Background 

In 2021 HSBC’s Legal function faced significant cultural challenges, with employee engagement scores lagging 10-15% behind the wider HSBC Group. The disconnect between leadership’s vision of ‘Making Legal a Great Place to Work’ and employees’ actual experiences was evident. In response HSBC Legal enlisted Project X Partners to lead a comprehensive cultural transformation. The aim was to address low morale, foster inclusivity and engage employees on a global scale. After successfully launching the People Programme last year Project X continued to support and scale the initiative in 2023, driving further progress.

Approach 

Project X Partners took a central consultancy role in reshaping the Legal function’s culture. It conducted an in-depth discovery sprint to gather insights from employee feedback and surveys, identifying three strategic objectives: building a healthy, inclusive culture, improving engagement and developing people to create a world-class legal function. Project X introduced agile methodologies to ensure that the transformation was driven from the ground up, empowering employees to co-create initiatives.

The approach centred on setting up a robust People Programme Team comprising HSBC specialists and Project X consultants. Together they facilitated working groups across multiple time zones, upskilling employees in agile methods like mural boards and value-prioritisation techniques. This agile framework allowed teams to generate quick wins and iterate on successful ideas, ensuring progress was both measurable and adaptable.

“Project X Partners scaled HSBC Legal’s People Programme, boosting engagement and driving a sustainable cultural transformation.”

As the programme evolved Project X expanded its consultancy role, guiding HSBC Legal through the development of a Global Legal Core Expectations framework to drive performance and a Legal Learning Ecosystem to support continuous employee development.

Outcome

Project X Partners’ consultancy has been instrumental in scaling the People Programme. Volunteer numbers rose from 89 in 2022 to 161 in 2024, while the number of initiatives grew from 24 to 32. The programme’s success has been reflected in improved engagement scores: the Employee Engagement Index increased by 7%, with 81% of employees participating in the 2023 survey, up from 58% in 2021. Career development opportunities, including global legal shadowing and coaching circles, have enhanced employee satisfaction, while the DE&I initiatives have created a more inclusive environment.

Project X’s consultancy has been a catalyst for lasting change, helping HSBC Legal align its strategic goals with employee aspirations, making it a true example of cultural transformation.