The Gumala Trust

Employee Engagement Survey

What they said.

The Zest team were great to work with, through every stage of the culture review process. They supported our Gumala staff, and provided insightful reports for the Board and management. This process has helped Gumala improve our organisational culture through clear understanding of our baseline metrics, and an action plan for improvements.

Jess Karlsson

Chief Executive Officer

Mission Goals

The Gumala Trust partnered with Zest to take a closer look at their employee experience, exploring not just what the data said, but what was really happening day to day.

On the surface, things looked strong. Engagement scores were positive, people were proud of their work, and there was a clear connection to purpose. But leadership recognised that numbers don’t always tell the full story. They wanted to go deeper.

The goal was to unpack the lived experience behind the survey results, understand what was working well, and identify any underlying friction or risk before it became a larger issue. Most importantly, they were looking for practical, grounded insight they could act on, not just another report that sits on the shelf.

The Solution

We designed a structured, insight-led approach that combined data with real conversations.

This included:

A tailored employee engagement survey to establish a clear baseline
Confidential one-on-one interviews to explore the “why” behind the data
Deep thematic analysis to identify patterns, inconsistencies, and risk areas
A comprehensive report translating feedback into clear, actionable insights
Practical recommendations to support leadership in strengthening culture, systems, and governance

Our focus wasn’t just on identifying issues, it was on enabling forward momentum with clarity and confidence.

Highlights

The combination of survey data and interviews unlocked a much richer understanding of the organisation, validating strong foundations while bringing important nuances to light.
Rather than a blanket culture problem, the findings showed a more balanced picture of a capable, committed workforce with some targeted areas requiring attention. This allowed leadership to respond in a measured, focused way.
Every insight was translated into practical next steps with clear priorities that leadership could take forward immediately.
The work landed at a critical moment, helping leadership make sense of shifting dynamics and respond with confidence as the organisation evolved.

Challenges

Navigating a mix of experiences, from highly positive to more critical, and bringing these together into a balanced, credible narrative.
Handling sensitive feedback with care while still providing clear and direct insight.
Delivering clarity in a dynamic environment, with organisational changes occurring in parallel to the project.

Wins

Reinforced strong engagement foundations, with high well-being and advocacy across the team.
Identified clear, targeted priorities to strengthen consistency, trust, and operational effectiveness.
Equipped leadership with a deeper, more honest understanding of employee experience.

More Work.

Explore how Zest partners with organisations to co-create thriving workplaces. Our case studies showcase real-world transformations where strategy, empathy, and innovation converge to drive meaningful change.