From 0 to 100: CODE Staffing Saves Client $600K Annually
by Laurabeth Barker | First published: November 26, 2024 - Last Updated: November 28, 2024
How CODE Staffing Helped a Fortune 500 Oil and Gas Company Save $600,000 Annually, Boost Employee Satisfaction, and Unlock Growth Opportunities
Executive Summary
In early 2023, CODE Staffing partnered with a Fortune 500 oil and gas company in Houston, Texas, to tackle critical IT staffing challenges. This case study shows how our innovative approach not only solved immediate staffing needs but also created a paradigm shift in contractor engagement, leading to remarkable improvements in employee satisfaction, skill development, and cost savings.
Background and Overview
In the era of digital transformation, the oil and gas industry faces significant challenges in securing and retaining top IT talent. The combination of a limited talent pool and the specialized expertise required for the sector creates substantial hurdles for companies striving to stay competitive. Recognizing these challenges, in early 2023, CODE Staffing formed a strategic partnership with a Fortune 500 oil and gas company in Houston, Texas, to provide a comprehensive solution that not only attracts and retains the industry's best IT professionals but also enhances their skills and creates lasting value.
This partnership extends beyond traditional staffing, encompassing three key components:
- CODE Staffing: Provides top-tier IT professionals as contractors to meet the client's specific needs.
- CODE Consulting: Offers strategic IT consulting services to optimize processes and technologies.
- CODE Training: Delivers continuous skill improvement programs for CODE Staffing employees, plus to the client’s own employees.
By integrating these services, CODE has created a unique value proposition for both the Fortune 500 client and the contractors who work there as employees of CODE Staffing:
Enhanced talent pool: Over 100 CODE Staffing employees benefit from ongoing training and skill development through CODE Training. This ensures that the client always has access to up-to-date, highly skilled professionals who can apply their improved capabilities directly to their work.
Reduced attrition: The investment in employee development, combined with profit sharing and generous benefits has significantly reduced turnover. Contractors feel more valued and are motivated to stay longer, rather than chasing short-term higher-paying contracts.
On-site support: CODE Staffing placed a full-time, on-site account executive to act as a liaison between the client and CODE Staffing’s employees. This dedicated support fosters a positive work environment, ensures seamless integration, and makes contractors feel equally valued and supported as full-time staff.
Flexible solutions: CODE works closely with the client to provide flexible billing solutions and a customized approach. This helps maintain a motivated team while offering the flexibility the client needs to adjust roles, promote flexible working solutions, and ensure long-term retention.
Streamlined vendor management: By consolidating IT staffing, consulting, and training services, CODE has significantly reduced the number of vendors the Fortune 500 company needs to manage, leading to increased efficiency and cost savings.
Cultural alignment: The comprehensive approach ensures that CODE's contractors are not just skilled professionals, but also culturally aligned with the client's organization, leading to better collaboration and productivity.
This innovative partnership has created a win-win situation: the Fortune 500 company benefits from a stable, highly skilled, and continuously improving IT workforce, while CODE Staffing's employees enjoy enhanced job security, ongoing professional development, profit sharing, and a sense of belonging within the client organization. The result is a more efficient, productive, and satisfied IT team that drives the client's digital transformation initiatives forward.
The Challenge and Client Objectives
The client faced several significant challenges in sourcing and retaining specialized IT talent for their operations. They required highly skilled, on-site IT professionals with industry-specific experience, which proved difficult due to the limited talent pool available in the market.
Additionally, the client aimed to bridge the gap between contractors and full-time employees while preserving the necessary distinctions between the two groups. They sought to ensure that contractors received comparable support and benefits to those provided to permanent staff, including opportunities for growth and continuous training—an area where traditional staffing agencies often fall short.
Lastly, but equally as important to the client was the need to balance cost pressures while maintaining agility in hiring, striving for a cost-effective model that would satisfy investors' expectations while ensuring a strong bottom line. CODE Staffing aimed to address these challenges through a comprehensive and tailored approach.
Our Approach and Solutions
CODE's approach went beyond traditional staffing to provide comprehensive support and long-term value to the client. A full-time, on-site account manager was assigned to facilitate employee engagement, answer questions, and manage onboarding. This role included conducting biannual performance reviews, ensuring employees were satisfied and had opportunities for growth. Annual employee satisfaction surveys helped identify areas for improvement, such as the need for additional SQL training. In response, CODE hosted on-site SQL training courses, fostering both skills development and cross departmental collaboration. To promote continuous development, CODE offered employees “training days” each year to pursue skill-building activities. Employees were encouraged to attend local training events, participate in CODE-hosted webinars, contribute to CODE magazine, and engage with CODE DevNet for mentorship.
Some employees even had opportunities to speak at industry conferences where CODE Group had a dedicated track. In collaboration with a dedicated IT recruiting firm, CODE maintained a strategic recruitment pipeline to source top IT talent in Houston’s oil and gas sector. Weekly recruitment calls helped ensure a steady flow of candidates and alignment with the client's hiring priorities.
Additionally, CODE offered top-tier benefits, which significantly enhanced employee satisfaction and retention, making the team proud to be part of the organization. As a newer staffing firm, CODE initially faced challenges building recognition and overcoming skepticism from potential candidates who had grown wary of traditional contracting companies. However, by consistently demonstrating the value of on-site support and employee care, CODE gained trust and established a positive reputation within the client’s organization.
Results and Outcomes
Since the start of the partnership, the feedback from both the client and employees has been overwhelmingly positive. In less than a year, CODE Staffing grew its presence from zero to almost 100 employees at the client's office.
Due to CODE's proactive approach to retention, “bad attrition” has been nearly eliminated, contributing to an estimated $600,000 in annual savings for the client compared to other staffing firms.
Additionally, 97% of CODE employees said they would recommend the company to friends and family, highlighting the success of the partnership.
“(CODE Staffing) doesn't just treat you like an employee; they treat you like a partner in your career,” Bashar Alshakhanbeh said.
The client is now exploring additional projects through CODE Consulting.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
CODE Staffing is proud of the success achieved with this Fortune 500 oil and gas client and looks forward to continuing the partnership in the years to come. With more projects in the pipeline and a growing reputation for employee care and client satisfaction, CODE is well-positioned to continue delivering exceptional value in the industry.
For a PDF version, click here: CODE Staffing Full Case Study.pdf
About the CODE Group
At CODE, our mission is to empower software developers and organizations through comprehensive, world-class solutions that drive innovation and success. From custom software development and consulting to training, staffing, and mentorship, we are committed to being your one-stop shop for all your software development needs. With a diverse ecosystem that includes conferences, events, and webinars, we provide the expertise and resources to help you stay ahead in an everevolving industry. Our goal is to foster a global community of tech professionals who thrive through collaboration, learning, and real-world application.
If you're interested in learning more about how CODE can help your business overcome its toughest staffing challenges, or if you’d like additional information about this partnership, we’d love to hear from you. Contact our team today to discover how our expert staffing services can bring tailored solutions and measurable results to your organization. Reach us at CODE Staffing.
