For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
W15469
MABEL’S LABELS: LEADING IN A RESULTS-ONLY WORK
ENVIRONMENT
Lindsay Birbrager wrote this case under the supervision of Professor Alison Konrad solely to provide material for class discussion.
The authors do not intend to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a managerial situation. The authors may have
disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality.
This publication may not be transmitted, photocopied, digitized or otherwise reproduced in any form or by any means without the
permission of the copyright holder. Reproduction of this material is not covered under authorization by any reproduction rights
organization. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, contact Ivey Publishing, Ivey Business School, Western
University, London, Ontario, Canada, N6G 0N1; (t) 519.661.3208; (e) cases@ivey.ca; www.iveycases.com.
Copyright © 2015, Richard Ivey School of Business Foundation
Version: 2015-10-14
It was January 2015, and Julie Cole, co-founder of Mabel’s Labels, the leading provider of kids’ labels,
was reflecting on the company’s implementation of a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE). Two
years prior, the management team had spontaneously decided to implement ROWE, after hearing a
presentation by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson, the authors of Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It. 1
They were captivated by the authors’ explanation of the philosophy, which emphasized treating people as
adults. Cole viewed ROWE as a strategic initiative to enhance Mabel’s Labels’ culture by providing its
people with more flexibility. Mabel’s Labels was the first Canadian company to formally adopt the
ROWE engagement strategy.
While management and employees alike appeared to be happy with the changes made over the past two
years, Cole wondered whether ROWE was really working. Measuring the effects of the strategy was
something management was struggling with, as they had not developed a system to track the tangible
benefits of ROWE. Cole wondered what changes could be made to enhance management’s ability to track
and assess ROWE’s progress from an objective standpoint.
As Cole reflected on the past two years, she wondered what improvements, if any, could be made to
ROWE to ensure its viability as the company continued to grow. While there was company-wide
consensus that ROWE was not perfect, Cole needed to identify its specific problems and propose
solutions. The real question Cole needed to address was what changes needed to be made if Mabel’s
Labels wanted to keep ROWE.
COMPANY OVERVIEW
Mabel’s Labels was built by four mothers who were frustrated by their children’s belongings leaving
home, never to return. The company started in 2001, out of Cynthia Esp’s basement in Hamilton, Ontario.
It began as a basement start-up, with all four women making labels by hand, while holding down jobs and
managing their families (see Exhibit 1). They initially focused on “labels for stuff kids lose,” and over
1
Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson, Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It, Portfolio, New York, 2008.
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 2
9B15C013
time expanded to include child safety products, household labels, seasonal items, seniors’ labels, hockey
labels and write-away products. Mabel’s Labels was committed to providing the very best labels and
customer service experience in the marketplace, by going above and beyond expectations (see Exhibit 2).
The company was continuously developing innovative products that solved problems for busy families.2
To view the company’s current organizational structure, see Exhibit 3. Financially, Mabel’s Labels had
built a high-performing company. Annual revenue growth was as follows: fiscal year (FY) 2012, 16 per
cent; FY 2013, 30.1 per cent and FY 2014, 7.9 per cent. Jordan Smart, the director of finance, measured
the company’s financial success based on key metrics, including gross margin percentage, net income
percentage, current ratio, debt-to-assets ratio and cash flow growth. To gain a comprehensive
understanding of the company’s performance, Smart also looked at non-financial metrics relevant to
Mabel’s Labels e-commerce conducted through its website. To assess the company’s e-commerce
performance metrics, Smart calculated acquisition costs, conversion by segment, revenue per visit and
lifetime value (see Exhibit 4). These metrics served as a starting point and helped Mabel’s Labels to
identify key performance areas in need of improvement.
When the company first started, all four founders were involved in making decisions, striving to come to
a consensus. “We could have voted, but why, when we could have so much fun spending hours debating
minor things?” Cole explained, “Sometimes the four of us were in the room and I wondered; are all four
of us needed to make this decision?” Over time, they moved toward less centralization; managers took
over, who were entrusted to make decisions. This shift pushed the founders out of their comfort zone and
required a high level of trust among the team. It was difficult for the founders to step back and let others
make decisions and mistakes; but they considered decentralization to be best for the organization as it
allowed the business to move faster.
