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  • Mathematical Association of America

    “As a small non-profit, it is impossible for MAA to maintain in-house expertise across the range of functions that fall under the HR umbrella – compliance, benefits, performance management, and staff recruitment and development. TPO has provided a turnkey solution, not only providing a primary contact and a human face for our team […]

  • Richmond Memorial Health Foundation

    “The TPO team has deeply committed, professional, accessible and thoughtful consultants who have played an instrumental role in the transformation of RMHF. The wide range of services offered meet the varied needs of organizations that are striving to create and sustain environments committed to excellence and to developing the teams critical to that aspiration.”  

  • American College of Preventive Medicine

    “Small organizations that cannot afford an entire HR department would benefit from the expertise available from TPO.  They are professional, direct, clear and solution-minded to assist and serve as an important confidant.”

  • Richmond Memorial Health Foundation

    “Over the past three years, the TPO team has been an essential partner as RMHF lives into our mission and works to establish an environment where all people can do their best work, thrive and grow. The team has supported RMHF as we developed job descriptions to align with our updated mission, proactively worked to […]

  • Housing Policy Council

     “We doubled our staff during the pandemic.  TPO fully supported us end-to-end throughout the hiring process for each position, helping us navigate the added challenges of hiring in a virtual world.”

  • Housing Policy Council

     “We have found TPO to be an effective and trustworthy HR support and partner.  As a small organization, we want to provide our managers and employees robust HR services but we aren’t large enough to warrant our own HR office.  TPO has been the perfect solution.”

  • Association for Community Affiliated Plans

    “TPO has helped us think through compensation and benefits strategies. Their advice has helped us strengthen our employee benefits, which is a big component of our high retention rate.”

  • National Association of Wholesaler Distributors

    “TPO conducted an audit that revealed many areas where we needed to improve. From there, they helpfully brought our HR operations up to speed, which made a meaningful impact for our employees.”

  • American College of Preventive Medicine

     “When I arrived, the organizational infrastructure was missing key elements to ensure a high-performing team.  I secured TPO to conduct an HR Audit and the rest is history.  They became an instant resource for ensuring compliance, offering checklists and tools to ensure smooth operations, market assessments to ensure job functions were right-sized and positioned, as […]

  • National Association of Wholesaler Distributor

    “The team at TPO is outstanding. They are knowledgeable, hardworking HR professionals who deliver for their clients.”

  • National Association of Wholesaler Distributors

     “I’m a repeat customer, having retained TPO at a previous non-profit I led. When I became the CEO of NAW, they were among my first calls.”

  • Housing Policy Council

    “I have found TPO to be sensitive to the size and needs of our organization.  Solutions have been tailored, not cookie-cutter.  Our specialist is outstanding, and we have also been able to call on other TPO folks for specific expertise where needed.”

     

  • U.S. subsidiary of international satellite company

     “The role of Consulting Director of HR provided by TPO has enabled my company to act professionally in relation to its employees while freeing up other members of management from having to learn and attempt to discharge the company’s obligations.  The Consulting Director of HR has helped shepherd the company safely through the process of […]

  • U.S. subsidiary of international satellite company

    “TPO has proven an excellent outsourcing HR firm for my company’s purposes.  We are too small a company to justify a full-time director of HR and TPO fills that requirement for us by providing us with designated specialists who serve as our Consulting Director of HR.  The individuals who have filled this role for us […]

  • American College of Preventive Medicine

    “TPO has been an exceptional partner in our journey of organizational transformation.  They are skilled, knowledgeable and expert in all issues related to human resources and have been an invaluable resource to me and my team. “

  • U.S. subsidiary of international satellite company

    “TPO is a cost-effective solution for small companies like ours that are not in a position to – or choose not to  – develop an HR department organically.  TPO offers, on a largely turn-key basis, a wealth of knowledge and experience relative to HR legal requirements and procedures. 

  • Elizabeth Richards

    Elizabeth brings nearly 20 years of experience in Human Resources and Administration to her role at TPO. Elizabeth has worked in a variety of industries including financial services, aerospace and defense, and the association/non-profit sector. Elizabeth’s HR knowledge and experience combined with her strong business acumen allow her to effectively partner with business leaders to […]

  • A rewarding experience

    How an HR audit can make sure you are getting a good return on your investment

    Used strategically, an HR audit is just as much about maximizing your return on your investment in your people as it is on managing the risks.    

    Using a qualified, independent expert to examine and critique your HR policies, processes and […]

  • Managing risks and rewards

    Why it pays to put your Human Resources processes under the microscope.

    If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. Who knows who first said it – the point is, it’s true. Sometimes, in every walk of life, the time comes to take a good hard look at what […]

  • To Hire or Not to Hire?

    Should smaller organizations employ an in-house HR professional or outsource the role? That’s the REAL question…

    As a CEO, you know there’s not enough time to take care of everything required to grow a company. You and your top managers know your products and services; know you need to hire, motivate and retain people who can […]

  • The Talent Game – Are You Ready to Play?

    CEOs – have you got the time and the skills to manage and retain your talent?  

    While 78% of CEOs expect to increase their company’s headcount over the next three years, many worry about being able to find employees with the right skills. And, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Once you’ve recruited the […]

  • Time Well Compensated!

    Develop a clear company compensation strategy and your time and effort will be rewarded…

    In today’s fast-moving world, most organizations don’t dedicate sufficient time to the one thing that will help them effectively attract and retain the best talent. Why is developing a compensation strategy so often pushed to one side? If you are feeling the […]

  • Confidentially – The Answer’s in the Strategy!

    The sensitive issue of salary information and why keeping it confidential won’t solve your problems…

    So, you really still believe employees don’t compare what they earn with each other? Even if they don’t openly discuss their pay with their work colleagues, they’ll have a pretty good idea of individual salary levels – their own and others. […]

  • Performance Management: More Than a Form

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation.

    Performance management can be a powerful tool for your business.  A manager can establish goals, share feedback, and improve performance through discussions with employees.  If those performance management discussions are conducted in a way that builds a […]

  • Performance Management – The Basics

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation. 

