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Case Studies
*
AFFIRMATIVE
ACTION
* BENEFIT ANALYSIS
* COMPENSATION (a)
* COMPENSATION (b)
* GENERAL
HUMAN RESOURCE CONSULTING
* INVESTIGATION
OF HARASSMENT CHARGE
* ON-GOING HR
SUPPORT
* RECRUITMENT
* RETENTION
AFFIRMATIVE
ACTION
Client Profile: This multi-site, large independent bank employs about
1200 in multiple branches throughout Southern and Northern
California.
The Problem: The bank had been asked to submit their Affirmative Action
Plan to the OFCCP within a typical 30-day time frame. The
plan and exhibits were submitted just under the deadline.
However, the documents were submitted in an unorganized manner and
included raw data, as opposed to the required statistical and narrative
analyses. The OFCCP threatened to debar the bank if it did not submit a
plan that met the regulations within one week. The bank's H.R. staff
had neither the expertise nor the time to complete the task.
The Solution: JorgensenHR was hired on Monday to complete the required
analyses and assemble the plan documents for the bank headquarters and
all branches by Friday of the same week.
JorgensenHR assigned five full-time consultants to the project. Work
began immediately, and the dedicated task force completed the plan and
delivered it to the OFCCP on Friday.
The Result: The compliance officer quickly reviewed the plan and
confirmed it met all the basic requirements. Following a
positive desk audit, JorgensenHR provided on-site support and
consulting to the CFO during the OFCCP's on-site review. The bank
subsequently received a letter of compliance from the OFCCP. Since the
original assignment fourteen years ago, JorgensenHR has
continued to provide consulting services to the bank, developing annual
plan updates and advising on Affirmative Action
matters.
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COMPENSATION (a)
Client Profile: This large real estate holding firm has offices
throughout the United States and Canada, with its headquarters in
Glendale, CA.
The Problem: The company has experienced tremendous growth.
As a result they are reorganizing and creating new positions to
maintain that growth. Because so many of the positions are new to the
company, senior staff members need assistance in defining the positions
and setting salary grades and pay levels according to industry
standards.
The Solution: JorgensenHR has been assisting the Human Resource
department for several years, primarily with compensation
assignments. As the new positions are created, JorgensenHR
uses extensive internal and external research materials to provide
salary information and market data. This enables the company to set
competitive pay levels which accurately reflect the requirements of
each position.
The Result: JorgensenHR is available as needed to provide complex
salary information quickly and easily using internal research library
information. The company can rely on the accuracy and quick
accessibility of the information to help in defining where each new
position fits in to its pay scale. As a result, the organization does
not need a full time compensation manager.
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COMPENSATION (b)
Client Profile: A 200 year old national law firm
branch
The Problem: The company was having serious problems with secretarial
performance and compensation. Most of the secretaries had
been with the firm for more than 10 years. The secretaries
were receiving salaries above the marketplace for their skill set.
Although their reviews had been good and salary increases had occurred
annually, the computer skill of the long-term secretaries had not kept
up with their salary increases or technological advances.
New attorneys entering the firm had strong computer skills and were
impatient with the lack of technological knowledge of many of the
secretaries. Secretaries that had been paid handsomely for
shorthand skills were obsolete. Most of the work was
computerized and many of the secretaries did not have a strong grasp of
the more complicated technical maneuvering. As the older partners
retired, the obsolete secretaries were hard to place in other positions
within the firm.
On the other hand, some of the highly technically skilled secretaries
were new to the firm and underpaid. These secretaries were in high
internal demand and open to the risk of recruitment by competing firms.
We worked with the firm administrator to design a methodology to attack
the issue. Working together we got buy-in from the managing
partner. JorgensenHR first conducted one-on-one interviews
with several layers of attorneys and secretaries to verify the
issues. JorgensenHR developed very detailed job descriptions
for all secretaries and word processors. Once developed and
reviewed by management, the secretaries and word processors verified
that the descriptions were accurate.
From the job descriptions, we identified core competencies or core
skill groups in both jobs, and set up specific, measurable skill levels
in all core competencies. We then verified with both the attorneys and
the secretaries that the core competencies were accurate.
Once identified, we set up a training committee and helped them design
training for each core competency. We established classes and
training methodology.
Concurrent with the training, we conducted a skills assessment for all
clerical personnel and provided them with individualized feedback.
We were able to identify objective criteria to rate against market
salaries.
During the year, we helped to outplace a few obsolete secretaries and
maintained training cycles.
Reviews were conducted using both assessment and subjective attorney
evaluations. Salaries were tied to assessment levels and
market rates.
By the end of the second year, the firm had adjusted salaries of their
clerical personnel, upgraded all skill levels, and had an ongoing
training process in place.
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BENEFIT ANALYSIS
Client Profile: This large company is a manufacturer and distributor of
decorative accessories for homes and offices that acquired four similar
companies located in Southern California. They employ approximately 600
employees in total.
