NEWS
EVENTS
BPI group Russie in the French Senate
At the end of last December, as part of a series of exchanges between Russia and France, BPI group Russie spent two days at the Sénat and the Maison des Arts et Métiers in Paris. Each year, over these two days, French companies seek (through experience-sharing) to have a greater understanding of the Russian market and its development. The first day focused on a plenary conference based on business in Russia and eight themed workshops. A number of personalities were present including Christine Lagarde, Minister for Industry, Employment and the Economy and Gérard Larcher, President of the Senate. On the second day, individual meetings were held during which companies could openly ask questions, for example, about making investments in Russia. Around fifteen companies took part in these “business forums.”
This event marks the beginning of a 2010 that promises to be rich in exchanges between these two countries. Indeed, 2010 is Russia Year in France and vice versa.
32SM BPI group Partners with Northern Illinois University
32SM, a BPI group US service offering, will be developing a series of workshops and “early careerist” career services to be launched in the fall of 2010 at the College of Business at Northern Illinois University. The workshops will be attended by approximately 600 first-year business students at the university.
32SM developed out of the growing demand for increased dialogue surrounding young people and their career and job search planning. With 32SM, BPI group is helping to guide early careerists in developing their own skills and navigating their own path for success both during the job search and throughout their careers.
32SM is led by Duncan Ferguson, 32SM Practice Area Director, and was officially launched on June 30, 2009. To learn more about 32SM, please visit www.32bpi.com. You can also follow 32SM on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
BPI group US Hosts 750 Friends of the Firm at Holiday Reception
On December 1, amidst a group of 750 friends and clients of the firm, BPI group US unveiled its new name, new logo and new look. Guests mingled in the Great Room of the W Hotel in Chicago, listened to a jazz quintet and were served food and drinks. Each attendee received a boxed party favor which included a BPI group notebook, temporary BPI group US tattoo and BPI group pen.HR Exhibition in TunisIn mid-December
BPI group put in an appearance at the "HR Expo" in Tunis, the third international showcase for HR development in Tunisia. Laurent Weil and Souad Annabi Hajjam took this opportunity to present the activities of BPI group Mediterranean and participated in the Arforghe symposium (the Association of Tunisian HR Management) devoted to “talent management: competitiveness, quality, productivity.” We are in the final stages of negotiations with the Banque Attijari Bank Tunisie to support the overhaul of the remuneration system and the mobilization of key managers. Offers are underway.
Managers coping with the recession
(February, 2009)
…worried about the consequences of the crisis, but optimistic as to their professional future…sceptical about a long-lasting change in the present economic and financial model…
An International Survey realised by BVA for BPI group Management
Method: Survey conducted by Internet.
Sample: representative managers of private sector working in firms who employ more than 10 persons.
Size of the sample: 500 per country (except for Belgium, Finland, Romania, Switzerland: 300, and China, Russia, United States: 1,000).
14 countries concerned:
Survey conducted between December 8th and December 17th 2008
By responding to the 19 questions asked, the managers provided a comprehensive panorama of the state of mind prevailing in the companies at a time which seems unlikely to have anything in common with what we have just gone through.
Contradiction amongst the managers who are already experiencing the harsh impact of the crisis on their businesses, but who, at the same time, remain highly optimistic about their future…
68% on average point out that the crisis already has huge repercussions on the economic situation of their business, including 88% in the United Kingdom, 84% in the United States, 80% in Brazil.
67% on average point out that the crisis has severe repercussions on stress levels in their companies, including 86% in the United States, 85% in the United Kingdom, and 78% in China.
56% of Spanish managers anticipate restructuring of their company. 45% of Americans and 43% of the English, expect job losses in their teams.
In the meantime,
80% on average are optimistic about their professional future – 95% of Brazilian managers, 89% of the Finnish…but just 63% of the French.
80% are optimistic about the future of their line of business – 95% of Brazilians, 86% of the Polish…but just 65% of the Italians.
Download the results
Download the synthesis
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Diversity: the age of indicators. How far have companies come in assessing the effectiveness of their diversity policies?
(July, 2008)
On Tuesday, May 27, a meeting was held at the Head Office of France Telecom-Orange in Paris, to present the results of a survey conducted by BPI group and IMS-Entreprendre pour la Cité with 2,000 companies on their practices and expectations in this field.
Participants included Dominique Thomas-Hislaire, Director of Development at BPI group, Henri de Reboul from IMS Entreprendre pour la Cité, Sophie Vuillet-Tavernier, CNIL, Benjamin Blavier, IMS Entreprendre pour la Cité and Yazid Sabeg, CS Communication & Système and co-writer of the Diversity Charter.
Round Table in partnership with Cofindustria Latina. Questions of management? Managers in question? Leader, technician or administrator?
