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Case Studies
Aligning employees with corporate strategy
Business Challenge
The Administrative Assistants Ltd. (aal) is North America’s premier supplier
of student information software. For the past 19 years, aal has been providing
schools with technologically advanced, comprehensive software designed to enhance
the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of education administration.
To continue its rapid growth and achieve an international presence, the firm
desired more formal HR processes and tools but faced the challenge of building
them quickly without unnecessary cost.
Pivotal's Solution
Pivotal’s Managed HR Solution fit aal’s requirements and desires perfectly. We
created an HR project plan that identified the company’s business strategy and developed
HR initiatives to support goals. The initiatives in this plan covered: compensation
planning, performance management, strategic planning, policies and procedures,
employee communications, and high potential succession planning.
Pivotal developed an entire performance management program encompassing web-based,
360-peer reviews which included 11 key competencies and tied individual objectives
directly to corporate objectives. Pivotal facilitated strategic planning, helped set
corporate and divisional objectives and assisted managers in rolling out the program.
Client Benefits
aal now has a completely integrated performance management program understood by all
employees and aligned to the company’s short and long term business goals.
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Assisting with consolidation and downsizing
Business Challenge
The client is one of the world's largest distribution firms with 20,000
employees in 1,100 locations in 30 countries. Operations in central and
western Canada have 500 employees from Ontario through to B.C. The company
underwent large scale integration and consolidation and realized it also
needed a more consistent approach to HR. Because of experience with an
earlier HR function the company was reluctant to try this route again
and decided to bring in Pivotal on a tentative basis to explore our capabilities.
Pivotal's Solution
Pivotal obviously impressed this client because we now provide assistance,
project design and implementation in HR for the entire region. We have
consolidated company policies, HR templates, performance management tools
and process, staffing strategies and ongoing communications.
One of the most difficult but successful projects was consolidation of
two underperforming branches. This process included:
- meeting with planning group to coordinate activities
- prioritizing activities required for closing of the locations
- reviewing legal employment obligations for employees
- creating termination letters, packages, costing and spreadsheets
- determining retention bonuses
- coordinating on site outplacement counseling and support.
Client Benefits
Pivotal has created an HR service across the company. Over the past year,
Pivotal was instrumental in helping the client's executive team manage
the closing of two branch locations in a cost-effective, smooth and consistent
manner that won positive comments from not only the remaining employees,
but those who had been downsized.
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Financial services
Business Challenge
A regional financial institution entered a new stage of diversification
with introduction of new core services and a national acquisition strategy
but seconded existing management and staff to lead and manage these new
initiatives. The seconded personnel were forced to neglect their traditional
jobs and core business performance was placed at risk.
Pivotal Solution
Pivotal arranged for contracting of an interim Chief
Operating Officer with experience in strategy development, business process
re-engineering and implementation in a similar sized financial institution.
Over a fixed period this new COO established priorities, right
sized the organization, charted a course for recovery and defined the
future.
Client Benefits
Capital restructuring was completed and the institution has been properly
positioned for expansion into new markets.
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Transition from private to public company
Business Challenge
An emerging growth life sciences company with several institutional and
private equity investors had stalled in its transition from a research
company to a commercial enterprise.
The founding Chief Executive and his senior management team were skilled
medical researchers but less able to manage a public company. Investors
were concerned that their human capital strategy did not accurately match
the business strategy and prompted a complete assessment of the current
organizational infrastructure and human capital support.
Pivotal's Solution
An interim Human Resources executive, experienced in
managing enterprise class companies, was contracted through Pivotal Executive
Resourcing Solutions to implement the human capital and organizational
strategies required to drive the company to its next critical stage of
development.
Client Benefits
The interim HR executive created a leaner, more innovative and more professional
organization properly balanced for the future. The firm is now a fully
operational life sciences company with a profitable product line and satisfied
shareholders and employees.
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National staffing assignment
Business Challenge
Pivotal Integrated HR Solutions worked with Jones New York for a year
to recruit retail managers for Toronto stores. In November 2004, Jones
New York acquired a new retail location in a tourist area of Vancouver,
creating the need for a high calibre retail manager familiar with a start-up
operation.
Jones looked to Pivotal to manage the recruitment process.
Pivotal's Solution
Pivotal adopted the recruitment strategy that worked so well in Toronto.