The Issue: The company had multiple employment policies, employee
handbooks and benefits packages that were being managed at each of the
four separate locations that were in existence prior to the
acquisitions. Not all of this information was available in a written
documented source. The client had four separate handbooks, nine
insurance programs, and a multitude of employment policies and
benefits, some which were documented and some which were not. The
company wanted to unify their employee benefits, handbooks and policies
under one entity. However, an analysis had to be conducted to compare
what the differences were in each area and identify the most
cost-effective changes to make. None of the four companies
had the human resources expertise to research and analyze all of the
data and make the necessary recommendations to management.
The Solution: JorgensenHR was retained to conduct the analysis of the
employment past practices, written policies, employee handbooks and
benefit packages offered to each of the four companies. A JorgensenHR
consultant met with members of management from each of the companies
and gathered information to conduct the analysis. Through management
interviews, meetings and written material research, our JorgensenHR
consultant was able to assess all of the existing practices and
policies of each company. A twenty-two-page comprehensive spreadsheet
analysis was prepared for the client, outlining every benefit, policy
and cost of each program. In addition to the comparison analysis, our
consultant made commentary recommendations for policies that needed to
be updated for compliance reasons as well as recommendations for
cost-efficient solutions that would save the client money in their
benefits program.
The Result: The client reviewed the analysis, and was able to quickly
identify the areas of employee benefits and policies that were not
consistent. Following the review of the analysis, the client engaged
JorgensenHR to write the policies that were needed for compliance, thus
presenting a unified handbook and written policies to all of its
employees located in the four separate locations. In
addition, the client was able to institute a new benefit plan, taking
advantage of its new, larger group size, resulting in a uniform, more
cost-efficient benefit plan without reducing employee
benefits.
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GENERAL
HUMAN RESOURCE CONSULTING
Client Profile: This client is a manufacturer of specialized
medical-surgical devices that has 75 employees. Within a 12-month
period, this client experienced 300% growth in sales and grew from 12
to 75 employees.
The Issue: This client did not have a human resources function when
JorgensenHR was contacted to assist the client. The client
had multiple issues in which they needed assistance with.
Recruiting and retaining qualified and highly valued employees was of
utmost concern. Also of concern were the overall compliance issues for
a company who grew from a relatively small manufacturer to a larger
one, requiring attention to many compliance issues related to
employment practices, compensation and safety.
The Solution: JorgensenHR was retained to institute a human resource
function at the organization. Our consultant conducted a human resource
function review, worked with management to develop their organizational
structure and job descriptions, developed a basic compensation plan,
developed a management incentive plan, mentored and trained the
existing staff and brought the client into compliance. Our consultant
was the project leader for the payroll conversion, wrote and instituted
all of the human resource policies, recruited specialized employees,
instituted human resource systems and procedures, conducted regular
management training sessions and trained and mentored the
human resource administrator.
The Result: JorgensenHR was able to assist this client with building
their human resource function from the ground floor. We provided
on-site and off-site support, as the client needed. Our
consultant trained a valued administrative assistant to be a functional
human resource administrator, implemented a short term and long term
management incentive plan that assisted the client with retaining its
most valuable employees and developed a compensation plan that
established marketable wage rates, thus allowing the client to set
competitive wages, reducing their turnover and enabling them to hire
the qualified candidates needed to operate their business efficiently,
eliminating their tremendous overtime costs. The client has all of
their employment policies and procedures in place and is compliant with
all labor and safety regulations.
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INVESTIGATION
OF HARASSMENT CHARGE
A large distribution company, that had a well-known name in the
Southland, had a serious problem. A former employee had accused the
firm of Sexual Harassment. She had accused the management of the firm,
including the Human Resources Director, of harassment and retaliation.
The company had received a letter from a prominent law firm that was
very public about its cases and defense of women’s rights.
The distribution company’s lawyer recommended an independent
third party investigate the claim.
JorgensenHR responded quickly to the assignment. The consultant met
with the lawyer, firm, and Human Resources Director to outline the
parameters of the investigation. The consultant developed an extensive
questionnaire and interviewed both employees and ex-employees of the
firm.
The consultant found that the firm was very proactive in training and
providing a professional business environment. The consultant
documented the responses from the female and male employees, which
verified the professional environment. The consultant also
was able to substantiate that the woman who had complained had serious
problems with several of her fellow employees. She had lied
and alienated most of the staff that worked with her. The
consultant was also able to document the swift action the company
initially took when they were confronted with her allegations.
Once the investigation was complete, the consultant wrote up the
findings and explained the facts of the case. The written review of the
situation was given to the opposing attorneys before the
arbitration. During the arbitration, it was apparent that the
ex-employee had lied to her attorneys in a similar manner in which she
had lied to her fellow employees. The attorneys dropped the case, and
it came to a satisfactory solution on the spot.
