Case Study
Helping long-serving employees transition to new careers through interest-based guidance
Challenge
Preparing staff for redeployment after smart meter technology made traditional roles redundant.
SaskPower, Saskatchewan’s principal electric utility, launched a major technology upgrade that replaced 500,000 mechanical meters with smart meters. This innovation eliminated the need for door-to-door meter readers—impacting 97 employees, many with long tenures and an average age of 47.
Recognising the disruption this posed, SaskPower sought a career transition strategy that offered more than job listings or generic retraining. The organisation needed a personalised, supportive approach to help these experienced employees discover new roles and directions—either within SaskPower or beyond.
Solution
Strong Interest Inventory® tool for career planning and employee redeployment.
To support employees affected by the transition, SaskPower's organisational development team created a workshop-based career management program built around the Strong Interest Inventory® assessment.
Employees completed the Strong tool in preparation for workshops or one-on-one coaching sessions. These sessions, led by change lead Kelly Oman, focused on helping individuals build self-awareness, understand their preferences, and connect those insights to new career opportunities. The Strong results introduced participants to roles within SaskPower they may never have considered—of which there are over 600 job descriptions.
The key was not just offering choices, but helping individuals navigate them. The program provided structured support to guide employees through exploring options, narrowing them down, and building actionable plans. The result was a thoughtful redeployment strategy that respected the experience of long-serving employees while empowering them to pursue fulfilling new roles.
Key Programme Elements:
- Strong Interest Inventory assessment as foundation for career management workshops
- Workshop and one-on-one coaching sessions to build self-awareness
- Exploration of internal career opportunities across 600+ job descriptions
- Structured support for option exploration, narrowing choices, and action planning
- Respectful redeployment strategy balancing employee experience with new opportunities
Results
83% of displaced employees successfully redeployed; 94% found the process valuable.
The results were striking: 80 of the 97 impacted employees remained with the organisation, finding new roles better aligned with their strengths and interests. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive—94% reported the workshops as valuable.
Participants gained not only career direction, but renewed self-confidence. Many discovered paths they had never imagined and wished they had taken the Strong assessment years earlier. SaskPower, in turn, reinforced its reputation as an employer that invests in its people—even during disruptive change.
By aligning redeployment with employee interests, SaskPower created a smoother transition and stronger organisational loyalty.
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