Case Study HR Services

Chemistry is a full-service HR consulting firm and provides HR support to private, public and not-for-profit clients.

Industry Association

Our clients have a diverse scope of needs, from support with hiring to full-service human resources management. This case study showcases the latter, demonstrating how our team supported our client with everything from an HR foundations audit and creation of a new policy manual, to development and implementation of progressive vacation and performance appraisal programs, and recruitment.

This particular client initially approached us and asked us to submit a proposal as part of their RFP process. Through this process, we were selected as the successful proponent for the contract.

Given that the organization did not have an internal HR function, our first step was to conduct a thorough HR foundations audit to gain an understanding of their current HR and operational policies and practices. We prepare a comprehensive report with our findings, identifying any gaps, compliance concerns, and recommendations based on legislation, employment standards and HR best practices. From the recommendations provided in the audit report, we were engaged by the client to manage a number of large projects for them.

As part of the audit, we reviewed all of the client’s existing HR documentation, and our first project was to create and implement a new policy manual. The existing manual was long and outdated, the policies had been adapted from various sources so were not consistent, and they no longer aligned to the direction and goals of the organization. Understanding these factors, we created a new policy manual that was specific to the needs of their organization, ensuring that it was concise and user-friendly.

The next project was transitioning several external contractors to internal employees. This project included developing job descriptions, conducting a compensation survey with recommendations for salary ranges, preparing employment agreements, and delivering on-boarding support to individual team members. We developed a progressive vacation program, a sick leave policy, bonus structure, and performance appraisal program, and assisted in the selection of an extended benefits provider. Our team shortlisted vendors and facilitated presentations to the client, allowing them to select the provider who best met their needs. Finally, we conducted a compensation review for the position of CEO, providing salary data and recommendations to the board of directors.

This client engaged our team to assist with ongoing recruitment and termination support, developing an interview guide and recruitment process, descriptions for newly-created roles, reviewing resumes, conducting interviews, and ensuring that all documentation and processes followed Employment Standards.

At the end of the day, Chemistry is now truly an extension of this client’s organization. We act as their full-service human resources department, providing the senior leadership team with day-to-day HR guidance and support, collaborating on strategic planning for the organization, developing processes, policies, and procedures, and supporting their continued growth and success.

As we conduct business throughout the nation, we would like to acknowledge that we live, work, meet and travel on the traditional territories of
Indigenous Peoples that have cared for this land, now called Canada, since time immemorial.