Category: Book Series

Qualified Specialists Intl

We began working with Achilles Group in Q4 of 2019. We were going through a reorganization and needed expert assistance navigating through it. Out of the two or three companies interviewed, Achilles Group came off as the most professional.

Going into 2020, Achilles Group has been an invaluable resource in helping us through all of the laws and regulations that have occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the Paycheck Protection Program, Families First Coronavirus Response Act and other government funding programs. Because of their assistance, we were able to maintain our staffing levels, and also hire an additional two employees. We are currently revising our employee handbook, and have started working with a bookkeeper who was referred to us by their team.

Working with Achilles Group has allowed our president, Bud Weightman, to step out of the equation and focus his time on other initiatives, and there is a definite dollar value to that. If your company is ready to take the next step towards growth, Achilles Group is the catalyst that will help you get there.

Engineered Air Balance

Achilles Group began working with us during a difficult time, but the transition went a lot smoother than expected. They adapted quickly to get us up to speed and headed in the right direction. They learned our business needs and helped us strategize according to those needs. We have been impressed by the number of people they have working on our projects, and we are very pleased with what this group has been able to accomplish in a short amount of time.

Achilles Group has ironed out about 50 job descriptions, organized our handbook, and provided assistance with employee issues. In addition to that, they are proactively anticipating what we will need in the coming year. In 2020, they will help us focus on training as well as streamlining our evaluation and review processes.

Each of our office managers act as a human resources coordinator, and Achilles Group works very well with them. Their professionalism and the quality of their work can’t be beat. If you’re looking for a change in your human resources structure, this group can come in, attack all problems, and help you get organized. We are very happy with the way they address issues and come up with solutions.

SeAH Steel

SeAH Steel has worked with Achilles Group since October 2016, and we are very fortunate to have them as partners. When we purchased two other companies, Achilles guided us through the unfamiliarity of that process by providing recommendations for our new organizational structure. Since then, they have developed detailed job descriptions for all employee positions and conducted market research to determine compensation ranges. Additionally, they have assisted us with employee investigations, management and leadership training, and I-9 and other compliance audits. By utilizing resources we do not have access to, especially as a startup, Achilles has taken a heavy load off of our human resources team.

Achilles is currently helping us concentrate on further developing our leadership training program to better invest in our people. In hopes of getting our leaders as much formal training as possible, we are coming up with different continuing education topics each month for all managers and supervisors. Achilles is also helping us put together employee evaluations for next year, and we are excited about the way those will help us grow as a company.

Working with Achilles Group has been well worth the investment. We are grateful to have them in our back pocket to help with day-to-day HR tasks, as well as unique situations we never expected to face. We look forward to continuing our partnership with them.

Avanti

About a year ago, our payroll consultant suggested we partner with Achilles Group to get some assistance with human resources. Hiring Achilles was a seamless transition for our company because they quickly became an integrated part of our team. No one would know they are a third-party HR group because they have truly learned our business and operate as though they are on our team.

Achilles has helped us in countless ways, from coaching us in counseling and terminating, to helping us navigate through uncharted territory when it comes to difficult employee situations.

They have done a great job with all of this and they are always available for anything and everything we need assistance with. Whether it’s identifying new venues for employee recruitment, retention, training, or anything else involving our people, Achilles is quick to respond and eager to help. They have gone above and beyond to help us with things they really didn’t have to help us with just because they saw us struggling.

Achilles has a culture of wanting feedback, hearing feedback, and making adjustments based on feedback. We have worked with a much larger HR consulting group in the past, but Achilles is hands down the best. I don’t know why anyone would hesitate to work with them!

Suntech

Suntech Building Systems, Inc. is a full-service commercial contractor specializing in retail and commercial construction. Achilles Group was recommended to us by one of our consultants about a year ago, and we are so thankful for the value they have added to our human resources department and our company as a whole.

We were in the dark ages when it came to HR; we did not have a clear understanding of the laws and did not have the right processes in place, but Achilles Group quickly helped us clean everything up. They assisted us with revising our employee handbook and new hire paperwork, and they have guided us through handling HR challenges. We work with Jennifer Ray and Christina, and they are always supportive and quick to respond. Our team is a lot more confident knowing they have our back, and we can always call them to help us work through issues.

Investing in Achilles Group has brought Suntech so far from where we were, and has truly been a great investment for our business. You can’t be an expert at everything. Let Achilles Group keep your HR department running smoothly while you focus on running your company.

Environmental Allies

Achilles Group has been working with Environmental Allies for many years, and in that time, they have added immeasurable value to our company. This year, we put together a leadership training program that Achilles Group provided our team. It addresses everything from recruiting, all the way through termination, as well as workplace dynamics and other various topics. The training program was the main project we collaborated with Achilles on this year, but they also updated all of our job descriptions for all of our positions and helped us with countless day-to-day tasks.

