Improving Compliance and Employee Engagement in County Government
Background
A county government office contacted Spectrum HR Solutions, looking for our expertise on matters related to legal compliance and employee complaints.
The Problem
Initially, this county government office enlisted Spectrum HR Solutions to address a very narrow and specific problem: A number of current and former employees had lodged complaints about existing management practices, resulting in significant legal trouble.
As Spectrum’s team began to investigate these issues, we found that the problems were far deeper than first anticipated. The client has never had any HR support of any kind; in other words, they had never had a professionally trained HR leader set up functional HR areas. Specific problems included:
- The existing employee handbook was badly outdated
- A number of tough employee relations issues, including legal challenges, had emerged
- Morale was low throughout the team
- There had never been a qualified professional to provide insight into legal compliance issues, specifically with regard to recruitment, compensation, and fair treatment
Our Approach
To help address these complex and long-gestating problems, Spectrum HR Solutions enacted a three-pronged approach.
- First, we provided a complete compliance audit. This involved a thorough investigation of all HR practices throughout the company, spanning the entirety of the employee lifecycle.
- We then addressed legal complaints and challenges on an individual basis.
- We also conducted a full engagement study, connecting with employees to learn more about their perspectives on the management issues.
The Result
The client was so satisfied with the outcomes we provided, they enlisted Spectrum HR Solutions to provide full-time HR support. We continue to be their HR management vendor to this day.
In this role, we have provided professional oversight and assistance on a range of HR activities, including:
- Recruiting
- Managing employee relations
- Onboarding new hires
- Restructuring employee compensation
- Managing payroll
- Ensuring ongoing legal compliance
Through the services and expertise of Spectrum HR Solutions, our client has seen a 40 percent increase in employee engagement, and major reduction in employee turnover. Additionally, and for the first time ever, this client has their own dedicated HR office in place.
Problems like the ones we encountered here are common among government bodies, which tend to be heavily regulated and thus resistant to change. This leads to problems stagnating rather than being resolved. Spectrum HR Solutions is always proud to work alongside government offices to provide a more nimble and responsible approach to the needs of their employees.