20 Challenges the Herold Consulting Group Can Help Executives Meet

Human Resources

1. I’m not sure what a Human Resources function can do for me, beyond the fundamentals of payroll and staffing. I’ve read about HR people as business partners, but I’m not sure what that means or how that brings me value. How do I go about assessing what kind of value I want from my HR function and how much to invest? Click here to read the "HR Hierarchy Value Article".

Compliance & Staffing

2. Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our people. How can we eliminate accidents and injuries in our operations? View case study

3. I’m not happy with the amount of time it takes us to fill open positions. The impact on our business is significant. How do we get focused and fill jobs efficiently with the right people? View case study

4. We operate in a highly cyclical industry, so periods of downsizing are inevitable. How can we improve our reduction-in-force process to dramatically cut litigation costs and improve employee retention? View case study

5. We have a continuous operation with a standard shift schedule. I’m concerned we’re missing out on some opportunities for additional productivity. How can we increase operating efficiency and reduce absenteeism by implementing an alternative shift schedule? View case study

6. We have a continuous operation, and getting the proper coverage in place creates a real challenge for vacation scheduling. Each year it takes a lot of time and energy to get the vacation schedule completed, and we often end up with complaints that the schedule gives unfair preferences. How can we reduce the time and effort this process consumes, and arrive at a schedule that employees believe is fair? View case study

Employee Satisfaction

7. I have a continuous operation facility. How can I work with my team to increase employee satisfaction and improve alignment and performance through a highly interactive employee communications program? View case study

8. I want to create as strong an emphasis on employee satisfaction as I’ve placed on other critical business dynamics. How can we create a continuous improvement cycle for our work environment to increase employee satisfaction and retention? View case study

9. My supervisors and managers have multiple demands, and sometime feel left out on an island to fend for themselves. How can we build a strong communications and training link between Human Resources and our supervisory team to increase leadership effectiveness and employee satisfaction? View case study

10. I’m concerned that multiple messages and priorities are leaving our employees unclear on priorities. How can we create a closed-loop goal deployment process to clearly communicate the organization’s objectives and ensure full employee alignment? View case study

11. We’re entering a particularly difficult business cycle, and we want to be prepared for the possibility of some tough times. How can we use a multi-faceted communications program to weather a crisis, or just to create more employee empowerment and engagement during a down cycle? View case study

Talent Management & Employee Engagement

12. I’m worried about losing good people. Our employees tell us that they don’t see opportunities for growth, and filling management level positions always takes too much time. How can we create a highly effective succession plan, reduce staffing costs and increase key employee satisfaction and retention? View case study

13. Competition for the best new talent in our industry is fierce. Attraction and retention are critical. How can we create a signature experience to grow an outstanding technical/managerial talent pipeline? View case study

14. I read a recent business book on the importance of establishing a leadership “brand” for one’s company. How can we create a shared leadership philosophy and vocabulary to build effective leadership at all levels of our organization? View case study

15. Asia in general, particularly China, has become the center of low-cost operations strategies for many companies in our industry. How can we expand our operation in China in the face of strong competitive pressures for talent? View case study

16. My market position is eroding, and I have to consider a merger or divestiture – I just don’t have the critical mass and support to pursue another strategy. How can a dying business unit position itself for a profitable divestiture and successful transition to a new company? View case study

Organization Development

17. We have a complex organization, resulting from multiple product lines, growth through acquisition and investment in new sites. How can my operations leadership team collaborate to simplify our logistics/supply chain and operations infrastructure and create a cost-effective and efficient organization? View case study

18. We’ve become so focused on our products and technology that we may have become to inwardly focused. How can we create a customer-focused organization model to speed time-to-market and enhance our reputation as a solutions provider? View case study

19. I know that many mergers and acquisitions miss their payback targets, or fail altogether. How can we successfully integrate an acquisition to rapidly increase output and drive an early achievement of payback commitment? View case study