Case Study
CASE STUDY
BUILDING A STRONGER WORKFORCE PROGRAM THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP
Following a transition to a new Managed Service Provider (MSP), a leading energy organization partnered with Atrium to strengthen payroll operations and Early Talent administration. Together, the teams introduced standardized processes, improved communication, and continuously refined the program, which helped deliver the company’s strongest intern season to date.
THE CHALLENGE
When Atrium assumed responsibility for payrolling and Early Talent program management for a leading energy company, communication primarily flowed through the client’s Managed Service Provider (MSP), which limited opportunities for direct collaboration. Without regular touchpoints and a shared view of onboarding progress, it was more difficult to proactively address challenges and identify opportunities to improve the experience for both managers and candidates.
Our team supported payroll administration year-round for the organization’s contingent workforce, including interns, co-ops, and corporate talent across a wide range of business functions. The Early Talent program also operated throughout the year, with internships and co-op placements beginning at various times. Each summer, however, the program expanded significantly as more than 100 interns joined the company across dozens of business units and office locations. This made summer the program’s largest and most complex annual initiative, involving extensive background screening requirements, multiple worker populations, and ongoing payroll administration. Preparing every worker for a successful first day required thoughtful planning, strong organization, and collaboration across the entire hiring process.
THE SOLUTION
When the business transitioned to a new MSP in 2024, Atrium saw an opportunity to strengthen the partnership and improve the way the teams worked together.
Rather than simply maintaining existing workflows, we partnered directly with the company and their MSP to establish a more connected approach built around shared goals, regular communication, and clear ownership. Bi-weekly planning meetings created a consistent cadence for reviewing hiring activity, onboarding progress, program planning, and escalations before affecting managers or workers.
To support that process, our team introduced standardized resources, including an accessible Hiring Request Form and a centralized Intern Master Tracker with real-time updates on each worker’s onboarding progress. Together, these resources established clear expectations, clarified responsibilities, and gave all three teams a shared source of truth from which to work.
Those enhancements strengthened day-to-day operations throughout the year and became especially valuable during the summer internship season. During this time, we meet weekly with our client’s University Relations team to review every intern individually, discuss outstanding requirements, and identify potential roadblocks. This collaboration also keeps hiring groups on schedule across engineering, technology, accounting, legal, operations, supply chain, community relations, energy efficiency, and many other business functions throughout the Northeast. Additionally, we lead intern orientation sessions, covering internship expectations, client and Atrium resources, payroll information, timesheet submission, paystub access, and other onboarding details to help new workers feel prepared before their first day.
As the partnership matured, increased collaboration gave our team more opportunities to recommend process improvements that would benefit the overall program. One opportunity involved the number of intern start dates. Previous years included numerous start dates spread across several months, which created additional work for hiring managers, HR, and program leaders. We developed a more structured approach by consolidating intern start dates and aligning onboarding more closely with orientation schedules. The changes streamlined administration, created a more consistent experience for interns, and made the program easier for the company’s HR team to manage.
INTERN MASTER TRACKER
INCREASED COLLABORATION
Throughout each year, we work with the organization and its MSP to review each hiring cycle, discuss lessons learned, and identify additional opportunities to strengthen the program to reinforce a true partnership focused on continuous improvement.
THE RESULTS
The strengthened partnership between Atrium, our client, and its MSP resulted in significant improvements across payroll operations, onboarding, and the overall worker experience. Dedicated program management and expedited Manager Fieldglass work order approvals ensured interns received timely access to their timesheets during orientation, which helped create a smooth first-day experience.
RAPID SCALING
TRUSTED PARTNERS
YEAR-ROUND PAYROLLING
The Atrium account team supported the company’s payrolled workforce through a dedicated shared inbox for onboarding, benefits, accounting, and background screening questions.
- 277 workers paid
- 314 unique timesheets processed
- More than 16,700 email inquiries handled
- 89% answered within three hours
- Average response time of 1 hour and 19 minutes
Workers took notice of that responsiveness and offered consistent praise throughout the year.
As with Payrolling, Atrium’s approach to Early Talent Program design paid off during the 2025 intern season with:
- 131 interns onboarded
- 18 start dates
- 3 orientation sessions
- Interns represented 51 business units and 25 office locations
- More than 60 unique job functions participated in the program
“Everyone is kind and very knowledgeable. Every question I ask gets answered. I am learning so much.”
“The Atrium team did an excellent job with my orientation. Everything was seamless.”
The partnership continued to evolve in 2026, when our team and the client took the consolidation a step further by streamlining the summer program into just two primary start groups. Within the first group, 82 of 84 interns completed all onboarding requirements before their scheduled start date, a strong early indicator of the collaborative, continuous improvement approach Atrium brings. Across the broader 2026 Early Talent program, including both winter and summer cohorts, we have supported 147 interns to date, and that number continues to grow throughout the year.
Beyond the operational results, our team is creating a stronger experience for interns, Hiring Managers, and program leaders while building a partnership centered on shared goals and ongoing optimization.
Case Study: Building a Stronger Workforce Program Through Strategic Partnership
Company Size: 10,000+
Industry: Energy
Footprint: National
Partner Since: 2017
Services Offered/: Employer of Record (EOR) Payrolling, Early Talent Administration
AT A GLANCE
Challenge:
– Communication primarily flowed through the client’s MSP, limiting opportunities for direct collaboration.
– Year-round payroll administration supported interns, co-ops, and contingent workers across numerous business functions.
– Large-scale Early Talent program with more than 100 interns annually.
– Complex hiring across multiple business units and office locations.
– Extensive background screening and program coordination across multiple worker populations.
Benefits:
– Strengthened collaboration through a true partnership approach following the client’s transition to a new MSP in 2024.
– Established regular planning meetings with the client and MSP to review hiring activity, onboarding progress, and program planning.
– Introduced standardized tools, including a Hiring Request Form and centralized Intern Master Tracker with real-time onboarding visibility.
– Consolidated intern start dates to improve operational efficiency and create a consistent experience for interns, hiring managers, and HR.
– Established a continuous improvement approach that strengthened the Early Talent program year after year, with 140+ interns onboarded in 2026.
From sharing insights to helping behind the scenes, every interaction helped create an environment where our interns felt valued, inspired, and excited for what’s ahead. What stood out most throughout the day though, was not just the planning, presentations, or programming, it was the genuine care, and commitment that each of you brought to welcoming our newest talent. Early career talent programs are only successful because of people like you, who are willing to invest their time, knowledge, and heart into developing the next generation.
DIRECTOR, TALENT ACQUISITION
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WORK.
Complete the form below and we’ll get in touch within 24 hours.
