Our flexible solutions work in the real world. Here are just some of our case studies (click on one of the options below to view story):
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Law
• Marketing



FINANCE

• PROBLEM: An international insurance giant was faced with losing a Director of one of its securities accounting departments. A new parent, the employee was struggling to manage her career and home life; ultimately, she proposed a job-share arrangement. Trouble was, neither she nor the employer could identify an internal candidate with the desired complement of people and technical skills.
• SOLUTION: After meeting both the employer and the employee, we were able to recommend an ideal job-share partner with the right skills, style and demeanor. The company now gets two heads for the price of one, plus six days of work (three apiece) for the price of five; while the candidates get to balance a rewarding career with more time home with their children. A classic “win/win” negotiation and a superb example of how flexibility can ensure retention.

• PROBLEM: A Fortune 200 company was looking for a full-time Financial Analyst and was unable to find the right candidate at the right price.
• SOLUTION: We brought in a Senior Financial Analyst for a trial basis and the client worked with the analyst on a 3 days per week schedule. Proving that she could capably handle the full-time workload, at slightly lower than the original full-time salary, the client quickly made her an offer to become a permanent part-time employee. In a tight labor market, or when searching for unique or hard-to-fill positions, it behooves companies to consider the “ideal” candidate who can work a less than full time schedule over the “adequate” candidate who can work a full-time schedule.

• PROBLEM: A money management firm was seeking a Director of Financial Reporting. Expecting it to be a difficult search, the firm agreed that a part-time candidate with the right skills and experience could be a workable alternative.
• SOLUTION: They turned to our rich pool of talent where they got the ideal candidate, at the right price who, because of her advanced skills and schooling, is getting the work done in time to get her children on and off the school bus each day. Back to Top



HUMAN RESOURCES

• PROBLEM: A large consumer products company was nearing the end of its college recruiting cycle with much more work to be done. Suddenly, they lost two key HR people. Replacements were needed immediately and there was no opportunity for a "break-in" period
• SOLUTION: We staffed both positions immediately with two professional Recruiters who were ideally skilled for the job -- one with expertise in Finance; the other in Marketing. Both were brought on as consultants, working flexible hours with ancillary work (like scheduling and phone interviews) being done from their in-home offices. Armed with contacts, experience and a comfortable work schedule, these professionals were able to hit the ground running -- a common strength of Flexible Resources^®' candidates.

• PROBLEM: The new Vice President of HR for this major spirits importer had an immediate need for a "right-hand" person to help her sort out the many strategic and tactical challenges she faced in her new role. But what sort of background should the person have? How could she get the high-level skills she needed when she wasn't prepared to commit to a permanent position? And, would a highly skilled person agree to the administrative components of the job?
• SOLUTION: We recommended a seasoned and very versatile HR Generalist who was available to work "school hours" -- about 30 hours per week. Like most of our "MBA mom" candidates, this woman wasn't constrained by hierarchical job expectations. In short, nothing was beneath her. Her willingness to handle administrative tasks freed the VP to handle critical strategic work, while her ability to handle the high-level work provided much needed back-up. This case is a superb example of how the professional mom, happy to work temporarily, can keep a department running while long-term hiring decisions are sorted out.

• PROBLEM: The HR Director for a small manufacturing firm was due to take maternity leave in 2 months. Because she was a stand-alone department, there was nobody qualified to cover in her absence, and having no coverage was out of the question. The Director was savvy enough to know that a full-time temp would be overkill -- like many in small companies, she wore multiple "hats" and the only one she needed to make sure was filled was the HR "hat". In addition, she was uncertain about her return-to-work plans. A meeting with Flexible Resources^® was soon planned.
• SOLUTION: Maternity leave coverage is one of our strengths. In this scenario, as in many, we placed an ideally qualified candidate who could easily handle the workload and who brought complementary skills and style to the job. The plan was to have our candidate overlap with the Director for one month, cover for her four month leave and then, well, nobody was really sure. As it happened, the Director eased back into the job after her four month leave --one day per week; then two -- with our person staying on. The two found they worked so well together that they transitioned, effortlessly, into a job-share. For this HR Director, at this small family-owned shop, the possibility of securing a flexible schedule or a job-share would have been nil. But, because it was already essentially in-place, the President agreed enthusiastically. Back to Top



LAW

• PROBLEM: A Fortune 500 financial company was seeking a corporate attorney in its Swap Documentation Department, but was unable to find a candidate with the right mix of skills and experience.
• SOLUTION: We offered them a Senior Level Attorney with the perfect complement of skills and practical experience -- with one caveat; she wanted to work part-time. Our candidate, the mother of four young children, had recently left a full-time position as a litigator at a Manhattan law firm; but she still craved the challenge of working. By presenting her to this company, we gave them a choice between the "OK" full-time candidates they were seeing, and a supremely qualified "part-time" candidate. Fortunately for all parties involved, the company chose the latter.

• PROBLEM: A small LA law firm needed to hire a new Associate but did not have the office space (or the budget) they needed to accommodate one.
• SOLUTION: We placed an attorney with two preschoolers working a full-time schedule entirely from home. The firm got an attorney with just the right background and was able to grow (their firm and their billables) without taking on additional office space. The candidate got a challenging position that affords her more time with her young family. Back to Top



MARKETING

• PROBLEM: A major consumer brands company's search for a full-time Brand Manager had turned up empty after six months. They weren't attracting candidates with the right complement of industry expertise and technical skills they needed, so they turned to us.
• SOLUTION: We had several well-qualified candidates who had higher level credentials than this job specified; and a plan to make hiring such a candidate work. By persuading the client to focus on skills and experience as the hiring parameters -- not schedule or pay -- we got three Senior Brand Managers in to interview. The Hiring Manager was, of course, delighted with the quality of the candidates (one in particular), but concerned about affordability. Why would a Senior Brand Manager accept a Brand Manager salary, title and lesser responsibilities? Because salary, title and power are not top priorities for an MBA mom looking for work/family balance; time is. After some more persuading, we got our candidate the job offer, at the original salary offered, on a four days per week schedule. More importantly, because of her senior skills, she's able to get the full-time job done in just those four days.

• PROBLEM: A consumer products giant was seeking a part-time Promotions Manager for its headquarters. Despite this company's long-standing reputation for flexible hiring, they were having trouble finding someone with the unique skills required of the job.
• SOLUTION: Having worked with us frequently over the years, this company turned to Flexible Resources^® right away. Because we have a ready pool of qualified candidates, it took us only 48 hours to send just the right one through their door. But our involvement didn't end there. One stumbling block remained; our candidate lived 30 highly trafficked miles away. In an effort to make things work for both parties, we negotiated a flex-time 8 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. schedule, three days at the office and one day at home, to reduce commuting time and maximize time on the job.

• PROBLEM: A world-renowned manufacturer of beauty products had several major new product launches planned, insufficient staff to get it done and a hiring freeze in place. How would they get through this critical crunch without taxing their staff or resorting to low-level temps?
• SOLUTION: By working with Flexible Resources^®, that's how. We sent in three Senior Product Managers who had the know-how to step in immediately and capably handle these major roll-outs -- on a contract basis. The work was completed on time and within budget under the direction of these three pros -- who are still with the company as freelancers positioned to handle a variety of projects as they arise. A traditional staff can't provide this level of skill or this kind of consistency. Back to Top