Case Studies
COMPREHENSIVE COMPENSATION & JOB EVALUATION:
THE POINT
FACTOR SYSTEM
Pivot HR Services collaborated with a highly specialized policing organization to provide a comprehensive compensation and job evaluation review of positions and corresponding salaries. The Pivot Team created a new comprehensive job evaluation plan built on the point factor system. This plan is a structured method used to assess and compare jobs within an organization based on predefined compensable factors, such as:
SKILL
(e.g., education, experience, technical knowledge)
EFFORT
(e.g., physical and mental demands)
RESPONSIBILITY
(e.g., decision-making, financial impact, supervision)
WORKING CONDITIONS
(e.g., hazardous environments, travel requirements)
This system helps ensure internal pay equity by assigning numerical values to different job components, allowing organizations to rank positions systematically. All positions were evaluated to establish their relative value to each other for internal equity purposes.
Market research was then conducted with hundreds of compensation benchmarks. This is the process of comparing an organization’s pay practices against the external labour market data to ensure that salaries and benefits remain competitive. This helps attract, retain, and motivate employees while aligning compensation with industry standards.
OUR PIVOT PROCESS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
At the end of this process, we delivered a new pay system to our clients and helped them to implement it successfully through a robust communication roll out strategy.
CULTURAL ASSESSMENT REVIEW:
KEY INSIGHTS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Pivot HR Services was contracted to conduct a comprehensive cultural assessment at a local educational institution. This initiative was driven by the school board’s recognition of the critical culture shift that had taken place during the 2023-2024 school year.
By engaging Pivot HR Services, the institution could ensure that the evaluation was completed objectively, confidentially, and comprehensively. It’s imperative that these values are upheld in sensitive situations, such as culture assessments and investigations, to ensure that we are gaining a full understanding of the staff’s perspectives and experiences.
ASSESSMENT
The assessment involved three key steps:
FINDINGS
The survey and interviews revealed several important themes regarding communication and leadership within the school. It was discovered that staff felt uninformed about changes, left out from vital communications, and unsupported by leadership, leading to a lack of problem resolution. Left unattended, these problems can lead to bigger concerns, often showing up as:
- Decreased morale and engagement
- Inefficient operations
- Increased workplace stress
- Higher turnover rates
- Lack of growth for individuals and the institution
- Difficult in implementing change
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on these findings, Pivot HR Services provided several recommendations aimed at enhancing the overall culture at the institution:
- Enhance Communication Strategies: Implement consistent and inclusive communication practices to ensure all staff members feel informed and engaged.
- Leadership Development: Invest in leadership training focused on effective communication and conflict resolution skills to better navigate difficult conversations.
- Strengthen Support Systems: Establish clear protocols for providing support during challenging situations to ensure all staff feel valued and assisted.
- Foster Inclusivity in Decision-Making: Create opportunities for staff input in decision-making processes to promote a sense of ownership and purpose within the school community.
- Regular Follow-Up Assessments: Conduct periodic reviews to monitor progress on these initiatives and adjust strategies as needed based on staff feedback.
CASE STUDY: TRAINING FOR A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
EMPOWERING MUNICIPAL LEADERS IN UNIONIZED WORKPLACES
Pivot HR Services partnered with a British Columbia-based municipal government to deliver a customized training workshop for their supervisors and front-line leaders. With a workforce governed by a collective agreement, the municipality recognized the importance of equipping new and emerging leaders with the knowledge and tools to navigate unionized environments effectively and confidently.
The “Leading in a Unionized Environment” training is a recurring offering for this client, delivered regularly to support leadership transitions and strengthen labour relations practices. The workshop is designed to demystify complex union-management dynamics while reinforcing leadership responsibilities, communication strategies, and compliance considerations.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
- Understanding management rights and the union’s role
- Collective bargaining fundamentals and interpreting the collective agreement
- Conducting workplace investigations fairly and thoroughly
- Issuing discipline and managing performance in unionized settings
- Differentiating between culpable and non-culpable conduct Responding to grievances and navigating arbitration
- Meeting the duty to accommodate under human rights legislation
- Promoting positive and respectful unionmanagement relationships
Throughout the training, participants engaged in hands-on simulations, group discussions, and practical case studies that mirrored real-life challenges. A core emphasis was placed on consistent, fair, and proactive leadership, especially in situations where relationships with union representatives could become strained or adversarial.
By empowering municipal leaders to manage with clarity, empathy, and procedural fairness, Pivot HR helps foster healthier workplaces where trust, communication, and compliance coexist. This training continues to be a cornerstone in the municipality’s commitment to developing confident, capable leaders who can thrive in a unionized environment.
