As organizations compete to attract and retain the best talent, employee expectations of the workplace experience have risen from background noise to breaking news. Human resources leaders are re-examining their HR operation's contributions, their employee experiences, scalability and innovation.
Challenge: Organizational change and growth threaten to overtake lean HR team
The needs of the organization had begun to outpace the capabilities of the HR team. Uphill battles included:
Client summary
- Mid-size acute care hospital growing rapidly
- Long-standing history of providing care
- Operates multiple facilities
- Serves as the community's healthcare hub, providing secondary-level healthcare to residents across a wide area
- The organization emphasizes relationships with neighboring hospitals and works to improve population health
- HR leadership turnover created lack of role clarity among the team.
- Daily HR demands crowded out important strategic planning as the new HR leader faced the need to develop an action plan.
- They lacked an organizational vision and strategy for an overarching people plan.
The HR function needed a comprehensive review of its talent management framework and life cycle processes. Leadership determined that the new HR leader and a particularly lean team would benefit from an expert partner to conduct an assessment of the department.
Areas of concern included:
Compliance: To what extent does the organization comply with current federal, state and local laws and regulations?
Best practices: How well does the organization maintain or improve its competitive advantage compared with organizations identified as using exceptional HR practices?
Strategy: Do the HR systems and processes align with the HR department's strategy and the business goals of the company?
Function: Does the efficiency and effectiveness of such HR functions as recruitment, inclusivity/belonging, employee retention, culture, talent development and compensation/rewards support the overall HR strategy?
Solution: In-depth assessment and gap analysis
The organization asked Gallagher's HR Consulting team to conduct an assessment of the HR function, review documentation and processes and make recommendations to improve department strength and structure.
The Gallagher team met with organizational leaders to understand growth projections and the role of human resources as the driver of goals addressing talent strategy, culture, employee development and other areas. Further, the Gallagher team interviewed cross-functional department leaders to understand the unique needs of their areas.
Gallagher consultants reviewed all HR-related documentation and interviewed staff responsible for HR functions ranging from compliance, talent acquisition and onboarding practices to leave management, Worker's Compensation, culture and employee relations, among other areas.
HR staff members completed a Gallagher questionnaire to outline their current roles and responsibilities, offer perceptions about their department and suggest process improvements.
Common themes emerged from the Gallagher team's interactions with management and HR staff members. All acknowledged the vast changes across the organization and the HR department, as well as concern that the HR team may struggle to deliver services in pace with organizational growth.
Results: Better clarity, efficiency and a path forward
Based on the assessment, the Gallagher team compiled a comprehensive report outlining recommendations to improve compliance, communication and workflow, as well as streamline job duties and HR procedures. Further, the team proposed a strategic plan with timelines. Benefits included:
- Streamlined HR processes such leave administration, hiring process and candidate experience
- Corrected compliance gaps including those around Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA)
- Restructured HR department roles and responsibilities to enhance leadership strength and HR skill depth; recommended short-term and long-term team structure
- Enhanced communication and proposed an action plan to support employee engagement and strengthen culture
Gallagher's Human Resources Consulting team can assess and strengthen your organization's HR function to enhance overall organizational wellbeing.
