Search Stories

Showing 1 - 20 of 918 results

Cultivating a Strong Corporate Culture in a Changing Work Dynamic

Everyone waited for business to go back to normal following the pandemic. But the pandemic has created a ripple effect that may have changed the workplace forever. Take the tech industry, for example. Jennifer Christie, chief people officer of DocuSign, says that before the pandemic, tech talent was at a premium. But as everyone went remote and everything shifted, tech jobs were less in demand. Christie spoke about the changing work dynamic at From Day One’s conference in D.C. The biggest shift, she says, has been the relationship between employers and employees, especially trust and shared values. But there were other changes.“Loyalty started to increase a little bit because people didn’t want to leave during the pandemic,” she said. “But they also wanted a lot of flexibility that companies were willing to take risks to offer.”Now that people are used to not commuting, they’d rather not go back to commuting. Same goes for any other benefits that arose during the pandemic. Some companies are having to dial things back, and now there’s more labor to choose from. The power dynamic is shifting–but so are expectations. “We’re having a new relationship dynamic. And just like with any relationship, when all those things shift, you’ve got to kind of recontract.” Employers and employees are having those hard conversations and figuring out a balance.Hybrid work has emerged as one give-and-take between employers and employees. Moderator Taylor Telford of the Washington Post asked how businesses can create a strong culture in a hybrid environment. “What does that look like at DocuSign?” They looked at specific roles when deciding who should be in the office and when, reclassifying the roles as necessary. But to make it fair, if someone was hired specifically as a remote worker, they could stay remote until they changed roles. “We’re not going to bait and switch you right in the middle of this. We knew this was going to take a while to evolve, and we’re going to let that work it out.” About half of the roles are remote and the other half are hybrid, with a specific schedule of when they come in.“But what I think we’ve moved to is not obsessing so much about where someone works, but how people are working,” Christie added. Obviously, they didn’t want people coming into the office just to sit on virtual calls the whole time. The return to work needed to make sense. Focus on Progression Generally speaking, employers strive to retain employees. But if the number of people leaving is super low, that leaves no room for anyone else to be promoted. That’s why Christie says progression has become more important than ever.“Promotion is not always progression,” she said. “There has to be development and learning.” Rotation programs can be helpful in giving people a sense of growth and development without taking a new role or a promotion. Gen Z workers are especially craving this kind of development.“I think they’re just a sponge right now. Because they have missed so many opportunities to observe and to have mentors and just to learn organically,” Christie said.Jennifer Christie, Chief People Officer of DocuSign, right, was interviewed by Taylor Telford, Corporate Culture Reporter at The Washington Post Speaking of various generations of employees, paying attention to their different needs is important in all aspects of what the company can offer, from growth opportunities to benefits. During the pandemic, benefit offerings may have expanded and changed. Now that we’re post-pandemic, it can be hard to take away what people are used to having.“The multigenerational employee bases that we have is challenging,” Christie said. Some want student loans paid off, others couldn’t care less about a 401k, and others care more about family planning, and more people are looking for caregiver support. “It can be all over the map,” she added. At DocuSign, they’ve taken a core benefits approach of what most people want and offer a menu of options to personalize them as much as possible. Yet another way things have evolved in a way that hopefully benefits employer and employee.Empower the ManagersPerhaps the most unprecedented phenomenon to emerge from the pandemic has been the rise of the middle manager. As Christie said “They were our frontline or defense. They knew how their people were doing, they were the ones to flag to us when things were going wrong, especially because we didn’t have our eyes on people in the same way.”“Managers have to be more agile and meet their employees where they are. If their employees need someone who can connect with them on a more personal level, they’ve got to lean in and do that.” Other employees may need less personalization and more direction. Companies need to prepare managers so they’re ready, no matter how things may shift.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.

Carrie Snider | May 02, 2024
How to Keep a Hybrid Workforce Engaged and Productive

As of February 2024, more than half (54%) of employees in the US who can work remotely adhere to a hybrid schedule, and 27% are exclusively remote, according to data from Gallup.Yet many employers remain suspicious of remote and hybrid arrangements, fearing lack of productivity, weakening engagement, sagging performance, and lost opportunities for employee collaboration and innovation. Hoping to understand employee movements outside of their offices, some employers have invested in employee-monitoring software, capturing everything from hours worked to keystrokes.Yet privacy is a major concern for workers, and invasive employee monitoring can feel like Big Brother is breathing down their necks, rupturing trust and putting workers on guard.“It’s really important that we think about [employee productivity] insights not as a mechanism to scratch an itch of curiosity, but a mechanism to provide continuous improvement as it relates to the way that we work together,” said Gabriela Mauch, head of the productivity lab at workforce analytics software platform ActivTrak.Mauch understands why the itch is there. “This conversation started three or four years ago when [companies] abruptly transitioned from being a fully in-office organization to a fully remote organization,” said Mauch. “So many of us felt the pain of lacking visibility into the time worked and schedule adherence that are critical to running the business.”Yet many employers are asking the wrong questions, misinterpreting data, and failing to trust their workers to spend their time efficiently. During a recent From Day One webinar on engaging a hybrid workforce, Mauch and her colleague Sarah Altemus, ActivTrak’s productivity lab manager, talked about how employers can better and–more responsibly–use employee productivity data.Speakers from ActivTrak discussed the topic "How to Get Hybrid Right: The Cornerstones of Success" (photo by From Day One)Employers are susceptible to misuse of employee productivity data, and not just because they may want to obsessively monitor every click of a worker’s mouse.There is plenty of room for misinterpretation. For example, working long hours doesn’t mean someone is more productive or engaged, it could mean that they’re overloaded or barreling toward burnout. Likewise, a light schedule may not indicate laziness or disengagement, it may be a sign of underutilization. “These can quickly become attrition risks,” said Altemus.This has been a common struggle for employers, according to Mauch. “While we maybe had clear expectations of how we expect people to work, what we managed to struggle with is whether people are working too much or disengaging.”So some employers have responded by grabbing at details they hoped would illuminate those patterns. But a closer look doesn’t always make things clearer, and good information can get buried in the minutia of massive data reports. Shrewd interpretation of data at a higher level provides a more accurate picture. “The right information can help your managers act as coaches and provide guidance without infringing upon the comfort of your workforce who want to make sure that they still have those critical levels of privacy,” said Mauch.Altemus encouraged employers to examine productivity data at a higher level, in the form of general activity logs. “Think of it as just a glance around the office that you would otherwise get if you were in person,” she said. “How many employees are working today? How are productive hours tracking relative to goals? Is engagement and productivity trending up or down? Are there teams that are at risk of burnout, disengagement, or misalignment?”Better information can help managers categorize working time as productive or unproductive and make sure workers are actually signing off from work at the end of the day–not burning the midnight oil until they burn out. It can help managers avoid proximity bias that favors in-office workers over remote or hybrid workers for promotions and raises. And it can help leaders make the most of face-to-face time and office reconfigurations.To this end, Altemus recommended clear expectations. “The success of a flexible workforce requires clearly delineated responsibilities and communication protocols,” she said. And it needs a performance management strategy.Employers don’t set arbitrary guidelines for guidelines’ sake, said Mauch. “At the end of the day, the intent of company policy is not just to ensure that people are following it, the intent of the policy is to optimize productivity, take care of your employees, and retain them.”That’s when activity reporting becomes invaluable, she said: When you stop trying to answer the question, “Did people badge in and did people badge out?” and instead answer “Does my hybrid policy fully maximize my ability to engage and reach my productivity goals?”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, ActivTrak, 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, Quartz, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza | May 01, 2024
Why College Prep for Teens May Become the Next Workplace Benefit

Employers offer a wide variety of benefits for the working parents of young children, from onsite childcare and paid leave to fertility and conception benefits, but what about support for parents of older children and teens? During the teen years, “There's a massive emotional strain between parents and teenagers that folks are way too familiar with. There's financial uncertainty,” said Jonathan Murray, head of Empowerly for Employers. And “college prep is a major source of stress for these parents and has a significant impact on workplace productivity.”Murray ticked off some compelling statistics from a survey of 1,000 working parents that Empowerly commissioned to explore the value of an employee benefit for college prep. A full 95% reported that they are nervous about their teen's future when it comes to college prep. Fifty percent of them said that college prep was a constant stress and 88% of the 1,000 parents said that they use time at work to help their teens with college prep. One in four of these parents admit to using from six to 15 hours a week.“It’s not surprising that parents are looking to employers to provide help, and looking to employers to provide college prep benefits,” said Murray. “It's the number two benefit that was requested by parents of teens,” after financial well-being, he said.I interviewed Murray and Theresa Shropshire, an enrollment expert and college consultant for Empowerly, about the compelling reasons for employers to support their workforce during these critical years in a From Day One webinar titled, How Employers Can Ensure Continuity of Care for All Families.As a working parent of a teen who just went through this process, I can attest that the high school years and the college prep and application process are unlike what I experienced myself as a teen college aspirant. The competition and pressure for teens to perform at a high level academically, athletically and even socially is astonishing. The private college counseling industry has boomed as overwhelmed parents seek to navigate these unfamiliar demands.Shropshire described the types of services college prep companies such as Empowerly now offer, which range from the familiar, such as helping students craft compelling college application essays, to the less well-known, such as helping students choose everything from courses, extracurricular activities, and selective summer programs beginning as early as eighth grade. “A lot of the parents that I speak with are actually first generation in the U.S. Or maybe they went to college outside of the U.S. The process here is very, very different. It’s not all about grades and test scores.”Journalist Jeanhee Kim interviewed Jonathan Murray and Theresa Shropshire of Empowerly during the From Day One webinar (photo by From Day One)Many of the services save parents’ decision-making time, such as counseling parents and teens on how and when to take advantage of early action, early decision, and regular decision college application options as well as evaluating and comparing costs and financial aid packages when a fortunate student is deciding among multiple college acceptances.While college prep is an emerging employee benefit, Murray described how the realization that teens need more support is beginning to permeate society. He pointed to the recent partnership between New York City and TalkSpace, the mental health app, to deliver free mental health care to teens from age 13 to 17.“It really hits to the heart of what benefits are truly for,” said Murray. “They’re the ability for an employer to step in and help their individual employees or their employee families with these large problems that impact them, impact their families, impact the organization, and impact the communities.”College prep services like Empowerly not only help teens, Murray says. “There’s benefits for the parents, and then downstream, that benefits employers and communities.”There are different options for employers as well, says Murray. He described tiers of benefits that begin at no cost to either the employee or employer. Empowerly would partner with employers to offer no-cost access to college prep resource materials, such as samples of successful college essays. Options then level up to one-on-one consulting between the employee and college prep service at a cost that could be borne directly by the employee or by the employer.He emphasized that Empowerly would work with employers to craft plans that satisfy the employers and provide real benefits to employees. “We can provide ROI on it. It’s just so highly bespoke based on the needs.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Empowerly, for sponsoring this webinar. Jeanhee Kim is an independent journalist who has worked for CoinDesk, Crain’s New York Business, Money magazine and Forbes Asia.