Using its extensive contact base in Vancouver and its extensive knowledge
of Jones New York's unique culture and requirements, Pivotal delivered
a flawless staffing solution. Working under a tight deadline, Pivotal
enabled Jones New York to interview applicants in Vancouver during a previously
scheduled trip to the city.
Business Benefit
Pivotal's Vancouver staffing project reduced costs and enabled Jones
New York to focus on its core business during what could have been a
challenging recruitment of key staff.
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Reducing cost-per-hire
Business Challenge
Company ABC recruited using internal staffing resources - advertising,
collecting and screening resumes, interviewing and referencing candidates.
This process seldom generated the "best candidate" and was costly as
well as extremely time consuming for managers.
As Company ABC expanded business to accommodate new overnight and international
shipping routes, it needed four new drivers. After considering the traditional
approach, company management decided to seek a faster and more cost-effective
recruitment method.
Pivotal's Solution
Company ABC engaged Pivotal Integrated HR Solutions to create a customized
and detailed project plan to manage the entire recruitment process.
Pivotal expedited recruitment by posting the jobs, screening resumes
and qualifying candidates to create a short list of resumes. Time
to manually sort resumes was reduced; turnaround was speeded from weeks
to fewer than two days and time to hire from a short list became weeks
rather than months. Cost per hire were significantly decreased.
Client Benefits
This outsourcing of recruitment was not only very cost effective, it
freed managers at Company ABC to focus on more critical issues and core
business.
Company ABC was so impressed with results it now relies on Pivotal for
staffing solutions.
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HR restructuring
Business Challenge
A publicly traded start-up Investment Bank had embarked upon a rapid
growth strategy involving several acquisitions in a short time frame.
The firm faced significant organizational challenges as it acquired four
companies that needed to be integrated in to one single corporate entity
and increased in size from a few employees to well over 500.
Pivotal Solution
An interim Human Resources executive with many years
of experience in the Investment Banking industry was contracted to address
and resolve the many HR and organizational issues resulting from the acquisition
of four companies. Reporting to the CEO, this executive redesigned Short
and Long Term Compensation plans, implemented staffing/recruiting plans,
designed and implemented a new organizational structure, introduced a
new payroll/benefits plan and designed a new internal HR process which
was handed over to a newly established, in-house HR function.
Client Benefits
The firm has now become fully integrated and all of the HR programs are
successfully implemented and operating efficiently in a cost effective
manner.
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International expansion
Business Challenge
An investment group, a marketing organization and a successful global
franchise operation joined forces to launch a new retail coffee franchise
company.
The management team found they lacked the necessary experience in green
sourcing, tasting, equipment selection, staffing and training and had
no resources in place to identify candidates with needed experience and
expertise.
Pivotal's Solution
Pivotial located an Interim Chief Operating Officer, with the right experience
for this segment of the coffee franchise industry, and he was contracted
for a fixed period, reporting to the President, to resolve critical concerns.
Client Benefits
In only two months, the first two locations were completed on schedule
with all staff properly trained and secured. The organization now has
an effective and proven action plan from which to build future operations.
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Over the top customer experience
Business Challenge
The Ontario Government was faced with staffing a new IT Help Desk under
an extremely tight timeframe.
The Government already had a vendor of record, but wanted to test the
waters with a new firm.
Pivotal Solution
Pivotal and one other firm were able to displace the incumbent vendor
with a bid the focused on higher service standards and faster turnaround
times.
Pivotal stepped up to the plate and staffed over half of the candidates
with only one weeks' notice during the holiday season. Pivotal found and
placed significantly more and better candidates than the other vendor.
Additionally, Pivotal provided the unique value-added service of IT Infrastructure
Library (ITIL) best practices training to staff to enable them to apply
this to their work within the Ministry.
Client Benefits
Pivotal's dedication to client service helped provide the Ontario Government
meet it's demanding deadline - 36 employees were hired on time and under
budget.
Pivotal was able to secure and maintain it's lead vendor status on the
project until its completion three years later.
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Going beyond "staffing"
Business Challenge
O'Hara Technologies Inc. (O'Hara) had used Pivotal Integrated HR Solutions
for a range of HR-related services.
A part-time employee at O'Hara, with five years of summer employment,
was being considered for a permanent position following graduation.
In addition to her hands-on experience, O'Hara wanted the employee to
receive formal Office Administrative training to better equip her for
a new role.
Pivotal's Solution
Pivotal created a customized, one-day training session focusing on Office
Administration skills. This session offered on-the-job training followed
by in-depth skills evaluation of computer testing, phone / switchboard
support and general administrative functions.
