Project Management of JV HR

The Business Challenge:

• A Joint Venture between two of the worlds largest Resource companies.
• The Human Resource Component was key, and needed to be the first project team to be established.
• The companies are rivals with much distrust and different approaches.
• Team members were part-time on the project from a variety of specialisations and locations.
• A series of difficult challenges such as:
  • How develop the JV renumeration packages when each of the companies were forbidden from sharing their existing schemes.
  • One of the companies had a self insurance model for Workers Compensation, the other was wary of such an approach which the JV was to follow.
  • A common approach was required for the superannuation fund, despite the two companies having very different styles.
  • Each company believe that their Organisational structure was the best suited for the JV.
• The task was to bring the disparate organisation together and earn the trust of the respective senior executives from both companies.
• The number one priority was to be mindful of the sensitivities and egos involved.

Approach adopted by DirectFocus

Phase 1: Initiating the Project

• Identify the necessary Workstreams, their charters and who to co-lead
• Bring key members of both companies together to establish trust and working principles

Phase 2: Scoping

• Work together to develop detailed project plan for each of the following Workstreams:
  1. Talent
  2. Renumeration
  3. Employee Relations
  4. Workers Compensation
  5. Superannuation
  6. Organisational Development
  7. Workforce Design and Planning
  8. Recruitment
• Develop close working relationships with members of all teams and provide the two Senior executives from each company frequent summaries and early indication any issues or risks as they arose.

Phase 3: Implementation

• Work with each of the Workstream leads to co-ordinate progress
• Ongoing meetings and workshops to progress actions and build a team mentality
• Earn the trust and develop good communication lines with the wide project team
• Provide frequent verbal and written reports to Senior Management
• A unified process
• Development of a close working and productive relationship amongst previous rivals
• A dynamic team that work together to anticipate problems and provide innovative approaches to solving problems.

Outcomes to Customer

• A unified process
• Development of a close working and productive relationship amongst previous rivals
• A dynamic team that work together to anticipate problems and provide innovative approaches to solving problems.