Jeanhee Kim | April 30, 2024
The Three Pillars of Wellness: Physical, Mental, and Financial

The three pillars of wellness–physical, mental, and financial–are like three legs on a stool. Lose one, and the whole thing tips over. For example, if an employee needs an emergency medical procedure and has a high-deductible plan with little savings, not only will their physical health suffer, but they will soon feel mental and emotional stress as well. Ideally, employers will have plans in place to provide support in all areas.Rather than thinking in terms of siloes, the more effective approach for benefits leaders is to see how three pillars support an employee’s overall well-being. In a recent fireside chat at From Day One’s April virtual conference, Nate Nevas, head of benefits and health services at Pitney Bowes, provided an inside look at how to provide individualized care for a diverse workforce.The Current Moment in BenefitsThe current state of the workforce is both “the best of times, and the worst of times,” said Nevas. There are external forces making benefits challenging, including a nationwide lack of available primary care physicians and the rising costs of healthcare.But on the flip side, the current embrace of technology is having a positive impact on the HR world. “There are some things now that are available to provide as resources to our employees that are fantastic, that five, ten, 15 years ago just weren’t available,” Nevas said. This includes app-based resources like virtual healthcare appointments, online professional training courses, and even group fitness classes.Moderator Jeanhee Kim, an independent journalist, notes that the World Health Organization recently stated we are now going on year five of Covid. “Covid strained not just our physical health, but also strained our mental health and the economy,” Kim said. In order to embrace the current moment, employers need to be ready to address each of these concerns among their workforce.A Holistic Approach to Mental HealthNevas says that physical, mental, and financial wellness should all be approached with equal importance, and employers need to recognize how they are all interconnected. “We don't look at one as being more important than the other,” he said. “They’re all equally important to create someone who is going to come in and be fulfilled, be able to do their job, and feel good about themselves as an individual.”Journalist Jeanhee Kim interviewed Nate Nevas of Pitney Bowes at From Day One's April virtual conference (photo by From Day One)Prior to the pandemic, Nevas says, mental wellness tended to fall on the back burner. But throughout Covid, the need for mental health support became apparent, and his team began to put it on equal footing with physical and financial concerns. “We started a concerted effort to destigmatize mental wellness, using the phrase ‘it’s OK to not be OK,’” he said. Pitney Bowes began offering internal webinars “not just as a check-the-box effort, but as a consistent conversation and making it an acceptable conversation.”Since mental wellness statistics can be harder to track among employees than, say, 401(k) participation, leaders can gauge success by reviewing webinar statistics to see which topics are most important and touching base with senior leaders to see what employees are saying.Providing Individualized CareFor a global organization like Pitney Bowes, the workforce population is diverse, from high-powered salaried corporate executives to hourly workers for whom English might not be their first language. To keep things fair and consistent, Nevas says, Pitney Bowes doesn’t offer different benefits to different types of employees, but it may emphasize certain benefits to certain employees based on their interests and adjust how it communicates about them. For example, retirement planning options may be more attractive to employees who are salaried, even if the same benefits are offered to hourly workers too.Much of it comes down to knowing your audience and meeting them where they are. Hourly workers don’t have company email addresses or computers, he says. “We provide benefit guides that are in multiple languages. We know which languages are spoken the most at certain sites, and we’ll do hardcopy handouts there,” he said. He also knows there are huddle in-person meetings at the start of every shift, so he’ll give team leaders important messages to relay at those gatherings. Important messages will also appear on screens onsite, and each location has an employee experience champion available to explain benefits and encourage enrollment.Knowing that net cash flow is also important to the hourly population, Pitney Bowes provides advance pay options, low contribution health plans, and even major appliance purchase programs to help these employees make the most of their paychecks.Saving Money by Providing Better BenefitsPhysical, mental, and financial wellness benefits don’t have to break the bank for employers. Nevas says his organization has a benefits hub with discounts on car rentals, groceries, movie tickets, insurance, and more, plus a partnership to help with student loan refinancing. These benefits do not cost the organization any money, but can save the employee money and give them special access to certain perks.Pitney Bowes also emphasizes the importance and availability of free, preventative care so employees do not get hit as hard by future out-of-pocket costs. This is especially crucial among their immigrant employee population, which Nevas notes has more of a cultural resistance to medical check-ups.And of course, employee turnover can be a costly hit to an organization for a variety of reasons, so providing attractive benefits is also a boon to retention, particularly during this time of the great resignation. For Nevas and his team, this comes down to providing genuine, individualized care with an eye toward advancement and longevity. “Our employee value proposition is that ‘We do the right thing the right way,’” he said. They emphasize not only physical, mental, and financial wellness benefits, but also career development in terms of professional resources and a clear pathway to promotion. “We’re going to help you grow. Once we get someone in the door, it's about who we are as an organization, and what we're able to provide as a company from a cultural standpoint, not just benefits, but the whole picture and your professional development.”Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost and several printed essay collections, among others, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, and CBS New York.

Katie Chambers | April 26, 2024
Why Investing in the Employee Experience Is More Important Than Ever

“We’re coming to times where promotions are not going to be as available. How can I make you feel happy here on a day-to-day basis, especially when a year may come where you may not see that next step?” This is the question Ashley Collado-Jaime, people operations manager at Medidata Solutions, posed to From Day One’s audience in a webinar about investing in the employee experience.With tighter budgets and fewer resources, people leaders face the challenge of creating more holistic and sustainable strategies, and more of them recognize measuring ROI goes beyond the scope of using metrics alone.Deborah Thomas, chief people officer at Somos, Inc., shared a similar approach to providing support and gathering feedback using focus groups, surveys, exit surveys, and more to understand the employee experience: “We engage employees in solutioning with us, and as we’re building these experiences, we leverage their voices every step of the way.”Employee engagement and satisfaction equally predict potential long-term success. More business leaders will consider investing in initiatives, with measurable and immeasurable results for key talent retention.Quantifying the BenefitsModerator Rob Catalano, chief engagement officer at WorkTango, a platform improving the employee experience and boosting retention using engagement software such as employee surveys, inquired about effectively requesting investment in experience initiatives.“Given the significance of today’s workplace where maybe it's hard to find those levels of investment, how do you approach the next steps? How do you approach securing a budget?” Catalano asked.Collado-Jaime says that survey metrics prove what strategies deliver results. The participation numbers must justify requesting additional investment in employee experience programs. When retention rates declined in groups with lower participation, the numbers correlated.Catalano of WorkTango led the conversation with Collado-Jaime of Medidata Solutions and Thomas of Somos, Inc. (photo by From Day One)“It goes back to the data looking at our retention rates compared to who was being recognized,” Collado-Jaime said. “We saw that with our retention rates within lower participating groups. Something is missing here and people aren’t feeling as appreciated.”Thomas builds on presenting numbers as evidence, discussing the effectiveness of benchmarking, and using employee survey metrics. By revealing how Somos financially exceeded its peer organizations, Thomas could request investment in DEI and other employee engagement initiatives. Sustainability of the Employee ExperienceInvesting in the employee experience has implications for the business, employees, and leaders.As companies continue to set goals amidst increasing financial constraints, open communication, engagement, and recognition are critical to meeting modern-day business goals. “There is a big wellness and burnout issue in organizations today for a lot of the things we just described, asking people to do more with fewer resources and higher expectations,” Catalano said.Collado-Jaime discussed Medidata Solutions’ quarterly manager roadshows to assist hiring managers in developing programs to boost team engagement. These roadshows incorporate training webinars and open communication channels. Feedback from the hiring managers throughout the process helps HR leaders improve programs and make new development and retention strategies.At Somos, Inc., the success of its career pathing program relies on testimonials from leaders. Based on employee survey data revealing that teams wanted to hear directly from their leaders instead of HR, Thomas shared how their recognition program revealed an opportunity to promote engagement through leaders fostering performance appraisal discussions within the program.Catalano noted how both companies adopted a more holistic experience inclusive of employees and leaders alike. This approach and leadership perspective helped build stronger, more engaged teams, thus cultivating a more sustainable business.The Qualitative BenefitsThe panelists discussed the usefulness of employee experience initiatives, irrespective of whether they can be proven ROI. Collado-Jaime emphasized that an employee with a positive experience allows that company to promote it as a specific experience that other companies may not offer.Thomas used DEI as an example of an initiative with benefits not easily proven ROI. She recounted Somos, Inc. celebrating Holi as a cultural recognition of their South-Asian employees and saw 75% of their participation. The quality of their experience is immeasurable through a business-oriented lens.The employee experience is pivotal to a sustainable business and yields more effective results than short-term cost-saving initiatives and measures. “We can have AI, technology, and all of those things,” Thomas said. “but ultimately people make those things happen.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, WorkTango, for sponsoring this webinar. Stephanie Reed is a freelance news, marketing, and content writer. Much of her work features small business owners throughout diverse industries. She is passionate about promoting small, ethical, and eco-conscious businesses.

Stephanie Reed | April 25, 2024
How a Leader Brings Clarity to Benefits Offerings

“Benefits, perks, compensation–they’re all taken into account when job offers are made. That’s how you remain competitive. We don’t have to offer every single benefit that’s out there. We just have to offer the right ones.” This is according to Lenka Sloman, the managing director, and head of total rewards at global advertising firm GroupM.Sloman joined the company in September 2023, taking over the company’s benefits offerings and finding ways for GroupM to remain competitive for top ad talent. During the closing fireside chat at From Day One’s April virtual conference, I interviewed the total rewards leader about her strategy for getting the best return on investment for GroupM’s total rewards.Sloman’s challenge will be to balance market demands with individual needs.Tracking the Most Popular BenefitsThere is no limit to the size of benefits packages today. Not only are there innumerable vendors and platforms, the breadth of options is ever-widening.Sloman has been watching the market for the most popular benefits and perks. Right now, it’s all about family planning. GroupM enhanced its family-building benefits recently, adding features like egg freezing, donor services, adoption, paid time off, and parental leave. The company even added milk-shipping services, “so if a birthing parent goes back to work and is traveling, they can pump their milk and have it sent to their homes, so the baby can continue feeding,” said Sloman. It can also be used for surrogacy arrangements.“This is critically important for our employees,” she said. “We want to make sure our employees don’t have to worry about taking time off because they have to take care of a child–or whatever the case may be. If we get it right, they can concentrate on bonding with their newborns or adopted children, and it balances with their professional lives.”And she didn’t forget about those workers who don’t have kids at home. GroupM even offers dog-walking and pet-sitting services. “Pets are part of the family too,” she said.Competing for Talent With Exceptional Benefits PackagesSo, how does Sloman stay abreast of what’s going on in the benefits market?The talent acquisition team gathers information from job seekers about what they’re being offered elsewhere–and this provides helpful intel. But Sloman puts more stock into the data gathered by benefits consultants. “Understanding the benchmarks and getting guidance from our consultants sometimes has a more accurate description as to what our peers are doing. That’s what we base our decisions on. Really, it’s an art, not a science.”Lenka Sloman, right, was interviewed by journalist Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza during the virtual fireside chat (photo by From Day One)Keeping up with what’s happening in the benefits workplace, learning to distinguish between must-haves and nice-to-haves, and annually reviewing GroupM’s utilization plan are the three steps she follows to make the company an employer of choice.When benefits are regularly refreshed and augmented, new hires will be interested and current ones are more likely to stay. But the annual review isn’t necessarily spring cleaning. “We don’t have a policy that says, if no one’s using it, we’re going to get rid of it. We will generally put it on a watch list to revisit it once a year to make sure the return on investment is there.”To keep ROI high, employees have to know what’s available so they can use it. Sloman is persistent in her comms strategy. She holds a weekly call with new hires to review their benefits and answer questions. Existing employees get their own call focused on a specific benefit, often selected for timeliness. These calls are heavily attended, she said. “In February, for example, we wanted to make sure everyone got their receipts for their FSA, so we dedicated time to remind employees.”Sloman keeps an eye on the market, careful to not fall into the trap of fads. Yet she’s also keen on individualization. Work-life balance looks different for every employee, and the way they want to achieve it will vary just as widely. To this end, Sloman likes to keep some perks as flexible as possible.“I think people-first culture and work-life balance right now are top priorities for employees. That’s something we haven’t had before,” she said. But that means something different to everyone. To some, flexible work isn’t an interesting benefit; they would rather have more time off to spend with their families. Others will prefer remote work. The point is that employees could pick and choose their work and benefits arrangements in a way that best fits them. That’s something they’ll likely stick around for.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 BBC, the Economist, the Washington Post, Quartz, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza | April 24, 2024
Making Benefits More Accessible–and Meaningful