    Performance management may just be the most widely researched and talked about human resource management topic. Yet, businesses large and small struggle mightily with performance management systems that deliver value – produce business results. A recent Society […]

  • Still Massive Confusion Between Onboarding and Orientation—According to the ASAE Message Board

    We have said it before…and need to keep saying it: “Onboarding is not orientation.”   Just over two years ago we published a series of blog posts on this topic—here’s one in particular—where we distinguish between these two functions:

    (An executive says,) “Oh, we do onboarding. We have a full half day of briefings for […]

  • Will We Look Back at 2015 as the Year Annual Performance Reviews Died?

    It’s been hard not to notice this year’s flurry of articles (several listed at the bottom of this post) about Accenture, Deloitte and other influential companies substantially reinventing or even ditching traditional performance reviews.

    To that, TPO says, ever so politely, “What took you so long?”

    As I wrote in The Performance Review: Another “Form” of Insanity, […]

  • The Performance Review: Another “Form” of Insanity

    Over and over, we talk to organizations that struggle for years with employee performance, then go through several cycles of changing the performance review process or form—or both—only to find that their struggles are continuing or even worsening. Here I’ll invoke the tried and true definition of insanity, which is to repeatedly continue the same […]

  • The Most Important Question About Performance Management: Does It Have a Business Impact?

    We published a post last November titled, Eight Signs You Should Revisit Your Performance Management Program, in which we cited the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation’s Report called, Building a High-Performance Culture: A Fresh Look at Performance Management. The report found that:

    “Overall, attitudes toward performance management are consistently poor. No more […]

  • And On the 120th Day the Company Said, “Let’s Give Our New Employee a Huge Shock”

    As we’ve pointed out before, studies show that the first 120 days of the employee lifecycle hold tremendous risk and opportunity–for both the employer and new hire—including:

    Lost productivity resulting from the learning curve for new hires and transfers is between 1% – 2.5% of total company revenues.1
    New employees are 69% more likely to stay after […]

  • What Does Employee Onboarding Have to do with Your Organization’s Brand? Everything.

    Your organization’s brand is what you stand for and what you deliver—the value and experience your customers or members perceive. You’ve put a lot of work and thought into your brand and how to “live and breathe it” every day. Branding goes much deeper than having a nice logo and tagline; it is the sum […]

  • Onboarding:  The Millennial Edition

    By Jessica Pritchett, Contributor

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation.

    Onboarding happens in the few months after hiring and extends beyond first-day orientation. Effective onboarding can help your employees be productive sooner, and the more they understand your company’s culture, how to do their […]

  • What is Employee “Inboarding”? Onboarding for Employees Who Are Promoted or Changing Jobs Within the Organization

    TPO has been promoting the importance and value of proper employee onboarding for years—and we are thrilled to see more and more CEOs, Presidents, Executive Directors and HR Executives recognizing that they need to invest in a measurable onboarding process before making significant new hires.

    Well, there’s another key group of employees that can benefit from […]

  • How This Amazing Maya Angelou Quote Applies to HR: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

    At a recent TPO staff meeting we were discussing the leadership mindset that shifts when they realize (a) how every business decision is a people decision; and/or (b) that they’ve outgrown their infrastructure—or lack thereof. One of our consultants then brilliantly pointed out the relevance of this timeless quote from poet Maya Angelou:

    “Do the best […]

  • TPO HR Audits: All Gain, No Pain

    From time to time we talk to TPO Consultants about their experiences with clients across different aspects of the business and HR spectrum. In this article we get the unique perspective of TPO consultant Christine Stout, who has not only conducted several comprehensive TPO audits, she has also experienced the value of a TPO audit […]

  • “Help, my company is going through an awkward and uncomfortable ‘teenage growth spurt.’” Might be time for an HR Audit.

    Earlier this year I wrote about why a company that feels “out of control” should consider investing in its HR function. (Q: “Why did you decide to outsource HR?” A: “We started to feel out of control.”) 

    This article is about a different feeling: A nagging sense of organizational awkwardness or discomfort that seems analogous to […]

  • Finding a Place for Older Workers and Helping Workers Better Prepare for Retirements

    By Jessica Pritchett, Contributor 

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation.

    We’ve all heard about how the aging of the Baby Boomer generation will lead to record numbers of older workers and retirees. Twenty-seven percent of the workforce was age 50 and older in 2007, […]

  • TPO Spotlight Update: Lidia Kasiak

    Lidia Reintroduced

    Last September, this column introduced you to Lidia Kasiak—the self-described “hybrid model” who worked on a combination of TPO projects both internal and external. Well, we’re delighted to report that Lidia’s role has evolved. Her promotion last month to TPO Consultant will bring exciting changes for Lidia, our clients and TPO at large. “Our […]

  • A Conversation with Susan Sedory Holzer, MA, CAE, Executive Director of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR)

    Since 2002, the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) has outsourced its Human Resources function to TPO. Here is what SIR Executive Director, Sue Holzer, had to say about TPO’s work—and the outcomes for her organization.

    What is SIR?

    We’re a non-profit medical professional society representing over 5,600 practicing interventional radiology physicians, scientists and clinical associates. We work […]

  • When it comes to your HR function, you shouldn’t have to choose between generalist or specialist. Demand both.

    The following blurb from popular knowledge site Quora captures a perspective about HR that is common in the business world: 

    “In HR there are typically two paths. The generalist path and the specialist path. A generalist widely known as an HR Business Partner is the customer facing role player, while the specialists handle a particular area […]

  • TPO Spotlight: Dana Papke

    Meet Dana

    After featuring so many of TPO’s consultants and staff, it is time to profile the person who leads and inspires them every day: TPO President and CEO Dana Papke. Many know that she’s served in numerous business and HR roles throughout her career, including Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Operating Officer […]

  • HR Outsourcing Should Fit Your Organization Like a Glove, Not a Pair of Handcuffs

    Last week’s blog post focused on “When and Why Should I Outsource HR?” Here are 11 Definitive Signals.” Let’s say you have now identified that your organization is experiencing one or more of those signals, and you’re considering outsourcing your HR function—until you can justify a full-time hire. One of the first and most important considerations […]

  • “When and Why Should I Outsource HR?” Here are 11 Definitive Signals

    When it comes to the various ways organizations manage (or don’t manage) HR, we’ve seen it all here at TPO. Or so I thought. We recently received an inquiry from a non-profit executive who said,

    “Our Board is acting as HR. As the Board changes by 5 members out of 15 each year, we […]

  • Q: “Why did you decide to outsource HR?” A: “We started to feel out of control.”

