Manufacturing
The Success Profiling System Saves Heavy Equipment Service Department
A large sized heavy equipment manufacturer was facing considerable performance difficulties in its aftermarket service department. Efficiency and profitability were of particular concern for the service department. In fact the service department was nearing a total collapse under the pressure of the firm’s quickly increasing sales.
The company was facing numerous problems in the service department, which were made even more difficult due to long-term emotional ties to a number of employees. Many of the employees in the service department had given the company decades of hard work and loyalty.
A real dilemma arose: the service department wasn’t getting the job done, but nobody wanted to hurt the feelings of the employees who were such a large part of the company’s identity. The bottom line was hurting and something needed to be done fast.
Job Match Testing Made The Difference
The company wisely sought outside help and learned of the hiring system used by Center for Work Life. They quickly learned that the problem in the service department was likely a people problem i.e. they had the wrong people in the wrong job positions.
The employees had proficient technical knowledge of the firm’s products, however many lacked the soft skills necessary to be successful in the service department. With the help of their consultants, management began establishing a suitable workforce analysis for the service department.
They were able to determine which values, attributes and success factors were most needed for the particular position and the particular organization in the service department. The assessment was then given to employees in the service department to determine who was best fit for a position in that department.
Those employees who were well fit to work in the service department remained, while those who were not were reassigned to different areas of the company where their skills complemented the job position. The remaining vacancies in the other departments were then filled using the same employee selection technique.
The results were outstanding. The service department was able to get back on its feet and regain efficiency and profitability. Overall morale for the firm has improved significantly as employees are better fit for their jobs. Furthermore, the firm’s customer satisfaction numbers have improved as well.
The equipment manufacturer has also experienced a healthy increase in its bottom line since implementing a Retention Track. Sales volume has more than doubled, and profitability has increased by 96%.