To ensure decision quality in a decentralized structure, Mabel’s Labels brought in a project manager who
created a project planning process for the company. Proposed projects were ranked on a variety of factors,
including internal capabilities. Managers followed an approval process to understand whether proposed
projects would be implemented. According to Cole, “We are no longer at the stage where we can afford to
just throw things against the wall and see if they stick, like we did at first. We have data and history that
we can use to judge whether different ideas will work.” This process was helpful to top management, as it
increased their confidence when delegating decision-making authority throughout the organization. The
founders were still involved in the decision-making process, particularly for the final say on big strategic
decisions that involved new product development or could have an impact on the brand. However, to
maintain creativity, Mabel’s Labels made a conscious effort not to hire people who would tend to make
the same decisions as the founders.
Mabel’s Labels was an award-winning, celebrity-endorsed international phenomenon. It had received the
following awards: Mom Entrepreneur of the Year (Savvy Mom), Women Entrepreneur Award (RBC) and
20 Awesome Facebook Fan Pages (Inc.com). It had worldwide sales through its website and across North
America through fundraisers at schools, daycares, camps and other organizations. Select products were
available in Canadian Walmart stores and in United States. Target stores. More than 50 million labels had
been sold, and the company had exceeded $6 million in revenue.3
2
3
Mabel’s Labels, “Meet Mabel,” www.mabelslabels.com/about-us, accessed June 26, 2015.
The Hamilton Spectator (Ontario, Canada), “Mabel’s Labels sticks to quality,” October 10, 2012, p. HB12.
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 3
9B15C013
NURTURING CULTURE AT MABEL’S LABELS
Mabel’s Labels was a place for creating and bringing big ideas to life. Mabel’s Labels’ culture could be
defined through its commitment to providing the best product and customer experience in the
marketplace. The company looked to hire team members who were passionate about the company and its
success. As summarized by management, “Mabel’s Labels is made up of customer-oriented people who
recognize that the customer is the reason we are in business.” Management recognized that each team
member brought his or her own unique style to work, resulting in a creative, lively and fun environment.
Mabel’s Labels prided itself on its workplace principles, which included trust and respect, empathy,
teamwork and excellence.
Mabel’s Labels had built an extraordinary team by adding one exceptional employee at a time. These
employees were assessed on both their performance and their values. The following core values defined
Mabel’s Labels as an organization: delivering excellence, integrity, open imaginations and open minds,
you be you and I’ll be me, we are a small part of something bigger, best people, learning from our
experiences and striving to be the best in the marketplace. More specifically, Mabel’s Labels’ valued the
following attributes:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Believing in creating excitement for its customers by going above and beyond expectations.
Valuing the building of strong relationships based on honesty and openness, which leads to trust.
Striving to be focused, innovative and willing to think outside of the box.
Accepting and appreciating differences and striving to be understanding and positive in its attitude
and approach to each other.
Being determined and driven in its work, and incorporating employees’ outside interests into their
work lives.
Believing in surrounding itself with those who demonstrate a “can-do” attitude and foster a
collaborative and mutually supportive environment.
It is evident that Mabel’s Labels recognized the importance of attracting, retaining, motivating and
engaging its employees to drive organizational success. The team believed one of the easiest ways
employees can take an active role in the company is through workplace committees. Mabel’s Labels
prided itself on having a social committee, a community relations committee and a health and wellness
committee. The social committee organized various events, both at the workplace and offsite with the aim
of creating a culture of fun. The community relations committee strived to be a small part of something
bigger and was responsible for planning and executing charitable and community-supportive events and
activities. The health and wellness committee helped to promote the health and wellness of staff through
education and various initiatives.
The human resources function had helped management to develop strong internal processes, which have
been identified as a key success factor for the implementation of ROWE. The company strived to create a
superior employee value proposition and total rewards portfolio. First, the company supported the growth
and development of employees through lateral moves and promotions. Second, the company offered an
educational reimbursement plan to provide employees with opportunities to access education to enhance
their ability to perform in their current or future job responsibilities. Third, the official vacation policy
was that vacation days were unlimited. As long as employees met their planned goals and objectives, it
was each employee’s prerogative to determine the vacation time that worked for them.
