‘When you start talking in financial terms, set financial goals and achieve them, you can talk face to face with a financial, with a trade, with management; that has been the key to position ourselves as a strategic area within the organization’.
Rosalba Grosso:
HR Manager Open Market Ltda
Rosalba, psychologist by profession, ACRIP Award winning ‘Best Executive Human Resources 2012’, a detailed description of the strategies structured and implemented in its management ‘Transition of Human Resource Management Area Support Strategic Area’ by which was one of the recipients last January 26, 2012.
- Rosalba, Tell us briefly about your professional career path and how it was his arrival in Open Market.
In Open Market, I started as an intern in psychology 15 years ago, specifically citing recruiting and managing people to interview. It was a fairly small company with 70 employees and all you did was recruitment and payroll. At the beginning it was difficult; the only person I worked with was an industrial engineer for planning, who had also done the practice and had stayed. This was already seen some professionalization of the charges because our staff was really purely operational: People with fifth grade to load and unload trucks and 5 o6 administrative people.
- ¿How has the evolution of Open Market as a company?
It is a family business, done freehand, who is 28 years of marriage of 5 brothers who decided to start working on logistics transporting merchandise focused niche pharmaceutical ago. It has always been run by its shareholders who hold senior management and a number of areas that lead to more management leadership, management approach that is one of the characteristics of the company. It currently has 3000 employees, 9 venues nationwide and advancing feasibility studies to open in South America.
- Rosalba, what was involved in the management of which earned ACRIP Award ‘Best Executive HR 2012’ that won last January?
We show the evolution of Human Resource Management in Open Market, the transition to go from being a process of administrative support to be strategic support. What we did was to start with clear processes such as recruitment, pay a payroll, ie, a technically operational management to initiate key actions such as starting to centralize all processes that had to do with people as before, for example , which was compensation which was not what drove nominal compensation but the Administrative Management. Later, in the last five years, we began the strategic orientation of human management, working hand projects from all areas, including the General Manager Human Resources at which reports directly. Then started working all matters of structure for a company with such rapid growth as we have been having an increase of 25-30% over the past five years, reaching above $ 100,000 million annual sales, increasing 70 people 3000 to currently. Simultaneously, support the expansion of the company nationwide to open nine branches. Initially, we only had a presence in Bogotá. 10 years ago, at the request of customers, the decision was made to open Cali and then other cities. This project involved defining a new structure, selecting officials who met with the profile of the organization and maintain organizational culture independent of the geographical location of the branch. Of another side, also to strategic level, we support the management in the diversification and opening of new services, apalancándonos in the review of historical, in having clarity on what age what the clients needed, obviously, focused on the market. In this moment, we have 7 services and begin to work the structure for every business where it is sought to have companies separated by services (transport, storage, conditioning). This year, we stayed in all structuring Open Freeze – Cold chain management of pharmaceutically; here in Colombia are the only logistics operators we do it in a demanding as required medication management manner; in human resource management, we have ensured that the organization has the right people for this project. On the other hand, we have all the quality certifications. For us to operate within the pharmaceutical market demands we must meet very high quality, This, Human Resources in the assembly was part of the Quality Management System throughout the organization with rules, procedures, manuals. We always did the leader for all the processes. We are also certified in BASC and participate in audits of best practices that advance the Invima and any governmental or regulatory body.
- It has been an arduous task in which certainly has not stopped finding difficulties, by the way, ¿what has been the most difficult to achieve implementation of these plans?
The biggest challenge has been that leaders understand their role as managers in human resource management, their commitment to their partners, the development plan of its people, the select, level of commitment to social responsibility to its people; that is, to understand and take ownership of all the integrity that is our business model. In this sense, for three years, we have been working a leadership model to empower them to be leaders of human management, who are sufficiently competent to manage his people; we have managed to take ownership of the model; although it has been difficult, it has been achieved. Annually, we measure our Hagle Leadership Abilities Management Cash- tool, where we found evidence of good results.
