Shared Business Systems (SBS) are part of the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in the Victorian state government and are a shared services supplier of HR/Payroll and Financial systems including services such as accounting, reporting, payroll, taxation and cash management functions to a number of government departments. They had a resourcing supply gap in the technical support team. The historical options for the resolution of this presented the following issues;
With the business continuing to evolve and the client base and service offering expanding Guy Nicholson, General Manager, needed to find a way to fill the gap in the current model.
He went to the e-services panel and sought a solution by partnering with Corporate Information Systems (CIS) a specialist managed IT services organisation that uniquely operates in-between the fixed price manage services companies and recruitment market.
CIS used a consultative approach in order to develop a solution which included a 4 phase process;
Through interviews and workshops with Guy and his team the following needs and sort after benefits were identified.
In addition uncertainty in long term workload projections meant the resources needed to be engaged with a long term view but without the usual certainty in on-going employment.
Through this consultation CIS identified that the gap could not be resolved by any traditional resourcing solution.
Using the CIS managed resource program framework to customise a Post graduate program that aligned with the identified business needs CIS were able to provide a solution that addressed all key areas. Expectations of specific position capabilities, performance measures, cultural fit and technical competency were all identified through the design phase setting the foundations for success in phase three (recruit and engage) and phase four (service management).
CIS applied 15 years of experience in IT recruitment and contract services to ensure the right person was selected into the program:
A comprehensive, industrialised recruitment process was customized to the specific requirements of the program design. This ensured the selected graduate met behavioral and technical competency expectations.
The engagement process ensured that day one of the program the graduate was able to get started. The process included;
Service Management phase is ongoing throughout the program life and ensures the program delivers to agreed expectations and remains relevant to the business as changes occur. It includes the activation, administration and management of the following processors;
CIS successfully delivered a program that filled the resource model gap. In addition the program allowed the business to strategically plan to bring the resource permanently into the organisation ensuring that the investment and organisational IP was not lost at the conclusion of the program.
The program has now been recognised by the Project Management Office of SBS and they have engaged in the CIS Next Step program. This has been customised to meet the needs of a blended Business analysis/Project analysis skill gap.
CIS in partnership with the SBS team established a program that can be adopted as the business requires it. The managed resource program offering has added the missing link in the SBS resourcing model and allowed an approach that will assist the group to strategically manage and deliver to future business change.
The CIS Graduate Program provided us with a framework that provided us with the necessary checks and balances to reduce the risks of hiring junior staff. With that said it also allowed the graduate the freedom for independent thought and to get the job done.
It offered a cost effective, consistent and reliable alternative to the other resourcing options in our model that weren’t quiet working for this area.
The touch points and supports that were included assisted the management team and provided the graduate with extra assistance that enhanced their already excellent performance levels.
The recruitment process ensured we got the right person for our unique culture and business needs. The work ethic of the graduate and the CIS support team impressed us and we have already engaged the program in the PMO area of our business and will continue to engage where it is appropriate for our business needs.
The CIS Graduate program provided me with a great chance to work in the area I had studied and invested in. The opportunity was something I couldn’t have found on my own. The other benefit of the program included the on the job training that SBS provided me with as well as the technical training that CIS provided. The program allowed me the opportunity to work in two main roles providing me with the opportunity to learn about the network, database and applications. The structure allowed me to first learn the system, organisational structure, customers and services and then allowed me to progress to the technical administration team.
The mentor program allowed me to spend time with senior technical professionals and ask questions to allow me to understand how I can add value to my current role and also how I can plan out my future career with the organisation. As I finished the program CIS provided me with a one on one mentor who can continue to assist me even as I become a permanent member of staff with SBS. I am very grateful for the opportunity CIS and SBS have provided me with and I am looking forward to the next stage of my career as a permanent member of the SBS team.