    In numerous conversations with CEOs and Business Owners over the years about outsourcing their HR function—including several just this past week—I hear a familiar theme: “We reached out to you (TPO) because we got to that point where things started to feel out of control.”

    Feeling out of control. Let’s dive into that for a moment. […]

  • When it Comes to Assessing and Planning Employee Compensation, Software Lacks the Human Touch

    As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, some software can greatly increase an organization’s efficiency by automating tasks and processes. However, this assumes you have identified and tested the right tasks and processes–based on sound strategies and goals.

    Employee compensation is a great example. There are a number of software products that can help streamline and manage […]

  • Allan Freedman of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy on TPO’s Compensation Services

    In 2014, TPO worked with National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) on a compensation assessment to ensure the organization’s pay structure is equitable based on market comparisons. Here is what NBCOT Executive Vice President, Allan Freedman, had to say about TPO’s work—and the outcomes for NBCOT. 

    As Executive Vice President of NBCOT, I handle […]

  • Compensation Erosion—The Silent (and Sometimes Not so Silent) Morale Killer

    Of all the possible topics that cause hallway grumbling, compensation is perhaps the most anxiety producing for employees. Anything involving their budget, their savings and investment rates and their ability to buy the things they want is bound to produce stress, even in a good economy. And they get a “reminder” of their pay (which […]

  • Nothing says you have a great organizational culture like a great employee onboarding process

    Experts say that culture is one of the most critical aspects of onboarding new employees. Indoctrinating or assimilating an employee goes far beyond making sure they know the location of the restrooms and extra staples, company policies and, of course, their roles and responsibilities. Culture is the way an organization approaches challenges and opportunities; the […]

  • A Thought for the New Year: Today’s Documentation and Redundancy are Tomorrow’s Life Savers

    By the end of January, many a New Year’s resolution has fallen by the wayside. But I wanted to share an experience TPO had recently that could serve as one of the most impactful—albeit the least exciting—New Years resolutions for small- and medium-size organizations: Make time to document your most important processes. It’ll be a […]

  • It’s January, and the Most Important Question You Must Ask Your Employees is, “How’s it Going?”

    January is a great and important month. It’s an opportunity to set a new or renewed tone with your team regarding goals, performance, culture and values. You want the message to be that the coming year is going to be your best year yet—different and better than previous years.

    Here is one simple way for leaders […]

  • Attention CEOs: Is 2015 the year you acknowledge that HR is actually your job? (Because everything starts with your people.)

    Happy 2015! Another year older and—hopefully—another year wiser in a most critical area: Your People. We at TPO hope that this wisdom takes a very specific form in the coming months and years:

    CEOs, COOs, Business Owners and Executive Directors must take a more direct and presumptive ownership approach over their Talent assets.

    Because, to […]

  • Dana Papke’s Reflections on Our Yearlong Blog Series Commemorating TPO’s 20th Birthday

    Every December, I find myself reflecting on the year that’s passed, thinking about those standout moments that truly made it memorable. There were many of those moments this year, because 2014 was the year we celebrated TPO’s 20th birthday—an incredible milestone that has come with charms, challenges and a great many lessons learned.

    Those of you […]

  • TPO@20!  Interview with Erich Pica, President of Friends of the Earth US:  Leading a Highly Emotionally Intelligent Organization

    This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20!—TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades—and what we can learn for the next 20 years. This interview is with Erich Pica, President of […]

  • Promote the Wrong Person? Don’t Blame it on Data or Software (Why People Decisions Must Be Owned by People)

    I recently ran across a wonderful article on Google’s quest to develop a mathematical formula to decide which engineers get promoted—and how that effort failed.

    Google, not surprisingly, has a People Analytics group whose original mission was that, “All people decisions at Google should be based on data and analytics.” Among other initiatives, the group developed […]

  • Interview with Bob Van Hook & Jackie Eder-Van Hook, Transition Management Consulting: “Virtually” Everything Has Changed in the Past Two Decades

    This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20!—TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades—and what we can learn for the next 20 years. This interview is with Bob Van […]

  • Eight Signs You Should Revisit Your Performance Management Program

    According to an article in the Washington Post, Unhappy with your raise this year?  In Washington, you’re not alone, a recent “Towers Watson study (reports that) less than half (of employees surveyed) reported a clear link between pay and performance.”

    You may be thinking:  “But how can that be?  Don’t organizations invest tens of millions of dollars […]

  • The Employer-Employee Disconnect on Compensation: Only Half of Workers Feel Pay is Fair

    We’ve been saying for a while that employee compensation requires a strategy and a plan. And organizations are starting to get the message. But it takes time.  That’s why a recent Washington Post article poked the employee compensation hornet’s nest by highlighting that “only one half of employees felt they were paid fairly compared to […]

  • TPO Consultant Spotlight: Leyla Hurt

    Meet Leyla
    Leyla Hurt is one of TPO’s resident data geeks. She entered the field of HR following a 12-year career in finance, so it’s no surprise that her passions include implementing compensation and benefits programs, and quantifying and presenting HR metrics. “My job is a perfect fit because it’s HR through the lens of finance,” […]

  • Interview with Chris Bergin, President and Publisher of Tax Analysts: The Increased Velocity of News and HR as an Integral Part of All Business Decisions

    This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20!—TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades—and what we can learn for the next 20 years. This interview is with […]

  • “We just revisited our employee compensation strategy…3 years ago.” Oops.

    “So, how much do you make?” said one director to another.  Or, “I’m sorry but I’ve decided to go with that other opportunity,” said the marketing candidate you thought was a perfect fit.

    So begins the domino effect that leads to nagging, sometimes emotional and often costly issues in and around employee retention, morale and talent […]

  • Enlightened Leaders Believe “Every Business Decision is an HR Decision”

    A number of times in my discussions with TPO clients—CEOs, Presidents, CFOs and Executive Directors of small- and mid-size organizations—they’ve said something along the lines of the headline above: “Every Business Decision is an HR Decision.”

