A global company with a growing challenge
Kemin Industries began its journey nearly 65 years ago in a sheep barn in Des Moines, Iowa. Today, the family-owned company has grown into a global science-based organization with nearly 4,000 employees across 10 countries. Kemin provides vital ingredients and solutions for a wide range of industries—from animal nutrition to food technologies—and innovation is at the heart of everything they do.
As Kemin expanded globally, the company found itself at an inflection point. Their existing processes and tools—manual systems like Excel and legacy software like Halogen—were no longer adequate to support the scale or complexity of their people strategy. HR teams were burdened with outdated systems, and business leaders lacked insight into the skills and potential within their workforce.
“We had outgrown our manual systems,” said Marcie Miller, Global HR Business Partner and Head of Talent Development at Kemin. “We were looking for a solution with better functionality and a more all-inclusive approach to talent management.”
The company needed a connected, future-proof approach to build workforce agility, improve visibility, and align talent development to business needs. That’s when they turned to Cornerstone.
A decade of strategic partnership
Kemin partnered with Cornerstone more than 10 years ago, starting a long-term journey of continuous improvement and innovation. The implementation began with Cornerstone Learning, followed by Performance and, most recently, Succession Planning. Rather than adopting everything all at once, Kemin focused on optimizing each area before moving to the next, ensuring maximum adoption and impact across the organization.
This staged approach proved highly effective. Over time, the company transformed its learning and performance culture and built a solid infrastructure to support succession planning and strategic workforce development.
“The power of Cornerstone has come through all of those things coming together,” said Miller. That’s really translated into the measurable outcomes we see today.” The journey with Cornerstone has not only provided modern tools but also helped unify the HR strategy into a single, cohesive vision—one where development, performance, and long-term planning are interconnected.
Expanding visibility into talent
One of the most transformative changes Kemin experienced through Cornerstone was the increased visibility of its talent. Prior to using Cornerstone, the company estimated that it had insight into just 4% of its global workforce, a significant challenge for any organization trying to plan for the future.
Through the use of succession and talent review tools, Kemin has expanded that visibility tenfold. Today, the company reports 50% visibility across the organization, which has dramatically improved talent conversations and strategic decision-making. Managers no longer need to rely on HR to access information—they now have real-time access to talent data, enabling faster decisions and more proactive workforce planning. This shift has empowered people leaders across the business and fostered a more data-informed culture. “Now, managers have that information at their fingertips,” said Miller. They can act immediately.”
Creating an integrated employee experience
While visibility was a key outcome, Kemin also prioritized creating a more seamless and engaging experience for its employees. By integrating learning, performance, and development into one centralized platform, the company enabled employees to take control of their growth and development.
Smart goals, once static and reviewed only during annual check-ins, have become dynamic and interactive, allowing employees to adapt their goals in real time as business needs evolve. Quarterly check-ins between managers and team members are now embedded in the system, creating consistent opportunities for feedback, coaching, and alignment. This modernization has paid off. Over the past five years, Kemin’s employee engagement score increased from 39% to 59%—a 20-point gain that reflects a more connected, empowered, and future-focused workforce. Employees can now engage with their smart goals in real time. That keeps Kemin aligned and agile so they can continue to meet customer needs.
Preparing for tomorrow’s workforce
Kemin’s focus on the future is clear. As the business continues to grow and evolve, so must its approach to workforce planning. Strategic workforce planning—which Miller refers to as their “Mount Skillimanjaro”—is the company’s next big climb. And Cornerstone will play a critical role in that ascent.
The team is currently laying the groundwork to support a skills-based strategy that can power future capabilities like the Talent Marketplace. Investments in Cornerstone’s Skills Passport and Skills Library are helping Kemin define, map, and grow the skills needed to drive future innovation and internal mobility.
“We have an intentional focus right now on career pathways,” said Miller. Cornerstone has been the right partner as we build that foundation in skills and prepare to enable the Talent Marketplace tomorrow.” By aligning talent strategy to business outcomes and empowering employees to pursue personalized development paths, Kemin is preparing its workforce not just for today’s demands—but for tomorrow’s opportunities.
A connected platform with lasting impact
Kemin’s ten-year partnership with Cornerstone has created measurable results across learning, performance, and succession—while also reshaping the employee experience. The integration and connectivity between tools have been a game-changer for both employees and HR.
“Cornerstone is helping us prepare for the future because it’s one connected enterprise solution,” said Miller. “You have one resource for managing talent from the beginning of the employee journey to the end—and for me, that’s priceless.” More than just software, Cornerstone has been a true partner in helping Kemin navigate its people transformation. According to Miller, the relationship is built on trust, collaboration, and shared vision.
