Our client success stories speak for themselves.
Why be an armchair psychologist when you can have an actual psychologist?
We do things differently than commonly used firms and it shows in results.
Top PE Firm Uses Lodestone Science To Select CEOs
Read This Case StudyNearly since our inception, one of the largest and oldest firms in the world has looked to Lodestone for C-suite assessments. “Your insights are worth their weight in gold,” said a Managing Director. He appreciates our thorough yet targeted, science-based assessments and insights about an executive’s likelihood of success in the target role to other firms’ clinical prose about the person’s life history. As a result, Lodestone has provided insights on many individuals and PortCos across sectors within this firm for both selection and development/succession planning.
Exclusive Human Capital Advisors
Read This Case StudyAs a result of a successful engagement in one PortCo, a Lodestone client recognizes the value of having Lodestone available for any Human Capital need within the portfolio. “Over the last couple years, we’ve had an epiphany about the importance of everything Human Capital, and we know we aren’t the experts at people. Therefore, we’d like to retain you as our ‘go-to’ for strategic consulting and execution on various initiatives.”
Human Capital Practices Audit Yields Roadmap For Value Creation
Read This Case StudyA tech-focused PE firm engaged Lodestone in a human capital process audit across their portfolio. We surveyed and interviewed HR leaders and their internal customers to develop a dashboard for the entire portfolio and for each company. With a small investment of time and money, the firm received information needed to triage which portions of the employee life cycle needed immediately attention for process optimization. The result was they could target resources effectively to assist their companies on the most critical Human Capital areas for each company—rather than assuming a full playbook was necessary. Additionally, some portcos were identified as having best practices and thus could knowledge share with sister companies for process improvement. We were particularly proud of our ability to point those opportunities out in that we strongly believe a company doesn’t always need an outside consultant for help. When they can help each other within their portfolio family, they can more wisely utilize their consulting spend where they truly need it.
Culture & Engagement Success
Read This Case StudyWhile it’s easier to build a healthy culture when times are good, it’s not impossible when cash is tight and adversity strikes. Lodestone consultants were involved in shaping a healthy culture in a green tech start-up, working with the executive team and then the rest of the organization to establish vision and values that were tangible and behavioral. As a result, all employees knew what behaviors supported the company values and embedded those behaviors into their daily operations. One of those values was Resource Stewardship and as cashflow became tighter in the organization, the CEO reported to us that individuals were truly “spending like it was their own money” from changing hotels and flights to turning off lights and printing less documents. 85% of employees volunteered a salary cut in support of their belief in the company and the value of Resource Stewardship.
Executive Assessment For Selection Success
Read This Case StudyRight after an acquisition, our consultants were contacted to assess executives from both entities against the business imperatives of the new organization. We quickly conducted interviews, personality assessments, and business simulations for a robust assessment of competencies, capabilities, and likelihood of contributing to the success of the business imperatives. This full talent audit was presented to the stakeholders as a vital component of their decision-making. Both retained and exited executives received full feedback on results and coaching to help with the transition to either their new role or exit process. An exiting executive remarked, “this is what happens in business. We all know it. But this process was different– thorough and fair and provided me with something of value, even though ultimately I’m not staying in the company.” The executive sponsor of the talent assessment remarked that he was “a believer” and wouldn’t assess talent any other way in others of his holdings ever again.
Human Capital Due Diligence Success
Read This Case StudyLodestone consultants were engaged by a deal team to conduct due diligence on a prospective Human Capital Survey/Engagement company. In this unique circumstance, we were both able to comment on the human capital and on the product offering itself. Within 10 days, the team conducted a product demo, audited HR processes, performed backchannel research through our professional network, and presented analyses. This work resulted in a modified offer on the asset and strengthened the relationship with the deal team, resulting in our consultant’s engagement in that team’s next deal.
Human Capital Optimization Success
Read This Case StudyA private equity firm purchased a company with unacceptable attrition rates among their high volume and client-facing entry level roles. Our team was tasked by the Operating Partner to solve the issue. Investigation revealed flaws in recruitment, selection, and engagement processes. We formed a talent optimization committee of HR and line managers within the company to ensure their participation and buy-in in the improvement initiatives. We conducted job analysis to identify the key competencies and success profile of the role and redesigned their selection system to include automated, scientifically sound prescreens and behavior-based interviews. We trained the managers to be effective interviewers, all while navigating entrenched and change resistant HR leadership. We reduced attrition by 40%, 3X the Operating Partner’s expectations, and centralized and upskilled HR, for further efficiency. This process was then repeated in other portfolio companies.
Newly Acquired Distressed Manufacturing Company
Read This Case StudyHaving purchased their largest platform ever, this relatively young PE firm needed HR triage immediately. A new CEO, known for operational turnararound not people savvy, needed immediate support to ensure key players stayed, to optimize employee selection processes, and to attract talent to a reputationally challenged company. The Lodestone team was able to tackle these people issues, as well as begin coaching the CEO, to ultimately decrease her dependence on Lodestone…and her number of calls to the firm.
Logistics CEO Goes From Skeptic To Believer
Read This Case StudyAt first resistant to executive coaching sponsored by the PE owner, this CEO quickly developed trust in his Lodestone coach and asked for more assistance. The Lodestone coach became integral to helping him with organizational design, COVID crisis management, and working with a customer-facing division who was losing sales.
Green Tech Investor Due Diligence
Read This Case StudyThis client first engaged Lodestone’s team for help with dysfunctional executive teams. After a couple iterations of putting out fires, they realized the value of engaging Lodestone sooner– in due diligence to minimize the risk of acquiring what seems like a good investment, only to realize the executive team needed to be wholly changed out if the deal were going to make sense.