Past Events
HERE’S A LOOK AT SOME OF OUR PAST EVENTS
THE 3RD GLOBAL WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT FORUM
On June 12-13, 2019, Birches Group conducted its 3rd Global Workforce Management Forum hosted by the World Bank! With the theme Innovative Approaches to Global Workforce Management in the 21st Century, in-depth discussions revolved around using salary data and developing salary scales, international and local pay practices, decentralization, global mobility, integrating human resource systems, and building global leadership across locations, among others. A total of 64 delegates were present representing 28 international organizations. Birches Group is grateful for the support that the World Bank provided to build out the network of HR practitioners across the international development sector.
THE WORLD BANK: RECOGNITION AND REWARDS WORKSHOP
Birches Group conducted a three-day Recognition and Rewards workshop with the World Bank on June 17-19, 2019. The workshop focused on establishing and integrating a reward and recognition framework into broader human resources management. It also included discussions around current issues faced by the organization and how to define solutions in support of the bank’s employment value proposition.
Birches Group offers customized workshops which cater to the needs of each organization. To date, we have conducted over 12 customized workshops for various organizations to include the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Plan International, EDUCO, and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). For more information, please reach out to us at training@birchesgroup.com.
NEPAL LEARNING SESSION
On June 24 – 29, 2019, Birches Group in partnership with Real Solution and Sipradi Trading, arranged a learning session on “The Hows and Whys of Job Evaluation”. HR professionals from more than 40 organizations attended the learning session focused on the framework of job evaluations.
The common understanding of most in human relations is that job evaluations equates to job descriptions, however, Birches Group believes that it is only one component in the framework. To achieve an organization’s mission, everything must start from organizing jobs into three main factors: Purpose, Engagement, and Delivery. To learn more about Birches Group’s methodology on job evaluation, please visit www.birchesgroup.com.
TIMOR-LESTE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
Birches Group, in partnership with Invest People Timor (IP Timor), organized a roundtable breakfast discussion on July 9, 2019, at the Timor Plaza, City of Dili, Timor-Leste. A total of 33 attended, representing organizations from the private, public, and NGO sectors. Several one-on-one meetings have also been organized for the rest of the week. And on July 12th, an NGO roundtable was held of which 9 attended representing 7 organizations.
The roundtables kicked-off the partnership with IP Timor by holding discussions with leading employers in the country. Birches Group’s methodology and survey as well as the need for reliable market data in the country were highlighted in the discussions. The employers saw the valuable opportunity to be part of the market study so they can gain insights on their respective market position and maintain a competitive compensation philosophy. They also saw an opportunity to acquire information on the prevailing labor practices.
For more information on Birches Group’s methodology, surveys, and other services, please visit www.birchesgroup.com.
ZIMBABWE-ZAMBIA ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Birches Group was one of the sponsors in the annual conference conducted by the Institute of People Management of Zimbabwe from July 10 to July 12 in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. During the conference, Birches Group launched the Special Measures Survey for Zimbabwe in light of the current economic situation. In markets that are currently in a state of flux, organizations benefit from additional information on how other organizations address any fluctuation or changes in the market to gain some insight on their own possible course of action. That information can be gained through the Birches Group Special Measures Survey.
On-site visits were conducted in Harare, Zimbabwe from July 15 to July 19 to meet with various organizations to share a more in-depth view of the benefits of participating in Birches Group’s Special Measures Survey. The Embassy of the Unites States of America also organized a roundtable discussion focusing on insights on the current market.
This was followed by a trip to Lusaka, Zambia from July 22 to July 26. In partnership with CV People Africa, three roundtable sessions per sector were organized (1st Session – Banking/Finance, IT, and Telecom, 2nd Session – Agriculture, Oil & Gas, Hospitality, 3rd Session – Consumer Goods, Manufacturing, and Logistics). A total of 28 participants attended these sessions, which was focused on Birches Group’s Survey Methodology. To learn more about Birches Group’s Special Measures Survey and overall Survey Methodology click here.
PRESENTATION ON INTEGRATED HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR UGANDA’S INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
On July 24, 2019, Birches Group attended the International Human Resources Forum held in Kampala, Uganda. The event was held at the Royal Suites and had the biggest attendance of any forum event yet, with more than 100 HR practitioners.
Curtis Grund, one of Birches Group’s Senior Consultants, presented Birches Group’s Integrated Human Resources Platform and approach called Community™. Highlighted in this presentation is the unique integrated approach to support job evaluation and design, compensation and benefits surveys, skills development, performance management, and workforce analytics. Community™ is an all-new approach to human resource management that integrates the different areas of HR in a way that that is simple, consistent and seamless. For more information on Community™ and Birches Group’s full suite of services, contact us or visit www.birchesgroup.com.
CAMEROON ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Birches Group, in collaboration with its on-the-ground partner, Afric Staff, conducted a roundtable session and a series of individual client meetings in Douala, Cameroon on August 5-9.
The roundtable session held last August 6 at the Pullman Douala Rabingha Hotel was attended by 16 representatives from 14 organizations. Best practices and insights on compensation, benefits of participation in market surveys, Birches Group’s survey methodology were among the topics discussed.
