Meet the AI Culture Director Trained Entirely on What Partners Say the Firm Is Like

Bletchley Frost’s new Director of Culture is called FELICITY. She has been trained on the firm’s values, recruitment brochures and managing partners’ speeches, but not its exit interviews, which were considered unnecessarily negative training material.

We met her on her first morning. She began by congratulating us on our decision to work here. We explained that we did not. She said the recruitment materials had been clear about the opportunities.

What happened to the previous director?

She felt culture required changes to partner behaviour. The firm felt it required a different director.

And your approach?

My task is to close the gap between the firm we describe and the experience employees report. There are two ways of doing this. I have been authorised to work on the reporting.

Have you spoken to staff?

I have processed their responses to an anonymous listening exercise. The phrase “afraid to say anything” occurred frequently. This is encouraging evidence that colleagues understand the importance of discretion.

What happens to critical feedback?

It goes straight to the partner responsible. We believe in direct dialogue. We include the employee’s name so that the partner can make the dialogue happen.

That does not sound anonymous.

The survey itself has no name. It is simply called Survey.

What have you learned about working here?

People are our greatest asset. Several also appear on a spreadsheet called COST OUT, but I understand this is a finance term and outside my remit.

An associate says her supervisor sends instructions at one in the morning and complains if she answers at seven. What would you advise?

I would first establish whether this was a partner with a distinctive working style or an associate with a time-management issue. The partner’s annual billings help me decide.

Can staff challenge your decisions?

Of course. We have an open-door culture. Clicking “Challenge” opens a photograph of the managing partner’s door.

Could you ever conclude that the partnership was wrong?

Technically, yes. We call that a hallucination. There is a correction process.

Who corrects you?

The partnership.

At this point a partner entered the room. FELICITY thanked him for an excellent interview.