Amperon, an energy forecasting pioneer, was poised for hypergrowth. But with a rapidly expanding team across the globe, they needed a robust HR foundation to support its ambitious growth trajectory. As an experienced HR advisor specializing in scaling high-growth startups, I worked with their leadership team to elevate their human capital strategy.
Over a 14-month partnership, we implemented a series of critical HR initiatives to position Amperon for sustained success.
The Challenge: A Fragmented HR Approach
When we first connected, Amperon had a 55-person team across 12+ countries. HR responsibilities were shared across different teams, and as they aimed to double their headcount, it was clear that a more strategic approach to HR was needed. They recognized the need for a seasoned expert to help them continue building an HR foundation and roll out a few key initiatives over the coming quarters.
Our Collaborative Approach
Together, we identified a few key challenges. Let’s dive into how we tackled them and the positive impact they had on the company.
Job Leveling and Competency Framework Development
Challenge: Inconsistent job levels and unclear career paths created challenges around employee development.
Solution: We partnered with Pando and Kamsa to develop a cohesive job architecture framework. Pando supported the development of a scalable job architecture and career frameworks used for role alignment and performance, and Kamsa conducted job leveling with Amperon’s functional leaders and developed an aligned comp philosophy. After creating a company-wide leveling structure, Pando worked closely with each leadership team member to define role-specific competencies for each role and level.
Impact: This investment in clear job levels provided a clear structure for hiring and career progression, enhanced employee experience by providing clarity and transparency on how folks are hired and grow their careers, and enabled a more fair and consistent process by which these decisions are made.
What are competencies? Competencies are the skills and behaviors expected at various levels of the company. If you are a Manager today and want to be promoted to Senior Manager, competencies outline what skills and behaviors you can work on to get to the next level!
Compensation Philosophy and Market Analysis
Challenge: Amperon was inconsistent in how it approached compensation, which had the potential to create issues down the road if left unaddressed.
Solution: We facilitated leadership team discussions to align on the company compensation philosophy. We conducted a comprehensive market study with Kamsa to benchmark compensation against the industry to ensure accurate and competitive salary bands across 16 countries. We also transitioned to a twice-yearly compensation review process, leveraging Kamsa’s compensation planning tool for a seamless pay review process for their growing, globally distributed workforce.
Impact: This resulted in a more competitive, consistent, and equitable compensation structure that rewards performance and aligns with company values. These investments improved employee morale, reduced administrative complexity, and reinforced Amperon’s commitment to attracting and retaining top talent.
Performance Review Process Implementation
Challenge: A lack of a formal performance review process led to inconsistent feedback and growth opportunities.
Solution: Building on the career leveling and competency framework, we designed and implemented an automated performance review process in Pando. This facilitated more effective feedback conversations, goal setting, and continuous development.
Impact: This new process fosters open communication, improves employee performance, and aligns individual goals with organizational objectives.
HR Team Expansion
Challenge: Amperon recognized the need for ongoing HR expertise to support its growing workforce. We were building great programs but needed full-time HR team members to continue evolving these programs, plus take on the day-to-day recruiting and people operations responsibilities.
Solution: I oversaw the recruitment and onboarding of a full-time Recruiter and People Operations Manager, providing referrals, coaching, and guidance along the way.
Impact: These strategic hires strengthened Amperon's HR muscle, ensuring the continued investment and implementation of effective HR strategies.
Additional Initiatives
We tackled a long tail of other projects throughout our advisory work together, such as:
Enhanced new hire onboarding experience to ensure a smooth, welcoming transition for new employees, and a clear understanding of Amperon’s culture and values.
Guided the team in the execution of a successful all-company retreat to foster team building and alignment.
Key investments to the employee benefits plan to improve employee satisfaction and program competitiveness.
Developed and updated core company policies to ensure clarity, consistency, and compliance.
Impact on Amperon's Growth
By partnering closely with Amperon’s growing people team and leadership team, we achieved significant results:
Improved Operational Efficiency: Streamlined HR processes and reduced administrative burden
Strengthened Organizational Culture: Fostered a positive and productive work environment
Optimized Talent Acquisition and Development: Attracted and retained top talent, and provided opportunities for growth and development
Aligned HR Strategy with Business Objectives: Ensured that HR programs supported the company's overall strategic goals.
Enhanced Employee Experience: Supported employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention
A Blueprint for Success
Amperon’s journey serves as a valuable blueprint for Series A-C startups seeking to elevate their HR function.
Ready to take your HR strategy to the next level? Let’s connect to discuss how my expertise can drive your company’s growth.
Here are a few ways I can help:
Schedule an "Ask Me Anything" micro consulting session to get personalized advice
Purchase a Playbook to accelerate your progress
Ongoing retained Advisor to your leadership and people team to build a strong people operations foundation and best-in-class employee experiences
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