Develop Research Plan & Interview Guide’s
To answer the overarching research questions, “Why do managers leave poor ratings” I first analyzed Campfire then developed a research plan and a set of exploratory qualitative questions aimed to meticulously analyze rating criteria.
Gather Sample & Conduct Interviews
Identified sample by referring to Campfire ratings, strategically contacted managers within sample criteria and conducted interviews.
Analyze Data
Compiled interview transcripts and coded data to uncover qualitative themes supported by quantitative data points.
Solutions & Recommendations
Presented research findings to Campfire leadership. Distributed findings through a beautifully crafted presentation and research document.
Implementing Solutions & Impact Metrics
Presented research findings to Campfire leadership. Distributed findings through a beautifully crafted presentation and research document.
Campfire delivers a series of trainings, called Manager Essentials, entailing six sessions.
After attending each session, managers leave a rating on a 5-star likert scale based on the following criteria: content, facilitator, breakouts, and overall experience.
Before conducting any research, I drafted a thorough research plan. Below is the final version.
As the study was qualitative, I created semi-structured interview guides with open-ended exploratory questions.
Strategically wrote out messages to contact managers for potential interviews. Contacted via Email, LinkedIn, Slack, and Asana.
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To gain a deeper understanding of low ratings and drop-offs I jumped straight into interviewing after gathering my sample.
25 Manager Interviews
I conducted twenty-five in-depth, 60-minute interviews with managers from diverse backgrounds and companies using a semi-structured interview guide.
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Utilizing Grain for transcription and coding, I followed a basic qualitative research data analysis strategy (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Although managers mentioned various factors contributing to lower session ratings, three specific issues were repeatedly highlighted.
Some Breakouts are effective at fostering connection and deeper discussion (x17); however, others are overly simplistic & awkward (x22)
Campfire Cards seem inaccessible after the session (x5), which makes me forget about the next training session (x9)
Role Plays are awkward, ineffective, and unnatural (x5).
"I enjoy the training, but every time they do a role play I get uncomfortable"
Based on the prioritization of the three main findings from the research, the following recommendations were crafted.
Breakouts
Include at least 1 breakout prompt per session that asks, “How do you currently deal with this issue? What is (company’s) process for solving this?” These questions offer conversation depth, connection, and reduce awkward silence.
Cards & Reminders
Improve accessibility for Campfire Cards by sending follow-up emails after each session with the cards attached and a reminder for the next session.
Roleplays
Switch breakout sessions that include role plays with turning to share personal experiences and ask for feedback w/problems.
After conducting the research and prioritizing recommendations, I decided to focus on implementing the solution for Theme #2: “Campfire Cards seem inaccessible after the session, which makes me forget about the next training session”
This theme was the second most mentioned, received a severity rating of 4/5, and was the most actionable solution for me as an intern.
After crafting emails to increase Campfire Card Accessibility they were implemented company-wide and distributed to all current and future Cohorts.
Increasing Campfire card accessibility and setting up email automations for each session in Manager Essentials resulted in two major forms of return on investment.
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS
"It has been incredibly effective at bringing our leaders together to discuss all kinds of topics. We are thrilled to be on this journey with Campfire. We’re looking for ways to give access to everyone."
"Campfire has been a huge lift off my plate. It is so important to continually train and coach managers and Campfire provides a consistent, relevant, and impactful way to do so. I love Campfire."
"Campfire allows us to scale internal programs with their best of breed video tools and facilitation support. We see them as an extension of our internal teams to help expand our efforts."
"I would need to hire facilitators, content developers, and program managers to run the types of programs that Campfire runs for me and my teams. On top of that, the experiences are just so great!"
Focus on ROI & Impact
Research has different focuses depending on the context. This internship taught me that research in industry is much more concerned about ROI and impact rather than the rigor I’ve become used to in academia.
Act now, think later
I've always had a bias for action. Rapid prototyping has been key to my success as a design thinker. At Campfire, I learned to balance mental agility and flexibility while also producing high-quality work.
Learn from your team: Women in Tech
I spent many hours rigorously reading evaluation literature, writing the evaluation proposal, and writing the evaluation plan. I found this to be extremely helpful when I needed clarity during the interview process and final write-up.
Leadership is more
than a calling
Interning at a company that trains leaders taught me the rigor and effort required for leadership. Moving forward, I aim to implement the leadership principles I learned at Campfire into my own career and education.
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