Nicole Cody became the vice president of total rewards at International Paper in 2020, right in the middle of the first year of Covid. “That was an interesting time to come into this space,” she said during a panel discussion at From Day One’s April virtual conference.Cody told moderator Lydia Dishman of Fast Company that the biggest spike in demand she has seen “is perhaps, not surprisingly, access to mental health providers and mental health care.”A majority of Americans say money problems negatively impact their mental health, says Will Peng, CEO and co-founder of Northstar, a comprehensive financial wellness benefit. “Financial stressors are very closely related to other pillars of well-being,” he said.Today’s workers want lifestyle spending accounts, which allow them to allocate benefit funds from their employers for wellness programs they need the most, says Megan Burns, benefits strategy and solutions lead for Forma, an employee benefits platform.Those programs can include physical wellness, social-emotional health, financial counseling, and whatever else the company deems eligible. She noted some studies indicate that by 2025, about 40% of employers will have some sort of lifestyle spending or customizable spending account in place. “It’s definitely become a really trendy benefit.”Stress Management and Mental HealthStress management has become a much-desired employee benefit in recent years, says Alecia Williams-Pierre, VP of total rewards at Atrium Hospitality.“We have been looking at implementing different webinars or meditations just as part of our culture to help associates be able to manage stress overall,” she said.Having access to mental health care providers is an enormous challenge, especially in rural locations, according to Cody.“So, when we were looking at how we could beef up our offerings, we looked at a provider network that doesn’t go through insurance,” she said. “They’re not part of a carrier’s provider network. They’re just mental health providers that get direct payments. And we found a way to process the claims through our insurance plan on the back end.”This arrangement allowed International Paper to get its employees access to care within days as opposed to weeks, says Cody.Helping Employees Manage Financial StressPeng says financial wellness is at the top of everyone’s mind right now because of inflation. “Everything seems to be really expensive now. It’s hard to walk out the door without spending more money than we hoped.”Northstar has a platform to help people manage their finances and provides one-on-one counseling, says Peng. He says creating a personalized plan for each individual life stage is the best form of support. For example, if an employee is starting a family, they must change their budget and decide on their benefits.The benefits and total rewards leaders spoke at From Day One's April virtual conference about "Benefits That Fit Individual Needs Without Busting the Budget" (photo by From Day One)“For what should be an exciting life event, oftentimes, we’re overwhelmed with a ton of logistical and financial decisions that we have to make,” he said. “So, it’s about creating those systems and guidance to help our people feel supported.”Lifestyle Spending AccountsDuring the pandemic, employees became more aware of the need to balance work and life, says Sarah Schutzburger, benefits and wellness manager for Samsung Semiconductor.“Employees would come to us saying, ‘What about this vendor? What about this support program? What about this resource?’” she said.As a result, Samsung Semiconductor recently implemented a lifestyle spending account so workers “can customize what’s valuable to them, and be reimbursed for those types of benefits,” Schutzburger said.Employees value lifestyle spending accounts because “they love choice and they love flexibility,” Burns said. Managing multiple benefits vendors can be costly and time-consuming for employers. However, lifestyle savings accounts are “sort of the easy button,” said Burns.More than 75% of the employers who partner with Forma repurpose existing budget dollars for lifetime savings accounts. “I would say the value is both from an employee’s appreciation of the benefit, administrative time, and direct financial ROI,” she said.Communicating With Employees About BenefitsBenefits only work if employees know and understand them, says Schutzberger. That’s why it’s critical for organizations to have “clear and concise messaging, using simple language to explain the benefits and their importance and avoiding jargon.”Companies should also “tell a story about the benefits,” Schutzberger said. Whether they are new parents or nearing retirement, “they want to know how they apply to them.”Williams-Pierre recommends organizations talk to their employees about benefits all year round using multiple channels such as email, webinars, and mailers.At Atrium Hospitality, communicating these options can be tricky, because benefits need to be discussed in various languages. “We have to have Spanish, we have to have French, we have to have Tagalog. And as our population grows and changes, we have to be more creative and be ready to meet the need.”Mary Pieper is a freelance writer based in Mason City, Iowa. 

Mary Pieper | April 23, 2024
Revolutionizing Mental Health in the Workplace: The Power of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies

With heightened isolation during the pandemic, mental health conditions like anxiety and depression saw an increase, leading to a surge in mental health care spending and usage. Today, ninety percent of the public state they believe there is a mental health crisis in the U.S., showing the continual relevance and demand for mental health care.Talk therapy or medications like antidepressants are commonly used in treating mental health conditions but studies have shown these treatments may not work for everybody. For example, in one study, researchers found antidepressants only worked for 15% of the participants.Sherry Rais, CEO and co-founder of Enthea is working to change the healthcare industry and revolutionize effective treatment. Enthea is currently the sole healthcare partner offering psychedelic healthcare as a workplace benefit and recently won the 2023 Global Recognition Award for being a transformative pioneer in the medical field.For Rais, Enthea is only the beginning of a well-needed change to the mental health care space. In a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s April virtual conference, Rais spoke about the promising results Enthea has seen and how psychedelic healthcare can be a win for both employers and employees.Gaps in Traditional Mental Health Care TreatmentsIneffective treatments, dangerous withdrawal symptoms, and relapses are all reasons for the need for change in traditional mental health care treatments, Rais says.“20-60% of people with a significant mental health condition are actually treatment resistant, so anything that we have to offer them from traditional methods, to talk therapy and antidepressants, won’t work on them,” Rais said.The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates untreated mental illness can cost up to $300 billion annually, an expensive cost for employers, and can result in lost productivity, absenteeism, and turnovers.Sherry Rais of Enthea led the virtual thought leadership spotlight“Employers have improved their mental health offerings in the U.S., yet employees still say that they’re not getting the mental health care they need. There is this disconnect,” Rais said. “It’s like a broken system, we’re spending more but people are not getting better. This is where ketamine and psychedelic therapy can play a huge role for these treatment-resistant populations as they work differently.”Psychedelic therapy has been shown to bring promising results. A single dose of a psychedelic drug can have a long-lasting impact on mental health disorders like depression and PTSD. Additionally, people who undergo psychedelic therapy can see results in as little as one session.“We have a lot of people in the construction industry who deal with high rates of suicide, and a psychedelic drug like ketamine is one of the only substances that reduces suicidal ideation quickly,” Rais said. “A drug like ketamine is magical because it starts working in as little as six hours.”The Challenges to Destigmatize Psychedelic TherapyMaking psychedelic therapy more accessible requires a change in its reputation.Since the 1960s, ketamine has been a drug in clinical practices, proving valuable in the anesthesiology and critical care medicine fields. However, with the increase in recreational use in the 1980s, ketamine quickly became known as a party drug, dubbed “Vitamin K” or “Special K.”But it’s not just ketamine with the bad reputation: MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, and psilocybin, commonly known as magic mushrooms, are both drugs used recreationally and have been outspokenly used by celebrities.These recreational uses are far different than psychedelic therapy, Rais says.“When we are talking about psychedelic-assisted therapy, it is the use of a high dose psychedelic in a clinically supervised setting with a trained therapist who administers the psychedelic and then does therapy with you while you are in this altered state where your brain has an increased neuroplasticity,” Rais said.To shift people’s views on psychedelic healthcare, Rais advises focusing on the benefits of these drugs. “Focus on patient outcomes and data because when administered in a clinical setting, we’re seeing results like people no longer needing to be on antidepressants after just a few sessions and that goes beyond any kind of recreational intent.”With key approvals from the FDA, psychedelic therapy is well on its way to becoming a changing force in the mental health care field, Rais says.“In the future, I hope that the stigma that’s still associated with psychedelics is removed, and people can talk freely and openly about psychedelic-assisted therapy,” Rais said. “I hope that it will be a basic mental health treatment that we will all have access to.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Enthea, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.

Wanly Chen | April 17, 2024
Does Your Company Genuinely Care About Well-Being? How to Show It Through Your Culture