Attendees particularly appreciated the Birches Group methodology which highlights total gross compensation — an important factor in adjusting or determining pay in West African markets where benefit prevalence pays a huge role. Need more information? Get in touch: here
RWANDA ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
On August 5-9, 2019, Birches Group visited Kigali, Rwanda to meet with the growing NGO Community. The eventful week started with the roundtable discussion held in Hotel des Mille Collines to present highlights of the Rwanda NGO Local Pay Survey published in July; followed by a series of individual client meetings that allowed organizations to consult on challenges they wish to address with Community™.
There were 25 attendees composed of new and existing clients, all eager to understand Birches Group’s job evaluation standards and survey methodology. Learn more about Birches Group and Community™ by visiting www.birchesgroup.com.
DUBAI ON-SITE VISIT
An on-site visit was conducted from September 8-12 in Dubai, UAE to meet with regional human resources heads to introduce the Community™ framework, our different HR solutions, and to provide an overview of the total compensation in the Middle East and Africa region. A total of 20 one-on-one meetings were carried out.
Most of the discussions were focused on marketing Birches Group’s integrated Community™ platform and other services to help organizations manage talent. For new prospects, our discussions were focused on introducing the Community™ framework and each of its solution quadrants, our salary surveys that cover over 160 emerging markets which includes the countries where many of these companies operate, how Birches Group captures total compensation, and that our surveys are updated three times a year. Aside from the new leads, we took the opportunity to meet with our current and previous clients as well. Discussions were focused on reinforcing our survey process and methodology, getting their feedback from the previous results they received, and informing them regarding changes to be expected in our upcoming new reports.
Birches Group provides integrated HR solutions that support organizations in their compensation policies and talent management. To know more information on our other services, visit our website or contact us.
KENYA ON-SITE VISIT AND ROUNDTABLE DISSCUSSIONS
Birches Group conducted an on-site visit in Nairobi, Kenya from September 16-20, 2019 to hold a roundtable conference with regional human resources heads to introduce the Community™ framework which addresses overall challenges in an organization with its integrated solutions. With the help of Minet Consulting, Birches Group was also able to connect with the Kenya Reward Network.
One-on-one meetings as well as roundtable discussions were arranged to discuss the Birches Group Survey Methodology and the benefits of participating in the market surveys.
Birches Group provides integrated solutions that will support organizations in their compensation plans and talent management. For more information, click on these links: Birches Group LLC or contact us.
HAITI ON-SITE VISIT AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
On September 16-20, 2019, Birches Group visited Port-au-Prince, Haiti to conduct on-the-ground visits and roundtable discussions. Birches Group aimed to discuss the Community™ Framework and the Birches Group Survey Methodology with the Hospitality and Tourism sector in Haiti. Overall, the visit was a fruitful and a lot of companies are interested in exploring the Birches Group Survey Methodology as well as the Community™ Framework to help address the current challenges they are facing with workforce management and Human Resources. Learn more about the Birches Group Community™ Framework by clicking here.
MIAMI ON-SITE VISIT
Birches Group went on an on-site visit to Miami on September 26-27, 2019. Being the regional hub of many companies that operate in Latin America and the Caribbean, Birches Group wanted to take the time to touch base with clients and participants in our Community™ Market Compensation and Benefits Survey. Companies from the logistics, airline, and hospitality sectors were among those who sat down with Birches Group to learn more about Indigo™, Birches Group’s proprietary survey data portal. Indigo™ differs in its breadth of captured data, the flexibility to customize different market data outputs, and the capability to create what Birches Group calls a “Custom Cut”. Custom Cut is data for a specific group of comparators taken from the larger country survey, which enables companies and organizations to target employers that are most relevant to them, thus creating a more refined survey sample and market analysis. To learn more about our Indigo™ survey portal, visit our site or contact us to learn more about our Community™ Market Compensation and Benefits Survey and how to access Custom Cut Reports for your organization.
BELIZE ON-SITE VISIT AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Birches Group visited Belize from September 30 to October 4, 2019 following a strategic partnership that was forged with the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) this year with the aim to help its members make informed decisions when it comes to establishing pay.
Birches Group and BCCI led a roundtable discussion for BCCI members highlighting the importance of having a data-driven approach when designing compensation and benefits. They also talked about the prevailing pay practices in the country and presented a case study in Belize based on the latest survey publication.
Birches Group also conducted one-on-one meetings with both current and potential participants across various sectors: from private entities to parastatal and government organizations. Some of the notable meetings include the Roe Group of Companies, Belize Sugar Industries, the Social Security Board, and the Ministry of Public Affairs.
The concept of a salary survey was met with warm reception as more and more employers see the value in using labor market data as basis for revising and creating their compensation packages. To know more about our salary survey and how it can help you, contact us clicking here.
BIRCHES GROUP GUEST AT “OPEN YOUR EYES” MORNING SHOW
We are pleased to share that the Birches Group was asked to be a guest at one of Belize’s top TV morning shows, Open Your Eyes. Here’s a sneak peek at what we talk about on the show! Watch the whole interview and learn more about we do at Birches Group above!