Client Benefits
O'Hara was impressed with Pivotal's fast and unique solution to their
training requirements. The customized one-on-one training enabled O'Hara
to measure and broaden the employee's skills enabling her to take on a
wider range of tasks faster and more competently. The young women gained
confidence and motivation enabling her to integrate more easily into a
demanding work environment.
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Growing new market opportunities
Business Challenge
An extremely successful and profitable service business providing working
and investment capital to the mid market was under new leadership and
in transition.
The incoming CEO set as top priority operational items attraction of
new business and sales efficiency.
Pivotal's Solution
Pivotal determined new business growth had stalled despite the fact the
organization was customer centric with an impressive record of
client retention.
An Interim Sales and Marketing executive, with experience
in defining and implementing new business leverage strategies in mature
service businesses, was contracted through Pivotal Executive Resourcing
Solutions with a mandate to identify new market opportunities, create
channels of delivery and implement the go-to-market plan.
Client Benefits
New business grew by a significant factor over budget, with a corresponding
reduction in cost of sales and better balance in sales/service delivery.
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U.S. expansion
Business Challenge
AluminArt controls approximately 85% of the current consumer storm door
market in Canada and is eyeing U.S. expansion.
AluminArt's first step was to hire a Vice President of Sales & Marketing
for the U.S. market, a move critical to the company's success. Hiring
'the wrong person' could set the company back months or years.
AluminArt recognized Pivotal Integrated HR Solutions' Executive Resourcing
practice because of its outstanding ability to perform a customized and
targeted search for candidates for international assignment.
Pivotal's Solution
AluminArt President, Frank Raponi made it clear the new Vice President
would have to be well networked into Big Box stores with a proven track
record in building sales for a manufacturing operation. Candidates would
need backgrounds in the same industry or a kindred industry with similar
distribution pipelines.
Pivotal focused on industry members who had made significant contributions
to their companies' U.S. expansions. Pivotal quickly provided a short
list of qualified candidates to AluminArt management.
Client Benefits
The successful candidate had achieved considerable success in growing
U.S. business for a previous company over a 5 year period and was an ideal
person for AluminArt.
The new Vice President began his new career with $42MM/annum and increased
this to $128MM/annum by introducing product into Big Box Retailers in
the U.S. market, verifying Pivotal's evaluation of his considerable potential.
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Rethinking benefits delivers immediate cost savings
Business Challenge
Multi-Glass International Corporation is a distributor and customized
value-added fabricator of insulation and energy conservation products
to the commercial and industrial insulation markets. This publicly traded
firm has numerous locations and multiple divisions.
Over time, the company adopted and evolved several benefit plans spread
across various locations. As a result, the firm was not able to recognize
significant economies of scale in its benefits plans, and benefits plan
administration had become cumbersome.
The firm contracted Pivotal to act as Multi-Glass' HR department.
Pivotal's Solution
Pivotal Integrated HR Solutions created a three year benefits strategy
which began, in Year One with consolidation of four benefits plans across
three companies. The whole plan design resulted in:
- reduced benefits costs and increased coverage for employees
- equal treatment for all employees
- increased plan competitiveness in the marketplace
- a more cost effective structure
- greater tax efficiency for employees
- more flexibility for employees and employer.
Client Benefits
Multi-Glass realized considerable cost savings:
- Year One - actual cost savings of $25,000
- Year Two - projected cost savings of $82,200
- Year Three - projected cost savings of $206,600
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Large staffing requirements
Business Challenge
Mattel Canada Inc. requires qualified and reliable temporary labour to
meet peak customer demand during its annual busy season from July to December.
Pivotal's Solution
For four years, Mattel has turned to Pivotal ACTION FORCE Industrial
Staffing Solutions for the up to 100 qualified employees it requires for
its seven month busy season.
Pivotal designed and rolled out a "Vendor On Premise" program to provide
an onsite Pivotal resource to manage this large contingent workforce.
Because ACTION FORCE takes safety very seriously Pivotal assured all
these temporary workers were pre-trained in safety measures customized
to Mattel's strict standards.
Pivotal also provided all Mattel supervisors with workplace "due diligence"
training.
Client Benefits
Mattel has benefited from a close relationship that has evolved from
Pivotal as vendor to Pivotal as integrated partner. Pivotal's unique onsite
program enables Mattel managers to concentrate on day to day activities.
