Developing Crucial Competencies Among Managers to Enhance Inclusion

BY Wanly Chen | May 21, 2024

To improve workplaces, leaders need to reevaluate how they are growing their managers and provide the proper support. In a From Day One webinar, Lydia Dishman, senior editor of growth and engagement at Fast Company, spoke with leaders about the strategies they’re taking to address skills gaps in their companies, especially those related to boosting workplace inclusion.

Self-aware leaders display a higher level of confidence and empathy, resulting in stronger teams and effective leadership. Yet despite most leaders believing that they exhibit self-awareness, research shows only 10-15% of leaders are self-aware.

The disparity comes from the challenge of displaying vulnerability, Khalil Smith, vice president of inclusion, diversity, and engagement at Akamai Technologies, says.

“​​We need to be given at least an opportunity to have some of that autonomy to say, “I think that I can be better here or here,” Smith said. “It’s not a bad thing to say, ‘I do struggle with giving difficult feedback and that's not something that’s going to hold me back.’ This is different from being externally assessed because it builds the self-awareness that we need,” Smith said.

By showing empathy for others, leaders can cultivate a safe work environment for others to grow, which can be a win-win situation for companies and employees. Singleton Beato, global executive vice president and chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at media group, McCann Worldgroup, says empathetic leaders can reap the benefits of a stronger team.

Amanda Grow of ETU, Singleton Beato of McCann Worldgroup, Diana Navas-Rosette of Microsoft, and Khalil Smith of Akamai Technologies spoke in a panel moderated by Lydia Dishman of Fast Company (photo by From Day One)

“Being self-aware allows one to understand how to present constructive and corrective feedback in a way that isn’t demeaning to someone,” Beato said. “Doing so safely helps employees to feel that they have the support of the manager and helps them to be aware of not only whatever the correction needs to be but also to feel empowered to make that correction.”

Leaning on Newer Learning Methods

When compared to traditional learning methods, researchers found immersive learning like VR training to yield better results and also positively impact employees’ performance. Amanda Grow, director of customer success at learning company, ETU, says learning simulations can also provide opportunities for employees to learn skills that may be difficult to learn in traditional settings.

“One of the key elements in learning simulations is teaching people how to work through situations that they don't feel comfortable in,” Grow said. “Simulations have the ability to bring some of that emotion to life and make you feel uncomfortable or make you feel anxious.”

During these simulations, employees dealing with challenging emotions have an opportunity to self-reflect on their emotions in a safe space, Grow says. “We want to teach people how to reflect and understand their internal processes,” Grow said. “That's going to be valuable if we want employees to improve their self-awareness.”

Research found employees who have personal development opportunities are more engaged and have higher retention rates, showing how learning can play a large role in how employees perceive their work and growth.

Whether it’s through traditional learning modules or providing a safe environment for employees to learn, leaders play an instrumental role in bridging the gaps. Diana Navas-Rosette, general manager of global diversity and inclusion solutions, communities, and activation at Microsoft, says that Microsoft is leaning on newer technology to offer personalized learning opportunities.

“Simulations stand out as probably one of the most innovative solutions that we have in our portfolio right now. They are immersive and allow learners to practice the skills realistically and safely,” Navas-Rosette said. “A learner navigates through a simulation and then gets a report at the end that tells them what they did well and where they have areas of opportunities for them to grow. Employees can always come back and practice if they want to, allowing it to be a continuous relationship with a solution for them to build that skill set.”

Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.

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Aligning Learning Programs With Business Strategy for Global Workforce Agility

