Case Study: HR development for a global FMCG
Orion Partners has been working with a global FMCG organisation which sells products in around 160 countries and occupies a leading position in over 70% of the top 30 markets around the globe. 2
Preparing for change There were a number of things we needed to do to ensure a smooth transition and create a sustainable transformation. We needed to manage the sense of loss of control, emphasize the reasons for, and benefits of the change, manage expectations, communicate specific roles and responsibilities, and leverage technology. We had to train, recruit and retain talent. Simply put, we had to change the mindset of the organisation. The client also valued their wider experience of designing and executing HR Transformations, their practical approach, the quality and HR experience of their facilitators, and their dual focus on behavioural change and technical skill development. Head of Learning, FMCG client In early 2007, the company was on the brink of transforming its HR function, creating a Shared Service Centre (SSC), Centres of Expertise (CoEs) and HR Business Partner (HRBP) roles. The transformation was an enormous undertaking with the roll-out planned to take place over a 3-5 year period. At that time, the HR Senior Management team had the foresight to realise that beyond the revised organisation structure and new technology platform being introduced, there was a major learning curve ahead for those affected by the transformation. The committee put together to manage the Request for Proposal process discovered that HR Transformation specialist consultancy Orion Partners had a strong track record in managing the related development agenda and invited them to bid for the work. Orion was selected for their unique research based understanding of the skills, knowledge and mindset it takes to operate successfully as an HRBP, as an HR Leader, or in an SSC or CoE. 3
A head start We created a unique solution by working in partnership to combine what is special about this organisation with what we know is generally needed. Jan Hills, Orion Partners As the first transformations were imminent, speed was of the essence and Orion were able to move quickly by customising the generic HR development programmes Orion had developed from their research. After meeting with a crosssection of key stakeholders to understand the specific priorities at the client organisation, we worked closely together to design a tailored suite of workshops for use with all levels of staff across all parts of HR. This particular client is a highly action-oriented, practical company. It was important to mirror this culture in the workshop design, with very little theoretical input and plenty of opportunities to experiment using real life examples from their business. 4
Designed to deliver Many people do not realise that the main differentiator between the very best HR people and the rest, is how they think about themselves, the function and the purpose of their role. The biggest breakthroughs come when people realise how their thinking is limiting their performance. Jan Hills, Orion Partners There were 2 primary goals for the design: 1. To ensure that all HR professionals are equipped with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to perform effectively in their new roles both now and in the future, and; 2. To ensure that all HR staff understand how each part fits into the whole and what the interdependencies are between them. Together we designed separate workshops for 5 different levels: HR Directors; HR Managers (including HRBPs, SSC Managers and CoE Managers); CoE Specialists; SSC Team Leaders; and SSC Generalists and Specialists. The content covered core skills such as relationship building, influencing, consulting and strategic thinking but just as importantly, there was also a strong emphasis on the mindset people bring to their role. The concepts explored were consistent for all, creating a common language and development experience from top to bottom in the organisation. However, the emphasis and experiential activities varied according to the role and levels. For example, the importance of building relationships was included in all workshops, however the focus for HR Directors and Managers was on building long-term influential relationships with clients, while SSC staff applied it to establishing rapport quickly with callers and resolving complaints well. Similarly, the HR Leaders and Managers focused more on strategic thinking and action more significantly than CoE Specialists who were introduced to the concept more in anticipation of their future careers than for day-to-day application in their current roles. Learning was supplemented and technical skills and knowledge were addressed through designing a comprehensive intranet-based Building Capability toolkit. This was put together with the input of all stakeholders from the main pillars resulting from HR s transformation: Business Partners, CoEs and SSC. This made it possible to address all needs and future behavioural challenges to be faced when acting in any HR role. Being able to address the different needs of all groups represents a major part of the success of the programme. 5
Up and running In total, around 300 staff of the client s 500- strong HR staff have been through the programme over the last 3 years in workshops held in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Building Success 1 and 2, the resulting workshops for all except the SSC staff below manager level, lasted three days each and brought together six to twelve people at a time from across the function. This multi-disciplinary approach created bonds across the organisational divides and was a prime means for achieving the second goal. Throughout the period the facilitators reported back insights from the staff about how transformations have been managed, enabling organisational learning and improvement as the roll-out progressed. As much as possible, participants attended Building Success 1 shortly before migration. We aimed for a time lag of at least 2 to 3 months between the first and second events to enable participants to bring back significant real-time experimentation and learning for exploration with the group. By reviewing the same topic areas as in their first workshop, they were able to deepen their understanding with real insight into what had worked best for them in the real world. Non-managerial SSC staff attended a shorter 2 day workshop with the emphasis very much on excellent customer service and the skills and mindset needed to deliver it. However, through introducing them to the same concepts as in the other workshops, the SSC staff could see the way that the HR function was moving and what they would need to be thinking about for their career development. 6
The measure of success Through this intervention, the client has seen shifts in performance, with greater levels of empowerment and engagement. HR interventions in the business have been redefined or stopped as a result of people applying their learning to what they are doing. Participants on the later workshops have reported seeing sustained behavioural changes in colleagues who attended earlier. They understand what their colleagues in the rest of HR do and how they can join forces to deliver what the clients need. People have moved from thinking HR Transformation is all about structure and process to realising that really it is all about them and how they work. 7
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