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AlumierMD is an international science-led aesthetic skincare company. The business had no in-house HR capability and were using a generic, one-size-fits-all online portal when Seymour John was approached in February 2018. From an initial, purely advisory role, the contract has evolved as the business has expanded into a strategic, director-level role with the development of bespoke HR initiatives that have impacted every part of the organisation.

Key Challenges

The business has grown rapidly since Seymour John started working with them. With headquarters in the UK and Canada, it has expanded into the US, and Europe. This has brought with it challenges around administrative procedures, skills gaps, performance and productivity, as well as recruitment and retention.

There was a gap between the expectations they had of the people they were hiring and the performance they were receiving. This was resulting in a high staff turnover. With the cost of making a bad hire as high as three times the role’s annual salary, this was not only affecting the company’s performance, but also its bottom line.

The Solution

We put in place a comprehensive set of interventions, including:

  • Better role-profiling to ensure better targeted candidate searches
  • A review of benefits packages to attract the best talent (by ensuring Alumier was competitive in a candidate-driven market)• Assessment and profiling, during interview, to ensure the right cultural as well as capabilities fit
  • Development of an onboarding/induction programme, to communicate the business’ culture and expectations from the outset
  • In-post assessment and profiling, to identify skills gaps and target development programmes
  • Coaching for line managers to better support new employees
  • Rigorous ongoing performance monitoring to ensure people received the support they needed as their roles evolved

Involving some rapid upskilling of our own, to familiarise ourselves with different employment law and working cultures in different territories, these initiatives have been rolled out, so far, across Ireland, the US, Canada, and Germany.

Key Results

Onboarding, ongoing training and development, better support from line managers and improved benefits packages have all added up to a 100% improvement in retention rates, saving the business hundreds of thousands of pounds by ensuring successful hires.

The attraction and retention, and training and development of high-quality talent has had a significant impact on business performance and productivity. The Board has been incredibly open to our advice, support, and challenge at a strategic level, resulting in the development of a high-performance culture where people are engaged, motivated, and aligned with business objectives.

Next Steps

We are providing ongoing support as a ‘sounding-board’ for the MD, delivering one-to-one coaching and mentoring, on a weekly basis. A streamlining of business processes and a redefining of job roles has freed him up to focus on the business-critical, strategic, and visionary aspects of his role.

Kate Hardcastle

Kate Hardcastle

Kate is a Chartered MCIPD HR professional and one of our business-improvement gurus. With over 20 years’ experience in consulting and other business-improvement roles, she inspires individuals, leaders, and organisations to perform to their best.

About the author >

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