Managing Talent Programs for a Global Professional Services Firm

Project Overview

This case study outlines the successful management of comprehensive talent programs at a global professional services firm. The focus was on crafting and executing people strategies that aligned with the firm’s evolving talent needs while fostering a multi-generational, diverse workforce. The talent management initiatives spanned across leadership development, succession planning, performance management, and key talent retention strategies. The objective was to build a robust and adaptable talent framework to support the firm’s aggressive growth and transformation goals.

Project Objectives:

Design and Implement Talent Strategies – Create versatile talent strategies that reflect the needs of a diverse, multi-generational workforce.
Leadership & Performance Development – Develop programs focused on leadership growth, advanced goal-setting frameworks, and comprehensive performance management (PM) systems.
Talent Retention & Succession Planning – Ensure the retention of key talent while implementing succession planning and career pathing frameworks.
Drive Diversity Initiatives – Build programs that promote diversity and inclusion, with a focus on retaining female employees and leaders.
Transformative HR Programs – Lead transformation projects, including the launch of a global performance development system for over 12,000 employees.

Project Execution:

People Strategy Development:
- A comprehensive people strategy was crafted in collaboration with the leadership team to address the needs of the evolving talent landscape. This included initiatives such as pulse surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), and a robust HR communication strategy aimed at fostering a culture of transparency and engagement.
- Emphasis was placed on the ‘Voice-Up’ approach to empower employees to share feedback and shape the work culture.
Leadership & Performance Development:
- Led the development of performance management (PM) readiness programs and goal-setting frameworks to enhance leadership capabilities across the firm. These initiatives were designed to align with market compensation benchmarks and support career pathing efforts.
- Moderation processes and year-end reviews were executed across multiple levels to ensure fairness, transparency, and alignment with the firm’s growth objectives.
- Interim leadership in rolling out a new global performance development system for over 12,000 employees, including the adoption of a new competency framework to better evaluate and support employee performance and development.
Talent Retention & Succession Planning:
- Implemented strategic talent retention programs, focusing on key talent across all levels of the organization. This included succession planning to ensure continuity in leadership and critical roles.
- The firm achieved a ~90% year-on-year key talent retention rate, significantly reducing attrition.
- Span rationalization and salary-cost optimization strategies were put in place to streamline operations and ensure competitive compensation while maintaining organizational health.
Diversity & Inclusion Programs:
- Led successful diversity initiatives aimed at supporting female employees and leaders. These programs achieved ~95% return-to-work rate for new mothers and ~85% retention of female employees, establishing one of the highest percentages of women in leadership roles within the firm.
- The focus on diversity contributed to a positive work culture, which was reflected in employee engagement and retention rates.
Transformation Projects:
- Spearheaded the leadership promotion panels for the firm’s Director-level and above promotions, ensuring a structured and fair evaluation process.
- Launched one of the first and largest campus hiring programs, focusing on Chartered Accountant hiring, which successfully met high-volume recruitment needs across key functions such as Audit, Risk Advisory, and GDC.

Results:

Successfully managed the recruitment of ~1,000 hires for audit functions within two quarters, contributing to the firm’s aggressive growth targets.
Achieved consistent reduction in attrition with a ~90% key talent retention rate year-on-year.
Improved engagement scores, with one of the highest GPS (Global People Survey) scores in the business unit, reflecting an upward trend over three years.
Strong Diversity Metrics: The diversity programs led to an ~85% female retention rate and increased the representation of women in leadership roles.
Award-Winning Leadership: Recognized for driving leadership promotion processes and campus hiring programs, receiving the firm’s Super Team award for outstanding performance.