Horizon Point Consulting

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  • Case Study: Comprehensive Selection Process Revision

    Comprehensive Selection Process Revision

    Big Heart Pet Brands (now owned by Smuckers) is a large manufacturer with several locations across the U.S.  With concerns about keeping turnover low and reducing the time-to-hire at plants in Alabama and Kansas, Del Monte sought Horizon Point Consulting, Inc. to improve their selection process with two goals in mind:

    1. Make better hiring decisions, leading to low turnover and higher productivity
    2. Shorten the time to hire through pre-screening tools

    The project began with a job analysis of two key roles in the facility: Packaging and Warehouse Operator. To conduct this analysis, Horizon Point observed employees in both roles, documented required qualifications and characteristics for the job, and worked with management to rate the importance of each characteristic.

    The job analysis formed the basis for a new selection procedure with these deliverables:

    • New job descriptions and job postings
    • New objective interview formats
    • A training on interviewing techniques and dos and don’ts for supervisors and managers
    • A pre-screening assessment instrument to assess soft skills dimensions (such as teamwork and attention to detail) needed for the job
    • A validation of the assessment instrument that included data to show the assessment was a predictor of performance as well as demonstrating that the instrument did not adversely impact any protected class.
    • Coordination with the company’s ATS system to make the implementation of the process easy and efficient.

    The results of this project can be seen in meeting the goals of reduced time and cost to hire as seen in the below graphs:

    In addition, quality of hire has increased, with an estimated cost saving of $655,000 due to decreased turnover and absenteeism.

    Big Heart’s Human Resource Manager had this to say about working with Horizon Point Consulting, Inc.:

    “Horizon Point assisted our company with pre-employment screening and interview process for high turnover areas of the plant. After a year of using the process, our turnover decreased by 50% + for the year. The process has helped us to find candidates that share our corporate values and have a great work ethic. Horizon Point was easy to work with and very prompt. They always let us know what they needed to complete the next step of the process and were very thorough. I would highly recommend the services to any company out there looking to improve their screening process.”

  • Give Back

    Give Back

    We strive to create passion and productivity, not for selfish gain, but because when we are at our best, we help others be their best self as well. We firmly  believe that by letting our light shine, we give others permission to do the same.
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  • Continuous Learning

    Continuous Learning

    We believe continual learning is a key driver in creating passion and productivity in life and in work. To that end, we invest in the personal development of our people because we know that people are a company and community’s greatest asset (People First).
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  • People First

    People First

    We believe people are a company and community’s greatest asset. This is why we work to foster passion and productivity in people.
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  • 4 Tips for Succeeding as a Woman in Male Dominated Career Field

    4 Tips for Succeeding as a Woman in Male Dominated Career Field

    Today’s post comes from a guest blogger, Sara Beth Wilcox.  Sara Beth is Project Manager with a large construction company.

    With high aspirations to be an architect, I went to Auburn University and spent a year in the program before my professors told me what I already knew: I was not a good fit.  I switched to Building Science and found immediately that it had all the things that made me want to be an Architect and was a better fit for my interests and skills in organizing and scheduling activities in a sequence to reach a finished product.

    As a reflect on my work, there are four key observations and advice from my first ten years working as a female in a sea of males on construction sites:

     

    1. Shake it off.  People are going to assume, and usually will ask if you are the secretary when they walk into a construction jobsite trailer.  Once people are informed that you are not the secretary, they usually have additional comments about the fact that you are a female in construction. Sometimes these folks are genuinely interested in what got you interested in construction, sometimes their comments are mean and intended to be so. Work to learn how to discern between the two and when you encounter the latter, let it roll off your back then get in your car and turn on Taylor Swift’s “Shake it off”.  I find it impossible to remain angry after a good “haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate …” sing along.

    2. You can be a part of the team and still be you.  You can be a part of the team without having to be “one of the guys”.  About 99% of my coworkers hunt. I do not.  And I do not have to hunt for them to like me.  Support your team by sharing in their excitement when they kill the big buck or call in the turkey but do not try to tag along or fake interest unless you genuinely enjoy it.  Have your own interest and use those to your advantage.  In addition to already mentioning Taylor Swift, I am going to further perpetuate the female stereotype here: I really love to bake. And, I have found that my co-workers and field staff are usually more willing to help me when I bring homemade cookies to a meeting, this is known as the ultimate win-win.

    3. Be real.  I was at a conference recently speaking on a panel with other women in construction. A fellow female panelist advised the high school students we were talking to: ”NEVER let them see you cry”, the “them” referring to male counterparts. I was more than a little taken aback by this statement and disagree completely. We all deal with things differently. Unfortunately, when I am stressed I cry.  I wish it wasn’t true but I have tried my hardest and there’s just no getting around that knot in my throat when I experience a major disappointment or setback at work. This does not happen on a regular basis, but it has happened and will happen again. I try to seek privacy but sometimes it is just too late. I am not ashamed by the fact that I deal with stress differently than my male peers, it is who I am.

    4. Work hard; comparisons aren’t necessary.  Construction is hard work. It is physically and emotionally (see above) taxing on me. Do I have to work harder to prove myself because I am female? Do I make the same as my male co-workers? I honestly have no idea.  (I am able to focus less on fair wages because I trust the company I work for. I recognize not everyone has this luxury and am not suggesting that it should be overlooked if you think as a female you are making less than your male counterparts.) I work hard because I love what I do, I do not want to let my co-workers down, and because it is the right thing to do for my company. Someone smart once said “Comparison is the thief of Joy.” So true, and it’s also the thief of productivity. The less time you spend comparing yourself as a female to your male coworkers, the more time you have to give your job your all!

     

    Be Yourself. Work Hard. And don’t spend much time thinking about being a female in a male dominated industry. When you do come across something that distinguishes you from your male counterparts: recognize it, embrace it, then get back to work!

    Are you a female or a male in an industry dominated by the other gender?  What is the best advice you have for navigating in your role?

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