SOUTH CAROLINA PROVIDES hen Colgate-Palmolive needed to relocate manufacturing operations from an older facility in 2013, the decision was made to seek out an existing building that could be W COLGATE-PALMOLIVE repurposed to fit their needs. After an extensive search, the company chose to locate their UNMATCHED WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS new facility at a site in Greenwood, South Carolina. Brenda Przybyla, human resources manager at the what to do to be the most productive and get the most Greenwood Colgate-Palmolive Facility, describes how qualified candidates. readySC™ spearheaded a team, including Piedmont Technical College (PTC) and the local SC Works job I met with readySC, and we talked about the type of re- placement center to aid the company’s successful cruiting processes and assessments that we needed at startup. Along the way, they teamed up to create a the site. They were invaluable in helping us understand new recruiting model that resulted in significant what other companies had done, what had worked cost-savings for Colgate-Palmolive. well and what had not worked well. They gave us a lot of input and insights into how EDGE: How did Colgate-Palmolive get its start in we might want to proceed to make South Carolina? sure we maximized the state’s resources as well as our own Brenda Przybyla: We had a facility in Morristown, contributions to this process. New Jersey that was a very old facility. There was not an opportunity for expansion or upgrades at that EDGE: How did your location, so that caused Colgate-Palmolive, to begin collaboration with looking for a new site. There were a couple of different readySC and your local options, and South Carolina was the choice. That was SC Works job placement at the end of 2013. I came to work for Colgate in May center evolve into a new 2014 to begin the hiring process. recruitment model for Colgate-Palmolive? EDGE: And how many employees do you have now? BP: One of the things that BP: We have more than 350 employees who are Colgate has done in the past permanent Colgate employees. We also have several is use an outside agency subject-matter experts from our corporate facility in to help with the recruiting Piscataway, New Jersey, here to help us with some of process, from screening the technical challenges that we face. candidates to moving them through our sys- EDGE: How did your partnership with readySC tem to making begin? sure everybody’s in the right loca- BP: A team met with readySC when Colgate-Palmolive tion. They’d was originally looking at the site to discuss incentives, always done and readySC described some of the programs they have recruitment done for other startups. So that relationship started that way, but even before I came on board. it’s also very expensive. So, When I came to Colgate, we wanted to recruit 300-plus my suggestion to employees. Given the market size in this area, we knew that we were going to need some expert advice on continued on next page 16 SC’s Competitive EDGE: Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Manufacturing Economic Development and Growth through Education 17 would be. We reached out to readySC, and they responded that they had an excellent solution at “I think Colgate made the right decision in coming to Piedmont Technical College. They went so far as to give us different rooms so that we could physically South Carolina, because I don’t believe other states move candidates through each step of the process can compare to the resources it offers.” like an assembly line. Candidates easily moved through communication, interviews and assessments. — BRENDA PRZYBYLA, HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER AT THE readySC along with the college provided manpower GREENWOOD COLGATE-PALMOLIVE FACILITY and space management, and they helped us with incoming traffic. It worked out very well. We ended up doing all our assessments and interviews for the first 13 to 14 months at Piedmont Tech through readySC and SC Works. They met our needs when we needed space for anything from interviewing, to meetings, to assessments. I can’t say the company was, “readySC and SC Works have all of EDGE: How did this new recruitment strategy work? how helpful and critical that was to us in that early these great resources, and we need to take advantage period. of that.” BP: We have a pretty lengthy recruitment process because we have several aspects that we want to look EDGE: Were there any other challenges that readySC For example, our standards around FDA readiness and So, we worked with the combined efforts of readySC at with the candidate before we make a hiring decision. helped you overcome? those requirements were more stringent. and SC Works to put together what they could do So, one of the things that SC Works helped us with for us, and they moved to take the lead with our was moving candidates through that process. They BP: We had a few challenges. One is that we had So, our quality experts provided details of what we recruitment. We gave them access to our system, helped us do phone screenings, schedule appointments, a mechanical assessment process that was time- needed, and it became a collaboration between them which was a first for the company. schedule interviews, schedule assessments, and to consuming. They helped us determine what was and readySC’s subject-matter experts to develop make sure that everything went smoothly for the the best way to schedule it, and what items we Colgate-specific classes. Then almost immediately They were invaluable. They worked extremely well candidate during that process. might combine. We minimized the number of times readySC provided a program for us to review. We made with us, and that process saved us a lot of time and a candidate needed to come in, but it still gave us very minor changes after that point because they were money. In the end, when I calculate the cost-savings Then our training facilities and assessment opportunities the maximum benefit for the assessments that we so spot-on with what they provided. for all this assistance to Colgate, it’s about $300,000. were not available at the time that we thought they needed. They helped us think through that process. EDGE: Is there anything specific that you’d like to One of the other major things that readySC did for highlight about readySC and its training program? us was help with training during our orientation program. We do a full three weeks of training with BP: If I wanted to highlight something specific about our candidates, and all of that is in the classroom. readySC, it would be their knowledge, background, and It gives them everything from what we expect and understanding of manufacturing and what we need to what they need to know about safety, quality and teach our employees. Their expertise is in that area, microbiology, since we have microbe-sensitive and it really saved us a lot of time and effort. They products. Their subject-matter experts helped us look already knew what we needed to teach our people, at what we wanted to train and what readySC and they just needed to know what specific things from a Piedmont Tech could provide so that we didn’t have Colgate perspective that needed to be added to what to use all our resources during that training. they already had. I would say it’s their professionalism and the expertise that readySC provided that was the EDGE: How effective was readySC’s Discovery process main highlight. at defining and developing your training? EDGE: How smooth was the transition from readySC’s BP: When we originally started, we met with readySC training program to Piedmont Tech? and walked through our training needs. Then they showed us what classes they had provided for other BP: Once we were transitioning from startup and companies. There was Food and Drug Administration outside of the initial scope of work with readySC, (FDA) readiness, hand safety, knife safety, working Piedmont Tech still provided instructors for every from heights, etc. They understood that we have one of our waves of orientation. We’ve seen no certain standards specific to Colgate and made sure to ask us what those were and incorporate them. continued on next page 18 SC’s Competitive EDGE: Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Manufacturing Economic Development and Growth through Education 19 change now that EDGE: What kind of impact would to South Carolina, because I don’t Colgate-Palmolive we’re solely working you say that Colgate has had on believe other states can compare through Piedmont Tech, the Greenwood community? to the resources it offers. It’s so I would say that seamless professional support at Colgate-Palmolive is a leading transition has gone BP: When we came in, no cost to the company, and it’s global consumer products seamlessly. Some of the Greenwood had lost a lot of just invaluable. You would never company that focuses on individual instructors textile manufacturing. An be able to match what they offer Oral Care, Personal Care, may have changed, but international company like anywhere else. Home Care and Pet Nutrition. you would never know Colgate-Palmolive hiring 350 that from the impact, local people has had a huge Also, one of the things that I The company can trace its and the value that we impact on the economic status liked most about the partnership long history to 1806 and get out of it. They all of the community. We hired a lot between readySC, SC Works and a small soap and candles worked so well of people that had unfortunately Piedmont Tech, is that if I had a business begun by William together.