Quote Corner:  Our key objective during the reductions were to ensure that those affected employees were properly treated and that the surviving employees remained productive and posittive; these objectives have been met...Manager HR, Automotive Industry  


About Compass Career/OI Partners,  Inc...

Outplacement, downsizing and division closure have been real work-life experiences of Bill and Robyn Crigger since 1985.  Bill and his Human Resource staff successfully guided and transitioned more than ninety accounting personnel through the elimination of the accounting function of the Carolinas Marketing Area of The Kroger Co. in 1985.  Utilizing what the industry now calls “Outplacement Workshops and Transition/Job Lead Development Centers”, Bill and his staff successfully placed over 85% of all employees interested in new employment.  In 1988, the Carolinas Marketing Area was ultimately closed.  Bill and his team’s leadership were again instrumental and critical to the development of severance packages and outplacement services for eligible divisional employees and the subsequent successful closure of the Division.

In 1994, The Forum Group, Inc., owned by Robyn and Bill Crigger, opened the  Charlotte, NC and Moline, IL franchise offices of a recognized, national outplacement firm.  Their basic premise was regardless of whether the career/job changes affected only a few individuals or large groups, executive/administrative or hourly employees, a customized, comprehensive outplacement plan would be developed to ensure their successful career transition.

“To do whatever it takes to assist the individual taking those next steps towards a successful career transition and to serve as a career transition partner and resource to the individual throughout his/her career transition.”

Using this same philosophy, their Richmond office opened in 1998. In 2000 the Charlotte/Moline/Richmond offices formed an alliance with the Memphis, TN and Cincinnati, OH offices of the same international outplacement firm, growing to five offices. Combined, these five offices have worked for corporations in approximately 35 states including the Carolinas, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, D.C., California, Texas, Virginia, Washington State, Wisconsin, and New York.   Companies like Bank of America, John Deere, First Union, Wachovia, Alcoa, Inc., and Reynolds Metals have all used our outplacement services.

In 2001, The Forum Group’s Charlotte and Richmond offices became the only franchise offices of the of the national outplacement firm to become partners in the world's largest career consulting partnership – O.I. Partners, Inc.  “We were selected to become a partner based on our professionalism, effectiveness, personalization of services, sensitivity – to clients and candidates, quick response and excellent follow through”. This partnership allows the delivery of the same high quality, high integrity services through 207 offices in 27 countries, including 100 in the U.S., under the direction of Compass Career Management Solutions-OI Partners, Inc.

In October 2002, after much thought and careful consideration, The Forum Group, Inc. ended its franchise relationship.  Bill and Robyn Crigger subsequently opened a new and separate business called Compass Career Management Solutions, LLC.-OI Partners, Inc. enabling them to combine the resources of their existing businesses – outplacement, staffing and recruiting, and training.  Office locations exist in Charlotte, NC, Richmond, VA, Moline, IL, Memphis, TN, Cincinnati, OH, Knoxville, TN, Detroit, MI, Los Angeles, CA, Charleston, SC, New York, NY, and 207 other locations in 27 countries including 100 in the United States.

Who is Compass Career Management Solutions-OI Partners, Inc.?

Compass Career Management Solutions-OI Partners, Inc. has assembled a consortium of 30 consultants who are dispatched nationwide to address outplacement and human resource needs.  The staff is composed of seasoned human resource veterans, many with advanced degrees.  Perhaps not surprisingly, all the consultants have also experienced job loss through downsizing, early retirement, reorganization, etc. at some point in their careers.  This consortium also includes a Ph.D. Counseling Psychologist and dedicated Certified Financial Planner.

Compass Career Management Solutions, LLC-OI Partners, Inc. has been approved and certified by the State of North Carolina as a Historically Underutilized Business Resource (a female owned business). With our OI Partnership, we can proudly state that we are --locally owned with a true global reach.

What distinguishes Compass Career-OI Partners, Inc.  from other outplacement companies?

• We approach each client as a small, local firm, being very attentive and sensitive to the client’s priorities, and using a hands-on approach.  However, we step beyond that goal as an international firm with a network of partner offices.
  
• We custom design each of our services to meet the unique needs of the company’s impacted employees. Another part of our service is our ability to pull together “ the power of workforce partners”. These partners—federal, state, local, community, public and private—provide us with the necessary resources to design a comprehensive, cost effective, seamless transition for impacted employees. As a result, our placement success rate is in the 85% range.
  
• Our quality consulting staff and cooperative approach has enabled us to assemble references from a variety of state and local Employment Security Commissions and Workforce Boards from states such as Illinois, Virginia, Texas, Maryland and Florida.  We believe we model an example of how public and private groups should work together during a downsizing/closing for effective results.
  
• Our consultants all possess the skills, experience, and enthusiasm needed to effectively assist the client’s employees. In fact, most have been displaced themselves, which offers two benefits: (a) Consultants have gained the sensitivity to enhance their approach with other displaced employees, which is very effective.  (b) Most displaced employees view and relate to these successful, productive consultants as a sign of a hopeful future for themselves.
  
• Our consulting staff’s backgrounds and experiences include distribution, retail, manufacturing, academic, management, labor, and non-profit. Collectively, our office has worked at client company locations in thirty-one different states, since 1994. These experiences allow us to quickly identify “workforce-transition” partners and effectively assist clients in the transition from one part of life to another.

High Quality and Integrity Services based on relationship building.  Our outplacement services continue long after we have left the site.

We provide powerful, innovative solutions that turn today’s jolting changes into tomorrow’s successes.