For instance, If we want to hire an office manager in North Carolina, they conduct salary research for the area and things of that nature. They have the ability to get information that would take us hours upon hours to find, so they have helped us become much more efficient. It’s like having a second HR employee that we can benefit from, but don’t have to pay benefits for! Achilles is our right-hand person. They are always available and respond to our needs in a timely manner.

If you are on the fence about hiring Achilles, we highly recommend you do it. They bring expertise you would have to hire ten people to obtain. They are very professional and we really enjoy our partnership.

Dayrise Residential

Dayrise Residential is a multi-family housing and operations company in Houston. About a year ago, we decided we needed a complete overhaul on our HR, payroll and benefits. We were nervous about transitioning out of the PEO model, and one of our vendors recommended Achilles Group as a human resources partner. We set up a half-day meeting with Achilles Group to learn how they could help us, and they came back with a proposal later that afternoon! Gary, our CFO, said it was exactly what we needed, and we had an active contract with Achilles only 30 days later.

Achilles Group hit the ground running. They started with drafting formal offer letters for all of our employees, which was around 475 people. They assisted us with i-9 compliance, overhauled our employee handbook, and restructured, updated, and formalized our policies. They also helped us grow our team and hire new employees. Essentially, they assessed everything we had in place and provided precisely what we were missing.

What has been most impressive about Achilles Group is their response time and how quickly they jump on projects to get them started and completed with no lag time at all. Whether we need guidance on policies or sensitive employee issues, the Achilles team is always available to us and is consistently proactive in helping us get ahead. Achilles Group is very collaborative as a team. They have become an extension of our team and a shoulder to lean on in times of need. Their outside perspective points out our blind spots and helps us fill in the gaps. They ask questions that challenge us, such as: Why do you do things that way? Is it working? Have you ever considered changing that? Try this and see if it works better.

Coming out of the PEO model, we have made such strides as a company, and we couldn’t have done it without Achilles Group. We are very happy with the processes and updated policies they have put in place for us, and they continue to play an important role as we grow our brand, mission, vision, and values. To anyone on the fence about working with Achilles Group, we highly recommend you reach out to them as quickly as possible. The value they bring is incomparable to anything we have ever seen, and we simply cannot say enough positive things about them as a company.

Systel

We were lucky to find Achilles Group through a Google search. They are personable and attentive to details. We were using another much smaller HR firm, but it wasn’t a good fit. Achilles is a mature firm, and they always have the client in their minds and hearts.

Our first big project with Achilles was the employee handbook. They did an assessment, identified gaps, and helped us fine-tune our processes and procedures. Even while handling a longer-term task such as the handbook, they took care of any miscellaneous day-to-day HR tasks that came up. We feel very comfortable to reach out to them if there are any HR issues. They respond quickly to help resolve them.

Currently, we are working with Achilles on other long term projects. They are proactive, responsive, and very easy to work with. They do what they say they are going to do. They genuinely want to help our business succeed, so our relationship feels more like a partnership than a contract. They are very fairly priced for their level of expertise, and they constantly ask for feedback to improve their services.

Achilles has become an extension of our team, and we strongly recommend them. It is such a relief to hand off the HR issues to Achilles and know that it will be taken care of in a professional way.

Gainsborough Waste / Texas Outhouse

Gainsborough Waste and Texas Outhouse are two Houston-based companies specializing in the waste services industry. Both companies originally began working with Achilles Group three years ago, after a referral from a business partner. Our leadership was sold on the Houston human resources firm’s Fractional HR concept, which provided a cost-effective way for us to enlist assistance with our HR needs.

A year into the relationship, we decided to switch over to a payroll services company, thinking it would be a better fit for our business.

The results were a disaster. Many mistakes were made by the payroll services company and the level of service was inferior to what we had come to expect from Achilles Group. We ultimately ended up going back to Achilles Group, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Under the direction of Veronica and Rozlyn, Achilles Group was able to develop new handbooks for both of our companies. They also assisted with filling out forms, performed I9 audits, provided guidance with COBRA and conducted management training. The Achilles Group team has been instrumental in helping our businesses grow, and we highly recommend them to any organization in need of a human resources partner.

Smartbridge

Smartbridge is a Houston-based organization dedicated to simplifying business transformation, and applying thought leadership and innovation to bring their customers’ digital agendas to reality.  We began working with Achilles Group two or three years ago, and since working with them, our business has grown in tremendous ways.

We are a very process-oriented company, and Achilles Group has helped us streamline our processes to make them more effective than they were previously. We have introduced several new programs, including a mentorship program and weekly training sessions called Bridge Sessions that provide our employees with continuing education. In addition, Stan has worked with us on leadership training and other strategic initiatives.