On June 5, a round table was organized on the theme of the importance of the role of managers in new organizations and the new attitudes now required in management situations. BPI group's study of management in Europe helped to introduce the debate and was the underlying theme for the round table attended by Alexandro Pietrogiacomi, HR and Supply Chain Manager with Abbot Italy, Alberto Bernard, HR Manager for Pfizer Italy, Antonio Raiano, Director of Corporate Relations with Selex Communication Italy, and Stefano Zigliana, HR Manager and business partner with Unilever Italy.
40 company managers attended the debate.
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Drei Länder Initiative
As announced in our previous e-Newsletter, for the Drei Länder Initiative BPI group has brought to bear its full experience, references and contacts for the efficient and sustainable development of people, business companies and territories across this border region that encompasses a large part of eastern France, Switzerland and Germany.
On June 17, the leadership team organized a workshop including experience feedback and case studies on the topic of "Assessment, made-to-measure measurement tools? Which framework for implementation and related practices to promote the reliability of?"
Worth knowing: a website and e-Newsletter have been produced to support this assignment.
Managers assessed by their employees... France different from the rest
On Tuesday, June 17, in Lyon, in partnership with the special-interest review "Acteur de l'Economie Rhône-Alpes", BPI group presented the results of its survey "employees assess their manager" conducted in collaboration with BVA. A debate was organized with Thierry Bourgeron, HR Manager with Akka Technolo-gies, Pascal Housset, Chairman of the Bayer Cropscience Management Board, Thierry Picq, HR Manager with Géant Casino and Brice Mallié, Director of BPI group Management Branch.
Professional fine-tuning for managers
"The professional fine-tuning of managers: how do we develop a common managerial culture on an international scale and so affront the challenge of change?" was the theme of the encounter organized on Thursday, June 19, as part of the Rendez-vous du Management LEROY Consultants/BPI group agenda. It was attended by Catherine Carradot, Director of Professional Skilling and Corporate Training with Conforama.
Great Minds come together...
"Great minds learn from great thinkers, never stop learning, network with their peers, come together".
Great minds certainly thought alike in Chicago at the 60th annual conference organized by SHRM from June 22 to 26 and attended by BPI group US Partners, BPI group's subsidiary in the United States. With over 150 round tables, conferences or workshops plus almost 400 booths to visit, the annual conference of the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) is an event that attracts very many top professionals from the world of HR.
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ASSIGNMENTS
BPI group and the Automotive Industry
(July, 2008)
People and Territories
This car equipment manufacturer works in close cooperation with BPI group consultants. For two years, social support missions had been conducted along with five regional revitalization operations. The key to success, in the words of our client, is global contract management, production kept as close as possible to field operations, and relations of trust built up over time.
Closing a site with consideration for people and the region
This international group was closing a production site that employed 850 people. It decided to do all it possibly could to help each employee find an alternative professional solution, preferably within the company. It also intended to help revitalize the region and reindustrialize the site in an area that was already being badly hit by industrial reorganizations.
At a very early stage of the operation, it called in BPI group to support the company in its plan. Consultants were active in several areas - coaching the management team, communication, mobilization and field support for local managers, and preparation work and help in negotiations...
A novel scheme for employee support was set up: in groups of around 150, the company released employees for 50% of working hours over a period of 5 weeks so that they could begin their professional/career reviews, work on their project with consultants and start to come to terms with losing their current jobs. At the same time, off-site training schemes were organized to help people get to know other working environments. At the end of this initial phase, consultants began their individual support per se, during which time employees were taken in hand 100% by a team of reference advisors. This meant individual interviews, group workshops, job training and the possibility of sporting and social and cultural activities. This path-breaking approach was co-facilitated by several consulting firms and was spread out over about 18 months.
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BPI group and Banking
Business creation: BPI group providing sustainable support for projects
The agreements between industrial partners when these two banks merged provided for volunteer employees being supported in their bid to create their own company. Two years later, the BPI group team dedicated to the creation of companies reviewed the conclusions to their operation: 238 people were given support, 90% of whom realized their project.
Empowerment-based organizations of labor
In the race for quality now embarked upon by companies in the insurance sector, this group decided to empower its 5,000 employees in the sector of customer satisfaction. It called upon BPI group to support it in the introduction of an empowerment-based work organization. Given the scope of the operation, this was a first in bank-based insurance, and also a minor revolution for all executives and particularly all employees called upon to make the development of their own skills the lever for sustainable performance serving the customer. Today, this pivotal approach is being rolled out gradually for full extension planned in 2009.
Relaying savvy
This bank was preparing to see a good number of employees clear their desks and head for retirement. To avoid seeing experienced employees leave the bank and take with them key know-how, the bank called in BPI group to organize ways to hand this savvy down to younger employees. In actual fact, properly preparing the retirement process and enabling those about to leave to pass on their business experience gives life-long employees the feeling of an accomplished career, and the company a constructive and high-value image. Our consultants conducted the know-how transfer process like a real project, respecting mandatory stages such as, most notably, clarification of the form and nature of expertise, finding the way to pin-point key know-how, choosing the best ways to transfer expertise, etc. Two objectives have already been achieved: recognition for and capitalization on the 'relayers', and added loyalty for their younger replacements.