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ON-GOING HR
SUPPORT
A manufacturer and distributor of fasteners has been a client for 14
years. When they were at 3 million, we helped the owner hire
the first CFO and retire their bookkeeper. We designed the job and
coached the owner through the interview process with BestFIT?. Our next
project was BestCOMP?. We designed a company-wide compensation system
and now update that system periodically.
As they grew to $7 million, we supported their growth with a handbook
outlining the company rules and benefits. We also trained
their supervisors and periodically met with their management team to
explain policies, HR laws and how to avoid lawsuits.
Our consultant acts as a member of their management team. She
is on-call to be available when they need help with a sticky
termination or other employee problem.
Currently at $12 million, the owner's children are beginning to run the
company. Our consultant meets with them monthly to conduct management
training and compensation committee review of all performance
reviews.
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RECRUITMENT
Client Profile: Our client manufactures micro-abrasive blasting
equipment. The company has been in business 30 years and
currently employs 35. Human resource responsibility is shared
between the president and the payroll person.
The Problem: The company had been experiencing high turnover, resulting
primarily from poor hires. This was especially evident in the
engineering and administrative support areas. The president was not
able to focus on growing the company because of the amount of time he
was spending on H.R. and sales administration.
The Solution: The president asked JorgensenHR to provide general H.R.
support, with a focus on recruiting. For six years,
JorgensenHR has filled openings utilizing our BestFIT
process. Extensive interviewing, testing and evaluation
techniques were required to meet the specific requirements of the
positions and expectations of the president.
The Result: Excellent employees were cost-effectively hired as
technicians, engineers and administrative support personnel.
The president was able to delegate engineering management
responsibilities to a new Operations Manager, and he trained two
administrative support employees to handle much of the sales and
marketing work that had bogged him down previously.
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RETENTION
A Fortune 500, high-tech organization was doing a conversion to SAP. In
order for the conversion to be complete and for the company to run
successfully, they needed to retain as many of the technical staff as
possible. This is difficult given the environment where SAP individuals
are in high demand and can command salaries that are growing
exponentially. What the company needed was a retention
program that would help to solidify both the compensation and the
environment in the organization.
The company had conducted an attitude survey, which had shown that the
IT department had some management issues and some communication issues
that needed to be dealt with in order for the employees to feel the
environment was satisfying. JorgensenHR teamed with the
internal human resource departments to design and develop a retention
program that would encompass both compensation and environment. The
plan would improve the retention and lower turnover in the department.
The first step of this project was to conduct a BestPRACTICES
evaluation. JorgensenHR surveyed numerous companies going
through similar conversions and researched written publications to get
excellent documentation on retention ideas and success stories in other
similarly situated companies. When the research was
completed, an extensive written recommendation was developed for
executive management to review with specific recommendations in how to
improve retention and lower turnover.
Once the executives had read and evaluated the research, a planning
session was conducted by JorgensenHR that included the senior
executives and the IT executives, to review the recommendations and to
set up a methodology to implement some of the ideas and
recommendations. The vice president of IT spearheaded the project, and
JorgensenHR and the HR Department worked closely with the senior
executives of the IT division to incorporate ideas and recommendations.
One of the most immediate needs was to update and finalize a new
compensation program that would break the IT division out of the
traditional total company compensation structure. JorgensenHR developed
a new compensation program that included grades and ranges, performance
evaluation criteria and job descriptions, as well as performance
feedback process that improved communication and assisted in upgrading
the base salaries. They used published market surveys, as well as phone
surveys, to verify the market ranges.
Once the compensation plan was finalized, the IT staff were slotted
into career path positions that would allow for development and growth.
Next, there was a retention plan developed that would allow the IT
staff to receive current cash bonuses based on meeting department
timelines and milestones, as well as a long-term retention plan that
paid out over a period of several years. As part of the retention
strategy, strategic planning focus groups were conducted by JorgensenHR
and the HR staff in all sections of the IT Department. In those focus
group sessions, documentation was kept so that each group could report
back to the IT executives on suggestions and ideas for implementing
future change and improvements in their sections. Once the
focus groups were concluded, the IT VP had a roadmap of how to improve
the environment and improve quality of delivery.
The strategic planning process solved several problems that had been
identified in the attitude survey. It improved communication,
got the different sections to start thinking creatively about ongoing
quality improvement, and it allowed the managers to get feedback from
the participants as to their recommendations and suggestions for the
future.
The IT Department has since conducted attitude surveys that have shown
significant improvement.
Their turnover has slowed dramatically from what it was prior to the
implementation of the retention process. JorgensenHR, throughout the
planning and implementation process, facilitated and trained the
management as well as the HR staff, and assisted in the identification
and recommendation phase of the retention program.
This particular program was very critical to the future growth and
success of the organization. It helped them to retain current
critical skills and to improve the core competencies of all the
seasoned staff in the information technology area.
The IT VP reported recently that the programs implemented were working
successfully. An offshoot of the compensation plan was a clarity of job
hierarchy that helped the IT managers explain compensation, job levels,
and manage their staff more
effectively.
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