When Betsy Kippenhan, VP of global talent acquisition at Comcast, moved from Denver to Seattle in July 2018, the first thing she did before checking into her temporary home was join a gym in the neighborhood. It was crucial that her relocation be as much a personal transition as it was a career transition.“Things have been going pretty well in my career. But my husband and I had two children, and I think that the part of me that was let go was my own well-being,” Kippenhan said. “So it was really about creating new routines. And I’m proud to say for the past five years, I’ve continued to add to those routines, whether it’s listening to a new audiobook or juicing every Sunday. I’ve found that far more important than my career.”Kippenhan spoke alongside three other senior leaders at From Day One’s conference in Seattle in a panel titled “Does Your Company Genuinely Care About Well-Being? How to Show it Through Your Culture.” The panelists, in conversation moderated by Diana Opong, a reporter with KUOW Public Radio, discussed how organizations can avoid the “well-being washing” trap and translate their promises into meaningful action. But change, as they often say, begins at home. Each panelist began by outlining measures they take to ensure their own personal well-being.For Muhammad Umar, Divisional VP, talent diversity and change management at REI, well-being comes in the form of regular walks. Melinda Mansfield, head of business development at SecureSave, says for her, it comes from being able to prioritize important tasks rather than getting caught up in everything coming at you at once.But how does this translate into their roles as leaders? Should leaders be mandated to incorporate a culture of well-being from the top down? Umar believes the keyword here shouldn’t be “mandated” but “modeled.”“A leader’s role is to guide their teams both personally and professionally. But how do we start to talk about well-being on a regular basis so that it’s something that a leader models? A leader that I know puts everything that she does to focus on well-being onto her calendar publicly. This includes, ‘I’m gonna walk my dog for five minutes.’ She does that to make sure that she sets the tone of her team.” Mansfield agrees, outlining how crucial it is that managers show their commitment to well-being so employees are encouraged to value it themselves. Managers who send out emails on the weekends or late at night display a lack of work-life balance, even if they don’t necessarily expect employees to respond at those times.“I think putting things on the calendar so that everyone can see where you’re prioritizing yourself gives them permission to do it as well,” she said.The panelists discussed the topic "Does Your Company Genuinely Care About Well-Being? How to Show It Through Your Culture" at From Day One's Seattle conference Andy France, corporate wellness consultant & head of enterprise accounts at Burnalong, says that leaders should simultaneously be encouraged to share authentic stories, not just of their successes but their struggles. “Because when people hear that, they resonate and feel comfortable speaking up,” he said. However, as we often see, there is a significant disconnect between the top management and employees. Middle management is thus expected to play a significant role in bridging that gap, or as Opong puts it, “to help employees balance hustle culture and their own well-being.”Kippenhan says this will only be possible when managers are equipped with the right training and tools. The expectation of a leader five years ago is vastly different from what it is today, the VP says. “We have frontline leaders who have been working with some of the same people for 30 years. And now, all of a sudden, they’re having conversations that they’ve never been asked to have before. We can’t just ask them to do something without giving them the tools and the how.”Umar adds that employee expectations have similarly evolved. More individuals than ever before are entering the workforce, expecting their leaders to have conversations about mindfulness and wellness.Meanwhile, France points out that the ever-compounding role of middle management professionals has led many to suffer from burnout. They, too, he believes, can benefit from resources dedicated to well-being and from somebody to talk to.Mansfield says that one of the key benefits of this top-down managerial approach is that it encourages workers to be more vulnerable and normalizes talking about mental health. “The stigma is less than where it was 10-20 years ago,” she says. “But it’s still something that employees might not tell the people closest to them, much less go to their manager and let them know they’re struggling.”A solution Kippenhan outlines to keep the conversation going is the concept of a check-in question. “In every staff meeting, we give people a chance to breathe and maybe share some things. Sometimes, they can be fun. Other times, they can be a little bit more serious. And obviously, people have the choice to share what they want and how much they want.”It’s equally crucial to keep track of how these questions have changed over time, says Umar. “I remember when I first used to ask those questions, people would have a very canned response. Now, I feel they’d be more honest.”He says this is a sign of the changing conversation around mental health and traction that organizations can’t afford to lose.Kippenhan further emphasizes a proactive approach to mental health. This involves getting every employee engaged at an early stage and preventing challenges from reaching a crisis point. Companies should take steps to ensure that their mental health benefits are available 24/7.Recent research finds that just one in three women in the workforce feels their employer is actually upholding its commitment to well-being. Similarly, people with disabilities may find their experience to be different from their able coworkers. So the question remains: While there are many common stressors, how can employers take an inclusive approach to ensure employees from across backgrounds are heard? For Umar, it starts by identifying the common stressors and building programs to address the many things that could occur. “We have a program at REI, which is pretty handy. It allows you to navigate the experience you’re going through and find a solution based on that. So you actually meet a person and talk about some of the stuff you’re going through.”It’s also crucial to have employee resource groups to avoid taking a one-size-fits-all approach to well-being, says Mansfield. “If you’re having an issue that is inclusive to a demographic that you’re in or a certain situation, you’ve got groups and mentors and peers that you can go to, as well as the benefits your employer is giving you.”Keren's love for words saw her transition from a corporate employee into a freelance writer during the pandemic. When she is not at her desk whipping up compelling narratives and sipping on endless cups of coffee, you can find her curled up with a book, playing with her dog, or pottering about in the garden.

Keren Dinkin | April 16, 2024
Workers Want Weight-Loss Drugs, But How Can Employers Pay the Bills?

When consumers see splashy TV commercials for weight-loss drugs, they often find the the pitch irresistible. But for HR and benefits executives, they may trigger an uneasy feeling. That's because the revolutionary weight-loss drugs like Wegovy bring with them both magic and mystery–the magic is how well they can work; the mystery is how to pay for them.GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, drugs have historically been used to treat diabetes. But the development of stronger drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic in recent years, and now the approval of Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound specifically for weight management, has led to a sharp increase in demand. That’s particularly true as more research emerges showing the drugs may also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and potentially bring other long-term health benefits. Yet the medications can cost as much as $1,000 to $1,500 per month–a price that few Americans can afford unless they have generous health-insurance coverage.And unlike expensive drugs for rare conditions, the potential number of patients for GLP-1s is vast. More than 40% of Americans have obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that is expected to reach 50% by 2030.Many doctors are thrilled about the potential for GLP-1s to change how obesity is treated, but that puts employers–where nearly half of Americans get their health insurance–in a tricky position. Here’s what employers need to know as they consider coverage for these drugs in the quickly changing landscape:High Costs, Low CoverageWhile employer health plans widely cover GLP-1s for the purpose of treating diabetes, coverage for weight-loss purposes is much more spotty right now. A survey last fall by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans found that 27% of 205 employers covered GLP-1s for weight loss and another 13% did not yet cover them but were considering adding coverage. Meanwhile, Willis Towers Watson (WTW), a global insurance benefits-consulting company that serves many large employers, found about 38% of employers it surveyed cover the weight-loss drugs. Those that do cover them are seeing significant cost increases. The retail price for Wegovy comes out to $15,000 to $16,000 per year, and after rebates and discounts from manufacturers, health plans still pay about $9,000 per year, says Cody Midlam, a director at WTW’s pharmacy practice. The cost per member per month for GLP-1s has doubled each of the last three years, according to WTW’s analysis, amounting to an extra $11 per member per month last year, or about 9% of all pharmacy costs.Companies are aware of the research showing the drugs’ effectiveness at tackling obesity. Yet while doctors say that helping people lose weight could lead to less cardiovascular disease, fewer mental health issues, and savings from avoiding knee replacements or other surgeries related to obesity, long-term data on clinical outcomes remains limited. With high employee turnover in many industries, it’s tough for these employers to factor in potential future savings in healthcare costs over the life of the employee.“Those outcomes take a very long time to manifest,” says Midlam. “It’s not something that’s easily measurable on a short timescale when plan decisions are being made.” Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, the largest U.S. insurer, said his corporate clients see the benefits, but first have to deal with the short-term costs. “We’re very positive about the potential for another tool in the toolbox to help folks manage their weight. We recognize that has potential benefits,” Witty said in the third-quarter earnings call last year. “But we’re struggling.”Employers Meet the DemandDespite the high costs and headlines about some insurance plans scrapping GLP-1 coverage, plenty of employers see the upside to covering the new obesity medications. Ninety-nine percent of companies already covering GLP-1s said they planned to continue doing so next year, according to a fall survey from Accolade, a healthcare navigation and advocacy company. Employers reported that after they added GLP-1 coverage, they saw higher employee satisfaction, increased engagement in other well-being programs, and improvements in other or comorbid health conditions. Midlam of WTW says his firm’s corporate clients want to “avoid member disruption” wherever possible.Doctors agree that should be a priority. Dan Azagury, M.D., medical director for the Stanford Lifestyle and Weight Management Center, says GLP-1s have been a “game changer” for many of his patients. “If you stop it overnight, whether it’s insurance, or financial, or shortages, the rebound is ferocious,” he said. “So it’s really very frustrating that they encounter that situation.” Some companies have expressed concerns about the idea of paying for a drug that employees essentially have to take forever to maintain its benefits. But while side effects, including vomiting and gastrointestinal issues, can be unpleasant for some people, doctors like Azagury say they know how to help patients manage them, and that they are seeing more patients have a positive response to GLP-1s than to previous generations of weight loss medications. Holistic Care, Not Just PrescriptionsEven when employers decide they want to help their employees lose weight, there are still lots of details to consider. As companies approach designing their insurance plans for 2025 and beyond, they are trying to figure out how many employees are likely to use GLP-1 drugs if coverage is offered, whether there should be limits on who can get the drugs, and what kind of requirements they should use to prove the drugs are medically necessary. Most companies that cover GLP-1s use some cost-control strategies, according to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans survey. Many use prior authorization, step therapy during which patients must try lower-cost drugs first, or specific eligibility requirements.Typically, eligibility requirements have been tied to the standards on the FDA labels for these medications. But some employers are considering restrictions such as only covering the drugs for people with obesity but not those who are overweight, says Tracy Spencer, a pharmacy practice leader for benefits consultant Aon. If they add those limits, she warns that employers should be aware that could change or jeopardize the rebates they get from the drug manufacturers, so they need to predict whether the savings they get from limiting the drugs’ use will offset the loss of the rebates.Benefits consultants like Aon and WTW are also seeing employers shift the way they look at GLP-1 drugs to view them as one piece in a broader strategy to address cardio-metabolic issues.That might mean employers choose to cover the drugs for targeted indications, such as covering Wegovy not for weight loss on its own, but for people with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which Medicare recently announced it would do. It can also mean pairing GLP-1 coverage with required lifestyle modifications or participation in a virtual weight-loss or coaching program. Employers often have access to virtual health programs through their pharmacy benefit managers, and many have tried these to target diabetes in recent years. The biopharmaceutical company Moderna, which offers coverage of GLP-1s for diabetes and weight management, is one company that has tried this strategy. “In 2023 we saw a spike related to weight-loss management: We looked at claims data, and after mental health, obesity and weight management were the second drivers,” Jeffrey Stohlberg, Moderna’s director of corporate benefits, said at a From Day One conference earlier this year. So the company started using the virtual weight-loss management program Wondr Health, where an employee can work with a physician specializing in weight loss. “It’s not a path to GLP-1s, but [the physicians] can provide medication for that person,” Stohlberg said. Labcorp also announced in February that it would provide U.S. employees on GLP-1s with virtual care and medication management through WeightWatchers for Business. Other companies such as Omada Health and telehealth providers like Teladoc and Ro have launched similar offerings over the last year. Medical providers agree that a holistic approach is needed, but Angela Fitch, M.D., president of the Obesity Medicine Association and co-founder and chief medical officer of the obesity-focused primary care startup knownwell, worries that requiring a standard weight-management program for every person is another barrier and potentially a waste of money if the program doesn’t have solid evidence behind it.“You can offer lifestyle [strategies] in addition to medication,” she said, “but it should be driven by that shared decision making discussion with the clinician.” If insurers want to make sure patients are getting holistic care, she would rather have them require patients to get their prescriptions from a qualified physician who does a true evaluation so that solutions can be personalized. In her role with the Obesity Medicine Association, Fitch often advises employers on their health plan designs, so she understands that costs are a major concern for companies. But in her primary-care practice and others like it, she says her staff are “burning out” as they spend hours each day trying to navigate all the new and often strict and confusing insurance requirements for these medications. “We have got to deal with costs,” Fitch said. “But it should be transparent and flexible.” She worries that overly rigid restrictions are “adding to the bias and stigma of obesity” by signaling to patients that their weight is their responsibility to treat on their own. Her major advice is to view obesity with the nuance that people view other chronic conditions. “You do not need a GLP-1 management solution. You need a comprehensive obesity-care solution.”Abigail Abrams is a health writer and editor. Currently she is the senior manager of content operations for Atria. Previously, she was a staff writer on health and politics for TIME magazine. Her freelance work has appeared in the Washington Post, the Guardian, and other publications.

