How Will International Transitioned from Annual Goal Setting to OKRs

Will International is the global organization of Will Group Japan, Inc. whose purpose is to unlock the full potential of its hero brands and team members. Will is made up of 9 hero brands with over 600 team members, operating across six continents and based in more than 20 countries.

Key Metrics

THE IMPACT OF OKRs

100%

Teams transitioned from Annual Goal-setting practices to OKRs successfully.

Company Overview
The Challenge
The Solution
The Result
Company Overview

Industry: Human Resources Services
Headquarters: Singapore
Company size: 500-1,000 employees

Will Group  is a leading total talent solutions provider working with global clients on recruitment, total talent management, HR tech, and transformative data-driven insights. Will International is the International organization of the Japanese-listed Will Group and adopted OKRs in 2021.

Having undergone a well-thought-through Annual Goal setting exercise concluded in March 2021, neatly crafted on the 4 lenses of the Balance Scorecard, the Senior Leadership team at Will International, intentionally went forward to embrace OKRs.
Inspired by John Doerr’s bestseller ‘Measure What Matters’, the drive for OKRs came from the need for a common language to help teams move from an output to an outcome-based way of management, and be more intentional in conveying key metrics that would bring business velocity.

The Challenge
ROLLING OUT OKRS

Will International’s decision to roll out OKRs was backed by the right commitment from sponsors and leadership teams. However, the challenge lay in getting OKRs right on the very first attempt.

The Solution
SENIOR LEADERSHIP CHAMPIONING OKRS

The Leadership at Will had to identify the right OKR partner to kickstart the journey, and Fitbots became the preferred partner for its integrated approach of software, coaching, and certification.

Next, the senior leadership team at Will International identified Rebecca Hatten, former Program Manager, to lead the OKR adoption process. Rebecca’s deep business knowledge and experience were a great plus in championing OKRs. The company also identified a team of internal champions who became certified professionals through Fitbots and took the lead in driving OKRs culture.

By using the Fitbots platform, attention was given to crafting OKRs correctly, updating progress on outcome metrics during the check-ins, and familiarizing themselves with the OKRs framework. While there was a learning curve to the process, teams soon learned how to focus using OKRs and truly prioritize the high-impact metrics that would lead to strategic company growth.

"We've been working hard to move from annual, static goal setting to OKRs, giving us a really focused, strategic, and dynamic approach to achieving great things in our organization."

Rebecca Hatten
Former Program Manager
The Results
A STRATEGIC, DYNAMIC APPROACH

The result of correct OKR adoption is primarily visible in the structured, outcome-focused culture that Will International possesses today. Teams are able to focus their efforts on truly moving the metrics that matter and contributing directly to the company’s strategy.

There is a regular cadence for reviewing, updating progress, and planning for the upcoming weeks. Each quarter, OKR updates are shared with the Will HQ taking insights from the Fitbots dashboards, giving clarity around outcomes and progress by teams and how they contribute to company success.  

As a result, Will International has experienced a transformational change with OKRs and Fitbots and continues to unleash the full potential of its sub-companies and 600+ team members.

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