    They’ve learned, in some cases by trial and error over many years, that you should not simply invite an HR […]

  • TPO Consultant Spotlight: Lidia Kasiak

    Meet Lidia
    A native of Poland, Lidia Kasiak has served TPO’s clients, and TPO itself, for over seven years.  Her specialties include benefits management, operational support and human resource information systems (HRIS)—skills she honed during her years working for an HR outsourcing firm in Poland and later for an IT consulting firm. “I’m well-known in my […]

  • TPO’s Consultants Discuss the Increasing Impact of HR on “The Business,” the Emergence of Collaborative Leadership and Working at TPO

    This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20! —TPO’s 20th Birthday. This month we are featuring reflections and observations by 11 of TPO’s consultants on what has changed in “how we work”—and what hasn’t—over the last two decades.
    In 1994, Netscape introduced the browser and America Online provided Internet access. Do you […]

  • Attention Non-Profit Executives: Employee Onboarding Seminar on September 18th

    Join Snyder Cohn and Dana Papke, President and CEO of TPO Inc., an HR consulting firm, for a networking breakfast and seminar discussing:

    Top 10 ways non-profits can improve employee onboarding to reduce non-productive compensation and identify bad hires sooner.
     

    Why? Many organizations tend to confuse onboarding with orientation. A day of meet and greets, a 401(k) […]

  • TPO@20! Interview with Shira Harrington of Purposeful Hire: The Laptop as Game Changer and the Rise of “Passiontivity” in the Workforce

    This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20! —TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades—and what we can learn for the next 20 years. This interview is with Shira […]

  • Work-Life Balance—Thoughts for You and Your Employees

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation. 

    Is work-life balance a dated concept?  A myth? The work–leisure dichotomy was invented in the mid 1800s when anthropologists proposed that a definition of happiness was one that has as much separation as possible between work and […]

  • Rising Wages and 9 Other Signs It’s Time to Remove the Sludge From Your Comp Plan (If You Have One)

    A recent Association Now article titled, Business Economists: Wages Rising at More Firms, talks about “a new survey from the National Association for Business Economics in which more than four in 10 respondents said that wages were increasing at their companies—a big surge.”

    From an employee’s perspective, the article states,“What a difference a year makes—especially if […]

  • John Ryan

    “…Having an outside, independent perspective (has been) very useful. We were able to benefit from having a consultant who was professional and objective, yet who also understood our culture.  Another benefit to CSBS of working with TPO was that, in addition to benefiting from our consultant, we were also able to gain access to their […]

  • Michael Bowers

    “I joined APTA as CEO several months ago, and in my experience TPO has been consummately professional. The fact that TPO served as our outsourced HR function actually helped with my transition to the CEO role. TPO brought objectivity and independence.” – J. Michael Bowers, CEO of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), on Outsourcing HR […]

  • Sarah Kaplan

    “Having a trusted strategic partner like TPO makes us stronger in the business community. If we need them they’re there. TPO is an organization of professionals that can make a difference with our clients. At the end of the day, we back each other up and do what’s best for the client.” – Sarah Kaplan, Vice […]

  • Mike Holmes

    “The TPO team are great to work with.  They’ve come in and helped us think more strategically about connecting our people priorities to our business objectives.  Before TPO, we were using another firm whose definition of HR was ‘compliance.’ That’s not wrong, but HR is about much more. Every business decision we make is an […]

  • Bob Corlett

    “We enjoy working with forward-looking firms like TPO (because they are) looking at innovating solutions to common problems like how to handle employee onboarding so new employees reach peak productivity faster. TPO has been a terrific business partner. They make a promise, they keep a promise.” – Bob Corlett, Founder and President of Staffing Advisors, on […]

  • Becky Choi

    “I’ve gotten to know TPO intimately, and it has been instrumental in making my company what it is today.  My contacts with their consultants have been fabulous. TPO has constantly helped clients with the strategic side of HR–they know how to get a seat at the table, which is something many HR executives and consultants […]

  • John Ryan

    “The results have been great. The employees who’ve experienced the onboarding program are very positive about the impact it’s had. And from a management perspective, we can help new hires become more productive more quickly and can identify bad hires sooner.” – John Ryan, President & CEO of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) on TPO’s […]

  • Myron Boncarosky

    TPO is helping us make a transition. Candidly, I was skeptical at first about what they said they could accomplish to reduce turnover, but they’ve more than fulfilled expectations. I’m from Missouri, the “Show Me” state, and they’ve certainly shown me.” – Myron Boncarosky, Chairman/Founder of Virginia Tire and Auto

  • HR Outsourcing: What You Get vs. The Value You Should Expect

    On the Internet, there are many lists of reasons to outsource HR.  Here’s an example of one that was forwarded to me recently:  http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghanbiro/2013/12/01/top-5-reasons-hr-is-on-the-move/#

    This list includes these five reasons for outsourcing HR:

    It frees them (customers) to concentrate on core competencies.
    It saves money.
    It improves compliance.
    It improves recruitment.
    It provides access to the latest tools and technology.

    What’s so […]

  • Michael Bowers and Bonnie Polvinale of APTA on Outsourcing HR to TPO

    TPO provided outsourced HR services to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) during a critical management transition period. Here is what APTA CEO J. Michael Bowers and Vice President, Member Relations, Bonnie Polvinale, had to say about the value of working with TPO.

    J. Michael Bowers, CEO of APTA

    I joined APTA as CEO several months ago, […]

  • TPO@20! Interview with John Ryan, CEO of CSBS: The End of the “Because I Said So!” Era

    This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20! – TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades–and what we can learn for the next 20 years. This interview is with […]

  • Splitting HR into two functions? Not practical for smaller organizations–but the problem it solves is very real.

    There’s an interesting article on HBR.org by noted business advisor and author, Ram Charan, titled, “It’s Time to Split HR.” http://hbr.org/2014/07/its-time-to-split-hr/ar/1. In it, he says,

    I talk with CEOs across the globe who are disappointed in their HR people. They would like to be able to use their chief human resource officers (CHROs) the way […]

  • Managing a Multicultural Workforce

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation. 

    We live in business environments that are growing ever more diverse. As a business owner, you need to know how best to manage a multicultural work force. Your leadership in multicultural management will also be important as […]

  • Interview with Candi Kaplan & Sarah Kaplan of Kaplan Benefits Group, LLC: “Customers’ Education Regarding the Financial Landscape Has Changed Everything”

    This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20! – TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades–and what we can learn for the next 20 years. This interview is with […]

  • When the CEO says, “But I’m not a ‘people person’.”