Abigail Abrams | April 15, 2024
Bridging the Human Connection Gap: How Technology Can Bring Workers Together

The sense of disconnection that Dave Wilkin felt while growing up was painful, but it became a powerful motivator that would change his life. “I learned the hard way that if you don’t have mentors, if you don’t have networks, and if you don’t have relationships–you just don’t get access to the same career or learning opportunities,” Wilkin told From Day One. “I was a gay kid in a really small town, and that’s a really tough place to be. How could I find people who were like me that I could aspire to be like?”Ten Thousand Coffees–or 10KC for short–a networking tech company that Wilkin co-founded and now leads as CEO, is how he hopes to rectify the connection deficit. It’s one that millions of workers experience, especially in the era of remote and hybrid work. Wilkin remembers how it felt to be isolated, imagining a career but with no way to get there. “It’s like sitting on an island all by yourself,” he said.Networks of close relationships grow careers, engage employees, boost morale, and keep workforces intact. According to a 2023 survey by Gallup, employees who have a mentor are 58% more likely to feel that their employer offers equal opportunities for advancement. Forty-eight percent of those who have sponsors feel the same way.Yet for Wilkin, it’s not good enough to leave such relationships up to chance, so he’s giving it a shot with a fast-rising technology: machine learning. His solution is 10KC, which adapts the tech that powers online dating matches to identify meaningful workplace connections, combined with a learning platform to make the most of those connections. The mixture produces connectivity at scale. The platform connects workers based on 50 factors, including skills, career path, location, time zone, interest areas, and affinity networks, then brings them together for productive conversation.The results are impressive. “We’ve decreased employee churn by 25% to 35% among our platform users, and we’re looking at tens of thousands of data points,” he said. Plus, 10KC has been able to increase participation in employee resource groups (ERGs) by two to three times. “A lot of HR and talent leaders think about mentoring and networking in its traditional formats–one-directional relationships where a mentor guides a mentee–but the new world of artificial intelligence and machine learning allows HR leaders to think about mentoring and networking in much more dynamic, personalized ways.”Dave Wilkin, co-founder and CEO of Ten Thousand Coffees (Photo courtesy of 10KC)Ultimately, Wilkin’s ticket out of his hometown of Lively, Ontario, was a full ride to the University of Waterloo. That marked a change in his life, not only because it was an exceptional education, but because it came with mentors and role models. “Those were the most game-changing people in my life because they helped me figure out what skills I needed to learn, what kind of programs I should study to get involved, and how to job-search.”No single relationship gave Wilkin his footing, but it was the sum of his mentors that made the difference. “There’s no such thing as a single mentor,” Wilkins said. “It’s much more dynamic than that.” It takes mentors, sponsors, peer-to-peer relationships, and reverse mentors, where a more junior employee supports one of their seniors, to create a network that propels a career.Preventing Those Missed ConnectionsThough Wilkin had to wait around for serendipity to bring in mentors, he saw a better way: Don’t leave it up to chance. Expecting workers to network on their own creates too many missed connections. With planning, companies can create proximity in distributed workforces.This can be especially important following a merger or acquisition in which two discrete organizations must come together to form something greater than the sum of its parts. And for leaders who travel, a smart network match can help them make the most of site visits. “The next time you travel, schedule a time to get to know your teams and have career conversations, rather than hoping that you bump into your colleagues in the elevator,” Wilkin said. “Find reverse mentoring opportunities so you can pick up new skills while on the road. Promote your practice area or simply learn who’s sitting in your company.”The Network Opportunity GapThere’s a distinct difference between the well-connected employee, who knows a lot of people by name (and maybe some office gossip), and the engaged employee, asserted Emily Dickens, head of government affairs for the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) in a 2022 interview with Gallup. “She’s happy, and she knows who to talk to in order to get things done,” Dickens said. “To really thrive and have a life well-lived, you have to have a work experience that is personal. You need to create relationships that outlast your time with the company. Unfortunately, this can be difficult for many professionals.”Traditional networking programs fail too many people. There’s a gender gap when it comes to mentorship and sponsorship. McKinsey and LeanIn.org’s 2023 Women in the Workplace report found that women are less likely than men to be “in the know,” and be able to access both mentorship and sponsorship opportunities at their company. Women are less likely than men to feel included in important company networks, according to SHRM’s Dickens.Another opportunity gap is based on seniority. Though internal mobility rates are up since 2021, according to LinkedIn, advancement opportunities are not evenly distributed. Workers at the manager and director levels are more than twice as likely as individual contributors to make a move within the company. Consider also that workers at the highest echelons are less likely to be female, less likely to be people of color, and less likely to be disabled.Taking the initiative in networking isn’t well-received in every workplace, said Wilkin. Skipping a level can get you in trouble, or at least earn you some suspicious looks. Asking around about other people’s jobs while seeking out sponsorship and mentorship can look like you’re trying to circumvent authority, leave your team, or conduct some (light) espionage. “If you’re a sales manager and you go above your boss to talk to somebody inside the company, you might get your wrist slapped,” he said. “There’s a lot of bias and barriers to networking inside of a company.”Yet companies that are too hung up on the norms of the hierarchy may be passing up major engagement and retention opportunities. Employees who have access to mentors and sponsors are twice as likely to be engaged than those who don’t, per a 2023 survey by Gallup. And according to LinkedIn, employees who make an internal move are 64% more likely than their non-moving peers to stay with their employer for at least three years. Beyond Mere Connection: Learning Skills and CollaboratingLately, Wilkin has been particularly interested in turning networking into learning communities. What if you could form a network of people learning skills independently, then bring them together for application and collaboration?“To reinforce a learning program, you might just think of pairing an intern to a senior leader to close that loop, but a more strategic talent and HR leader is looking at how they drive transformation through networking experiences,” he said. When a company can create a web of new managers or a web of workers adopting new AI applications, that new knowledge can be reinforced in a dozen new ways. “A network of relationships is where the majority of learning, talent, retention, career growth, inclusion all happen, but that has to be deliberate,” Wilkin said. “Using networks to help organizations become more innovative, retain their best colleagues, and be more efficient–it’s the next frontier of learning and development.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Ten Thousand Coffees, for sponsoring this story.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, Quartz, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.(Featured photo by PeopleImages/iStock by Getty Images)    

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza | April 15, 2024
Sharing Their Truths: Working Parents Reveal the Benefits That Matter Most

Each year, HR leaders ask themselves: What benefits do my employees want? And what will provide me the most ROI? But many are left without answers.In a recent survey of 2,000 working parents conducted by Ovia Health, 62% said that their employers are not family friendly enough.The need for family friendly benefits is clear. Additionally, 94% said family benefits are a top priority and 73% said they would consider making a lateral move to another organization that offered better benefits and a family-friendly culture.In a From Day One webinar, Corrinne Hobbs, general manager and vice president, employer market organization at Ovia Health, discussed the results of the survey. Hobbs offered insight on current benefits offerings, where more support is needed, and what matters most to employees. Family Benefits That Match Today’s Culture“Women’s health benefits are one of the fastest growing segments within healthcare,” Hobbs said.  This is due to changing circumstances during and post-pandemic as more and more workers experienced shifting work-life balance due to hybrid schedules. It’s also due to the increasing range of types of families that need to be accounted for as lifestyles become more diverse. In this current marketplace, “employees have more control and more power than they have had in the past,” said moderator Siobhan O’Connor, chief content officer at Atria Institute. Therefore, it’s even more critical that employers make sure these specific needs are being served.While most companies do offer some family benefits, Hobbs says, there is often a disconnect between perceived needs and actual needs of employees. “There’s a strong push for employees to have better fertility benefits in their workplace. And 38% of respondents said that they’re looking for their employer to provide alternate family planning support,” Hobbs said. This is especially true with more and more single by choice or LGBTQIA+ parents in the workforce, and an overall trend of people waiting until later in life to have children. Unfortunately, many workplaces do not offer benefits to cover the costs of these services, which can be exorbitant.Siobhan O'Connor of Atria Institute interviewed Corrinne Hobbs of Ovia Health during the webinar on family-friendly benefits (photo by From Day One)Incorporating these benefits helps build an overall inclusive corporate culture and can be a way to help retain senior level female employees. Additionally, 83% of respondents said that perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms affect their ability to work, but only 1% receive benefits to help with those symptoms, says Hobbs. In order to “make sure that whatever you’re providing is equitable and inclusive all around,” a diverse range of age and gender must also be factors incorporated into a comprehensive benefits plan.Providing Better Family BenefitsWith family benefits top of mind for employees, Hobbs says there is a clear way forward for organizations looking to provide better care. The most important, according to respondents, is family leave. Hobbs advises: “Make sure that it’s paid, that it’s for at least four months, that it’s inclusive to both parents and that you don’t have to dip into your sick leave or your PTO before taking leave. That is a stress factor for many.” And employers must account for alternate pathways to parenthood, such as adoption, which might entail different costs or timeframes, she says.Hobbs says employers should not only plan for parental leave, but also for parental return. One way to do this is by setting up a return-to-work program to make it easier for parents to re-enter the workforce, noting that it’s a smarter investment than having to endure the cost of hiring someone new. Gradual part-time schedules can ease the burden on stressed parents, as can accommodating PTO policies, flex time, and hybrid or work from home options.Additionally, managers need to be prepped on how to work with returning parents. “A manager training program to ensure a family friendly workplace and ensure that people are able to bring their full selves to work without fear of repercussions is critical,” Hobbs said. ERG support groups can also provide a sense of community support within the workplace.Incorporating Digital Healthcare and AdvocacyOvia Health uses predictive analytics to power millions of members’ care and engagement with their health. Such apps can help provide crucial education about health symptoms, Hobbs says. For example, 85% of respondents said they don’t know much about menopause and how it may affect their performance. Ovia can help fill that gap through online resources, and also provide peer support groups. “We have a community wall where people with uteruses can talk about symptoms together and really feel a sense of community and commonality with others who are going through some of the [same] things,” Hobbs said. Finally, Ovia can also match employees with proper treatment.Using health assessments and surveys, Ovia gets to know its users and can provide highly personalized information to current, expecting, or potential parents. Health alerts will pop up based on users’ reported symptoms, and the app even provides proactive healthcare outreach to guide users through any bumps on their fertility journey.“Digital solutions offer round the clock access, education, and opportunities to really delve deeper into topics,” Hobbs said. “And they also come with advocacy, helping you navigate and understand these complex situations.” The app accounts for a wide variety of families and lifestyles, helping employers provide better care to a diverse workforce. “We have 50+ personalized clinical pathways and programs to support women and families, and then we personalize the experience for each member based on the dynamic health assessments and digital symptom report,” Hobbs said, describing the data-driven service as “person-centered care.”Hobbs says that while women have increasingly reached the upper echelons of the corporate world in recent years, women’s participation in the labor market is currently at a 33-year low. Having a family-friendly workplace can help ensure talented women stay on. “It costs upwards of $75,000 to replace an employee,” Hobbs said. By offering a diverse suite of benefits companies can retain top talent, encourage a more diverse workforce, and save money in the process.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Ovia Health, for sponsoring this webinar. Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost and several printed essay collections, among others, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, and CBS New York.

Katie Chambers | April 10, 2024
Which Benefits Provide the Best Worker Outcomes–and Return on Investment?