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 4
9B15C013
ROWE
What was ROWE?
ROWE superseded the outdated model of the previous century’s workplace flexibility and positions.
ROWE focused on clarity in setting outcome-based goals, expanding individual and team capacity and
infusing equal amounts of autonomy and accountability. 4
Implementing ROWE
Mabel’s Labels aligned the implementation of ROWE with the commencement of its goal-setting cycle, so
that employees could set ROWE goals. To kick-start the implementation of ROWE, all employees read the
book Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It, after which, Jody Thompson, one of the authors and originators
of the term, was flown in to meet the entire team at a day-long off-site session. There, Thompson presented
additional practical information and answered questions to help clarify how Mabel’s Labels would get its
work done under this new system. Thompson’s presence marked the beginning of ROWE at Mabel’s
Labels, and the following day, teams of workers met to voice their opinions and decide how to make it
work. During this time, managers participated in separate discussions with Thompson about the challenges
and pitfalls of ROWE. From the beginning, the managers created an ongoing dialogue as a forum for
feedback with employees, to ensure the team was able to effectively adapt to ROWE.
While ROWE was initiated almost immediately, Cole admits that the transition was a long process. She
shared her frustrations about the shift in mentality. While the team understood what was and was not
acceptable under ROWE, it was easy for people to fall back into their old habits; consequently, it took a
concerted effort to ensure that the team shifted to a ROWE mentality. To help move them to this point,
management conducted private tutorial sessions to coach those needing more guidance. This coaching
made all the difference, and a few months later the entire team was transformed.
Human resources also worked to ensure that ROWE was fully incorporated in the employee orientation
package. New employees were provided with a comprehensive package, including e-mails, website links,
video training and practical information. From day one, new employees operated within ROWE. In their
first three months, they were responsible for learning their role, the business and the culture. Managers
assisted in the on-boarding process by introducing new employees to the ROWE language.
Managing ROWE
Under ROWE, performance agreements were developed collaboratively between managers and employees,
and employees were evaluated solely based on their accomplishment of these goals (see Exhibit 5). This
system placed the onus on employees, as they were responsible to schedule their time according to the needs
of the business. There were no set office hours; employees chose how many hours they needed to work on
any given day in order to meet their goals. Employees had the option to work remotely under the
assumption that the quality of their work and communication would meet performance expectations.
Employees used the three circle test to identify whether they could work from home on any given day. 5 This
approach provided employees with full autonomy to achieve their outcomes in the most productive way.
Not all employees had the option to work remotely; for example, the customer service team lacked the
4
5
“ROWE: Result-Only Work Environment,” http://gorowe.com/, accessed June 26, 2015.
Does it meet the needs of the business, team and individual? If all three answers were yes, I can work from home today.
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 5
9B15C013
expensive technology required to facilitate working remotely. Regardless, they operated under ROWE and
developed a staggered schedule to increase each team member’s productivity and utilization.
The ROWE philosophy was to treat people as adults. ROWE transformed the role of management, as
managers needed to trust that their employees would make effective decisions with their time in order to
achieve successful outcomes. Under ROWE, management should no longer be concerned about what time
employees were coming into the office, if at all. Managers no longer micro-managed; instead, they held
weekly meetings with each team member, focusing on deliverables and deadlines. Managers were
responsible to break down high” goals into monthly and weekly goals for their employees. If performance
goals were not met, the flexibility inherent in ROWE was not revoked, as it was not a privilege but part of
the culture.
Since the inception of ROWE, one employee was terminated. That employee had exhibited performance
issues that existed prior to ROWE but, under ROWE, they became much more evident, as the employee
was unable to manage her time and meet her deliverables.
Mabel’s Labels’ Successes with ROWE
ROWE enhanced Mabel’s Labels recruiting strategy, as it offered the ultimate work–life balance plan. Its
implementation was particularly beneficial for information technology (IT) recruitment, as ROWE helped
Mabel’s Labels to attract the best IT talent. In the past, the company had struggled to incentivize top
talent to work in Hamilton, but ROWE gave the company something attractive to offer — a flexible work
environment. Cole described Mabel’s Labels as Hotel California, “No one wants to leave, and people
have come back or stay forever.” Employees had much more flexibility than was offered by other
employers. For example, in 2013, a member of the IT team decided to work from Europe for two months.