    When talking with CEOs of businesses and non-profits, we sometimes hear, “Well, I’m not really a ‘people person’.” In my experience, what the CEO may really mean is one or more of the following:

    “I’m an introvert.”
    “This HR stuff doesn’t come naturally to me.”
    “I’m not sure why HR is that important, other than for recruiting and […]

  • We Couldn’t Have Said it Better Ourselves: “Organizations need to mesh performance targets with Human Resources strategy”

    I came across an article this week in the Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail, titled, The new business normal: constant reinvention, by Rose Patten and Hugh Arnold, co-directors of the Rotman School of Management’s Strategic Human Resource Management Program at the University of Toronto. In it, the authors say:

    Organizations need to mesh […]

  • John Ryan, President & CEO of CSBS, on TPO’s Onboarding Process

    TPO has been providing outsourced HR services to the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) since 2002. Recently TPO helped CSBS identify a challenge in the way the organization was bringing on new employees. Here is what CSBS President and CEO John Ryan had to say about TPO’s employee Onboarding Program—and the outcomes for CSBS.

    TPO […]

  • Explaining Wages Versus Total Compensation to Your Employees

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation. 

    Chances are when asked about their compensation, your employees will respond from the perspective of their base pay – what they see in their paycheck. Base pay is the amount per hour or per year that employees […]

  • Balancing Technology and the Human Touch: How One Job-Seeking HR Executive Found the Human Side Lacking

    Someone forwarded me a link to this article recently, titled, “Where did the ‘Human’ in Human Resources go?” This isn’t a new thought, but what caught my attention was that the article featured an interview with a senior HR executive who was downsized and is now looking for her next job—on the outside looking in. She […]

  • Clients Say the Most Amazing Things: In Uncertain Times Your Customers Often Have the Answers

    From time to time, TPO posts first-hand C-Level business perspectives, excerpted from an ongoing series of conversations we have with our clients. This one is from an executive in the professional education market.

    We are likely to continue in a rather uncertain environment. So the question is, how can a company be better prepared to succeed […]

  • Where’s the Innovation in Making Better Talent Decisions?

    Team TPO was buzzing this week about the article in the Washington Post’s Capital Business section by Tom Monahan, CEO of CEB. Monahan minces no words in his view that the secret to company improvement, in many cases, is talent–so why aren’t companies more innovative in the talent area? Here’s an excerpt:

    You’d assume […]

  • Employee Policy Handbook – The Policies Every Company Should Have

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation.

    How many times have you shuffled the development or refinement of an Employee Handbook to the bottom of your to-do list? You can leave it there—as long as you don’t have the need to:

    Better Manage Your Employees

    The […]

  • Interview with Myron Boncarosky and Mike Holmes of Virginia Tire & Auto

    This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20! – TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades–and what we can learn for the next 20 years. This interview is with […]

  • Clients Say the Most Amazing Things: A Noisy Environment is the Most Important Time to Have a Clear Mission

    From time to time, TPO posts first-hand C-Level business perspectives, excerpted from an ongoing series of conversations we have with our clients. This one is from the head of a transportation and energy consulting firm. 

    We’re operating in an environment that is a lot more open in many respects–in terms of the information that […]

  • Meet Your Employee Onboarding Robot! (Why the Solution to Proper Onboarding Isn’t Just Buying Software)

    I met someone recently who told me his company has “an HR system that onboards employees.” I immediately envisioned a cheerful robot (like The Jetsons’ ultra-efficient maid, Rosie, or the lovable R2D2 from Star Wars) that greets new employees and guides them through the halls making robotic introductions to their new co-workers.

    Upon returning to the […]

  • TPO Consultant Spotlight: Claire M. Burns

    Meet Claire

    Deep down, Claire Burns is an investigator. And when your organization needs an in-depth analysis of how your business and human capital practices are working together, you want her on the case. “I consider it my job to learn about my clients’ business and figure out what I can do from my standpoint to support […]

  • Interview with Bob Corlett of Staffing Advisors

    This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20! – TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades–and what we can learn for the next 20 years. This interview is with […]

  • Taking Time to Train – That Train Has Left the Station

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation.

    Any question or debate over whether or not to invest time and money in employee training is over. There is a national skills deficit that is exacerbated both by baby boomer retirements and young people not pursuing […]

  • Stop Hiring Until You Fix Your “Onboarding Gap”

    OK, that headline might sound a bit extreme. It’s true that we are always in a hurry to fill that open position so we can get back to our regularly scheduled responsibilities. But I am concerned that companies continue to focus on hiring without having a quantifiable approach to what happens during their new employees’ […]

  • NEWS: Washington, DC-Area HR Consulting & Outsourcing Firm Commemorates 20th Birthday with Yearlong, Retrospective Blog Series on “How We Work”

     TPO Brings Together Clients, Partners and Employees to Discuss What’s Changed and What Hasn’t Over Last 2 Decades 

    Falls Church, VA (PRWEB) February 20, 2014  TPO, Inc., a human resources consulting and outsourcing firm specializing in serving small- and medium-size businesses and non-profits in the Washington, DC area, today announced a yearlong, retrospective blog series called […]

  • Interview with Becky Choi, Founder, groupforward, LLC

    This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20! — TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades–and what we can learn for the next 20 years.  

    This interview is with Becky […]

  • TPO Consultant Spotlight: Mary Mason

    Introducing Mary

    After you meet Mary Mason, you’re likely to be ingrained in her brain. She’s the type of person who remembers everything about you—your name, your hometown, your children’s names and more. And this signature trait is one of the many reasons she builds close, trusted relationships with her clients. Mary began consulting for TPO, Inc. in 2006, […]

  • TPO: 20 Years of Specialized HR Experience with Clients in the DC Area

    As your organization changes, so does it’s HR requirements. At a certain point, you bring in the professionals. TPO can tackle a wide range of projects, including:

    Compensation—Salary and Incentive Programs
    Workforce Assessment and Planning
    Employee Handbooks and Policy Development

    Performance Management Systems
    Affirmative Action Plans
    Employee Recognition

    Succession and Transition Planning
    Incident Investigations
    Confidential CEO Guidance

    Audits
    Business Start-Ups
    Recruiting Strategy

     

    Our expert consultants can work with […]

  • Clients Say the Most Amazing Things: The definition of leadership never changes, but required leadership skills constantly change.

