Navigating rapid growth is no small feat, especially for a company emerging as a leader in the healthcare technology industry. For our client, recognized by Forbes as the next billion-dollar start-up, success came with unique challenges in managing their people operations effectively. Their lean People & Culture team was bogged down by day-to-day HR tasks, leaving little room to address complex strategic challenges. That’s where Work Friendly stepped in to make a difference through strategic HR advisory services.
This case study highlights how our tailored solutions helped transform their HR processes, employee engagement, and talent management strategies, paving the way for sustained growth and improved workplace culture.
The Challenge
Despite their impressive rise in the healthcare technology space, our client struggled with critical people operations challenges. Their People & Culture team didn’t have the capacity to address strategic workforce concerns due to daily operational demands. Rapid growth had also led to quick hiring decisions, creating a lack of robust systems for managing talent.
This situation posed risks to the company’s ability to scale effectively while maintaining a healthy workplace culture.
The Solution
Work Friendly implemented a multi-phased strategy tailored to address these challenges. Acting as the client’s Head of People, we not only managed day-to-day operations but also executed project-based work that tackled their strategic HR objectives head-on. Here’s how we did it:
1. Comprehensive Needs Assessment
Our work started with a three-month needs assessment across the entire employee lifecycle. We reviewed internal documents, employee records, and processes, meeting with key stakeholders to gain a comprehensive understanding of their challenges.
Here’s what we achieved during this phase:
- Identified gaps in the organization’s people processes.
- Delivered a detailed analysis and high-priority recommendations to improve operations.
- Addressed immediate risk areas while developing a strategic roadmap for continued improvement.
Result: The executive leadership team gained a clear understanding of their strengths and areas of improvement, enabling the People & Culture team to realign with larger company goals more effectively.
2. Transforming Employee Engagement
To create a lasting positive workplace culture, we developed an annual employee engagement strategy focusing on data-driven interventions. This included:
- Launching a baseline 25-question survey, followed by bi-monthly 5-question pulse surveys targeting specific engagement drivers.
- Partnering with leaders and Culture & DEIB councils to build action plans based on survey insights.
- Increasing survey participation rates through engaging communication and incentives.
Result: Within five months, the company’s employee satisfaction (eSAT) score rose from 72% to 75%, marking the beginning of a meaningful cultural transformation. The People & Culture team’s eSAT score also jumped from 53% to 60%.
Work Friendly’s approach not only improved workplace morale but also aligned employee engagement with business strategies, creating tangible improvements in employees’ experiences.
3. Strategic Talent Analysis
Rapid growth had left the organization navigating a disjointed hiring process without a strong framework for long-term talent strategy. Work Friendly worked extensively to establish a solid talent management process:
- Revamped job description templates to ensure compliance and clear employer branding.
- Created tailored job descriptions and aligned them with compensation ranges for consistency and equity.
- Conducted a compensation ratio analysis to ensure internal equity.
- Delivered a detailed talent assessment to guide long-term workforce planning.
Result: The company gained a complete snapshot of their current talent pool, enabling them to identify opportunities to reward top performers and control future costs. This foundational work set the stage for more strategic, competitive workforce management moving forward.
The Transformation
These key interventions had a significant impact on both the client’s operations and workplace culture. With a clear strategic roadmap, enhanced employee engagement, and robust talent management frameworks, our client is better positioned for continued growth and success.
Here’s a snapshot of the results:
- Improved alignment between People & Culture strategy and organizational goals.
- Employee satisfaction increased across the organization.
- A competitive talent management strategy positioned the company as an employer of choice.
Final Thoughts
For leaders in rapidly growing industries, striking a balance between operational demands and strategic priorities is critical. Work Friendly’s approach to HR transformation provided our client with the tools, insights, and strategies needed to build a thriving organization.
If you’re a fast-growing business looking to elevate your people operations, we can help! Let’s chat about how Work Friendly’s tailored solutions can empower your team and drive measurable results.