Businesses are placing more demands on learning and development teams, says Jamie O’Brien, AVP of learning and development at investment platform Voya Financial. Most importantly, “keeping learners engaged in a rapidly changing environment, and aligning our learning programs with our business objectives,” she said during a From Day One webinar. The pace of change gets faster every year.“We’re no longer designing and delivering training solutions just for different adult learning styles, but also for virtual and hybrid work environments, with rapidly changing technology, and for five generations of workers,” she said.Voya’s learners are increasingly seeking an experiential environment. They don’t want to sit through lectures, O’Brien says. “They want to do it. They want to try it. They want to feel it. They want to feel like they’ve been prepared and they’re confident in their ability to come out of training and then go do their roles.”Fellow panelist Tim Gerrits agreed: Leaders in L&D now do much more than transfer information. Gerrits is the the head of learning and leadership development at pharmaceutical company AbbVie, thinks about application most of all.“As it becomes easier to find whatever snippet of knowledge you need, that’s no longer the real crux of success for organizations,” he said. “It’s not putting information into people’s heads, it’s how you get that information back out and change behavior.” Lynnette Collins, head of global L&D at office furniture manufacturer Steelcase, identified the “most difficult part, and the most critical part,” of her job: “Making the connection between those goals, our learning experiences, and key performance indicators.” Who completed the training and when is not nearly as relevant to the executives as how they’re helping the business grow.Yet it’s not easy to demonstrate the value of L&D, said Ken Matos, director of market insights at HiBob, an HR management platform. Returns may not happen right away and even if they do, learners may need help identifying just how they’re applying their new skills. As businesses become more complex, so do learning outcomes, and measurement follows suit.Journalist Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza moderated the panel of experts (photo by From Day One)Ultimately, leaders have to be able to feel the difference, not just see it on paper, says Matos. “Being able to change the stakeholders’ impression of what’s happening in the organization is one of your best, most accessible outcomes, because they are the ones who said it was a problem to begin with. And if they’re not feeling that problem anymore, you have succeeded. Being able to articulate that back to them is a really powerful message.”At AbbVie, Gerrits invites those leading business functions to observe learning in progress at assessment centers. “They see what we’re doing and the transformation that’s taking place with participants, and that gives them confidence that what we’re doing–not only in that assessment center, but overall–is important for the organization.”When Steelcase’s new CEO Sara Armbruster took the role three years ago, “she introduced a long-term strategy for growth, which was new for us in the organization,” Collins said. In the first year, Collins’s team contacted the top 400 global leaders in the company to ask what skills and behaviors they believe are necessary to achieve those new goals, and what might get in the way.“At first, our measurement was really around improving leader perception on how we perform these transformation behaviors,” Collins said. “But now we’re going a bit deeper, because we want to connect it to performance. Ultimately, we want these behaviors to become the way we work to achieve our results.”O’Brien knows her L&D programs are really working when they create a buzz, and managers–or individual contributors–come asking to participate or partner in the design. She knocks on doors, too, to find out whether teams feel that they’re benefitting. If they don’t seem engaged, “that’s a chance for me to ask questions about what their goals are and get closer to what it is that we can deliver.”Business goals can change quickly–just think of how many employers rushed to incorporate some kind of AI into their workflows–and priorities may migrate up or down the list. To stay relevant, L&D needs to change along with them.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, HiBob, for sponsoring this webinar. Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a freelance journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about work, the job market, and women’s experiences in the workplace. Her work has appeared in the Economist, the BBC, The Washington Post, Inc., Quartz, Business Insider, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza | January 29, 2025

Redefining Skills: How Skills Assessment Data Can Give You The Strategic Advantage

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More efficiently than before, companies can identify leadership and talent skills for talent acquisition, personalized learning, reskilling, succession planning, and internal mobility.During a From Day One webinar, a panel of talent and learning and development leaders shared their experiences of implementing a variety of skills assessments to measure skills, reskill, and improve employee performance.Using Assessments to Propel Workers ForwardLucy Beaumont, a solution lead, manager and leader at SHL, shared three ways most organizations collect data The first is using a form of self-report, manager report, or 360 assessment to obtain subjective data. Next, AI data assessments quickly and objectively sort and analyze internal data to measure and summarize employees’ current skills, skill gaps, and potential. Lastly, personalized behavioral assessments thoroughly uncover an employee or leader’s current strengths and skill gaps.Erin Freshwater, head of learning, talent, and organizational development at Hormel Foods, described the company’s innovative approach to collecting personalized skills assessment data. “Fom our leadership pipeline perspective, it’s been really important that we understand what are the skills that our leaders have in order to lead our teams and our organization into the future,” Freshwater said.Hormel Foods takes their officer-level group through 8-hour-long simulations. Then, psychologists assess their leadership skills. They identify the group’s skill gaps, assess them, give feedback to leadership development, and implement them into development programs for future company leadership.The panelists discussed "Redefining Skills: How Skills Assessment Data Can Give You The Strategic Advantage" during the webinar (photo by From Day One)Stephanie Ketron, head of learning and development director at Westgate Resorts, spoke about using data-driven and personalized assessments. First, the company assesses an employee’s inventory of skills. After their skills are rated, they proceed to individual curriculums based on their skill sets.Leaders then review an employee’s skill gaps identified through their individual assessment and design a personalized development plan tailored to their needs. Ketron emphasized the importance of avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach, noting that even employees in the same role may possess different skill sets.Westgate Resorts has seen this data-driven and personalized skill assessment approach achieve positive business outcomes. However, traditional self-report assessments still create efficient data that can be combined with data from other assessments later on.Julian Allen, director of global talent management at MiTek, discussed the continuing effectiveness of 360 assessments. After creating a strategic plan with company leaders, MiTek refers to external resources to pinpoint the skills needed to achieve business outcomes. Then, by using 360 assessments, they create individual employee development programs to learn the necessary skills.The personalization of these programs is evident, initially only for employees to progress in their internal mobility without input from managers. Now, MiTek is shifting to using 360 assessments for overall talent planning.Ultimately, companies using a variety of assessments improve their hiring processes, Allen says. “So be that job simulations, personality assessments, and multiple different tools that are out there, I think that gives us additional data to make an informed decision,” he said.Skills for Future-Proof JobsWhat are other factors employers consider when determining the specific skills employees should learn? How are employers building roadmaps for employees to learn those skills to advance in their careers?SHL provides data-driven insights to help organizations enhance their hiring, development, and talent mobility strategies. Drawing from client feedback, SHL highlights that reskilling is a critical need across all industries. Beaumont says that reskilling has become a common priority for SHL clients, particularly as industries evolve and integrate new technologies.“As soon as you start your job, it’s going to change and you’re going to have to learn something new. And then from an L&D perspective, we’re just constantly trying to get people up to speed. Whether it’s with new technologies or new ways of working,” Beaumont said.Soft skills are still relevant. However, they are developed differently. Ketron expressed how emotional and cultural intelligence or interpersonal relationship skills are crucial. Yet, these skills aren’t quantifiable. “I think sometimes those are a lot harder as a skill set to kind of measure and determine, and we put very clear behavioral identifiers to those,” she said.Paul Jung, senior director of people experience at Optum, emphasized the significance of technological skills in the healthcare organization. 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Mental Health in the Workplace: Creating an Environment of Care