    From time to time, TPO posts first-hand C-Level business perspectives, excerpted from an ongoing series of conversations we have with our clients. This one is from the president of a management consulting firm focused on the small- and medium-size business market.

    “True leaders, true leadership – because it is a fundamental human thing – […]

  • Part 2 of Interview with Karen Usher, Founder and Chair, TPO, Inc.

    This interview is part of a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20!–TPO’s 20th Birthday. These conversations with TPO partners, clients and executives focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades–and what we can learn for the next 20 years.  This is Part 2 of the interview […]

  • Personnel Files – What You Need to Know

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation.

    Personnel files are a valuable and necessary tool in any workplace. They are the first line of defense against miscommunication and misunderstanding, as they should provide general information and a record about each employee from the date […]

  • TPO Celebrates its 20th Birthday With a Look Back–and An Eye On the Future

    Announcing a Yearlong Retrospective Blog Series in Honor of TPO’s 20th Year in Business

    Some work things are just plain fun. That’s what I hope our yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO’s 20th Birthday will be for our clients, partners and friends. Well, fun plus a hint of useful: because as we post about what we’ve […]

  • Interview with Karen Usher, Founder and Chair, TPO, Inc., Regarding TPO’s 20th Birthday (Part 1 of 2)

    This is the first in a yearlong retrospective blog series commemorating TPO@20!–TPO’s 20th Birthday. These interviews with TPO partners, clients and employees focus on what has and hasn’t changed in “how we work” over the last two decades–and what we can learn for the next 20 years.

    TPO: Hi, Karen! As the […]

  • TPO Consultant Spotlight: Cindy Winters

    Meet Cindy

    Despite her last name, Cindy Winters says she doesn’t miss the cold temperatures in New England where she built her career. After attending college in New Hampshire, she remained in the Northeast to work as an HR executive in the finance and biotechnology industries, and later as a principal and founder of an HR […]

  • Thank You for Your Inquiry

    Thank you for inquiring about TPO’s Outsourced HR services. We will be in touch with you by the next business day.

  • Human Capital Keeps Top Spot in The Conference Board’s 2014 CEO Challenges Report

    In a previous blog post, I gave some highlights from The Conference Board’s 2013 CEO Challenges report showing that “Human Capital” and other people-centric issues dominate the list of CEOs’ top challenges and strategies.

    So of course I was interested to see the results of the 2014 CEO Challenges study.  I haven’t seen the full report […]

  • Must-See TV: Today Show Hosts Puzzling Over This Thing Called the Internet–in 1994!

    This is a gem of a video from 1994 that shows Today Show hosts Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel (and someone we couldn’t identify) discussing the question, “What is the Internet anyway?” This is great retro viewing that fits right in with TPO@20!, our yearlong retrospective blog series celebrating TPO’s 20th Birthday. If […]

  • MUST READ! The Importance of a Winning Culture—and How to Create One

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation. 

    Culture is one of those topics that is easy to be baffled by, to put into the “nice to have” column. That’s understandable, as long as you subscribe to the notion of culture as “soft” and therefore […]

  • TPO Consultant Spotlight: Sue Claytor

    Meet Sue

    Sue Claytor is a boating enthusiast, a restaurant lover, a consignment shopping queen and the only member of the TPO team with twelve pairs of funky eye glasses. She’s also a TPO vice president who applies her 20 plus years of business and HR expertise to the recruiting, onboarding and development of TPO’s consultants. “I’m […]

  • Silicon Valley Says ‘People Don’t Scale,’ But Even Tech Companies Can’t Grow Without Them

    I loved reading the article in Monday’s Wall Street Journal titled, “Real-Estate Firm Gets Cold Shoulder in Silicon Valley: How Online Company Is Overcoming Tech VCs ‘People Problem,’” which describes venture capitalists’ reactions to the fundraising pitch of Glenn Kelman, CEO of online real estate firm Redfin:

    “To tech investors, companies that […]

  • Clients Say the Most Amazing Things: In a Non-Profit, You Now Have to Compete with “Free”

    From time to time, TPO posts first-hand C-Level business perspectives, excerpted from an ongoing series of conversations we have with our clients. This one is from the President of a medical professional association:

    I haven’t seen it in our organization, but definitely other organizations where people have fewer resources to deal with because the […]

  • With a new hire, it’s better to know early on if it isn’t a good fit–especially when it’s the HR Director.

    TPO recently had an interesting experience working with a client to onboard a new HR Director. We applied our new Onboarding Productivity Measurement Toolkit, which helps organizations enhance—and measure—the speed at which new employees become productive as well as identify and address bad hires faster. 

    Team TPO applied our rigorous, multi-point Onboarding process, which includes weekly […]

  • A Powerful Message from CEOs: Their Top Challenges Are People Related

    Each year, the Conference Board does a study on the top challenges faced by CEOs. The 2013 version of this report (see The Conference Board CEO Challenge® 2013) tells a very succinct and compelling story: People are everything. Said another way, people are either the top CEO challenge, or the key to addressing the other […]

  • Clients Say the Most Amazing Things: Enlisting Your Team to “Always Be Curious” About the Changing Business Landscape

    From time to time, TPO posts first-hand C-level business perspectives, excerpted from an ongoing series of conversations we have with our clients. This one is from the President of an Association focused on medical technology.

    “Staying ahead of the curve and keeping an eye on our market landscape is very challenging. We have 35 […]

  • Clients Say the Most Amazing Things: Improper Onboarding Leads to Problems That Are Harder to Fix Later

    From time to time, TPO posts first-hand C-level business perspectives, excerpted from an ongoing series of conversations we have with our clients.  This one is from the Executive Director of a National Professional Association:

    “One of the things we’re going to prioritize is a well thought through onboarding process as contributing to employee engagement, especially […]

  • Memo to Employees: Mind Your Social Media P’s and Q’s…for Your Company and Your Careers

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation. 

    In 2012 we spent 74 billion minutes on social media sites. That sounds like a lot and it was, comprising 20 percent of our time, much of it during work hours. With the pace of social media […]

  • Building Employers’ Connections with the Gen Y Workforce: Who Are They and What Does it Take?

    A version of this article was originally prepared by TPO for one of its clients, an industry educational foundation.

