Challenge:

The client, an electric coop and leader in its industry, wanted to become more strategic in their talent selection process—assuring they could find the best fit for the job. Tired of hiring “warm bodies” for the sake of filling a position, they turned to Gayle for help.

The client also wanted to create a culture where employees are more proactive in how they develop themselves and manage their career. Instead of relying on the organization to “tap” an employee when an opportunity appeared, they wanted employees to “step up and speak out” by identifying how they can leverage their strengths and help the business.

Solution:

Gayle provided job benchmarking services to help the client gain more clarity about what’s most important to the position first. By engaging multiple stakeholders in the process, she helped decision makers focus on key outcomes and reduce bias in the process. Over time, the client created over 30 benchmarks for different positions in the organizations so they would be adequately prepared when time to hire for a given position. It made the selection process much smoother and reduced conflict among decision makers on the backend.

In addition, Gayle introduced an initiative called “Energizing Your Career,” which leveraged assessment tools used in the benchmarking process. The initiative engaged the entire organization with specific focus on identifying or reinforcing individual strengths and capabilities. It provided a unique opportunity for employees to consider their own career aspirations and ways in which they could create value for the organization.

​