The client

Our client is a global provider of software, information, and services.

With 20,000 employees worldwide and a strong history of acquisitions, the business needs an agile HR function dedicated to continuous improvement.

The challenge

Following the implementation of Workday, the HR team wanted to evolve its operating model to be more scalable, consistent, and efficient. The existing model included legacy structures, single points of failure, and duplicated activities, all of which impeded global agility.

The goal was to clarify handoffs between different roles and refocus the role of HR Business Partners (HRBPs) on more strategic work.

As a long-standing client, they turned to Change Associates for help.

What we did

We worked with stakeholders across the global business to translate their proposed high-level design into a detailed, implementable operating model for the ~350-person HR function. We mapped key processes and clarified roles in a series of workshops, resulting in an agreed set of structures and job descriptions.

The new model introduced specialist Talent and Compensation Partners aligned with business divisions and repositioned HRBPs to focus on strategic partnership with executive leaders. Support for managers and employees was enhanced through a tiered HR Operations team with an expanded scope of responsibilities.

We then conducted sessions with leaders to test the design in various scenarios, ensuring it was both challenged and clearly understood. This step was essential for gaining stakeholder buy-in on the new model and its implications for their teams.

Careful deployment planning followed. This was a complex activity; the global structures and the objective to help people transition into new roles gradually meant a full-scale, immediate change was neither feasible nor desirable. We therefore developed a plan for a phased rollout of the change across the group.

We led two parallel workstreams to support this phased deployment.

First, we ran a complete technical redesign of the global approval matrix, security model, and notification workflows within Workday.

In the second phase, we created and led a global change management programme for managers and employees across three regions and more than 60 countries, delivered by local HR Operations teams.

A key part of this involved running workshops with HR leaders to embed an “employee experience first” culture into their day-to-day operations.

The most important changes were delivered on time before the end of the year.

The result

The new operating model is a proven success, delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, quality, and strategic impact.

  • The changes embedded a scalable HR model, resulting in reduced HR costs per employee despite year-on-year headcount growth.
  • Case management satisfaction improved by 7% year-on-year, building on an already strong benchmark. This was achieved despite a 12% increase in case volume.
  • Executive leader feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly regarding the support their managers now receive.
  • The reduction in the HRBP workload has enabled a more strategic focus on driving the people agenda with business leadership.
  • The new specialist partners have established strong collaborative relationships with both central and divisional HR teams.

Image (c) Shutterstock | PeopleImages.com – Yuri A