    Generation Y, also known as the Millennial Generation or simply Millenials, numbers around 80 million people in the U.S. born between 1979 and 1999. They are the escalating class that will make up 36% of the workforce […]

  • People on the Move?

    When reading the newspaper I often peruse the “People on the Move” section, which chronicles job changes among area executives and employees. I imagine the organizations and individuals being pleased that the names, faces, job titles and descriptions they submitted to the publication are featured “up in lights,” if you will.

    But what’s interesting is, when […]

  • Being curious about customers without having a “sales” agenda

    When I started at TPO in 2012, as any good CEO would do, I began quickly immersing myself in the company’s operations and in understanding the market–basically bottom and top lines respectively. For the latter, we decided to interview some of our customers and other contacts. We wanted to find out, of course, how TPO […]

  • Reinforcing the mission: For TPO, it’s all in the wrist(bands).

    Every important message in business has to continually be reinforced to the intended audience. Otherwise it’s just a bunch of words that blend into the background noise.

    For example, TPO’s mission, or mantra if you will, is to make sure our clients’ HR strategies and priorities are driven by their business objectives and priorities. This ensures […]

  • “I, (name of employer), hereby agree to pay this new employee for being non-productive for a period of up to 120 days.”

    Part 3 in a Series on the Onboarding Gap: Reducing “Non-Productive Compensation,” Identifying Bad Hires Sooner and Protecting Your Investment

    OK, I admit I’ve never actually seen an offer letter or employment contract that started out with an agreement to pay a new hire to be non-productive, but that’s essentially what organizations are doing.

    We know intuitively […]

  • Clients Say the Most Amazing Things: Combining Evaluations & Training to Create an Environment that’s Conducive to Performance

    From time to time, TPO posts first-hand C-Level business perspectives, excerpted from an ongoing series of conversations with our clients. This one is from the President of a professional association in the legal industry:

    “For our staff, some of the issues and some of the topics that we’re focusing on (with training and development) […]

  • Orientation is not Onboarding

    Part 2 in a Series on the Onboarding Gap: Reducing “Non-Productive Compensation,” Identifying Bad Hires Sooner and Protecting Your Investment

    If a new hire is fortunate, she’ll have a manager who understands the care and feeding necessary to get her onto–and stay on–a productive track as soon as […]

  • “Here are your 401K enrollment forms and company mug. Have a great year!” (8 reasons managers don’t focus more on employees’ first 90 days)

    Part 1 in a Series on The Onboarding Gap: Reducing “Non-Productive Compensation,” Identifying Bad Hires Sooner and Protecting Your Investment

    In talking to a number of TPO clients, potential clients and partners, we’ve found that many of them are focused on these two major employee-related investments:

    Recruiting and recruiters — Organizations make big investments […]

  • Clients Say the Most Amazing Things: The Critical Role of People in the World of Big Data

    From time to time, TPO posts first-hand C-Level business perspectives, excerpted from an ongoing series of conversations we have with our clients. This one is from the President of a medical professional association:

    “People have access to so much information. It’s hard to know what to believe. It’s hard to know what to trust. […]

  • Enough whining that CEOs don’t value HR enough. CEOs don’t need to change–but HR probably does.

    Because this is the first post for our new blog that resides within TPO’s new web site, it’s critical that we set the tone for our philosophy and approach as a business.

    The first thing I realized is that it is difficult to write about HR-related topics without falling back on so many of the expressions […]

  • Thank You

    Thank you for contacting TPO. We will respond to you by the next business day.

  • Thank you for subscribing!

    Thank you for subscribing to TPO Talk, a series of blog posts on topics at the intersection of business and people. We hope you find these articles useful, and we encourage you to comment on them—whether you agree or disagree.

    Regards,

    TPO, Inc.

  • Should we feature our experts on our web site? What if they get poached?

    One of the questions I asked during the development of our new web site was whether we should include all of our consultants on the “People” page.  Won’t that make it easier for other companies to poach them?  After all, they’re “our most valuable asset” (that’s a wink to those who read this earlier post).

    After […]

  • Consultants

    Nicole Adams

    Core Expertise: HR Business Partner in support of business strategy and goals: performance management, succession planning and strategic talent acquisition and management. Extensive background in HR operations, outsourcing, and process re-engineering.

    Previous Experience: Founder, Brookford Consulting; Senior HR Business Partner, The World Bank; Lead, Business Development, Korn Ferry/Futurestep.

    Education: Master of Arts in Organizational Communication and Bachelor […]

  • Randy Swisher

    “TPO’s approach clearly transcends traditional human resources support, falling more into the category of intelligent business planning. We not only have high quality employee programs, but these have been aligned with our strategic objectives to produce measurable business results and have been used to support and sustain our organization’s rapid growth.” – Randy Swisher, Executive […]

  • Tom Gibson

    “We view TPO as an essential partner and key component of our continued success.” – Tom Gibson, Chairman/CEO, The Coulter Companies, On being named one of the top 3 companies in the US in the 2007 American Business Ethics Awards™

  • Larry Sloan

    “I’d like to express my deep appreciation for the role TPO has played in helping ASC ensure that its staff and programs are closely linked with our strategic initiatives and that we are working with the right business vendors for our growth. Your skills ensuring that our staff alignment, performance management, and leadership focus have […]

  • Alberto Gonzalez

    “Working with TPO during our recent CEO search enabled our Search Committee to have a deeply experienced professional help us navigate the transition process. From support in selecting the right search firm, to finalizing terms of employment, to coordinating the internal and external communications processes from start to finish, the critical difference for us was […]

  • Candi Kaplan

    “We always feel so much better when we deal with clients and are able to bring a value add via our partners. Our client gets the benefit of our service and TPOs. TPO gives us and our clients confidence.” – Candi Kaplan, President of Kaplan Benefits Group, LLC on Partnering with TPO

  • Bill Meadows

    “TPO has helped us establish a comprehensive human resources program and guided us in its implementation. Because of their experience and knowledge, we were able to examine options and evaluate the positive and negative aspects of each. Their advice has been extraordinarily helpful to the overall organization – but also to individual employees.” – Bill […]

  • Alain Cappeluti

    “I’ve been very satisfied with the level of knowledge, degree of interest in my business and attention to detail that we have received from TPO.” – Alain Cappeluti, CFO, CoGenesys, Inc.