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It gives them back peace of mind that they're doing the best that they can,” she added.Another thing they’ve done is to embed resource groups within the business. Sometimes, Morimoto says, it’s easier to relate to someone more like you within the employee community. Not only that but making getting mental health access as easy as possible was a priority.“One of the things that we did that was really powerful is we actually put a mental health clinician right by the manufacturing floor with accessibility for drop in.” That way, there was no waiting for help, no searching for help. It was literally a step away. “I am in the moment struggling, and I want help. 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In her position, Baxter likes to say, “I noticed” to open up the conversation. “I think if you can say, first I noticed this again, it removes that judgment, it removes that attachment.” It allows true feelings to emerge, she says.She also utilizes the Wellness Wheel approach, which addresses all aspects of well-being, including mental, physical, financial, social, familial, and environmental. It uses data and tools like EAP (employee assistance programs) to address the needs of employees.“When I joined Alorica, I was really gifted with focus groups, and there’s such a culture of transparency,” Baxter said. “I asked in my focus groups, what’s in the way?” Laying the groundwork and building the culture is key to being able to have open conversations. What can be in the way, however, is not having people who look like you or understand you that you can talk to.“What I have found, and what I want to encourage anyone on this call right now, is to be rigorous with your vendors,” she said. “I have found incredible mental health practitioner partners that offer gender affirming mental health care, which was something I never even knew was that hard to track down, and it’s not any more expensive. You just have to ask.” she said. “You’ve got to be willing to ask questions, willing to hear the answers, and then you’ve got to act on the answers.”Addressing Barriers and BiasPanelist DeShawna Manley, national benefits director at PriceWaterHouseCoopers, tries to understand what motivates people. “Understanding not only what someone is good at, but what they want to learn, it helps them to enable their work life to be more fulfilling,” she said.One of her jobs is helping to bridge gaps by involving representatives who employees can relate to, whether based on race, gender, or other factors. “I’ve had HR managers who could not connect, and I’ve asked, ‘Do you mind if I reach out?’ Because sometimes seeing someone on the other side of that screen that looks like you will create that connection,” Manely said. “It’s human for us to have certain comfort levels with certain people.”There’s another type of bias she sees, and that’s unconscious generational bias. It could be older leaders who don’t understand younger workers who think differently. As Manely says, it all starts with awareness. “I’ve had conversations with the more Gen X leaders, and they don’t understand the behavior of the Gen Zer,” As someone on the cusp of Gen X and Millenial, she understood. “Being able to say, I can relate to your perspective. I understand where you’re coming from. I understand that this new generation, this younger generation, they operate differently, their perspective, their needs, are a little different.With that conversation, the light bulb will go off and there is an awareness of unconscious bias that helps everyone move forward.Diversity of care is important, and finding vendors that offer access to what employees need is key. The less barriers to care, the better, she says.Engagement and AuthenticityBenefits means more now than ever, said panelist Christopher Smith, vice president of benefits at Universal Music Group. You have to engage and be authentic in order to help them. You have to leave your desk and talk to people and truly listen.“Get up and talk to some folks. The folks are your stakeholders. They are your clients. If you want to know what somebody wants, sometimes you have to ask. And that, I think, has been the secret to my success as a benefits leader,” Smith said.A big part of listening is then acting on what employees need. Even if that changes over time. “I think there is a lot of stigma behind thinking, I have a job. I'm making X amount of dollars a year, so I shouldn’t have a financial problem. It’s embarrassing to go and talk to somebody about these things, right?” Smith said. But that shouldn’t be the case. Especially when being unable to have these real discussions causes stress. “So I think being able to have real conversations and share a little bit of our humanity can go a long way,” he said.By fostering open conversations, reducing stigma, and meeting employees where they are, companies can create cultures of care that not only improve well-being but also drive engagement, productivity, and retention. The key is listening to employees, acting on their needs, and ensuring access to diverse, judgment-free resources that support every aspect of their lives.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.

Carrie Snider | January 03, 2025