There’s no end to the list of benefits employers can offer now, from pet bereavement leave to baby bonuses and ketamine therapy. But the books have to be balanced at the end of the year, and company leadership isn't inclined to cut a check for anything that doesn’t demonstrate a return on investment. Caught between job seekers who expect competitive packages and the budget-conscious C-suite, benefits professionals have to make tough choices.During From Day One’s April virtual conference on finding benefits that support individual needs without busting the budget, five benefits leaders with decades of experience gathered to discuss which benefits provide the best worker outcomes–and return on investment.Vetting New Benefits OfferingsKimberly Young is the VP of global benefits at HR tech at Amentum, a government contractor for defense, security, intelligence, energy, and environment projects. The first question she asks to vet a new benefits platform is how it will integrate into the company’s existing tech stack; otherwise, the lift to simply implement it may be too great.“The biggest challenge is how to onboard new technology and integrate it with those existing portals related to payroll, your HR data system, and other feeds,” said Young. “Additionally, we look for ease of administration and implementation. The time and resources it takes to invest and implement new technology is high on the list.”Employers have to know that adding a new benefit or platform will be worth the time, says Devin Miller, co-founder and CEO of emergency savings platform SecureSave. The communications component alone can require a lot of time and resources, so “it has to resonate, it has to be easy to administer, and employees have to like it,” he said. “It has to be cost-effective, and then it has to be provable so that you can stand up in front of a management and say ‘this is the impact we’re having.’”Communicating With a Multigenerational Workforce“As benefits professionals, [communication] is an age-old struggle,” said Elizabeth Chappelear, North American head of strategic benefits at life sciences and biotech firm MilliporeSigma. “Employees don’t care about their benefits until they need them, so we have to make sure that when they do need it, they can find it.”Panelists agreed that the familiar challenge of communicating benefits isn’t made easier by the current makeup of the labor force. “This is the first time we’ve had five generations in our workforce, and that means different preferences,” Chappelear commented. Her team is creating home mailers at the same time they’re posting QR codes in the breakroom, hosting webinars and virtual benefit fairs, and building microsites. “We’re constantly challenging ourselves to evolve that communication to meet our employees where they are.”When Carrie Theisen revamped Fannie Mae’s benefits for the first time in more than a decade, communication was one of the first things she tackled. “I start with communication, because it’s just so critical,” said Theisen, who is the lending company’s SVP of total rewards.Theisen began by surveying all employees. She learned that more than three-quarters of employees were happy with the benefits package, but they also found that workers were requesting benefits that Fannie Mae already offered. “That told me that we had a good, solid package, but we just weren’t communicating it well.”Given the size of benefits packages now, total rewards leaders have to be marketers as well. Theisen’s strategy was to create a value proposition and a brand for their benefits, centered around a five-pillar graphic. “Then we looked to add a lot of low-cost benefits that we could implement quickly, then packaged those two things together. The new branding with the new benefits helped build excitement with employees, and it’s become a key differentiator for us.” In fact, their benefits satisfaction score went from 79% to 91% in a single year.Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza moderated the conversation among benefits experts from SecureSave, MilliporeSigma, Spring Health, Fannie Mae, and Amentum (photo by From Day One)For those who need to increase uptake, an immediately applicable benefit can be an easy avenue into broader benefits engagement, said Miller. That starts to tip the scales of the equitable exchange of the benefits–you just got to get them engaged in the process, and finding a broadly based appealing program is an important first step.”Expanding Benefits to Reach an Entire WorkforceBenefits that would have been rare differentiators a decade ago–like mental healthcare access and fertility treatments–are now common features of benefits packages. What’s the next evolution?The next wave is specialized programs for high-touch conditions, says Casey Smolka, head of actuarial analytics at mental health benefits platform Spring Health. By expanding healthcare into specialized programs, employers are able to support workers with often overlooked needs. And it can still be a cost-effective addition, he said. “Everybody has a really solid therapy program, but what are you doing for substance use disorder? It’s a really costly condition, and you may have only a couple of people who need the support, but if you don’t give them the support they need, the cost to your company and to the employee is astronomical.”Some benefits are retention-boosters. Smolka looked at Spring Health’s own workforce and found that those who engage with the company’s mental health benefits have a 22% higher stay rate than those who don’t.SecureSave’s Miller noted that access to benefits isn’t always equally distributed, with white collar workers often “soaking up” the bulk of the benefits budget. Perks aimed at hourly and low-wage workers–emergency savings programs, for example–can be a way to support workers at all levels, from the office to the shop floor.Some panelists acknowledged how challenging it can be to find the right constellation of benefits for some demographics–Young, for instance, is still looking for the right partner to serve Amentum’s LGBTQ+ community. Others talked about having to forgo some popular benefits–like student loan repayment and lifestyle spending accounts–because they’re just too costly.Yet all agreed that the most impactful provisions don’t necessarily have to be budgeted for. Fannie Mae doubled its parental leave from six to 12 weeks, added caregiver leave, catastrophe leave, bereavement leave, grandparent leave, plus added more vacation time and extended flexible schedules.“People want to make more money, they want time off, they want retirement, they want good health care. Those are the table-stakes components,” said Miller. “You want to strengthen those programs, and make sure that people use them and value them, but you really need something that is going to be impactful for your organization.”Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is an independent 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 BBC, the Economist, the Washington Post, Quartz, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza | April 10, 2024
How to Measure Employee Engagement and Spot Disengagement

When we think about engagement, we think about all of the different ways that we track engagement consciously and subconsciously. In some ways, we track engagement by just realizing things, like who’s on camera during meetings online, who has a green dot next to their name, and who has a yellow dot next to their name. These are all of the different ways to subconsciously track engagement, but there are biases in each observation because context is key. Just because a person is off camera doesn’t mean they’re less engaged. They might be in a crowded spot or have a background that’s distracting, so they’ve elected to be off-camera. Or maybe their WiFi just isn’t as strong as it needs to be on that particular day.Regardless of the industry or nature of business, maintaining a high level of team productivity is crucial, and disengagement can be a significant obstacle. Learning to recognize the signs of employee disengagement early is key to preventing its negative impact. In a recent From Day One webinar led by ActivTrak colleagues, Gabriella Mauch, VP of Productivity Lab, and Javier Aldrete, SVP of product, the speakers discussed how boosting self-awareness and manager coaching can help address disengagement before employees check out.Gabriela Mauch, pictured, led the webinar alongside colleague Javier Aldrete (company photo)We’re making all these subconscious assumptions about engagement because we know that engagement leads to great results, says Mauch. But disengagement, on the flip side, leads to harmful attrition. As such, it’s important that we find better ways to track engagement so that we can drive to a healthy work environment. Mauch shares that only 23% of employees are fully engaged in their work, leaving over 75% of employees at risk of disengagement. This can cost organizations a significant amount of money, both from an attrition standpoint, a knowledge management standpoint, and the productivity they’re not necessarily getting out of their business. The benefit of addressing employee disengagement is the ability to get a better return on workforce investments. Organizations can see up to 40% improvement in employee churn and burnout rates, plus an opportunity to gain 15% to 25% in productivity when disengagement is addressed effectively, says Mauch. “So often, disengagement and quiet quitting is a function of that individual not being properly aligned to their work, not being properly coached by their manager, or not being properly guided by their leadership team,” said Mauch. It’s  important to learn how to use insights to better inform leaders, managers, and individuals to be more thoughtful about productivity and more engaged in the work being done. As such, it’s important to have measurable indicators into our work environment. This means understanding when we have individuals performing with low focus, low working hours, and perhaps very passive participation. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the individual doesn't want to be working. Instead, there’s an opportunity to coach and guide the employee to work the right way, on the right things, at the right time. Mauch encourages employers to be thoughtful about employee behavior as a helpful indicator of engagement. This means observing things like people coming into the office, badging in, and leaving two hours later merely to show their faces. This could be because while they are expected to be in office, they might actually be more productive at home. The final thing to note is whether or not employees are making the impact you expect them to be making. Here are some questions to ask: Are they putting in the productivity that you would expect? Are you getting the output that you expect to earn, and are you ultimately getting the revenue that you would expect? By collecting insights on an ongoing basis, you can gain a level of understanding of engagement on an ongoing basis. Additionally, leaders need to identify the factors that are contributing to employee disengagement and quiet quitting in their particular context, as well as invest in measures to improve them.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, ActivTrak, for sponsoring this webinar. Keren's love for words saw her transition from a corporate employee into a freelance writer during the pandemic. When she is not at her desk whipping up compelling narratives and sipping on endless cups of coffee, you can find her curled up with a book, playing with her dog, or pottering about in the garden.

Keren Dinkin | April 09, 2024
Improving Employee Mental Health and Wellness Benefits

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to improving mental health. At From Day One’s Boston benefits conference, a panel of industry leaders shared how they promote mental well-being in their own lives.Jodi LaMae, benefits principal, global total rewards at biotech company Boston Scientific, enjoys hot yoga and walking her dogs. Navin Vettamvelil, senior director of total rewards at software company SoftServe, tries to swim four times a week, which he considers underwater meditation. Other responses included boxing, daily meditation, Muay Thai, and cooking.Mental health benefits are no longer a nice-to-have. Recent research shows that 77% of workers are very (36%) or somewhat (41%) satisfied with the support for mental health and well-being they receive from their employers. In a 2024 survey of 50 benefits leaders across the U.S., 94% of respondents say offering mental health benefits is “very important” to prospective employees—nearly triple the rate of benefits leaders who said this a year earlier.“It’s imperative that we let employees know that mental health is just as important as physical health. A lot of preventive medicine is covered, but many charge for therapists,” said Shawna Oliver, the AVP and head of global benefits and wellness at Manulife. “It’s important to signal to your employees ‘we want you to do this.’ The minute everyone starts talking about it, that’s when barriers start coming down.”Despite the strides made in the workplace, misconceptions and stigmas remain. “As a vendor who works for hundreds of employers, I found that there’s a recognition that mental health and substance abuse are highly stigmatized,” said Yusuf Sherwani, CEO and co-founder of substance abuse management clinic Pelago. “These are not things that people choose. Specialized solutions can be very effective. The final piece is about promoting utilization—by [letting people know] it’s safe, and it’s confidential,” he said.The panel of speakers from left to right included moderator Katie Johnston, reporter at the Boston Globe, Jodi LaMae of Boston Scientific, Robin Berzin of Parsley Health, Yusuf Sherwani of Pelago, Navin Vettamvelil of SoftServe, and Shawna Oliver of ManulifeAnother strategy to support employee well-being is focusing on preventative care. “When it comes to life therapy sessions with a counselor, we put limits” offering three sessions a month or ten a quarter, says Vettamvelil. “Our real focus is about the prevention rather than the cure. If you can nip it in the bud, you can control things down the line.”Robin Berzin, MD, founder and CEO of holistic health company Parsley Health, agrees. A lot of people aren’t getting the right care, she says. “When I was in training, we created a revolving door between primary and specialized care,” she said. “When 60% of adults have a chronic condition, that does not work. At Parsley, we treat the root cause to see if we can slow down the revolving door.”She reports that 25% of their users have two or more conditions. “When we look at the mental health component, I want to ask why everyone is so anxious. It’s not all in our heads. We sit 11 hours a day. A sedentary lifestyle will cause anxiety, insomnia. We’re not a set of organs in jars.” Investing in mental health benefits has a significant impact on ROI.“A lot of times when we say we cover mental health care people look at me like it’s a money pit,” said Oliver. The reality is that it’s less than 1% of the budget, and on top of utilization going up, she reports that short-term disability dropped. “Benefits are not a silo. It’s our job as leaders to say it’s the entire package.”The panelists agreed that communicating benefits is equally important to the offerings themselves. “We have a team that ensures there’s info on mental health benefits in the rec room,” said LaMae. Manulife is now actively planning out mental health month initiatives, offering activities nearly daily, says Oliver. It’s also important to raise these discussions and prioritize well-being as leaders. “We have to talk about it, and say ‘Hey, I’m going for a walk to clear my head,’” said Oliver. “If it doesn’t start with you, it’s never gonna happen.”Holistic care should also be family-inclusive. Sherwani urges people to see mental health and substance abuse not just as an employee challenge, but as a family challenge. “18 months ago we expanded to adolescence, previously an underserved demographic,” he said. “In terms of promoting these programs, people can just put up their hands and know when to reach out.”Not all cultures have the same openness toward mental health as America. Americans abroad might need services that are not as widely offered in their current countries, like telehealth, says LaMae. “Promoting wellbeing is important: make sure employees know about their benefits and they know how and where to get care,” said LaMae. “Work with ERGs,” she advises, “sometimes people aren’t comfortable going to HR, but having employees that double as well-being champions [really helps].”Angelica Frey is a writer and a translator based in Boston and Milan.

