When a business grows rapidly, the load on HR processes increases unevenly. It grows fastest in areas where the volume of transactions depends directly on headcount and deadlines cannot be moved. To keep such processes from becoming a bottleneck during scaling, it is worth considering handing individual areas to a provider.
In this case study we look at partial outsourcing of HR processes using the example of a large clothing retailer whose headcount grew by more than a thousand people in a year.
A large Russian clothing retail chain significantly expanded its presence in a year and increased its headcount by about a thousand people. Retail is also characterised by high staff turnover and seasonal headcount fluctuations: in peak periods the company processes more than a hundred new hires a month and a comparable number of dismissals. The high season also tends to bring the largest number of vacations - over eight hundred a month.
The speed of onboarding directly affects whether employees start their shifts and whether stores operate stably, including the timely opening of new stores. The onboarding process therefore follows a strictly fixed schedule: 40 minutes are allocated per candidate, and up to three people can be booked into certain time slots.
The company had not previously used HR process outsourcing. As transaction volumes grew, it decided to start by handing individual areas to a provider: onboarding new employees and processing vacations. These processes run in a continuous flow and cannot be delayed, so they require constant attention and strict adherence to the regulations.
Key requirements for the provider:
We held a series of interviews with the client's HR specialists, analysed the current processes and identified differences between stores in different regions - in working conditions, work patterns and document requirements, which directly affect how onboarding is handled.
We documented every stage of onboarding employees and processing vacations: from interaction with the candidate or employee and document checks to entering data into 1C:ZUP and supporting signing through HR EDF.
As a result we prepared regulations of around 80 pages, which we update regularly as the client's requirements change.
For the project we formed a team of experienced specialists: two work at the client's Moscow office and three work remotely with stores in the regions. The project is supervised by a UCMS Group manager and a senior specialist, who are responsible for methodology, process quality and interaction with the client.
The team's work is organised to stay flexible when the workload changes. When the flow of onboarding or vacations increases, specialists from other regions can join remotely, which keeps operations stable even in peak periods.
The onboarding process follows a strict schedule and includes several consecutive stages: interaction with the candidate, checking the document set, working in 1C:ZUP, preparing orders and signing through the electronic document flow system. At the client's Moscow office UCMS Group specialists meet candidates in person; in the regions, store managers collect the documents and then pass them to the specialists for processing.
In an ideal world 40 minutes per onboarding is enough. But in a continuous flow even small deviations - a candidate arriving late or a system freeze - immediately push back subsequent onboardings and create a time deficit further down the line.
The candidate profile adds extra load: a significant proportion of sales assistants are starting work for the first time. Many procedures are unfamiliar to them: what is being signed, in what order, how electronic signing works. It is therefore important to allow time for additional explanations and moral support.
During the adaptation period the team went through the onboarding process step by step and refined the regulations. As a result the process became more predictable and manageable: specialists know how to act even when there are deviations.
Natalia Kupavtseva, head of the customer service department
“It was important for the client that we handled onboarding as consistently as the in-house team did. When the client saw that we build clear processes, maintain a high level of quality and meet the speed standards, it began to trust the outsourcing format more.
The surest sign that our work is highly valued is the discussion of handing us additional areas.”
Vacation processing is also carried out according to established procedures. The process requires constant attention because of its volume, and it is important to strictly follow the regulations and deadlines so as not to create delays for employees and accounting.
Natalia Kupavtseva, head of the customer service department
“It was important for the client that we handled onboarding as consistently as the in-house team did. When the client saw that we build clear processes, maintain a high level of quality and meet the speed standards, it began to trust the outsourcing format more.
The surest sign that our work is highly valued is the discussion of handing us additional areas.”
This project shows well that outsourcing does not necessarily mean handing over all accounting functions. Sometimes it is enough to carve out the most routine or complex areas to noticeably reduce the load on the team.
Partial outsourcing provides flexibility: it helps maintain stability in peak periods, keep quality high and free up time for the in-house HR team to focus on other tasks. And when needed, for example with further growth, additional areas can be handed over quickly.
Read another case study:Partial accounting outsourcing for a large importer of alcoholic products