Since partnering with Achilles Group, our employees feel more confident that if there’s something they feel uncomfortable with, they can reach out to Monica, our advisor, and discuss it with her. Management also feels more confident knowing there is someone they can reach out to who is knowledgeable of the risk factors and legalities related to human resources.

If you are a business or organization that is considering a partnership with Achilles Group, please know that doing so is probably the best investment you can make. It has been a great investment for us, as the return we have experienced is invaluable.

Lone Star Cowboy Church

Achilles Group and Lone Star Cowboy Church have grown up together in many ways. Stan Spaulding, owner and managing member of Achilles, has been a friend of the pastors at our church for many years. As the cowboy church was getting its start, Achilles was getting started as well, and Stan would generously offer his assistance with little things like handbooks and issues with hiring. However, as both groups continued to grow, we became more fully engaged, and Stan began to help us structure our leadership in a clear and organized manner.

Stan really took the lead on reworking our functional organizational charts and organizational charts. He was able to take everything we do as a church and create specific lanes for each team member to focus on, which has really made an impact. As we were developing that, we discovered other things that we hadn’t dealt with properly, especially on the executive team. With his help, we were able to establish our roles much more clearly, which trickled down to the rest of the staff.  Although this has been a time-consuming endeavor, the clarification of goals and expectations has brought a lot of understanding and unification to our team.  Confusion has been replaced with a sense of community.

We would describe Achilles Group as thorough, quick to respond, and eager to serve their clients.  They are the most collaborative group we have ever worked with, and they are always willing to share feedback both ways. They don’t bring their agenda to you, they let you bring your agenda to them and then figure out how they can assist you, which is a really unique approach to business.  We cannot adequately explain the purely positive impact Achilles has had on the growth of Lone Star Cowboy Church, and we highly recommend partnering with this group as a wise investment in your business. Relatively speaking, even if you hired an HR Director, we don’t think there is any way you could duplicate what you’d get from the Achilles Group and the impact they are going to have. They help us do what’s important and ignore that which is not.

Chris Karl CFO Global Healthcare Alliance, Inc.

At Global we, among other duties, provide direct billing support for physicians’ groups. We experienced an internal HR split between our office and payroll departments. We needed Achilles Group to help provide us with high-level HR strategies. We first received HR support from them when they developed a new employee role structure for us. Achilles Group has also delivered training that has helped develop our leadership group in challenging employee relationship issues. They have also investigated complaints that could have put our company at risk. We look forward to undergoing another Strategic Engagement Assessment with Achilles Group and launch into proactively planning our updated HR strategy.

Jonathan Goza VP of Manufacturing Proximity Systems

We are happy that we chose Achilles Group’s Talent Acquisition team to help fill key positions for us. Our legal compliance and employee relations are stronger because of the relationship we have with them. Along with helping create our Employee Handbook and completing an I-9 Audit for us, the Achilles Group HR experts continue to help us with issues as important as a separation/release agreement. They keep us grounded.

Axxiom Manufacturing

When I began my new role in the HR department, there were lots of rules and regulations—things like FMLA, for example—that I was not quite familiar with. We’re also a small company and wanted to make sure we were protecting ourselves and following all the legal guidelines, so we started working on our employee handbook with Achilles Group.

They were very helpful in getting everything in place. They provided us with the right guidelines, checked our employee files to make sure everything was correct, and even helped us fully develop our job descriptions! They went above and beyond what was needed, and were always easy to contact if I had questions. Even if they were traveling or out of the office, they always found someone who could help me!

I would highly recommend Achilles Group, particularly for smaller companies like Axxiom that need HR help. I really was going into this whole situation blindly, but they guided me through the process to make sure we were doing everything by the book and didn’t get audited. As far as I’m concerned, they were a God-send!

At Achilles Group, we call this HR Infrastructure!

Jay McKeown CFO Mustang Gas Compression

We needed a stable, consistent HR department and having our own HR department didn’t work for us. We loved Achilles Group’s business model and it turned out to be quite cost-effective for us.

Our company has grown since Achilles Group came onboard and the Talent Acquisition team found us a very strong HR manager. When I have an HR question – it’s usually a big one. The HR experts give us the quality and expertise we need, WHEN we need it. Availability is never an issue. I have great confidence with all of the resources offered from Achilles Group and would recommend them to any company our size.

John Rolfe COOGreater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

We were looking for a full service company that could address our Human Resource needs and continued growth. Originally, we asked Achilles Group to create and analyze an employee status survey, which has continued for years.

Over the years, Achilles Group has helped us hire good people, trained us in subjects from DISC behavior assessment, to creating a respectful workplace, consulted us on various Human Resources issues and helped us with terminations.

Because of our relationship with the HR experts at Achilles Group, we have an improved and engaged team. There is also an enhanced knowledge of the importance of Human Resources rules, dealing with employee issues, and handling of the myriad personnel situations by team members and supervisors alike.