While this arrangement was initially met with doubt, the work plan was successful. The employee
delivered to his team, communicated regularly with his manager and met his deadlines. The success of the
arrangement was the ultimate ROWE learning experience and proved that team members had
opportunities to follow their passions.
One of the greatest benefits of ROWE was the increase in productivity. Prior to ROWE, employees faced
many distractions through interruptions by co-workers, making it difficult to get work done. Now,
employees focused on their own deliverables and communicated effectively to find an appropriate time to
seek assistance from others. Along these lines, under ROWE, no meeting was mandatory. The meeting
organizer was responsible for sending out a detailed agenda, and each employee could decide whether to
attend, knowing that they would still be responsible for the content covered. Overall, what made ROWE
successful was its impact on employees’ morale. Teams had the time to determine the best ways to
accomplish work and, as a result, were accomplishing more. The customer service manager, Katie Clark,
explained that her unit was now accomplishing more projects and product launches, resulting in more
sales and increased revenue.
From a manager’s point of view, the coordination costs were on the employee. The team had more
ownership; they were responsible for coordinating their schedules, which freed up managers’ valuable
time to be spent elsewhere. Management noted that ROWE appeared to be having a positive financial
impact on the company. While this impact had not been directly measured, they speculated that it was
related to increased productivity, which led to more projects and launches, thereby increasing company
revenue. Management had also noticed a change in employees. Their work was better balanced, providing
employees with more opportunities to partake in other work and professional development. From the
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 6
9B15C013
team members’ point of view, they were happy to have the freedom to arrange their own schedules. Paul
from production explained that he now felt more motivated and loyal to the company. Simply stated, “It is
a wonderful experience and way to work. For that, I am willing to do more, come in early and leave late
when needed.” The underlying idea behind ROWE was that people want to do a good job and be paid for
it.
Mabel’s Labels’ Concerns with ROWE
A primary concern with ROWE was how to make it work across the company. While some departments
were able to reap the benefits of the flexibility, others were restricted to set office hours. This discrepancy
highlighted the issue of fairness. Was it fair that the marketing manager could choose to work from home
while the customer service team needed to be in the office? This disparity made it increasingly important
to keep an ongoing dialogue about ROWE and to encourage each department to make changes within the
scope of its role in an effort to enhance their flexibility and satisfaction with the program. The customer
service department was restricted to the pre-determined office hours but it developed a covering system to
enhance each employee’s flexibility. Under this system, as long as the employee could find someone in
the office to cover his or her responsibilities, then the employee had more freedom. While the coverage
system had proven to be successful, over time, employees had become lackadaisical and sometimes forgot
to find coverage. Another issue was the difficulty in balancing coverage. It was difficult to draw the line
between what was considered fair versus a situation where an employee was being taken advantage of.
“Drive-bys,” otherwise known as an employee stopping by a co-worker’s work station to chat or ask a
question, could severely affect the productivity of those who chose to or needed to work at the office. It
was difficult to stop drive-bys, as the office was a very social work environment. It was crucial that
employees be respectful of each other’s time and work to ensure that they did not interrupt others’ work
with chit-chat. To further enforce this practice, Mabel’s Labels created a new rule: no drive-bys.
Employees were told that if they had a question or wanted to chat with someone, they should call or email that person and, if necessary, set up an appointment. Even with this rule in place, management
struggled to annihilate drive-bys, as avoiding them seemed unnatural and no one in the office was perfect
at stopping them.
Mabel’s Labels also faced conflict among the employees who were able to work off-site and chose to do
so. Since ROWE’s inception, employees had been opting to work from home much more than had been
anticipated. A concern became how to manage those employees and ensure that they were meeting their
goals. Even if the employee was extremely effective and covering communication via e-mail, other
employees might struggle with their work as they needed more face time with that employee.
Departments were finding the burden of communication to be significantly increased. For ROWE to work,
everyone needed to think in a similar way, but coordinating with co-workers had become more challenging.
