Case Studies

Situation: Technology firm with 3,000 employees was experiencing 22% turnover and difficulty recruiting talent. Average time to hire was unacceptably long. New hires were seen as “B” and “C” players at best. Organizational growth was being strangled by talent  issues. Actions Newgrange Advisors conducted a Strategic Human Capital Assessment evaluating  the client’s people strategy, employer value proposition, and functional areas of HR  from design, financing, administration, communication, and compliance  perspectives. Deficiencies were highlighted and short- and long-term actions  recommended. 

Outcome: Four-week engagement yielded a revised employer value proposition, administrative changes that reduced time to hire by over 50%, and a series of strategic and tactical recommendations. Number of open positions was reduced by 40% in six months.  Projected 35% turnover reduction in one year. Engagement resulted in ROI in excess of 80 to 1. 

Situation: Private equity firm acquired three specialty managed care organizations  simultaneously and merged them into one new company with 8,000 employees. None  of the three had HR infrastructure or leadership appropriate for the newly created  company. Cost of HR function had to be reduced. 

Actions: Newgrange Advisors developed an HR strategy, including HR function designs, selected and implemented HR leadership, HR systems, and HR vendors.  Redesigned all comp, benefits, policies. Due to turnover, provided an interim CHRO. 

Outcome: Nine-month engagement stood up a strategic HR function operating at a high level and driving the success of the new organization. Achieved PE owners’ goal of reducing HR function cost by 26%, largely through technology and improved process. Strategy yielded an ROI of greater than 40 to 1. 

Situation: US operations of an international services firm embarked on a plan to remake and  expand the company – doubling revenues and doubling margins in 5 years. This bold  plan called for expansion into service areas requiring skilled labor and professional  employees not present in the company (already over 100,000 employees). 

Actions: Newgrange Advisors worked with business stakeholders and HR to develop an all-new human capital strategy. This included redesigning HR functions (talent  acquisition), compensation and benefit programs, and developing workforce planning models. 

Outcome: In less than six months, equipped client with a strategy that was projected to have a five-year ROI of more than 50 to 1. Business planning model saved over $20M in labor costs year 1. Business unit leaders saw HR as strategic partners for the first time. 

Situation: Regional health system lost its CHRO at a crisis point - in the middle of a Workday implementation and at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. HR had experienced 64% turnover in the prior year, with multiple leadership changes. The System needed HR to function as a strategic partner but it was incapable of such. 

Actions: Newgrange Advisors provided an interim CHRO to manage HR and Employee Health, established a long-term Human Capital strategy tied to business need and objectives, successfully implemented Workday, reengineered work processes, redesigned the HR function, and successfully transitioned to a new CHRO. 

Outcome: Over a 14-month engagement, Workday went live on schedule, the HR function was stabilized, COVID employee surveillance testing and vaccination programs were developed and implemented, and a Human Capital strategy was developed and executed that would deliver a projected 34 to 1 ROI for the System. 

Situation: Software developer with 300 employees had just completed an IPO with assistance from their former PE-owner. Now faced with the need to run HR autonomously, CEO realized the need for high caliber professional leadership but could not justify the cost of an appropriate full-time Chief People Officer. 

Actions: Newgrange Advisors provided a fractional Chief Human Resource Officer.  Reengineered talent acquisition functions and processes. Implemented new HR technology platform. Redesigned administrative work processes. Implemented performance evaluation process. 

Outcome: Within six months of engagement, reduced reliance on outside recruiters by 73%,  reducing the average cost per hire by 62%, and reducing average time-to-fill by more than 50%. Newgrange Advisors’ efforts resulted in $952,000 in annual savings. 

Situation: Global hospitality company with a new President needed a frank assessment of its HR function, a new people strategy to match the President's new direction, and build the HR infrastructure to allow for execution.

Actions: Newgrange Advisors provided an interim Vice President of Human Resources. Completed a Strategic Human Capital Assessment, developed a fully business-aligned People Strategy, documented and reengineered all HR work processes, stabilized HR team, and transitioned to new permanent leader.

Outcome: In a five-month engagement, delivered a People Strategy that yielded a 34 to 1 ROI. Unified HR function globally. Talent Acquisition process reengineering resulted in cutting average time to fill from 97 days to 19.