Angelica Frey | April 09, 2024
The Gender Penalty: Addressing Workplace Inequity

Studies show that despite recent movements for equal pay, no significant gender pay gap has been made in the last two decades. Women are still earning less than men, with some variance as high as 22%.But the discrimination extends far beyond just the pay gap: from childbirth to menopause, women are also discriminated against for their life choices and in some cases, life stages, with  42% of working women reporting facing gender discrimination at their workplace.In a From Day One webinar, Lydia Dishman, senior editor of growth and engagement at Fast Company, moderated a discussion among women in roles of leadership on how to achieve equality in the workplace.Studies show that women are 41% more likely to experience toxic workplace culture than men, underlining the need for a culture revamp in companies.According to recent research, one in three working parents stated they lacked access to a reliable workplace lactation location. The disparity shows that offering solutions is far more than checking off boxes, Teresa Hopke, CEO of Talking Talent said.“Having a pumping room is a checkbox. So even if we check the box and we get the right rooms and accommodations for people, that’s not going to move the needle in the way that we need to in terms of the systemic change that needs to take place,” Hopke said.For change, both workers and leaders need to be actively working to create the shift that they need, Hopke says.Speakers from Talking Talent and KPMG joined moderated Lydia Dishman in a discussion about the role of gender in the workplace (photo by From Day One)“There is some hard work that organizations need to do to create the right culture with the right mindsets, behaviors, conditions, and structures that will support women as they advance through their careers,” Hopke said. “There is also work that women need to do to articulate their needs and not suffer in silence when the load gets too hard.”When asked about allyship, seventy-seven percent of white employees consider themselves allies to women of color. However, far fewer replied to actively participating in allyship, with only 39 percent stating they confront discrimination when they see it, and 21 percent stating they advocate for new opportunities for women of color.“If you are not taking any of those ally actions regularly, you’re not moving things forward in a positive way,” Marcee Harris Schwartz, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at KPMG, said. “We have to think about how we activate allyship whether that’s taking someone under your wing who comes from a different background or experiences so that it has an impact.”When asked about biases at work, 83% of employees stated that the biases they experienced were subtle and indirect. In one work case, Renu Sachdeva, head of client solutions at Talking Talent, found this to be true.“We asked leaders to pick people to actively sponsor who belonged to these identity groups. And when the results came back in, we found a majority of them had selected white women, the next most selected group was men of color, and the least selected group was women of color,” Sachdeva said.The findings weren’t surprising, Sachdeva says. Research has found that white people demonstrate a clear bias for other white people, affecting workplace processes from hiring to promotion. Challenging biases is key to moving allyship in the right direction, Sachdeva said.“If you’re talking about the majority, corporate America is usually white men in most organizations, so the highest level of comfort tends to be with white women because there’s a relational aspect to it,” Sachdeva said. “But with intentionality, we need to consciously choose to connect with [different] people to mentor, sponsor or be an ally to because that’s usually the group that gets the most overlooked and left behind.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Talking Talent, for sponsoring this webinar.Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.

Wanly Chen | April 08, 2024
How to Make Reskilling Part of a Corporate Culture of Learning

“You will never hire your way out of your skills deficit,” said Marcus Cazier, head of learning and development for the Americas at bioMérieux.In the next two years, researchers posit that half of your skills will be irrelevant – a pattern that’s expected to continue. So how can employers get ahead of this skilling cycle? Offering insight and advice for other people leaders, Cazier spoke in a panel discussion titled, “How to Make Reskilling Part of a Corporate Culture of Learning” panel at From Day One’s conference in Salt Lake City.The other panelists agreed with Cazier: some sort of training will always be required. “If you hire for specific [technical] skills, you ignore the connection points existing employees inside your organization have. Those skills you can’t hire for, they’ll have to be developed,” said panelist Trent Savage, chief human resources officer at Mountain America Credit Union. “The question is: which type of skill do you want to spend time developing?”Additionally, establishing that your company values challenges and growth will make your best team members want to stick around, boosting your bottom line in the long run.“Promoting a culture that looks internally to find people that want different opportunities, that will help with retention,” said Donald Erb, HR channel czar at CollegeNET.How Do I Start Developing a Culture of Learning?Once you’re firm on the 'why' of reskilling, the real work begins.“At Campfire, the culture of learning really starts with our leaders,” said Steve Arntz, CEO of Campfire. But instead of letting inspiration spikes die off with executives, Arntz says they train down: each leader trains another, going into perpetuity.“This starts with getting my leaders to instill their teams with the idea that we need to learn, develop, and grow together. We need to find solutions together. And guess what? As a leader, I'm here to connect you to the resources that you need.”Leaning on those employees that are already seeking out those challenges is the first step, Erb says.“You’ll draw more people in because [your] reputation is investing in growth,” he said. “People get frustrated when they’re not even asked if they’re interested in learning new skills – I think it diminishes motivation.”Ciara Hulet, Morning Edition Host, KUER News, NPR Utah moderated the panel on the topic of skill-building Career ladders should look more like climbing walls, Cazier says.“The agility and the willingness to be flexible to do what the business asks you to do, that goes a long way,” he said. “Going up might not always be the right move, you may need to go sideways first.”What if My Employees Don’t Want to?If you’re in the process of establishing a culture of learning, you may receive some pushback.Nate Miller, VP of learning and organizational development at Vivint, had first-hand experience when, as part of Vivint’s acquisition, installation and service technicians were asked to begin participating in revenue generation.“There was reluctance to add this selling skillset,” he said. “It drove attrition. These folks chose their paths because they didn’t want to sell.”Miller followed Erb’s earlier advice and found leaders who are naturally high learners and helped them frame experiences as growth opportunities rather than job requirements. Then, those who took the growth opportunities were rewarded.“We integrated selling and technical skills into our scheduling software, so when we assign jobs, the most lucrative installation opportunities align with the most skilled revenue generators,” Miller said.Vivint also cut out their performance improvement plans. “They were working from a place of fear,” he said. “We had to shift it from a place of fear to a place of opportunity and growth by reducing the amount of threat in the environment.”What Skills Do We Need?It’s simple: ask your people.“You’ve got a traditionally top-down focus when it comes to budgets and implementation,” Arntz said. “But the frontline workers and managers, they know which skills they’ll need to adapt. [It may be beneficial] to allow people to choose their opportunities, which [are then pushed through] programs and initiatives at the higher levels.”“Years ago, to develop someone meant to send them to a training,” Savage said. “Now it needs to be on-the-job and it needs to be connected to the needs of the business.”CollegeNET uses “Focus Ring,” a peer-assessment tool that asks employees to respond to prompts and then evaluate their peer’s responses. “These are folks playing the same role as you in the organization, and you see how they address particular product knowledge questions,” Erb said. “That’s learning an immediate skill.”Focus Ring goes further by grouping answers by how highly they were rated. “If we have groups that have eights and nines, they’re good candidates to become mentors,” he said. “They’ve demonstrated they have that particular skill.”The Future of Skill DevelopmentIf you’re interested in technology development, Savage says HR needs your help.“We’re close, but we’re not there yet,” he said. “Skills-based platforms don’t necessarily connect to development or to performance, so you must use multiple mediums [to tie your data] together. My hope is one day we get a more holistic look, because today we’re using Frankenstein technology.”In the meantime, Arntz predicts AI will be pivotal.“Engineers are using Copilot to write better and faster code,” he said. “Someone will build a Copilot for conversations, an AI assistant next to them during performance, expectations, and hiring. [When this is developed] it will enable our leaders to be more effective than they’ve ever been.”Jacqueline is a writer and Master of Accounting graduate from the University of Utah. When she’s not in Excel or writing an article, she loves to run, play Candy Crush, and read novels.

Jacqueline Mumford | April 08, 2024
Cultural Transformation and Meaningful Work: Crafting a Fulfilling Workplace Experience

