Business situation

We were approached by the newly appointed HR director to assist, support and challenge her thinking, and that of her team, to put together and implement the HR strategy and plan for the next five years.

The big issues to address were:

• talent – attraction, identification, development and retention
• culture, values and attitude – integration of disparate cultures across the key three brands
• current and needed behaviour, capability and competency
• structural synergies
• reward and recognition.

Activity and intervention

After a research phase we worked with the HR team and their customers to:

• instigate a process to support the identification of top performers and top potential and to establish a clear differentiation between the two
• establish an agreed process to nurture, develop and promote talented individuals through the business and brands
• work with the senior team to restructure the business to ensure the brands maintained their front end differentiation but gained appropriate synergies in the back office
• propose some changes to a wide range of HR processes and systems that ensured more accurate, consistent and appropriate leadership development and management
• proposed reward and recognition packages designed to promote enterprising and progressive behaviours and approaches across the business.

Outcomes achieved

• key synergies and cost savings achieved around the restructure
• talent pool established and developed – key senior roles developed from within
• HR strategy established and implemented in line with the business needs
• revised reward and recognition package agree and implemented
• HR director seen as doing a great job and moved to institute major change programme within the customer services across the business.

“Until we started we didn’t realise how much we needed a rigorous, business application to the HR strategy. The insight you brought was invaluable. The challenging and thought provoking approach hugely effective although really tough at times. The business has gained enormously!”