Brief: Design a global people strategy for an entrepreneurial business with 150 employees (and growing fast).

What we did

• Partnered with the HR and leadership team to review the strategy, values and culture of the organisation
• Conducted a SWOT analysis
• Ran an employee engagement survey
• Benchmarked external companies (direct peers and Best Companies) to review practices
• Reviewed all results and analysed existing people data
• Brainstormed what the team felt they were doing well and should continue doing, what they weren’t doing so well and should stop doing and what they weren’t doing and should start doing

What happened next?

• From this exercise, we recommended an HR strategy and priorities that would address the identified gaps and support the achievement of the business strategy, as well as help embed the company’s culture and values
• We identified six key areas of people focus that would ensure an engaged workforce, and would be a model to share and use within the business as the different elements were rolled out. Areas included ‘Sense of purpose and passion for our work and each other’; ‘Leader and manager effectiveness’; ‘Development opportunities for all staff’; ‘Equitable compensation, benefits and rewards’; ‘Fair, respectful, flexible and healthy workplace’; ‘Social impact’
• Following on from this, we were further engaged to support the team in implementing the strategy

Brief: This company was a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. Headquartered in California, they had 2,000 staff located across the world.

With the organisation facing considerable uncertainty, the Global HR team were asked to create an effective organisational structure at optimum cost, reduce headcount and cut operating costs by 40%.

What we did

Strategy

• Partnered closely with leadership to define the business structure, using data to support resource and organisational design decision-making
• Reviewed and negotiated new or enhanced benefits packages at no extra or less cost
• Reviewed viability of retention bonuses for critical roles, including preparing a cost-benefit analysis

Communication and training

• Led complex restructuring, redeployment and redundancy exercises, partnering with leaders and Employee Reps to manage change during reorganisations
• Ran change management workshops with managers ahead of restructuring, encouraging them to communicate regularly with their teams throughout the change cycle. The number of internal communications and team discussions were increased significantly
• Introduced regular surveys and programmes to encourage employee interaction and newsletters to promote transparent communication and feedback, along with peer support and recognition, during and following changes
• Worked with PR & Investor Relations to draft scripts, internal company announcements and reactive statements

Employee support

• For those roles affected, organised CV and LinkedIn workshops, mock interview training and, where appropriate, invited recruitment agencies and competitors’ talent acquisition teams onsite to share vacancies
• Introduced coach-mentoring for all key roles and ensured clear goal-setting and regular check-in reviews took place to support engagement and retention of top talent during change

What happened next?

• The new vision and direction were clearly communicated by the CEO, with significant buy-in from employees
• We prepared due diligence and partnered with staff and new leadership which resulted in a smooth transition and integration
• We reduced global headcount and regional operating costs by 40%, including the reorganisation of all businesses, closure of the Nordic, Swiss, Italian and Asia Pacific businesses and selling of two studios, with no legal claims
• The business stabilised, with the majority of critical roles remaining with the company