HR Strategic Services
Priestly Demolition Inc.
Client Overview
About Priestly Demolition Inc.
For over 25 years, Priestly Demolition Inc. (PDI) has been a staple in Ontario’s demolition industry, known for tackling landmark projects like Maple Leaf Gardens and Terminal 1 at Pearson International Airport. A With a focus on sustainability and efficiency through technology, PDI has not only amassed the largest fleet of demolition equipment in the country but also transformed itself into a valuable partner for governmental agencies and private organizations alike.
The Challenge: Transactional to Strategic
Priestly’s lean HR team had historically functioned in a transactional capacity, hampered by the demands of a burgeoning workload. The company aimed to elevate its HR functions into strategic enablers, supporting ambitious plans for growth across Canada and the US.
- Understanding Goals: Priestly’s HR team needed to better understand organizational goals, competitive advantages, and critical capabilities.
- Resource Constraints: Limited resources for strategic initiatives hampered the HR team’s ability to go beyond day-to-day operations.
- Unclear Strategy: The lack of a clear growth strategy complicated the task of aligning structure, systems, and people practices.
The Solution: A Roadmap for Change
By pinpointing the talent implications tied to Priestly’s organizational goals, Oliphant crafted targeted HR initiatives.
- Discovery: Oliphant conducted a comprehensive deep dive discovery with key stakeholders to understand current reality versus desired future reality.
- Quick Wins: Low-hanging fruit was identified, and immediate solutions were designed and implemented.
- Developed HR Strategy: Developed a vision on a page, five year strategic roadmap and supporting playbooks to enable execution.
- KPI Metrics: Key performance indicators were identified and implemented, for ongoing analysis and continuous improvement.
- Elevating Leadership: Leadership behaviours, operating cadence and team dynamics were a focus and improved.
- Strategic Workforce Planning: Implemented a Strategic Workforce Planning tool and sustainability disciplines to proactively manage talent.
Through these efforts, Priestly’s HR team successfully transitioned from being transactional problem-solvers to strategic enablers, setting the stage for the company’s planned expansion.