Getting in touch with co-workers could prove to be more difficult, as evidenced through the lag between the
time that communications were sent and when replies were received. The preferred method of
communication was e-mail, which worked well in a ROWE environment, as recipients could respond in an
undisturbed manner when they had the time. While e-mail had its merits, it could also lead to
miscommunication and misunderstanding, thus further delaying an effective response. In the past, coworkers had expected immediate responses; thus, the current time lag created a level of impatience among
co-workers. This dynamic enhanced the risk that co-workers would ignore the logical communication
structure and instead send communications to whomever they felt was likely to respond rapidly.
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 7
9B15C013
Management had dealt with this risk by reminding employees how to communicate in a ROWE
environment and by providing additional coaching for those in need of guidance.
Employees were struggling with Mabel’s Labels’ unlimited vacation policy as they were still adjusting to
ROWE. Employees were used to working in a traditional work environment where they needed to request
and receive permission for every change in routine. With the concept of permission being eradicated from
the Mabel’s Labels workplace, employees were nervous to overstep the boundaries and did not want to
take too much vacation time. On the other hand, some older employees who had been with the company
for more than five years were struggling with the fairness of this policy. Under the old policy, they might
have earned a month’s vacation, but now what they had earned was no longer of relevance, as any
employee could receive the same vacation allotment.
Human resources staff were concerned that, as a result of the increased flexibility and choice, issues they
were previously made aware of would no longer surface. Another challenge they faced was the initiation
of new hires. While the company had developed a specific process involving reading Why Work Sucks
and How to Fix It, which included discussions with managers and participating in an on-line orientation,
transitioning new hires into the ROWE mindset still had complications. Since many employees were
opting to work from home, new employees were not as integrated into the culture as they had previously
been. Prior to ROWE, Mabel’s Labels was characterized by cohesiveness and collaboration. Everyone
knew each other on a personal level. Now, some of the new hires did not know their co-workers, even
though Mabel’s Labels was only a 44-person company. To mitigate this issue, management made a
concerted effort to create social activities to encourage employees to interact face-to-face.
In addition to addressing new employees’ initiation, Mabel’s Labels needed to deal with the hourly paid
seasonal staff. It was exceedingly difficult to explain to them that they could participate in ROWE but not
to the same extent as the permanent staff. For seasonal staff, ROWE was about understanding what they
needed to accomplish and how to accomplish it in the way that made the most sense for each employee.
Seasonal staff were encouraged to identify processes that seemed to waste time and to redefine them in a
way that was more efficient. This approach provided them with autonomy and flexibility, while still
ensuring they met their responsibilities.
A potential problem with the implementation of ROWE was that employees no longer had an “off”
button. Cole was concerned that eventually, the top employees would burn out. She explained her
philosophy, “People need time away when they can actually unplug.” In her opinion, if this off-time was
not mandated, people would be less productive. ROWE posed a challenge as there was no official cue that
work was over, thereby placing the onus on each employee to ensure that they were meeting their
deliverables without working excessively.
Sarah Barclay, the human resources manager, explained, “If an employee can achieve their goal in 20
hours, are they done for the week? No, if they have opportunity to take on more, they will be given
more.” Barclay worried that this system penalized employees who were more efficient.
Barclay expressed her concern that employees were setting their goals too high. Under ROWE, it was
difficult to know when an employee was working at capacity, as “Some people’s shoulders are so broad,
they will just take on more and more.” This dynamic made it exceedingly challenging for human
resources to know when to increase the headcount.
Along those lines, leading the transition to ROWE was a constant challenge as it was extremely tricky to
change employees’ mindsets in terms of work. Cole explained, “Even after two years it is easy to catch
yourself or a co-worker falling back into an old habit.” Mabel’s Labels strived to call each other out when
that happened. For example, the manager of production might ask one of his employees, “Have you seen
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 8
9B15C013
Joanne lately, I haven’t seen her around the office.” It would be the employee’s responsibility to say,
“That doesn’t sound very ROWE, let’s think about that again,” or “do you need something from her?”
One final challenge was a general lack of understanding of ROWE. Those not partaking in a ROWE
transformation had little knowledge of the term and what it actually meant for those working in a ROWE
environment. This lack of understanding could cause conflicts within families, as partners and spouses did
not understand the expectations that needed to be upheld by their significant others. One employee
mentioned that his wife expected him to stay at home with the kids when they were sick. His wife clearly
did not understand that ROWE was not a stay-at-home plan, but instead provided employees with
additional flexibility in accomplishing their deliverables. If this employee was obligated to stay home
with his children, he would be unable to get his work done and thus would not meet his deliverables.
