Medium For-Profit Category
Advanced Solutions, an HP Company
Putting People First
British Columbia – Advanced Solutions, an HP Company, delivers world-class business process and information technology outsourcing services in a professional and employee-centric environment. The company collaborates with industry-leading partners to provide the best possible solutions for its customers. With its fundamental operating philosophy of people first, employees always know where they stand.
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Employee Involvement
Employees at Advanced Solutions are involved in projects from their inception, and information technology staff members regularly participate on project teams and task forces. A defining characteristic that helps sustain employee involvement and engagement is the use of employee-driven teams that focus on a variety of fundraising, employee recognition, sustainability, and health and wellness activities throughout the year.
Advanced Solutions also involves employees through face-to-face interactions with senior leadership and communication channels that include town hall meetings, video conferences and informal roundtables. The results of organization-wide engagement surveys are shared with employees each year and used to establish improvement plans and action steps.
Health and Safety
Employees receive generous extended health benefits that are fully employer funded, as well as access to EAP services. Advanced Solutions also has self-directed first aid and emergency response teams that update emergency procedures, conduct drills and trainings and carry out regular awareness campaigns. Safety precautions are in place at Advanced Solutions for flu prevention; an occupational health and safety committee performs monthly building inspections; and a team of ergonomic specialists provides assessments and workstation setups for employees.
Advanced Solutions’ location at the Vancouver Island Technology Park, Canada’s first LEED gold standard building, means the physical work environment also contributes to health and well-being. Employees are surrounded by a bird sanctuary, more than 12 miles of hiking trails and abundant natural lighting.
Employee Growth and Development
Advanced Solutions’ performance development and management program is focused on helping employees with career planning. Employees discuss career aspirations with their supervisors and develop learning plans to support their goals. Progress is discussed at three annual meetings and a training coordinator connects employees with resources and online career development courses.
Employees have access to “Grow@HP,” an online career management site that tracks all online courses and certifications and provides employees with access to thousands of courses on topics ranging from leadership to technical skills. Various in-house trainings are available to employees, as well as annual first aid and CPR courses. Advanced Solutions understands the value of employees staying connected and involved in the industry and, in 2008 alone, sent employees to more than 20 outside workshops and conferences.
Work-Life Balance
Employees at Advanced Solutions can take advantage of flexible work scheduling, modified work weeks, deferred salary leave, unpaid leave, and up to seven weeks of vacation time. Special paid leave is provided for major life events, and the company will cover up to three days a year of paid leave and $500 in expenses for employees who must travel for medical treatment for themselves, children or a dependent parent.
Advanced Solutions employees also have access to child and elder care resources and a special intranet site that explains the company’s work-life programs and provides links to additional information. A fitness center, on-site massage, bike lockup and dry cleaning pickup add the little conveniences that make life easier.
Employee Recognition
The human resources team spearheads Advanced Solutions’ Rewards and Recognition Program, which seeks employee nominees each year in the categories of community impact, employee excellence, leadership excellence, team excellence and workplace wellness. Employees are nominated by their peers and recognized at the company’s annual anniversary celebration.
Monthly Above and Beyond awards are also given based on peer nominations. There is an average of 10 nominations each month, and the vice president of HR personally presents all nominated employees with a recognition certificate and a token of appreciation.
The Bottom Line
The creation of a labor-friendly working environment is a strategy that has propelled Advanced Solutions to success. The company works to transition unionized public-sector workers into the organization and has a record of solving all union grievances without the need for arbitration.
Voluntary turnover dropped from 7.9 percent in 2008 to 4.1 percent in 2009, and measures of employee engagement have steadily increased. Average sick day usage at Advanced Solutions was 8 days in 2007 and 7.7 days in 2008, lower than the average of 10.4 days for Canadian public-sector employees. The company has received an impressive array of awards, including recognition from the United Way of Greater Victoria, Habitat for Humanity and WorkLife BC, all of which demonstrates to employees that their efforts are making the community a better place.