- Culturally, ¿How describes Open Market?
Being a family business means that everyone is considered family. Logically, for its size, it can be no earlier customs to know the name of all employees, to know how many children had the name of his wife, ask her about her work. However, it seeks and familiarity to celebrate special dates of each is preserved when buying house, birthday; we have kept these practices over time.
Secondly, something that is key to our organization, it is the responsibility of the service; that is, all people, at all hierarchical levels in Open Market should have this competition in high levels and that’s what we sell, service.
- ¿How is shaped area of Human Resource Management?
Is Management that reports to General Manager. The Management of Human Resources will report processes -Selection bosses, Education and Training, Occupational Health, Welfare and Safety, Compensation, Labour and Social Development and Organizational Communication.
Nationally we are 12 people. In Bogotá 9 wherein the central and more people are and where all policies, procedures and guidelines are set; in each branch there is a human management coordinator that applies.
- However, within the strategic framework of Open Market, ¿How it contributes Management Human Management reach these goals?
Indeed, our benchmark is the strategic objectives defined by management and based on this level, we define our specific objectives, one of which is the attraction and retention of human talent.
In this regard, we have rotation indicator at 3.5%, a rate that is low compared to the market average of such companies. What we do for retention is to ensure that officials can develop professionally. Whenever there is a vacancy, the priority is to internally promote people; in fact, in the last year, 94 vacancies, 67 were covered by our staff.
At the same time, we support training. One of our banners Open University is where we are focused on improving the academic level of our people; that helps retain people! The average age of the 70% of our people are between 20 and 25 years and with limited resources. The training is that through an agreement with the Sena and flagged with Open University, have technical and technological careers in logistics. So the most outstanding, they are allowed to enter Open University, with a curriculum developed logistics and made to measure Open Market in conjunction with the Seine, Seine instructors certified by the Seine.
In Open Market facilities include a lounge equipped with computers and the instructors come down here; ie do not have to move, have the tools they need and do so in a time where the company gives the employee one and another. All these elements contribute to employee motivation.
We started in 2009 and we have 70 graduates logisticians, technologists are in second semester and when they end technology, we have agreements with universities to continue their careers.
- Indeed, all these elements that ensure the development of people, contribute to employee motivation, wanting to stay with the company so that the low turnover is evident that mentioned a moment ago.
If the issue of attracting and retaining talent is critical to any organization. Another strategy that leverages our contribution to achieving strategic goals Market is Open selection.
Here, we focus on fill vacancies from the promotion and when required from outside, usually for the post of assistant cellar, the most basic operation process level, the criteria most important to hire is values service and competition.
Although the values are not easy to evaluate, and have a predesigned interview, similar to an assessment, where we evaluate the values and apply Valanti test. In Open Market everything is negotiable, minus values; hence it is essential that everyone who enters is honest.
Moreover, we have been working very hard in raising the profile of our staff, hence our officers, competition, often called the ‘yuppies logistics children’. We seek to be well presented, our uniform is beautiful, well spoken, with a minimum high school. The company invests heavily in these guidelines, you shave, clean shoes. This is the official profile Open; is part of the service we provide and guarantee.
- And compared to other processes? Training, for example, how the needs identified, how to structure the plan of action?
In terms of training, all under the umbrella that moves the Open University education. Here we include training activities in each charge. The needs out of the performance evaluation of what the market demands, they need customers. The company allocates an annual budget to run it, we schedule by area, by branch; have indicators on coverage and compliance and this will maintain annually. Similarly, we are focused on the requirements of the Quality Management System in standards-level drug specific procedures; these are part of the training schedule. Each area has its schedule according to your needs, ask them what they need, and how do I measure the impact of such training. Once we receive in Human Resources, we evaluated the feasibility of these applications according to the budget there, is tracked, the person attending the training again and replicates information. We also have support for people to study as educational aid for graduate and professional studies.