CONCLUSION
Cole had a lot to think about. While no immediate changes needed to be made, she now had a chance to
reflect on why ROWE was initially implemented and what had changed since then. After replaying the
events from the past two years, she needed to seriously contemplate whether the many accomplishments
outweighed the concerns. While the team was committed to making ROWE work, she knew that to
succeed in the long term, they would need to come up with a better way to measure the program’s
success.
One important factor that had been affected both positively, through the reduction of sludge, and
negatively, through the roll-out of ROWE, was Mabel’s Labels culture. It was crucial to senior
management that the company’s original culture be maintained, which put a heavy weight on Cole’s
shoulders: she knew she needed to come up with an action plan to mitigate the impacts that ROWE was
having on the company’s culture. Cole had spent 12 years building and improving on the company and
was not willing to lose something as integral as the company’s culture over her desire to provide
employees with more flexibility.
It was important not to lose sight of the fact that team members were happy under ROWE. Most
employees were strong believers in the process and the positive changes it encouraged. While the entire
company was in agreement that ROWE was not perfect and that the kinks still needed to be worked out,
they were willing to fight to retain it. One employee shared, “I cannot imagine ever going back.”
Employees had just recently received the newfound freedom to manage their schedule and more
importantly deliverables. They did not want this right stripped, nor did they see any reason to, as
productivity had since increased.
For ROWE to succeed within any organization the following were needed:
•
•
•
•
•
The appropriate infrastructure in place before pursuing ROWE
A great leap of faith by employees in their managers and processes
Strong talent and managers, as it was more difficult to manage somebody on results when you could
not see them
100 per cent confidence in goal setting, performance management and people development
An understanding that ROWE was not a work-from-home plan.
As Cole reflected on the company’s first off-site session and the transition process, she wondered how
ROWE could be part of a sustainable future for the company, as she, along with her colleagues agreed
that pursuing ROWE represented a permanent and overall beneficial decision for the company.
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 9
9B15C013
EXHIBIT 1: KEY MOMENTS FOR MABEL’S LABELS
Launched
the
website
2002
Canadian
Living article
increases
exposure
2004
Social
media
presence
explodes
2006
Moved into
a 14,000 sq.
ft. factory
Secured an
exclusive
distribution
contract with
Walmart
2007
2012
Source: Adapted from company documents.
EXHIBIT 2: MABEL’S LABELS’ EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION PACKAGE: A MESSAGE FROM THE
FOUNDERS
At Mabel’s Labels, we’re passionate about who we are and what we do. Put simply, we are committed to
providing the very best labels and customer service experience in the marketplace.
Kids’ belongings often get left behind, misplaced, forgotten or even lost. In 2002, we (now the Mabel
partners) were new parents who had begun to realize just how frustrating and expensive this could be.
That problem gave birth to an innovative but simple idea — a solution actually! Personalized name labels
could help solve a need that we were becoming all too familiar with. The four of us, armed with nothing
more than this good idea, the willingness to work hard, and an eagerness to learn, began Mabel’s Labels
Inc. In 2002, the company looked a little different to how it does in 2012. We all had “day jobs” so that
meant working on Mabel’s whenever we could, usually into the wee hours of the night. A basement office
became HQ and every process was manual.
Though this picture is vastly different to the one you see when you look around today, many things
haven’t changed. Our focus on delivering excellent products and service has been paramount from day
one, as has our quest for media exposure which began when our site first went live. Developing
innovative products that solve problems for busy families continues to be our guiding beacon.
Our print environment, website, and manufacturing technology have been built, and are maintained, inhouse. We believe in a continuous cycle of exciting projects that are forward thinking and innovative. We
also believe in being first-to-market and thrive on fresh ideas with experimental flair!
We are a company that has succeeded not only because of its foundation but also because of the people
here at Mabel’s Labels. Our team members have a few things in common: passion about the company
and its success, and a commitment to providing the very best product and customer experience in the
marketplace. To achieve this we must be creative, collaborative and FUN, always taking pride in working
hard and seeing projects come to life. Simply put, we strive to be the very best!