AYG Construction

“When our business was becoming a bit chaotic, those close to me recommended that I contact Achilles Group for help. Through the creation of a new employee handbook and updates to our company policies and HR practices, they were able to strengthen the relationship between our employees and management team and bring a new sense of clarity to our business. I’d recommend Achilles Group to anyone—we’ll definitely continue to work with them in the future!”

Christopher Brown President Southern Petroleum Laboratories

We found ourselves at possible risk due to our lacking HR practices. We needed to make our HR department more robust AND save money doing it! No small feat! Achilles Group came in, restructured the department and made our HR functions more effective.

Because of the HR expertise performed by Achilles Group and the training they have given our leadership team, our company is now able to avoid risk and handle employee issues smoothly.

2H Offshore Inc.

When we first began working with Achilles Group in 2009, we had 38 employees. We reached over 120 before spinning off a small group to create a new company. Achilles has helped us navigate this exciting time by reducing some growing pains via thoughtful counsel, offering timely guidance as we hit different periods in our growth, and providing much needed insight into organising our larger team.

Our ‘small company feel’ culture is very important to us. We strive to ensure that our employees feel important, included and appreciated, where possible. We didn’t want to lose this as our company expanded. Achilles has played a vital role in assisting us to keep the culture that has been such a key component of our success. As a bonus, we have been voted one of the Best Places to Work for four years running!

Christina Rannigan Human Resources Manager
PULSE Structural Monitoring

We wanted Achilles Group to help us create and maintain a corporate culture similar to 2H (another Achilles Group client) while maintaining our own unique identity.

Their HR experts support and continue to help develop our HR manager, and has enhanced our staff with their Team Support trainings. We’re glad our risk has been reduced by the I-9 and File audits they have performed.

GMI Group

GMI Group is an expert in precision machining, product distribution, and metallurgical testing for domestic and international oilfield and industrial supply companies. Achilles Group was recommended to us when our HR functions started to become bigger than our skill set and a major HR issue arose that nobody could have foreseen. We were looking for a partner, not just a vendor, and that was something we have found with the Achilles Group.

Since then, Achilles Group helped us in a variety of situations. At one point, we wanted to provide different FMLA options to our employees who were going out for long periods of time and Achilles was able to help us understand what we could offer and how to execute it. They have also provided great training to our inside HR person, really empowering our Generalist to work through tasks like offer letters, weekly pay, etc. Achilles Group is the most give and take partner that we have!

Bob Gajeske Sr. Founder Gajeske, Inc.

At Gajeske, Inc., a Polyethylene and Pipe company, we had issues with making decisions regarding our employees. We engaged Achilles Group to help us with this, and other difficulties. They have helped us create a structure for our termination basis and other HR obstacles we needed to overcome. There were many moving pieces involved and we learned how to handle them without being uncomfortable or awkward.

Achilles Group has aided us with employee role clarity and helped us to evaluate a number of other HR situations. Through their training, they have equipped our management with skills needed to run a large organization. Gajeske, Inc., has evolved over the years we have had Achilles Group onboard. They have helped us with our growth, subsequent setback, and then growth again.

Cyanco

Cyanco is the largest supplier of sodium cyanide to the gold mining industry.  We have developed our position through quality product and superior customer care. One of the main reasons we enjoy our partnership with Achilles group is that they work with us to create the structure and the plan on how we can implement large HR ideas. This can be anything from general employee issues to integrating broader HR initiatives to our various locations around the world.

My favorite part of our relationship with Achilles is the fact that we have an HR resource and expert that I can rely on whenever needed. This allows us to focus on what we do best – running the business.

Cindy Matulich CFO Vista Host, Inc.

At Vista Host, we manage over 25 hotels in 10 states. That’s a lot of employees in many different locations! We feel that Achilles Group accomplishes our “Human Resources Heavy Lifting.” We no longer worry about making the tough decisions that surface in HR (such as a termination), because we have the ethical and knowledgeable experts from Achilles Group who will walk us through every step.

If we have an issue and our Director isn’t available, we know we will still be well taken care of by the Achilles Group team. With such a good understanding of our company’s culture, Achilles Group helps us support our staff and management well.

ACT Pipe and Supply

ACT Pipe and Supply is the largest independently-owned waterworks and fire protection distributor in Texas. In 2003, we first enlisted Achilles Group to help us with our 1099 compliance and general HR guidance. Eighteen months later, I’m happy to say, that they were instrumental in hiring me to assist the Controller with payroll and Human Resources functions, as our company continued to grow.

Since then, Achilles Group has become a valuable resource for advice on anything from the latest regulations to filing an EEOC position statement. Achilles Group offers the advantage of vast experience in all areas of human resources. ACT Human Resources may have started as a party of one, but the Achilles Group staff of professionals completes the Department.