Client Success Story (HR, Talent, & Systems)

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Hear about the project, in a fun Q&A style, that a top Human Resources agency HR, Talent & Systems Consulting produced for a telecommunications group.

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Could you give us a brief overview of a standout project recently completed?

We built a 3-tier Learning and Development program from scratch for a 300-employee Telecoms Industry group. We started with a thorough audit of the current HR function and L&D efforts, surveyed staff and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) about skill and training gaps, then used the proprietary system based on our books to build, deliver and manage the program for staff, managers and the SLT.

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What specific challenges did your client face that led them to seek your services?

Our client had identified a group of High-Potential employees to put through leadership training, but didn't actually have any training or program in place. Their HR team was also quite small and poorly equipped for L&D surveying or program building or delivery. The CFO reached out after seeing our newsletter and thought leadership, first for coaching their HR team, then for building out the L&D program upon seeing the results of our audit.

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How did your agency's approach or methodology uniquely address these challenges?

Since we have worked extensively with staff, managers and leadership in both Fortune 500 companies and tech startups and have a robust bank of thought leadership and books and classes from which to draw upon to build a custom program for each client, we were well-poised to address the client's needs quickly and efficiently. Our approach to identify the client's specific needs and address them in a custom manner, rather than deploying a cookie-cutter approach, was exactly what the client needed and received, with excellent results in staff satisfaction and increased retention.

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Did your team implement any innovative strategies or technologies in this project? How did these contribute to the outcome?

To maximize the impact of our learning and development delivery, we baked coaching for each manager and High-Potential employee into the program, giving them just the right mix of shared and custom material, helping them understand exactly what they needed to work on, then help them actually improve their skills and get promoted and paid more within the same company, rather than do so after leaving.

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Were there any significant obstacles or unexpected turns during the project, and how did your team overcome them?

As expected, there was some resistance from certain managers and a lack of cooperation from some members of the senior leadership team, who did not want to invest any time or resources into coaching their staff themselves. Nevertheless, we managed to find useful ways for them to participate and see the positive results in higher engagement, productivity and per capita profitability.

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How did you collaborate with the client throughout the project? Were there any notable synergies or learning experiences?

From the first moment, we established a close working relationship and regular communication channels with the CFO and other Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members. We spent time speaking separately to each manager and High-Potential employee to establish a custom coaching framework, which created a huge boost in program participation, effectiveness and completion. From those initial conversations, we were also able to adjust the program in-flight to address specific needs and challenges common to each group, which made the programming that much more relevant and effective for all participants.

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What measurable results or tangible benefits did the client experience as a result of your work?

As measured by learner surveys and testimonials from each program session (100% rating for value across all three tiers of programming), it was clear that the coaching and L&D programming together helped the vast majority of program participants to get clear on their career path, to improve their leadership and management skills, as well as get promoted and paid more on a clear timeline.

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How do you anticipate this project will impact the client's success going forward?

Going forward, the HR/L&D  team is poised to deliver the programming with regular adjustments to new employees, as well as create new trainings and programming for the staff, this time on their own.

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How did the client respond to the completed project? Do you have any client testimonials you could share?

Helpful, interactive, thought provoking, informative, inspiring." - Team Leader

"Yuri encouraged us to be very interactive which was very welcome. Good pace between talk, role play and interactivity." - Senior Leadership Team member

"Excellent session to plan your L&D roadmap and help you reflecting on your personal goals." - Senior Leadership Team member

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How does this project exemplify your agency's core strengths or unique selling points?

This project exemplifies our commitment to tangible results for clients. We are not just delivering a program, but tangibly changing people's lives for the better, helping them move forward in their careers, gain valuable skills and empowerment to change their lives - both professional and personal - for the better. We continue to strike an effective balance between custom programming and coaching, listening carefully to client needs and finding a way to deliver despite organizational resistance, budget and time constraints.

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Looking back, what aspects of the project are you most proud of, and why?

Our best compliment is when companies report happier, more focused and productive employees doing great work, just as much as when employees report that their lives have changed for the better through improved clarity, focus, personal and professional growth, especially promotions, higher pay and valuable new skills to empower better lives for themselves and their families.

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Are there any upcoming projects or new directions your agency is excited about?

We are excited to partner with a Private Equity Advisory firm and a Board Recruitment firm to empower our clients to go to market, then grow and scale their companies even more effectively through industry-leading help in Finance/Operations, GTM Strategy, Sales and Marketing, as well as our bread-and-butter HR/Talent/Culture/People Operations work. These partnerships will help us to deliver even greater value to our clients and their teams as they undergo fast growth.