On the other hand, at board level, Hagle is transverse to all leaders and handles training. Additionally, in 2011, we did a course in a university Management Skills where we focus on building skills and abilities.
- in terms of performance evaluation?
Besides the evaluation, we are working for the EPD -Evaluation Development- and unite all that is developing performance. We call it within a grid with a few scores.
We are also attaching all the indicators that the company has in all -financial perspectives, learning-as part of the balanced scorecard. So we measure performance, leadership Hagle our tool, we measure work climate; we have also as part of indicator development and performance evaluation for our chiefs and is key to improve our working environment; this is what we call developmental assessment.
In compensation and benefits, work with a wage structure, with clear objectives of competitiveness and be fair. According to the charges, we compare the market to be competitive, there are a number of benefits for some positions such as food stamps, cell, annual performance bonus.
- ¿What level programs being handled?
I believe that wellness is one of the strengths of Open Market! Based on our team slogan translates logístico’- -‘El better that people should be happy and to be happy is to be comprehensive, our wellness programs are focused there. We work on a philosophy in which a human being should cover all needs and given the profile of our staff and Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of needs, we have been working to help meet basic needs. It is well known that if a person does not supply basic needs, it is very difficult to move up the pyramid; This is why we have been working with this integrated approach.
Hence that we have related not only to the staff but also with family programs. We have programs like ‘Myday’, which consists in accompanying their special dates to celebrate the birthday of those serving in the month, the birthday you do get a cake each to their workplace, are given gift is celebrated women’s Day; that is, those periods having calendar Colombian.
We likewise the ‘fullhome’ program that has to do with the home. As a family business, working very much the theme of family, that should keep together. We invited the families of the officers and the company has been a success factor for the organization; this activity has been part of what has improved our working environment indicator. One of the more recent programs is to bring the child to know what makes your dad, the risks to which they are exposed if you do not use the elements of protection, have brought little ones, puts them uniform Open, the hull, boots, all the funds.
We also support families by giving them monthly markets, providing children recreational vacations; that is, a number of activities that contribute to meeting the basic needs.
Additionally we have the ‘Premium’ Survey Programme. Monthly, a T-shirt given to people who have excelled, shirt brings a message that is the same as the calendar of the company; ie if this month on the calendar speaks of “Discover: Always enjoy the wonder of discovery ‘, this phrase on the shirt is also printed; It is also given a day off and the end of the year, people who have had the most number of shirts have a special bonus.
Meanwhile, at the annual convention, all processes are recognized through our balanced scorecard best scores from each perspective and rewarded in a ceremony.
We also have the ‘Together’ program related to integration activities. We carry sports championships in five disciplines, have year-end events for both adults and children. In this, the company invests heavily. There is a definite budget for each activity.
- How much impact motivation level achieved demonstrate the advancement of these programs?
In 2010 we decided to measure ourselves against the best and begin to measure ourselves against Great Place to Work; the first measurement was tough because we measure ourselves with leading companies and when you measure it with the excellent, the gap is much bigger. Moreover, economically the resources of other companies are much larger; However, we continue to improve this time in nearly 15 to 20 points the last survey was done; then it is exciting because you see that the results are being achieved.
- And in terms of CSR, ¿Which has focused on the management of the company?
Initially, the nature of our people, the organization stated that the first thing was to ensure that our staff were well; we could not go out and help the community if our people had no cover their basic needs; hence our wellness programs are focused in the first instance, to improving the quality of life of our people.
As we have already covering this aspect, we are also helping 250 children who have unfortunately been victims of sexual abuse displacement and a foundation in Ciudad Bolivar. We’ve been close to 7 years supporting and rejoicing in seeing how we have contributed to your life change. We bring new items (clothes, books, toys). Initially we were 10-15 people at Christmas to take them; Now, last year, we rented three buses to go; ie officials increasingly are engaging and the best thing is that many of them have needs and yet are participating and contributing.