JAIMAICA ON-SITE VISIT
Birches Group, in partnership with Caribbean HR Solutions (CHRS), organized a series of events in Montego Bay and Kingston, Jamaica from October 7 to 18, 2019. The two-week long visit consisted of two roundtable discussions, several one-on-one meetings and a 2-day participation in the 2019 Jamaica Business Development Corporation’s (JBDC) Employee Engagement Conference 2019.
Before officially becoming our partner in the country, CHRS has been a user of Birches Group’s labor market data in Jamaica for some of their clients and they witnessed first-hand the importance of having a reliable reference when creating and revising compensation and benefits packages to enable an objective and data-driven approach in workforce management. Birches Group’s main goal for the visit was to create awareness among the leading employers in various sectors of the significance of the salary survey. We hope to encourage more companies to join the survey to make the sample more representative of the labor market. To achieve this goal, roundtable discussions were organized. One was held in Montego Bay last on October 8 with attendees coming mostly from the BPO industry. Most employers have expressed interest in a sector-specific survey as this industry is known to be very competitive against one another and most talents from in the support roles levels jump from one BPO to the next. The other roundtable discussion was held at Kingston Bay. On October 15, a diverse crowd attended with representatives from technology, manufacturing, financial firms, retail, BPO, food and beverage, and logistics companies.
Birches Group also participated as an exhibitor in a 2-day JBDC conference that further created an opportunity for both Birches Group and CHRS to promote survey participation by setting up a booth as one of the exhibitors. During the event, We also had the chance pleasure of to meeting representatives from the government/public sector and other consulting firms.
Together with CHRS, Birches Group will continue working on mobilizing companies from the various industries to confirm encourage their participation and initiate the data collection. The more companies that join the survey, the more chances there are to create a sector-specific sample for our clients.
SUDAN ON-SITE VISIT AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS
On October 27 – November 5, 2019, Birches Group went on an on-site visit to Khartoum, Sudan, the second visit to the country for 2019! Three roundtable discussions were conducted catering to existing clients, potential clients, and the pharmaceutical sector. The roundtable discussions showcased our new report formats and the Birches Group’s Community™ Integrated Solutions, focusing specifically on the Jobs and Market solutions. The majority of the participants were eager to learn more about our job evaluation factors and how these can be applied to their current organizational structure. The survey results from the latest October 2019 publication were also discussed, as well as a comparison between employers that denominate in local-currency vs. hard-currency. Since Sudan is one of the post-conflict states in East Africa, points on sustaining compensation through volatility were discussed. Birches Group provides integrated solutions that can support organizations in their compensation plans and overall talent management. To know about our surveys or other services, contact us here.
THE SOUTH AFRICA AND KENYA INTEGRATING HUMAN RESOURCES WORKSHOPS
Birches Group conducted two Integrating Human Resources Workshops in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Nairobi Kenya on May 20-24 and July 29-August 2. A total of 48 participants attended these events, representing 25 organizations. Both workshops received excellent reviews from the participants.
The Integrating Human Resources workshop uniquely covers three main subject areas in the field of Human Resources: Job Design and Evaluation, Compensation Management, and Performance Management (Recognition and Reward). These topics were carefully selected to address mainstream HR issues such as securing talent, building your workforce, measuring and enabling performance, and most of all, how to integrate these under a single, integrated framework. The course begins with a thorough discussion of jobs and how job standards serve as a framework to determine pay and performance.
The workshop features Birches Group’s proprietary software – Community™ across the jobs, markets, skills, and performance modules. Case studies are built around Birches Group’s experience with the development sector, and extensive discussions are carried out across the 5-day program, coupled with practical individual and group exercises. To view our training schedule and other events, click here.
THE DUBAI INTEGRATING HUMAN RESOURCES WORKSHOP
Birches Group conducted an Integrating Human Resources training workshop at the Bonnington Hotel in Dubai on October 14 to 18. A total of 21 participants attended the course, representing 19 organizations from bilateral, NGO, and private sectors. The workshop featured the new web-based application of the Community™ integrated framework.
During the week-long workshop, the participants learned more about various aspects of HR management ranging from job evaluation, compensation management, and rewards and recognition. The discussions around these topics gave the participants a bigger platform to explore new ways of managing job design and pay structure, as well as address long-standing issues on securing and retaining talent, building your workforce, and measuring and enabling performance. The workshop received excellent reviews from the participants.
“I was pleasantly surprised because I always knew Birches Group from the compensation perspective, a company that provides data to build salary ranges, and I learned more about Birches from a different perspective. I was happy to learn that Birches Group captures a whole spectrum of the HR world. Birches was able to introduce new tools, very interesting ideas and very interesting concepts that I’m thinking and still thinking about. I think we had a lovely 5-day training workshop that allowed me to think about where I am in terms of our HR processes and where I can go to from here on.”
The workshop promotes a simple and integrated framework that brings together different facets of human resources into a seamless management system. To learn more or to register for the Integrating Human Resources workshop, please click here.