Employees are an important part of who we are and we’re excited to have you on the team!
Cynthia Esp
Julie Cole
Julie Ellis
Tricia Mumby
Source: Mabel’s Labels employee orientation package.
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
Digital
Analyst
Vacant
Heather Dixon
Copy Writer
(PT Mat Leave)
Lisa Van
Meeteren
Copy Writer
(PT Contract)
Shelby Wignall
Marketing
Assistant
(Contract)
Sandra Barbera
Social Media
Coordinator
Ashley Malone
Graphic Design
Lead
Melissa Blais
Marketing
Coordinator
Karma
Bryan-Ingle
Brand Marketing
Manager
VP, Marketing
Tricia Mumby
Team
Ambassador
Heather
Butler
Lisa Meecham
Sales
Coordiantor
(Contract)
Diane Morris
Inside Sales
Coordinator
Sales &
Programs
Manager
Vacant
Project
Planner
Kimberly
Burke
Retail
Warehouse
Administrator
(PT)
Paul
Gilchrist
Retail
Operations
Manager
Carlos Urrea
Sales Director
Mark Cooper
Customer
Experience
Manager
Ted Darling
Web Developer
Warren Blais
IT Support
Specialist /
Operations
Team Lead
Victor Sirghii
Programmer
Analyst
Rob
Farquharson
Web
Development
Team Lead
Alejandro Villa
Database
Specialist/
Programmer
Upasana Pujari
DB and Usability
Specialist
Katherine
Clarke
Brandon Taylor
Web Developer
Kimberley McKay
IT Director
Julie Ellis
VP, IT & Retail Sales
Karen Pearson
Customer
Service Rep
(PT)
Patricia Roy
Bilingual CSR
Leslie Wato
Bilingual
Customer
Service
Representative
Customer Service
Team Lead
Andrea Settimi
Julie Cole
VP, Public Relations &
Customer Service
Jordan Smart
HR
Coordinator
(PT)
Leanne
Deveau
Human
Resources
Manager
Sarah Barclay
Atsushi Urata
Accountant
Maryam
Berenjchi
Accounting
Clerk
Director of Finance and
Administration
Page 10
Nay Chrinos
Production
Operator (PT)
Correece
Downey
Warehouse
Administrator
Marina Rikanovic
Production
Operator
Christina
Tedesco
Production
Operator
Janet Quirante
Production
Operator
Rhonda Mycka
Production
Operator
Paris
Castellanos
Production Lead
Production
Manager
Mary EllenCole
Cythia Esp
VP, Operations
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
9B15C013
EXHIBIT 3: MABEL’S LABELS ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Source: Company documents.
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 11
9B15C013
EXHIBIT 4: MABEL’S LABELS’ FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL METRICS, 2012–2014
(in %)
FY14
FY13
FY12
Revenue Growth
8.0
19.4
17.9
Gross Profit Growth
9.0
32.9
16.4
Operating Expenses Growth
8.8
6.2
23.7
Net Income Growth
Non Financial Metrics
9.6
316.9
–28.4
Revenue Per Visit (RPV)
–8.6
8.0–
2.1
Web Conversion
–4.2
7.4
1.5
Acquisition Cost
17.6
–29.8
23.0
0.5
–7.5
1.5
Financial Metrics
Basket Size (Cart)
Source: Company documents.
EXHIBIT 5: MABEL’S LABELS’ PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL
Fiscal Year 2014 Performance Review
Employee Name:
Sarah Barclay
Job Title:
Human Resources Manager
Evaluation Date:
April, 2014
Manager Name:
Cynthia Esp
Organizational Objective: Achieve a XX% Growth in Sales
Areas of Focus to Meet This Sales Goal:
Provide a
Superior
Customer
Experience
Be the Best in
Marketplace
Demonstrating
Thought
Leadership
Attract and
Retain the
Best Talent
Collaboration and
Teamwork;
Leveraging our
Expertise
Foster a Culture of
Empowerment,
Positivity and
Innovation
Practice Proactive
and Consistent
Two-way
Communication
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 12
9B15C013
EXHIBIT 5 (CONTINUED)
A. Objectives and Results
Employee rating and manager rating should be based on the DIME scale: Does Not Meet Expectations (1), Inconsistently Meets
Expectations (2), Meets Expectations (3), and Exceeds Expectations (4).
