Katrinkles Case Study

Managing People Operations & People Advisory

The owner of this growing business knew that she needed expanded services to help her manage people operations and people advisory. They were seeking a one-stop shop to help handle payroll operations & deductions, benefits management, HR paperwork, retirement account funding, and regulatory alerts. They engaged GrowthLab to assist with People Advisory Services (PAS) to give them the peace of mind that they were leveraging best practices and creating a beautiful employee experience.

Problem Statement:

Overall Organization

Industry:

Arts and Crafts

Service:

     People Advisory Service

Services Sought from GrowthLab’s PAS

When the company sourced GrowthLab’s People Advisory Services, they were aiming to delegate all aspects of people operations to a professional third party firm. They specifically sought comprehensive support for moving to a new payroll platform, managing payroll, employee onboarding / offboarding, retirement account management, and triage of compliance notices. The company’s objective was to continue to professionalize their people operations and identify areas that needed better oversight.

Pricing Model and Services Comparison

Before partnering with GrowthLab, the company had experienced lower-cost services elsewhere. However, they also did not have control of their systems or visibility into how and who was delivering services. Despite the higher pricing of GrowthLab’s PAS, the customer found a lot of value in GrowthLab’s approach of providing them with direct access to their payroll platform, HR platform, and benefits management. The visibility alone was valuable for them and, in addition, they benefited from the quality and comprehensiveness of the personalized service GrowthLab was able to provide. In addition, the upfront billing model was appreciated, as it offered clarity and transparency in understanding costs. The customer valued the quality outcomes and attention she received, which justified the higher pricing.

Transition to Gusto and Experience with GrowthLab Team

One of the first projects was to transition from an external payroll provider to Gusto. The former payroll platform had limited reporting which led to a few surprises. However, Charlotte, one of GrowthLab’s People Advisors, adeptly managed these issues to ensure a smooth transition without any disruption to employee payroll. The customer highlighted that her employees found Gusto to be simple and transparent which was a breath of fresh air for them. Additionally, her experience with the GrowthLab team during this process was positive, as they efficiently resolved all hurdles that were encountered. 

Employee Priorities and Desired Changes:

From the customer’s perspective, the key elements important to her employees were the company culture, comprehensive benefits, and adequate paid time off. The owner expressed a desire to alleviate her team's workload and increase compensation while acknowledging the challenges they had faced during a difficult year that had included some layoffs. GrowthLab has supported these key elements for the owner by reviewing benefits and PTO and providing recommended changes to ensure that these are in compliance and are perceived as valuable by the employees.

Current Positive Experience with GrowthLab

The company has identified a few key aspects of her experience of working with GrowthLab’s PAS which, for the owner, are differentiators. Firstly, the strong rapport and reliable communication with her People Advisor stood out. She referenced that she had a sense of anticipation for their discussions, despite potentially challenging topics. Secondly, she expressed a profound sense of trust and assurance in the team's capabilities to consistently deliver high-quality service, ensuring she was always supported and had a team backing up her decisions and people operations.

Conclusion

Through GrowthLab’s People Advisory Services, this customer found a reliable partner capable of delivering great service. The owner found that the direct benefits and the indirect benefit of knowing she had a backstop to her people advisory decisions outweighed the cost differential from the prior provider. The transition to Gusto and the ongoing support from the GrowthLab team proved instrumental in streamlining operations and maintaining employee satisfaction. Her appreciation for the improved communication, trust, and the holistic support received exemplifies the successful collaboration with GrowthLab’s PAS.

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