The Challenge

Trenton Health Team is a mission-driven community health organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the Trenton community. Like many nonprofits, the organization was deeply focused on delivering impact, but lacked the internal HR infrastructure needed to consistently support employees, leadership, and long-term sustainability.

At the time Lindenberger Group was engaged, Trenton Health Team had no assigned HR specialist. Core people processes, such as performance management, job structure, compensation ranges, employee development, and engagement measurement, had been built with the help of an external consultant, and were not all at the needed level. HR responsibilities were spread across leadership, with the CEO carrying oversight alongside many other priorities.

While the organization had a committed team, leadership recognized the need for professional HR support to stabilize operations, improve employee experience, and lay a foundation for long-term growth.

The Solution

Lindenberger Group partnered with Trenton Health Team through a fractional HR engagement, providing senior-level HR expertise while building internal capability for the long term.

Managing Director and Senior HR Consultant Carol Wolkiewicz, MSW, LSW served as the primary advisor, bringing an external, objective perspective while working closely with leadership and staff. The engagement began with a structured assessment of the organization’s people practices, including interviews, document reviews, and analyses of existing metrics. From there, Lindenberger Group developed a phased roadmap to establish HR infrastructure and best practices.

Key elements of the engagement included:

Foundational HR Infrastructure
Lindenberger Group helped Trenton Health Team build HR systems from the ground up, including:

Job descriptions and a defined job structure

Career ladders to support growth and advancement

Compensation ranges 

Performance management processes, including objectives, rating scales, annual reviews and manager training

Implementation of systems to support performance evaluations and feedback

Employee Experience & Engagement
To create a more consistent and transparent employee experience, Lindenberger Group:

Designed and implemented Trenton Health Team’s first employee engagement survey

Established annual survey cadence and trend tracking

Structured employee feedback processes to promote clarity, fairness, and trust

Supported employee relations and provided guidance on sensitive workforce matters

Training, Development & Workforce Planning
The team introduced development planning tools and guides for employees, helping managers and staff align individual growth with organizational needs. The process included structured templates, conversation guides and practical resources to support meaningful development conversations. Together these tools created greater clarity around career pathways, skill-building priorities and succession readiness across the organization.

Mentorship & Knowledge Transfer
A critical component of the engagement was mentoring an internal staff member who aspired to grow into an HR leadership role. Lindenberger Group worked side-by-side with this individual, initially leading processes, then gradually partnering, and eventually stepping back as internal confidence and credibility grew.

Over time, this internal leader became the trusted HR voice within the organization, successfully navigating the transition from peer to professional intermediary and earning the confidence of both leadership and staff. She has been promoted and now leads HR internally.

The Impact

Through its partnership with Lindenberger Group, Trenton Health Team achieved a transformation in how it supports its people:

Fully Established HR Function: The organization moved from having limited HR infrastructure to operating with mature, well-defined people practices aligned with best standards.

Stronger Employee Experience: Clear processes, consistent feedback, and engagement measurement helped employees feel supported, heard and valued.

Leadership Confidence: Executives gained trusted, external guidance to help navigate decisions, test ideas, and ensure consistency during periods of change.

Internal Capability Built: Trenton Health Team now has a fully functioning internal HR leader who is confident, credible, and equipped to operate independently.

Sustainable Transition: After six years, Lindenberger Group concluded the engagement with pride, confident in the organization’s strong internal HR infrastructure and the talented team now leading the function forward. 

Lessons Learned

This engagement demonstrates the power of fractional HR done right—not as a temporary fix, but as a strategic investment in people, processes, and internal capability.

By combining senior-level expertise with hands-on mentorship, Lindenberger Group helped Trenton Health Team move from ad-hoc HR support to a fully sustainable model. The result was not dependence on an external consultant, but confidence, clarity, and ownership inside the organization.

As Carol Wolkiewicz reflected: “We built the HR function step by step so it could stand on its own. Seeing their internal HR leader grow, earn trust, and step fully into the role with confidence and credibility is the real win.”