Thirdly, we have the Seed Plan. We started last year to link deaf to the area of production of container; right now we have 60 deaf people, we have learned the sign language and everything involved a cultural change for the company; in fact, one of my main concerns was thinking about how they were going to receive and, on the contrary, people have been very gratified, have welcomed the.
The Seed Plan will coordinate with the Sena. We asked the Seine, in the framework of the curriculum in logistics we already had, we formed 30 deaf people.
They were learning 6 months, then 6 months in practice with accompaniment with -papás family mamás-, because communication was difficult initially. They brought them to the interviews to begin teaching what working life, compliance with rules, schedules, etc. After finishing practice, we link directly to payroll in specific areas.
It started the second class; new practitioners arrived in February and are looking at how we will continue with the model as it is growing, and it is best that all the processes are asking. Initially we all prepared for the conditioning process, now heads storage transport link are asking their teams to these people.
- ¿CSR is responsible for Human Resources?
Yes, it is our responsibility.
- ¿What are the indicators that you have defined to quantify the impact of management?
Our indicators are given in the balanced scorecard, because as human management, must join all the company. What we do is to align our indicators of the company, as have indicators transverse rotation is handled monthly -coverage cronograma- training and compliance, mobility in the academic level of our employees is reflected in working environment, working environment , Hagle -indicator of leadership-, -Gross financial indicators per capita personnel costs, productivity-.
Additionally, we are linked with customers. Each quarter, customers visited the pareto Open and taught them the indicators of human-level management turnover, promotion, training that was done to people who are managing their products, wellness programs, among others, to the point that has been a key factor to bring new accounts.
The last client that was entered Pfizer the largest worldwide pharmaceutical company in a meeting talking about why they had decided to give the account Open, which was mentioned by people. So it has been a key differentiator factor to bring new accounts.
Another indicator that we are considering and ask ourselves what is the wonder of the National Consulting Center. Every two years they do a survey of customer loyalty and always placed human factor and gave a rating, then the initiative of this Administration, we request that expand the variable and being asked more customers to see what else we could improve and the perception was the best qualified over the safety area as the best strength of Open.
So, you see, is all perspective: financial, customer-satisfaction they have with our people-, internal TRAINing, -cultura- selection- and learning. That is, what we do is take those indicators that are qualitative, convert them to numbers and put them in a measuring system which is what all companies use. This is how human management impacts the management of all areas.
Incidentally, that is another paradigm that we desmontarnos in human management and is to be clear that any organization requires qualitative and human management has positioning and strategic significance that should have not quantify management. We must work with the financial, commercial part, understand the business, show quantitative indicators; while we do not, we will always project the image that we are not generating business value; we show in our performance data and facts!
I understand that perhaps, for training as psychologists we have some HR managers, it is likely that we will not understand financial indicators provide an EVA; however, after one study and understand them, are clear.
Then, as the financial sector relies on you to help, you talk about costs of participation, and more in a company like this in which labor is the highest cost. When you start talking in financial terms, set financial goals and achieve them, you can talk face to face with a financial, with a trade, with management; that has been the key to position ourselves as a strategic area within the organization.
- Rosalba,How it relates to other colleagues?
Through partnerships like ACRIP where I attend seminars, updates, is one of the areas that I have to relate. And other people that I’ve met and I interact and communicate with them sporadically.
- Finally, ¿What challenges as Human Resource Manager identifies the company and general level?
In Open, the short-term challenge is the internationalization of the company. Start handling another currency other clearing system, a different culture, features many elements of another country. Maintain organizational culture and not lose the simplicity and sensitivity for human beings.
And overall, we must strengthen the strategic positioning; is to do what we have achieved in this company professionally to position within an organization and the right to be the decision maker, get to a meeting of partners hand. In my case, I present my indicators to shareholders, then when you accomplish that, you position and thereafter everything flows more effectively and efficiently achieve reaching a differentiator, a success factor in the organization.
Martha Ruiz D.
mruiz@strategos.com.co
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