With a Bumper Crop of New Options, Benefits Leaders Need to Make Smart Choices
BY Erika Riley June 06, 2023It’s no secret that employees expect more from employers than they did five years ago. Companies have offered innovative solutions from pet care to travel-as-a-benefit to meet the demand. But companies only have so many resources, especially nowadays, as the economy begins to decline. “Many of us are thinking about coming out of this couple of years of such an intensive talent and labor market, where a lot of companies have been under pressure to offer more and more,” said Joanna Daly, vice president of total rewards at IBM. “So I do think we're at an inflection point.”As a result, employers have to make choices about what benefits are the most valuable to employees and prospective hires.Daly spoke with moderator Bryan Walsh, editor for Future Project at Vox Media, at From Day One’s virtual April conference, “Creative Total Rewards to Set Employers Apart,” during a fireside chat session. “Total rewards” refers to the combination of compensation and benefits that the company provides. At IBM, Daly said, total rewards exist within a broader value proposition and must align with the company’s goals, values, and culture.Keeping Total Rewards SustainableOne challenge employers face is maintaining sustainable benefits, especially in a changing economic landscape. Daly approaches important decisions regarding sustainability by working through a few key questions.First, she considers scale. While it’s important to consider how a new benefit will fit into your company now, it’s also critical to consider how it will work down the line. What are your company’s growth plans? Will this benefit still work as you scale your headcount?“Is that seemingly small investment going to start to become potentially a pretty large expenditure?” Daly asked.Secondly, Daly considers choice. Every dollar spent on one benefit is a dollar the company is choosing not to spend somewhere else. Why is this the best choice for the company to make?Next, she considers automation. Every human resources team only has so much time on their hands, and introducing a new benefit can eat up even more of that time. That’s why it’s important to automate wherever you can. If a benefit can be automated right from the beginning, it’ll help free up your team’s time.“Is there something that is simple to administer that achieves most of the outcome versus something highly complex that could end up taking a lot more of your time and effort to deliver?” Daly said.Lastly, Daly considers if the offering ties into the company’s culture and values.“How do you maximize the sum of what you're offering to employees so that it's cohesive? People actually perceive more value out of [the sum] than than its individual parts,” Daly said. “And I think one of the most effective ways to do that is really try to align to your culture and your values.”One way to align total rewards with company culture is to take a “design thinking” approach to benefits. Daly considers all of the personas that play a role in benefits–including the employees, their families, business leaders, and prospective hires–to find the areas where their needs align rather than looking at all their differences.“It's where you can find that alignment, that I think that you can find offerings that have that mutually reinforcing impact,” Daly said.For example, IBM used a design thinking approach to create its recognition programs. By focusing on what behaviors IBM was trying to reinforce within different personas in the company, the team was able to create a recognition program that is easy to use and grounded in the company’s culture.But why is it important for companies to be sustainable about their benefits in the first place? Daly stressed that introducing a benefit and then taking it away is much worse than never offering it at all. This is due to “loss aversion,” or the idea that people tend to notice if something is taken away more than they would if it was never there to begin with. Daly tries to think of the people who will be in her role years down the line, and how her decisions will affect them and the employees at large.“Are they going to thank me for trying my best to make good decisions? Or will they be cursing my name, that I've left them with some things to clean up? Trying to envision that future person who will be sitting in this seat is something that guides that long-term decision making,” Daly said.Total Rewards ChallengesHuman resources teams face a number of challenges when it comes to building a total rewards package, deciding what benefits to include, and rolling those benefits out to employees.One of those challenges is competing with peer companies’ offerings. Employees are bound to hear about other benefits in their industry and might wonder why their company doesn’t offer the same.But Daly reminded attendees that benefits are a long-term space, and introducing things just to take them away later or simply introducing them to respond to demand, might not play well into long-term planning.Daly said that it’s fine to learn about your competitors and take inspiration from other companies—as long as you’re not too reactive to them. Every “good idea” is only a good idea as long as it fits in with company culture.Joanna Daly and Bryan Walsh during the virtual conference (photo by From Day One)“Does this reinforce other parts of our employee value proposition and culture? And if you can't really get the answers aligned on those questions, then it's probably better not to follow suit and introduce something just because others may be doing it,” Daly said.Of course, companies have also faced the challenge of accommodating