HR Leadership Transition Results In Fresh Assessment Of Workforce Challenges

The Challenge We Identified

With the pending retirement of their long-time human resources executive, a nationally known nonprofit organization hired Decision Associates to conduct a comprehensive audit of their HR function. Our HR experts soon learned that this client faced several related challenges, including staff turnover, poor recruitment results and a lack of understanding of the bottom-line impact HR has in a company with nearly 4,000 employees.

Our Approach To The Problem

Working closely with the client, Decision Associates:

• Initiated an comprehensive audit process that included more than 50 HR functions
• Conducted in-depth interviews of all key stakeholders from management and staff
• Determined that 90% of the organization’s HR work was focused on administrative tasks

Based on the HR audit findings, Decision Associates made the following recommendations:

• Create a customer-centric department model with HR staff focused on key constituent groups
• Develop a unified vision of the future HR function, including a roadmap for departmental growth and individual responsibilities
• Educate the HR staff to the business needs of the constituent groups they serve
• Identify staff skill gaps and provide training to address the evolving HR needs
• Recruit a new HR executive with multiple years of experience in a dynamic, multi-location organization as well as proven success in transforming an HR function

What Has Happened Since

The insights from the HR audit helped our client understand the need for significant change in their approach to the HR function as well as the need for a transformational leader. In turn, the organization determined they were not confident handling the search for a transformational leader on their own. As a result:

• Our client engaged Decision Associates to recruit a transformational HR leader
• The HR audit findings provided the newly hired HR leader with clear direction
• The newly hired HR leader has since made key strategic departmental hires
• All HR processes have been streamlined significantly, leading to:
  1. Decreased staff turnover
  2. Reduced time-to-fill open positions
  3. Increased agility within the HR function
• The organization’s other departments now trust HR for their staffing needs and related issues, freeing them to focus on their respective work.