“From the beginning of our relationship, Jim was very involved. He impressed our entire senior management team by sitting down and getting to know us before making recommendations. Jim really understands our goals, culture, unique structure and HR-related issues.”
Take a look at how ASTM President, Katharine Morgan, engaged HCC Partners.
As one of the largest standards organizations in the world, ASTM provides a forum for the development and publication of consensus standards for an impressive range of materials, products, systems and services. Its volunteer members represent producers, users, consumers, government and academia from more than 140 countries. ASTM’s standards committees develop more than 12,000 standards covering a broad range of subjects from steel, petroleum and medical devices, to consumer products and nanotechnology. Keeping pace with industry developments is just one of many reasons that ASTM President, Katharine Morgan engaged the services of HCC Partners, led by Jim Geier, President & CEO.
“Over the years, Jim has helped us make some very wise decisions. As thorough as he is, Jim is also accessible, joining us for senior staff retreats and always making himself available when we need him.”
Katharine continues, “Because of our uniqueness, about half of our senior management team has been with ASTM for a very long time. That’s why it’s so important that Jim bring a neutral, outside perspective to help us benchmark our practices against other global leaders.”
One example is ASTM’s performance review process. In the past, ASTM had implemented performance reviews on a rotating basis, tied to an employee’s start date. Jim educated ASTM that by moving to a single and consistent time period, they could better align performance with budgets, compare performance over a smaller window, and align performance objectives with ASTM’s business plan—not to mention save time and resources. One unexpected additional benefit was that this method better allowed them to take into account everyone’s development needs, which enabled ASTM to create training and development courses more efficiently and effectively.
Jim and HCC Partners have completed a variety of important human capital-related projects for ASTM, including an annual compensation analysis, salary grade recommendations based on industry benchmarks, a framework for merit adjustments, benchmarking of all job positions, performance review workshops, FLSA compliance to ensure ASTM has the correct assignments for exempt and non-exempt employees, and most recently, executive recruiting for a key role in the organization—one that will help ASTM continue to be at the leading edge of technology advancements in the industry.
According to Katharine, “The most valuable aspects of the relationship are trust and honesty. Jim doesn’t just tell me what I want to hear; he tells me what I need to know—presenting all the facts to allow me to make an informed and confident decision. As President of the organization, I find this invaluable to my role as a leader. Even when an issue clearly has two strong sides, Jim presents both pros and cons intelligently and candidly—without offending anyone. Furthermore, Jim is very adept at handling different personalities in a way that is neutral, discrete and constructive, and then working with that person to achieve our goals.”
The HCC Partners Difference
We Act as Your Trusted Advisor from Day One.
Because we start from the strategic perspective, clients grow to depend on us as a trusted advisor with the potential to add greater value to the organization over time.
Our Advisors Have the Right Experience.
Having held leading roles at successful companies, our advisors bring dimension and nuance to our recommendations—all tailored to your business needs.
Business Acumen Drives our Recommendations.
We are unique in that we align the performance of an organization’s greatest asset—its people—with your business expectations.
Your Culture and Values Are Respected.
We respect your corporate culture and work within it to help your culture evolve, taking your organization to the next level with greater potential to succeed.
For more information about how HCC Partners can help you maintain your edge, contact Jim Geier, President and CEO, at 215.244.8110 or jim.geier@hccpartners.com.