Executing With Excellence- What We Achieve
Plan KRA/ KPI/ Objective
Drive Program Strategy and create direction in
support of EVP and engagement (Culture of
positivity and Innovation)
Employee
Rating
(DIME)
Employee/Manager Comments
Manager
Rating
(DIME)
• Participate in development of employment rebranding strategy with tie in to EVP – high tech
company
o In collaboration with Marketing, research and
determine rebranding & communications
strategy
• Redesign career website – Q2
• Evaluate efficacy of ROWE and recommend
tweaking as necessary – ongoing
• Revise and roll out performance ROWE
performance appraisal tool – Q1
• Determine and plan appropriate leadership
training for e-team and management team – Q1
• Support design and implementation of Retail
incentive comp plans
o Go to market for salary benchmarking – Q4
Plan effectively for the future (Attract and Retain
the Best Talent)
•
•
•
•
Hire and Onboard HR Coordinator – Q2
Create accurate budget forecasts for F15
Staffing Planning
Drive Mabel’s Mission/ Vision in conjunction with
strat planning – Jan
• Plan/revise 3 year Structure
• Identify and plan for high potential and retention
risk employees – Q2, Q4
• Review and revise merit strategy for year end
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 13
9B15C013
EXHIBIT 5 (CONTINUED)
Talent Management: Identify future talent gaps and
increase bench strength across organization (Best in
Marketplace)
• Develop Recruitment strategy – focus on core
values, traits of successful employees – Ongoing
• Plan and execute recruitment strategy for
seasonal and traditional hiring – focus on critical
level positions – Q1, Ongoing
• Create competency based interview question
bank – Q2
• Drive the process to create development plans
for all employees Q1, Q3
• Develop and implement talent management
planning and strategy
o ORP cycle – Q2, Q4
o Succession planning – in place for critical
positions – Q4
o Departmental structure reviews – Q4
o Identify gaps in required skill sets – Ongoing
Risk Management & Compliance- ensure compliance
in all areas of legislation (Best in Marketplace)
Risk Management
• Act as Management member of the JH&SC and
ensure compliance in all areas; develop JH&SC
team- Ongoing
• Ensure all documents, processes and policies in
place comply with legal requirements, minimizing
risk to the business
• Plan and advise for terminations as required
Compliance:
• Employee file audit – Q3
• AODA standards preparation and implementation
– Employer/Employee
• Determine record keeping strategies under
ROWE to ensure compliance with ESA
• Policy Project – review and determine continued
applicability with ROWE – Q2 & Q3
o Implement new policies – Q3
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.
For the exclusive use of R. Pansheriya, 2023.
Page 14
9B15C013
EXHIBIT 5 (CONTINUED)
Drive internal communications strategy ( Increase
two- way Communication)
• Employee Relations/Coaching – provide
guidance and counsel to Management and
Employees – Ongoing
• Change Management planning for significant
organizational initiatives – Ongoing
• Performance Management – develop and deliver
PM plans as required; coach Managers on
strategies to deal with difficult employees and
situations
• Develop and provide education regarding HR
best practices to the Management team –
ongoing at E-team
• Lead Employee Task Force initiatives to ensure
organizational communications plans are on
target
Keeping the lights on (Proactive Communication)
• Revise and implement process documentation
and forms in all areas to facilitate required record
keeping
• Develop Electronic Employee Files & reconcile
soft and hard copy documents
• Develop Professional Development guidelines;
line of sight to org PD
• Ensure all transactional HR is completed with
accuracy and on time
Note: KRA = key result area; KPI = key performance indicator; EVP = executive vice president; ROWE = results-oriented
work environment; HR = human resources; F15 = fiscal year 2015; JH&SC = joint health and safety committee; AODA =
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act; PM = performance management; PD = professional development
Source: Company documents.
This document is authorized for use only by Ridhdhiben Pansheriya in GBUS 874 taught by Amanda Hancock, University of Regina from Jan 2023 to Apr 2023.