The New Workplace Blueprint: Flexibility, Function, and Forward Momentum

Client Overview

Our client is a wholly owned subsidiary of a publicly traded enterprise and a global leader in enterprise data infrastructure. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, the company enables organizations to manage, store, and analyze vast volumes of data through hybrid cloud and on-premise solutions. Their offerings support large-scale transformation in areas including artificial intelligence (AI), cloud infrastructure, converged systems, and data analytics. With 10,000 employees worldwide, they are navigating a period of extensive internal change, driven by rapid advancements in technology and evolving workforce needs.

The Challenge / Mandate

As part of a larger transformation effort, our client sought to design a future-of-work roadmap that would define how its global workforce would operate over the next 18 months. This required developing a comprehensive people-centric strategy that would classify roles across 10,000+ employees into on-site, remote, hybrid, or field-based models. The objective was to create a sustainable and forward-looking operating model that aligns with both employee expectations and organizational performance needs.

The consultant needed to work closely with the Program Manager (who was not fully dedicated to this initiative) and take a hands-on approach—evaluating job functions, collaborating across departments, and aligning future-of-work planning with broader organizational transformations already underway.

The Search

We targeted candidates with deep experience in workforce planning and organizational design, particularly those who had led large-scale HR transformation initiatives in Fortune 500 settings. Ideal profiles had prior consulting experience in top-tier human capital practices and a demonstrated ability to operate both strategically and tactically. Expertise in navigating complex organizational structures and stakeholder landscapes was critical, as was the ability to design scalable solutions grounded in workforce data and change management principles.

The Placement

We placed a seasoned management consulting executive with over two decades of experience shaping business and workforce strategies across global, highly regulated industries. With deep expertise in HR transformations, operating model design, and post-merger integrations, the consultant brought a structured yet adaptive approach to the engagement. They had successfully led people strategy efforts across sectors such as healthcare, energy, legal, and manufacturing and were well-versed in building capability models, defining digital ways of working, and aligning people strategies with enterprise priorities.

The Outcome

Within weeks, the consultant partnered with stakeholders across HR, operations, and business units to design a data-driven framework for classifying roles and work styles. This framework was used to evaluate all global positions—balancing operational requirements, collaboration needs, and employee preferences.

Key deliverables included:

• A strategic 18-month roadmap defining the future state of work for 10,000 global employees.
• A detailed job role assessment matrix identifying hybrid, remote, and on-site eligibility across functions.
• Executive alignment workshops and stakeholder communications to ensure buy-in and change readiness.
• Scalable governance models and processes to continuously review and refine workforce classifications.
• Recommendations to embed flexibility, equity, and performance metrics into long-term workforce planning.

The work positioned the client to transition confidently into a flexible work model while supporting employee satisfaction, compliance, and operational efficiency across their transformation initiatives.