Global reorganization
This insurance company intends to mobilize a whole team of BPI group consultants from our "Employment" and "Change" branches, as part of a global reorganization scheme that will result in no fewer than 2,000 people changing jobs or trades. To this end, BPI group will be helping the company to mobilize leaders, deliver internal communication, engage social engineering and conduct the forward-looking labor force and skills management project.
Weathering the financial crisis
Owing to the crisis now affecting its sector, this financial group asked BPI group for help in the framework of a reorganization scheme seriously impacting jobs, and in particular, to step in at an early, pre-plan stage to work on themes of social strategy, communication and social engineering.
Restructuring in Brazil
This international bank has asked BPI group Brazil for help in its restructuring program and the outplacement of impacted personnel.
BPI group and the public sector
For the renewal of its HR Information System, this County Council asked BPI group for a helping hand.
The work involves most notably the drafting of specifications, support for implementation in terms of organization and impact on human resources, and the mobilization of players.
Global quality and training in leadership
This major public-sector company has opened up a certification process that concerns its regional branches. In this context, BPI group is being called in to produce a reference frame for overall quality. Using an approach that will unite all initiatives and all the players who play a part in achieving quality objectives, consultants will produce a pilot scenario, to be tested in situ in 3 regions prior to general roll-out in 2009.
BBI in Bulgaria
Bernard Brunhes International has clinched a new deal with the Bulgarian government to help improve the health system available to under-privileged ethnic minorities, and more particularly the Romany population.
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BPI group and the pharmaceutical sector
New careers for 4,000 medical visitors
Advised by BPI group, this laboratory - a world leader in its field - has recently signed a forward-looking labor force and skills management agreement. This means that the company is creating time and availability to support medical visitors in their change of career path. Some may take advantage of the voluntary departure scheme now on the table, but all will have access to support proposed by the consultants. The communication section is being handled by Vivienne16 (a dedicated subsidiary of BPI group). Employees can call a toll-free number to find out about the full scheme and set an appointment with a consultant. Prior to full nationwide roll-out, the first goal will be to mobilize an initial pilot team.
Long-term support
In 2004, this international laboratory asked BPI group for support to help manage the consequences of a merger in terms of people and manpower. Three years later, the group acquired another laboratory. It called in BPI group once again, attracted by a new offer based primarily on a totally novel system for voluntary departures.
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BPI group worldwide
Recruitments
MOA BPI group, the Spanish subsidiary of BPI group, will be helping this Zaragoza-based services and distribution centre for metallurgical products to recruit all the teams it needs for a new factory.
Career management and restructuring
BPI group Romania has been selected by Romania's largest land-line telephone operator to support their job search for personnel affected by a large-scale internal restructuring operation. A careers advisory program is being opened - working on a voluntary basis - for the 2,500 employees due to be impacted by the reorganization.
"OPQ by SHL for BPI group"
BPI group Romania is investing in psycho-metric tools. Our Romanian subsidiary has recently acquired a computerized version - in Romanian - of the best known tool produced by SHL, the world leader in psycho-metrics and corporate objective assessment, the Occupational Personality Questionnaire, or OPQ 32.
BPI group Romania is the only consulting firm in the Romanian market able to provide clients with an online version of OPQ.
Change of organization and outplacement
This international group, a leader in the group catering sector, is buying out the Brazilian market N° 2. BPI group Brazil has been selected to support the organizational change and help with the outplacement process for employees impacted by redundancies.
Management and corporate performance
This company from the agricultural foods sector wanted to harmonize managerial practices in the 3 European countries in which it operates (France, Italy and Germany). It called in BPI group Italia to train managerial teams for annual assessment interviews, to support and coach Excom members and train the company's younger executives in the basic rudiments of management. This latter program is a sandwich course alternating theory and real-life situations in the framework of the new corporate project.
Coaching and corporate project
This capital goods retailer of international scope asked BPI group Italia to support the Excom in the definition of a new corporate project. Action was two-fold:
project coaching through the facilitation of the Excom focused on the new corporate project;
individual coaching for each top manager in the project's implementation and operational fine-tuning.
BPI group Italia supporting French companies in Italy
This French group specializing in passenger transportation clinched a figurehead deal in Italy, taking charge of public transport systems in Genoa, a major city in the north of Italy known for its tradition of industrial action. BPI group Italia and TransFormation, our expertise arm in the transport field, supported the implementation of the new structure. The assignment's three key stages are:
1. a social and organizational diagnostic conducted to specify future organization and new forms of management; the study's results were accepted by all the players involved (including the trade unions);
2. the identification of future leaders and selection of future local executives; BPI group consultants opened a special assessment centre, whose efficient working was acknowledged by all despite the tool being a far-removed notion from the original culture of employees;
3. managerial training for all new executives and supervisors. New leaders took a full training course; this autumn it will be the turn of local managers.
This experience of assignments in the field of Italian transport systems is likely to be repeated for BPI group and TransFormation, who are actively following up several new leads.
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