- Case Studies

The challenge

A financial services firm with 45 employees had hired 6 new staff within 12 months — unusually high for a practice of this size. In finance and advisory, stability is critical: client work depends on continuity and trust. Hiring this many juniors, and then losing several of them almost immediately, was a red flag.

The firm had an internal HR professional managing recruitment. Still, given the high turnover risk, they wanted an independent evaluation to understand what was really happening beneath the surface.

From experience, we knew the short-term effect: KPIs such as billing hours and utilisation may still look acceptable, but only because senior staff absorb the workload. This is unsustainable. Over time, seniors burn out, juniors feel unsupported, and client service begins to suffer.

Our approach

We conducted a Retention Audit that combined stay interviews and an onboarding review:

The independent process created psychological safety: employees spoke openly about frustrations they had never voiced internally.

Recurring issues emerged:

The outcome

Targeted adjustments were introduced: structured probation check-ins, transparent career development talks, and a consistent mentoring approach. Within 12 months, retention stabilised:

This case applied our Retention Audit approach to detect hidden risks before turnover became visible. Explore Retention Audit→

The value for the client

For the client, the real benefit was not only the ~€58 000 in avoided costs. More importantly, the firm could serve its clients with greater stability, protecting both reputation and revenue.

In a 45-person advisory practice, stability and predictability are as valuable as direct cost savings. By reducing early turnover, the leadership freed senior staff to focus on client work instead of constant onboarding.

This case illustrates how research-grounded retention audits can significantly strengthen teams in advisory firms across the DACH region.

All client examples are fully anonymised. Client names are never disclosed.

The challenge

A mid-sized German advisory and audit firm (~100 employees) was in the final stage of hiring a new CFO.

On paper, the candidate looked ideal: Big Four background, 15 years of experience, bilingual German/English. Yet the board was divided. Several partners used the same vague words: “polished, distant, cold.” They could not define the problem precisely — only that they were unsure whether he would connect as a leader.

Meanwhile, the CFO seat had been vacant for three months. Their ERP digitalisation project was stalling, and the board was paralysed by hesitation. My first impression: the hesitation came from style, not substance — but structured confirmation was essential before they could act.

Why I was involved

Several years earlier, when the firm was smaller and lacked HR capacity, I had run a direct search for a Senior Controller. Alongside the shortlist, I delivered a behavioural profile of the finalist. That hire proved to be a long-term success, both technically and culturally.

Now, with the firm grown to ~100 staff and supported by an HR team, the CFO search was run internally with a trusted partner. But when doubts arose, the HR director remembered the earlier success and suggested involving me again — not to source candidates, but to provide an independent behavioural and credibility evaluation.

Our approach

We carried out a structured behavioural and credibility evaluation of the finalist:

The evaluation clarified the vague “distant” perception. The candidate's answers were technically strong and risk-focused, but he placed little emphasis on leadership style. This narrow communication created unease.

My analysis showed this was not a credibility gap, but a cautious, compliance-driven profile — highly valuable in a regulated advisory/audit environment.

The outcome

Within three weeks, I delivered a report clarifying the perception gap and recommending onboarding steps to support the candidate's integration.

As a result:

Financial impact

By accelerating the decision, the firm avoided ~€50,000 in opportunity costs:
- ERP delay costs: 20 project members losing 10 hours/month at €70/hour for 3 months ≈ €42,000.
- Partner time diverted: 5 partners covering finance topics for 2 hours/week at €350/hour x 12 weeks ≈ €42,000, of which ~€8,000 unrecoverable.
- Total avoided ≈ €50,000.

Strategic benefit

The true benefit went beyond cost avoidance:

For an advisory/audit firm, this stability and speed were worth far more than the financial saving.

All client examples are fully anonymised. Client names are never disclosed.

The challenge

Sometimes the danger is not loud. At a German tax advisory firm with ~70 employees, nobody was resigning. Staff showed up, projects were delivered, KPIs ticked along.

But partners noticed the silence:

This was quiet quitting — not laziness, but disengagement disguised as normal work. Employees did their jobs, but without initiative or extra effort. In professional services, that is not stability — it's stagnation.

When I was asked in, it became clear within 30 minutes: the firm was not bleeding talent yet, but it was bleeding motivation. Quiet quitting in its most expensive form — invisible in KPIs, corrosive in culture.

Our approach

We ran a Retention Audit with three lenses:

The pattern was stark. Staff were not complaining about pay or workload. What they missed was recognition — feeling seen when they delivered — and clarity about how they could progress.

Managers thought they were giving feedback. Employees only heard instructions. That gap between intent and perception was the quiet killer.

The outcome

The firm acted fast. Recognition was made visible — not through grand gestures, but through structured acknowledgement in meetings and 1:1s. Promotion criteria were spelled out transparently, so staff could see their path instead of guessing.

Within six months:

Financial impact: Retaining just two senior advisors secured ~€240,000-360,000 in client revenue that would otherwise have been at risk.

But more than numbers — the firm regained its forward motion. Training rooms filled again, and cross-selling between teams picked up.

Strategic benefit

The lesson was not that people wanted applause. They wanted truthful signals of recognition and growth. By uncovering these hidden motivations, the firm prevented stagnation from hardening into turnover.

As one partner admitted afterwards: “We thought no news was good news. In fact, it was the loudest warning we missed.”

This case applied our Retention Audit approach to detect hidden risks before turnover became visible. Explore Retention Audit→

All client examples are anonymised. Client names are never disclosed.

The challenge

Succession in law firms is a minefield. Nobody wants to talk about retirement, yet everyone fears the wrong appointment.

At a German law firm with ~80 professionals, the Head of Corporate Law was 18 months away from stepping down. Two partners stood out as possible successors. Both billed strongly and were respected by clients. On paper, they looked equal — which is the most dangerous illusion.

As the managing partner said bluntly: “We cannot afford to guess. One wrong call here will cost us more than a hundred thousand — and maybe clients, too.”

Our approach

We set up a Succession Audit with three layers:

Patterns emerged quickly:

The outcome

How the €100,000 saving was real, not abstract

Strategic benefit

The real win was not just the €100k saved. It was the message: leadership handled succession with foresight, not guesswork.

For a law firm where reputation is the only real currency, that decision mattered far more than the invoice saved.

All client examples are anonymised. Client names are never disclosed.