EWA sent a small team to the plant and conducted a series of structured interviews with Senior management, middle management and a sample of the hourly workers.

EWA team spent more than a month interviewing Guangdong employees and management, and observing and documenting interactions among workers and their leaders.

• • Spent several months coaching the General Manager of the facility, and teaching him how to coach his subordinates
  • Provided Basic Supervisory Training on the interpersonal skills needed to improve management’s attitude and behavior towards employees
  • Implemented Job Rotation where practical and employees with potential were identified and given greater responsibility
  • Trained supervisors to focus on finding and rewarding good deeds, rather than on policing and criticizing unwanted behaviors
  • Created basic employee consideration programs to reward positive results and quality-saves, such as departmental “Employee of the Month” awards, birthday recognitions, and more frequent rest breaks to allow employees to refresh and socialize
  • Introduced a structured compensation approach, and opened up the employee welfare benefits program to assure fairness and full legal compliance
  • Defined Employee Standards and implemented a realistic job preview process to acquaint prospective hires with the realities of the job environment, enabling them to set realistic expectations
  • Launched a semi-annual Employee Attitude Survey program to measure results in the collective temperament of the workforce and their perceptions of change

Performed the Organizational Assessment by conducting 3 group interviews to obtain information in the context of their Core Values, and to get input on what managers perceived as conditions on the floor:

• • Top Management
  • Middle Management
  • First line managers
  • Conducted individual interviews with members of a representative stratified sample of hourly employees
  • EWA team members also made many plant tours to see employees at work and observe their interactions with managers and fellow employees.

• • EWA prepared a report to management that included recommendations for improvements. EWA reviewed the report and recommendations with management to get agreement on specific steps and priorities.
  • After joint review, EWA finalized a roadmap for improvement. In addition, EWA helped management establish metrics to measure change in hard issues (productivity, financial results), and soft issues (employee relations, complaints).

Short Term

• • Reset all branding to new company
  • Improve top down and upward communications
  • Establish and reinforce formal recognition programs
  • Accelerated start to develop more effective supervisory skills

Mid Term

• • Expand ESL classes to improve facility communications and foster better team work
  • Resolve lingering transition issues
  • Improve retention of new hires
  • Develop HR systems
  • Continue to develop more effective supervisory skills
  • Identify and rectify any internal equity issues
  • Develop a meaningful Safety program with accountability

Long Term

• • Study ways to adapt effectively to changes in workforce and labor market demographics
  • Develop innovative approaches to recruiting sources
  • Continue supervisory training and bench strength development