Crumbl’s mission is to bring people together by sharing their cookies. But how could they make that idea real to their employees? The opportunity came when a snowstorm shut down most of Utah and leadership asked employees to work from home. But this wasn’t a normal work day. Instead, on top of the workers' to-do list was to build a snowman. The contest was a catalyst for employees to create a memorable moment, says Josh Olofson, VP of talent and culture at Crumbl, who was one of five panelists discussing the topic of meaningful work at From Day One’s Salt Lake City event. “We really went for it,” Olofson told session moderator Mekenna Malan, editor of Utah Business. Crumbl asked employees to share photos on Slack, and the prize for best snowman was $1,000. Memory-building was the goal, not just for the employee snow day, but to bring that concept to better drive their work. “We wanted our employees to really feel how powerful that moment is.”It’s that act of integrating company values that helps nurture a purpose-driven workplace. How to keep that momentum going all year long? It’s probably something most companies are already doing—the key is to use them wisely.“One of the tools I think that is most often overlooked in our space is effective one-on-ones,” Olofson said. Leaders need to make sure they’re not being reactive during these meetings, but rather proactive. One-on-ones are an opportunity to be open and connect and plant the seeds for change. Of course, companies should share successes with each other, but as Olofson says, sharing failures is just as vital. Those one-on-ones are a great place to share those.The panelists spoke about nurturing a purpose-driven workplace at From Day One's conference in Salt Lake City“When you open yourself up as a leader and you’re willing to share your failures, then your employees are going to be less against change, because they’re not going to be as afraid to fail themselves,” he said.Where to Start? Start-ups have the unique challenge but also opportunity to create meaning and purpose in their company culture from scratch. Panelist Brooke Shreeve, chief people officer at Weave, said the trick was to go back to basics. “We did our first engagement survey, and we realized we had an identity crisis,” she said. What was Weave? They sat down and hashed it out and the result was Strategy on a Page: all the company’s vision and purpose at a glance. They rolled it out at a company meeting, and copies remain available at all times to every employee. “It’s on every desk, so it’s a reminder every single day on what we’re doing, why we’re here and what we’re trying to accomplish.”After the rollout, leadership offered continual updates of what they were accomplishing with those values in mind. The result? Focus. “It put everybody on the ship rowing in the same direction. And that is huge.”That’s the power of engagement surveys, and why leadership should not only read them but take action. While companies can’t do everything employees want, Shreeve says they choose specific items to address, and they share that with everyone. “That really has helped make a huge impact on our company.”Personalizing the Worker ExperienceIt’s astonishing to think that five generations of people are in the workforce, says panelist Dan Kwong, vice president of talent and Culture for Woodward. The wants and needs of each generation and each person is different. “The opportunity is knowing your people,” he said. “Who are your people? What do they care about? What are their needs? What are their values? How do they like to work?”Generally speaking, most people want flexibility and autonomy. But those things can look different depending on the employee. “There’s some give there. It does not have to be nine to five behind a desk.” And it’s especially important for HR to have space to really engage in and relate with folks, he says.Recruiting must also be more personalized, Kwong says. The key is looking beyond the resume, removing barriers, and setting employees up for success. Integrate company values in the recruiting process and continue it during onboarding, he says. “Even without telling that individual what the mission is or what the values are, they should be able to feel it. They may not have the words for it. But once they’re hired after a robust process, then you can share those words. It’s about connecting the dots.”After that, keeping lines of communication open is key, it’s important to discuss employees’ aspirations. What do they really want out of work and life? Especially since upward movement isn’t always available. “Growth does not always mean a promotion,” Kwong said. “There is growth. But it starts with that one-on-one conversation that starts with leaders role-modeling those behaviors.” Next comes building the structures, frameworks, and programs, Kwong says. It’s a Marathon, Not a SprintNurturing a purpose-driven workplace takes time, says panelist Daniel Allred, VP of human resources at ZAGG Inc.“It’s a process,” he said. “You can’t put in place corporate values tomorrow that are going to get you exactly where you want to be. But you do have to take steps today to get alignment behind, starting at the top with the senior executives.” The forward movement is the important thing to focus on, especially as things constantly change. ZAGG has experienced a lot of change as of late that wasn’t always handled well, says Allred. But they learned, and now they do things differently. They found that meeting regularly, monthly rather than sporadic, and transparency work best. “We put on the screen every single month exactly what we’re tracking,” he said. “We were very open and transparent about the hurdles we’re facing, where we fell on our faces and where we succeeded.”That regular, open communication has helped alignment fall into place. “It’s not a two month process. Sometimes that takes place over a year. And so acknowledging that continuing to push forward even when it gets hard and discouraging, that’s what’s really going to make the biggest difference.”The company recognized that managers needed a way to recognize team members, so they instituted the ZAGG Champion Awards, a gift card as a way to say good job. The hope is that as the employee enjoys the gift card with a loved one, they can connect the dots that they earned this reward for working hard on a project. Hope for GrowthKnowing what’s possible can help employees find meaning in their everyday work. For panelist Tracie Kalmar, head of human resources at ApplicantPro, the hope of growing in the company needs to start at hiring. “My favorite demographic to hire right now are women returning to the workforce after a break to raise their family or to go to college,” she said. Since there is a gap in their resume, they worry. But Kalmar offers hope. During the interview process, she shares how others have started in one position, but then grown into another position. So even before day one, potential employees can see where they could go. She continues this regularly by emailing open opportunities weekly, plus sharing internal promotions. “I love talking about it. I can actually say I see it happening. And it’s real.” Seeing those doors open for others helps new employees have hope and find purpose in what they are doing.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.

Carrie Snider | April 05, 2024
How to Solve the Challenge of Corporate Togetherness

“How can a company of three people beat a world leader, or take on big, established organizations?” asked Jim Wolfston, founder and president of CollegeNET.The answer is connectedness, says Wolfston, who led a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Salt Lake City event. “Connectedness to the mission, to the vision, to their teams, you’ve got to have that in an organization if you want to be the disruptor, not the disrupted.”But achieving this is harder than you might think, and it’s not just big corporations that struggle with it. In 2023, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called loneliness (or disconnection) an epidemic nationwide.Initially, Wolfston thought the solution could be found in getting to know everyone’s name in his office. He sat down with his HR manager and flipped through the company directory, studying names and faces so he could properly greet people in the hallways.But personal tragedy showed him that connection was bigger than being on a first-name basis.“One of my colleagues who I knew for a long, long time, killed himself from loneliness,” Wolfston said. “I realized I wasn’t connected to people like I should or could be. We had to figure out some way to bring our people together, not just for motivation, or for innovation, but for decency, as people.”What he was searching for was a well-rounded approach to connection, something CollegeNET, as a higher education technology solutions company, had already figured out.Wolfston led the thought leadership spotlight titled, "How to Solve the Challenge of Corporate Togetherness and Shared Mission"“College application forms [do not encapsulate] the whole person,” he said. “We’ve become a leader in career services with what we call the Intelligent Mirror, a video program that allows you to practice how you come across and to improve how others perceive you. We also use asynchronous interviewing, which makes everything more efficient.” These innovative approaches to interviewing help people express their whole selves, while simultaneously honing their interpersonal skills.“When you ask questions, what you’re really doing is telling people what you value. You wouldn’t ask a question about something you don’t care about,” he said. “If the company cares about things like innovation, buy-in, motivation, the work you’re doing, they’ll ask those questions. That’s exactly what we’re doing.”The project is called Focus Ring. Participating employees are asked four questions: first, about what they’ve learned at work; second, how their work matters to other people in their company; third, if there was something someone in their company did for them that they appreciated; and finally, if there was something they did for someone in their company that they’re proud of.Once answers are submitted, participants evaluate the response scripts from six other employees. “When you answer these questions, you’re developing your articulation skills,” Wolfston said. “But when you evaluate, you get to learn [from your colleagues]. And you get to exercise the very important social skill of listening.”In practice, Wolfston says employees have shared everything from kind words to Java code they wrote to streamline a project.When you feel that you matter, your happiness increases, Wolfston says. Additionally, mastery of a subject or process can increase those feelings of happiness. The Focus Ring marries the two: mattering by asking participants to vocalize when they’ve felt important, and mastery by giving participants the opportunity to share something they’ve learned at work. And, of course, it nurtures connectedness.“This has created a lot of recognition,” Wolfston said. “It’s opened all of these possibilities for us.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, CollegeNET, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Jacqueline is a writer and Master of Accounting graduate from the University of Utah. When she’s not in Excel or writing an article, she loves to run, play Candy Crush, and read novels.

Jacqueline Mumford | April 05, 2024
Change Can Be Daunting, But Here’s How to Turn Uncertainty into Opportunity

When Andy Cindrich was a 29-year-old school principal, he thought he was on top of the world, until he was suddenly let go from his job. “That was a huge disruption in my life,” Cindrich shared in a fireside chat at From Day One’s Salt Lake City event.The news came at the worst possible time, just as he was building a new home and expecting his second child. But by being open to new opportunities and finding his niche, he eventually landed at the renowned FranklinCovey, where he is now a leadership and effectiveness consultant, executive coach, and keynote speaker.In a conversation moderated by Steve Koepp, From Day One co-founder and chief content officer, Cindrich discussed his new book Change: How to Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity, offering guidance on how to engage teams throughout the process and build the skills to pilot your team through the waters of disruptive change.Navigating the Discomfort of Change“The prism of change is a great way to look at how to make companies work better,” said Koepp. But it also makes many people uncomfortable. While it’s easy to see the navigation of change as a victory in hindsight, in the moment it can be discouraging. Cindrich notes feeling “a lot of fear and a lot of anger at how it happened” during his own transition out of school administration.It’s important for leaders to remember the emotional turmoil that change can cause, especially as they build a pathway forward. “When we get too focused on the process, when we forget the emotion that people experience when they go through change and we don’t give them a safe space, some psychological safety, to talk about how they’re feeling about the change, we’re not going to make progress,” Cindrich said. It’s important to guide teams toward the point of decision, Cindrich says, “where they can say, ‘I didn’t choose the change, it happened to me and I don’t like it. But I can stay within my circle of influence and work in ways that that I can own to make the change of benefit for me.’”This applies to something as minor as an internal software change, or as major as a merger or acquisition. It’s best to focus on what you can control and “own the change,” rather than let change own you, Cindrich advises. A culture that allows people to be vulnerable and share their best ideas can help make a successful change. The Four Zones of ChangeIn his book Change: How to Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity, Cindrich identifies the four zones of organizational change: The status quo (prepare): Even during times of consistency, acknowledge that change can happen at any time and be ready for it. This can include professional development both individually and organizationally to prepare for forecasted trends. The disruption zone (clarify): This is the moment when change starts happening, and leaders should be in constant dialogue with their teams and stakeholders to provide information to make them feel secure and get them on board.The adoption zone (persist): In this zone, leaders not only must “stay engaged in the fight,” Cindrich said, but also help others persist in the face of obstacles. “This zone is where change goes to die,” he said. It’s where leaders might get frustrated if they don’t see immediate success or face too much friction.The innovation zone (explore): This zone is the most dangerous, Cindrich says, because the temptation is to return to the status quo and a sense of relief. But “what a horrific waste of resources” to go through all that change for nothing. Instead, Cindrich said, “In the zone of innovation, it’s all about inspiring ourselves and others to explore what’s possible because of what we just went through.”Cindrich signed copies of his new book Change: How to Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity for conference attendees Franklin Covey itself has gone through significant change during Cindrich’s time with the company. No longer just the planner people, the company has transitioned from physical products to providing an online platform called “All Access Pass” that enables asynchronous learning in 21 languages for people all over the world. The company thrived by anticipating and embracing shifts in technology and culture.Common Reactions to ChangeImmediate reaction to change is often, but not always, negative. Cindrich elaborates on the five common responses to change. First, there are early adopters, the people who move toward the change. There are also those who minimize their reaction, people who wait, the most common response, thinking “this too shall pass.” And then there are people who resist and people who quit. Each of these reactions are useful, Cindrich says, and leaders can learn from each. And they should also prepare for each as they develop their transition strategies.Balancing Empathy and Speed“The pace of change is not getting less. It’s faster and more furious and more impactful than it’s ever been for a lot of reasons,” Cindrich said. It’s important to recognize that this is “just about people, it’s about being empathic to the way people are experiencing the change, and giving them some space to process it and get to a point where they can confidently commit to it,” Cindrich said.It’s tempting to have less empathy as a leader when you feel like your team is pushing back in the face of disruption. Cindrich says responding with patience and grace is key. “We have to have a sense that they’re making progress, asking great questions, trying to figure out what's possible for them and for their team and organization when they get to the other side of it.”Ultimately, it comes down to trust. “When you have a high trust organization,” Cindrich said, “what we find is that the depth of the disruption will be a lot less, and the time that it takes to get to innovation will be compressed.”Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost and several printed essay collections, among others, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, and CBS New York.

Katie Chambers | April 04, 2024