  • Kathy Warye

    “TPO’s expertise in employee relations, dealing effectively with difficult situations and creating a positive culture is invaluable.” – Kathy Warye, CEO, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology

  • Theodore Roosevelt IV

    “As a board member, I have worked with Karen and the TPO team at four organizations over the course of 20 years. That they have worked so successfully and across so many organizations with which I have been involved is testimony to their ability to make a difference to the missions and leadership teams they […]

  • Stan Richards

    “TPO has brought a level of expertise and experience to our HR function that we could not hope to achieve in a traditional employment context. They have provided effective and sensitive advice and council to employees, supervisors, managers and to me.” – Stan Richards, President, The Richards Corporation

  • HR Consultant (Part-time)

    Our clients are supported through the entire HR experience by our carefully chosen team. Our approach is to find the best and brightest HR professionals and provide them with the resources to perform successfully. We develop an intimate understanding of the business objectives of our clients, and by doing this, we consistently deliver high-quality, service-enhancing […]

  • Clients Say the Most Amazing Things: How Do You Report to Your Board on the Status of “Your Biggest Asset”?

    From time to time, TPO posts first-hand C-level business perspectives, excerpted from an ongoing series of conversations we have with our clients.  This one is from the Executive Director of a National Professional Association:

    “It’s useful to think through a set of issues related to human capital, both in terms of what it costs you […]

  • Clients Say the Most Amazing Things: Let’s Stop Talking About HR Stuff and Talk About CEO Stuff

    From time to time, TPO posts first-hand C-level business perspectives, excerpted from an ongoing series of conversations we have with our clients. This one is from the President of a B2B Marketing Consulting Firm:

    “This notion of HR having a seat at the table has been going on for years to the point where […]

  • Sue Claytor

    Sue Claytor began consulting for TPO, Inc. in 2005 with a foundation of over 20 years of previous HR experience. In 2010, Sue was promoted to a Director with TPO and became responsible for recruiting, onboarding of new consultants, consultant staff development, and quality assurance for outsourcing and consulting service delivery. 

    In 2012, Sue was promoted […]

  • Karen Usher

    Karen Usher is the Founder and Chairman of TPO, Inc. She leads the firm’s strategic planning efforts and is practice leader for TPO’s compensation, executive performance, and succession planning services.
    Karen combines change management, HR leadership and entrepreneurship, having founded her first of three companies in 1981. Her unique strength is working with chief executives to […]

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    Your privacy is critically important to us.

    TPO, Inc. respects your privacy regarding any information we may collect while operating our website. This Privacy Policy applies to https://www.tpo-inc.com/ (hereinafter, “us”, “we”, or “www.tpo-inc.com/”).

    We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting personally identifiable information you may provide us through the Website. We have adopted this privacy […]

  • Clients Say the Most Amazing Things: We Want CEOs to Consider HR as Strategic–Think Medicine, not Nursing

    From time to time, TPO  posts first-hand C-level business perspectives, excerpted from an ongoing series of conversations we have with our clients.  Here’s one from the President of a U.S. Not-for-Profit Financial Services Publishing Organization:

    “I’m a strong believer in what I call strategic HR. HR is very, very vital to the management of an […]

  • Home

    TPO offers strategic and tactical human resources consulting. What makes our services different is that every member of the TPO Team is a business professional with deep knowledge and understanding of human resources. We’ve been at it for 30 years, and we offer a full range of strategic consulting, hands-on outsourcing and on-call HR services.

    Our […]

  • Working at TPO

    TPO’s work environment features educated, passionate, senior level professionals who work in close partnership with clients.  Our work is challenging, rewarding and results oriented, and our office environment offers ongoing professional development and the satisfaction that comes from working in a collegial, close-knit team.

    We provide a competitive compensation and benefits package and a variety of […]

  • On-Call

    Have you ever wished you could pick up the phone to call someone to ask about a specific HR question or situation that has come up? TPO’s On-Call service fits that need, making best practices support available to help you when you need help.

    TPO On-Call provides on-demand expertise and services based on specific, immediate client […]

  • Projects

    Whether your organization has limited capacity, is short an internal resource or needs just the right expert to accomplish a key goal, we provide support for all types of consulting engagements and initiatives. These projects are typically standalone, and our subject matter experts work directly with your leadership. Examples of projects include:

    HR Audits
    Compensation:

    Market Cash Compensation […]

  • Outsourcing

    At a certain point, driven by your size or business needs, you may identify that you need ongoing HR support — and someone to help you manage it. But it can be hard (and costly) to take that step of adding someone to your team — and the unique skillset to find someone experienced enough […]

  • Contact Us

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    TPO, Inc.
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    Arlington, VA 22209

  • Careers
  • The TPO Team

    The Power Of A Focused Expert.  The Value Of An Experienced Team.

    TPO’s greatest strength is yours as well—people.  Whether in our consulting or outsourcing practice areas, our team is singularly focused on finding smarter ways for you to leverage your people to achieve your business goals.

    Meet our exceptionally experienced team:

    Leadership Team

    Sue Claytor
    Managing Director

    Elizabeth Richards
    Operations Manager

    Karen […]

  • Why TPO?

    Quite simply because we insist on blending our expertise with knowledge and insights about you and your organization. How do we gain that knowledge? We begin with a thorough business discussion – what we call an audit – with each client, depending upon the urgency of your needs. This process identifies your short and long-term […]

  • Careers

    Join the TPO Team

    Are you an HR expert who truly understands the intersection of people programs and business success? You might be right for our team.

    We are known for our consultants’ abilities to build a bridge between tactical HR needs and our clients’ broader business goals. That means we speak the language of business and […]

  • Consulting Services

    We offer you a full-range of HR consulting services in a variety of flexible formats—short-term, long-term or on-demand.  You can turn to us for high-level strategy, management of a special project, or on-call support, when your internal staff needs a hand.

    Our service offerings are:

    Outsourcing, in which a dedicated consultant works side-by-side as part of your […]

  • About TPO, Inc.

    What if you could find human resources professionals who you could use when you need them, as you need them, and they become trusted members of your team?

    For more than 30 years, that is what we deliver to executives at for-profit and not-for-profit organizations across the Washington, DC area. If you are handling the human […]