Pivotal's emphasis on safety translates into more knowledgeable temporary
workers and lower cost. Pivotal's value-added due diligence training has
raised safety awareness for Mattel managers, again at lower cost.
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Difficult search in a small market
Business Challenge
dmg world media is an international exhibition and publishing company
which
produces market leading trade exhibitions, consumer shows, magazines,
newspapers, directories and market reports around the globe. As a result
of
growth, the firm required a new Director of IT for North America with
industry specific skills and qualifications. The IT role was evolving
at the
time because of the firm's rapid structural change.
Pivotal Solution
Pivotal was selected to perform this complicated search within a relatively
small market. Over two months, Pivotal assisted dmg world media with role
clarification and recruited an individual with exceptional skills.
More importantly, within the next six months, the person's responsibilities
increased to include an international scope.
Client Benefits
Pivotal was able to identify and recruit a qualified candidate whose
technical expertise, business savvy, corporate fit and management skills
have made a significant impact in a short period of time. With a new
infrastructure in place, dmg world media has been able to quickly move
forward with its strategic initiatives.
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Value-added business solutions from a staffing
firm
Business Challenge
PenSafe Inc. (PenSafe) is an ISO 9001 registered global manufacturer
and supplier of components to manufacturers of safety systems and
products. The Stoney Creek based firm has over 120 employees and
has been in business for over 60 years.
PenSafe had been using four temporary labour providers and was
experiencing increasingly high administrative costs, longer turnaround
times and complicated processes. More critically, the firm experienced
higher than normal turnover, which resulted in an operation that ran at
less
than peak labour capacity.
Pivotal's Solution
Pivotal was invited to bid on PenSafe’s entire temporary labour
business
and won the contract. In addition to providing PenSafe with a more reliable
pool of labour, Pivotal was able to reduce costs and lower turnover.
As a value-added service provider Pivotal also implemented a number of
other initiatives which have helped PenSafe run a more profitable business.
- Created a new role of “On-site Supervisor” to handle
all staffing
issues – freeing up PenSafe to focus on other core activities.
- Implemented a biometric time and labour system to reduce payroll
administration for internal staff.
- Participate in weekly meetings with the PenSafe’s Director
and
Plant Manager to review and address any HR related issues.
- Funnel all requests by late or sick employees into one source so
they can be reported and replaced immediately.
- Developed and delivered a Health and Safety seminar leveraging
Pivotal’s in-house OHS/WSIB expert.
- Attend Joint Occupational Health & Safety meetings.
Client Benefits
What began as an initiative to reduce costs and turnover by consolidating
PenSafe’s temporary labour firms has blossomed into a unique partnership
with Pivotal. Pivotal has gone well outside of the typical model of a
temporary
labour firm to create innovative solutions to PenSafe’s workplace
related issues.
The results have been immediate. Recently, production at PenSafe has spiked
10% as a result of the firm’s ability to maintain a fully productive
workforce.
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From recruiting agency to strategic partner
Business Challenge
Siemens Business Services Canada (Siemens) is a rapidly growing and
leading provider of Helpdesk services in North America. Siemens had
been using eight external staffing agencies to help fill a multitude of
helpdesk support positions. From some of these providers, Siemens
experienced inconsistent candidate quality, slower than expected
turnaround and unnecessary paperwork.
Pivotal’s Solution
Sensing an opportunity to improve the Siemens’ business, Pivotal
presented a proposal to consolidate the staffing functions under a single
source provider and put forth suggestions for improving the candidate
quality, for reducing time to hire and for creating benchmarking measures.
Pivotal created a 4-step pre-screening process which included an initial
credentials baseline, face-to-face interviews, reference checks, and online
computer testing for customer service and technical skills. The results
were
immediate. Candidate quality increased (involuntary turnover was reduced)
and management time was slashed (interview-to-hire ratio went from less
than 50% to over 70%)
Finally, by leveraging technology more effectively, Pivotal created reporting
capabilities to measure and benchmark turnover data, billing information
and
exit interview reports.
Client Benefits
Pivotal Managed Workforce has improved Siemens’ quality of hire,
reduced
management time, eliminated paperwork and lowered the total cost-per-hire.
Siemens now has a strategic business partner that has been able to add
immediate value to the bottom line, but who also has an intimate understanding
of Siemens’ unique culture and processes.
Pivotal continues to explore further opportunities for improving candidate
quality, cost reduction and staffing efficiencies.
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