changing attitudes since the pandemic, whether it’s in regard to hybrid work, flexible schedules, or the demand for more benefits. Many employers have introduced new benefits during the pandemic to react to demand and better support employees, IBM included. Recently, IBM introduced emergency backup care for parents, who often struggle to find adequate childcare if their primary option, such as daycare or family members, fell through.By introducing this benefit, IBM was able to prevent employees from unexpectedly taking the day off, calling in sick, or falling behind on meetings and routine work. Not only does it help both the employees and the employer, but it also plays into the larger company culture of supporting one another.Since the pandemic, Daly has noticed some other changes in general attitudes towards benefits. Namely, she said, employees want their benefits to be easier to navigate. Benefits exist to make employees’ lives easier, not to stress them out even more.Additionally, she said she sees a need for more support toward financial goals during times of financial uncertainty. This can include helping to pay off student loans or saving for retirement. And employees want to stay relevant and competitive during these times of uncertainty, so skill-building and career development are extra important.In terms of schedules, she sees hourly workers wanting predictability in their schedules so they can plan their lives around their shifts. At IBM, Daly explained, every team has their own approach to hybrid, remote, and in-person work. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, and teams are trusted to make their own routines.But even for seasoned HR professionals, there are always new challenges. Daly was surprised by a general shift toward employees expecting more help from their employers in a broader sense. She said it’s not uncommon for employees to ask about tax advisory or tax prep support during tax season or to inquire about benefits for their pets–many of whom were acquired during the pandemic.“Maybe before, there was a set of things that we all kind of understood the employer was providing in terms of benefits. Now, I think it's sort of blurred,” Daly explained. “People are asking for help more broadly. But that's also where we have to be deliberate about where we invest and where we spend our time and money versus things that people might be okay to manage on their own.”Measuring Value and SuccessWith so many options for employers in terms of total rewards packages, it’s vital to know how to measure what is and isn’t working. Sometimes it’s hard for leaders to see the value of certain rewards, especially those that are non-monetary.For example, IBM’s recognition program has a mix of monetary rewards, point-based rewards (which can be redeemed for physical prizes), and digital cards that employees can send to one another.Although the monetary rewards might seem the most “valuable” at first glance, Daly explained that every card that an employee sends to someone leads to five more sent.“And when we step back and thought about the reason behind this, it's really that someone took time out of their day to recognize and appreciate someone else,” she said. “And that act is really communicating, ‘I see you, I value you.’”Measuring the success of rewards, in general, can be difficult, especially when so many things are changing at once. Daly keeps success in mind in a few different ways.“When I think of the total rewards space, the first thing is, I don't want any of the total rewards, offerings, compensation or benefits to be a pain point, and I don't want them to be barriers to recruitment or to retaining our employees,” she said.Still, she also doesn’t want to overdo benefits or invest in the wrong rewards. It’s not just about being above market. It’s about being market-competitive, offering a solid package, and differentiating packages based on skills.“For me, that's success,” she said. “Others will have a different answer.”Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
A Resurgent Hospitality Company Finds Innovative Ways to Grow Its Workforce
BY Erika Riley May 18, 2023Three years after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, most industries have recovered their lost employees or brought their workforce close to how it was pre-pandemic; except for the hospitality industry.The hospitality and leisure industry has the highest share of jobs lost from the pandemic (6.5%) of any industry except for mining, with 1.1 million jobs still lost. Hyatt Hotels, the multinational hospitality company headquartered in Chicago, has been leaning into new innovative ways to grow its workforce since the COVID-19 pandemic. Jin Ivacic, global head of talent acquisition at Hyatt, spoke about workforce solutions with Edward McClelland, contributing editor at Chicago Magazine, during a fireside chat that closed out From Day One’s Chicago Conference.“During the pandemic, one in three [hospitality workers] left their jobs and 45% went outside of industry altogether,” Ivacic said. “So we knew we had to focus on retention of those that we still had, and reaching out to different talent pools.”The unemployment rate for hospitality and leisure workers has improved significantly from its highest point in April 2020 at 39.3% to 5% in May 2023, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Data. But job openings in the industry have steadily remained around 1.5 million per month after jumping from 900,000 in February 2021, when vaccines became more widely available in the United States. In the pre-pandemic years, job openings rarely entered the seven-digit range. Now, the challenge is filling those job openings.Hyatt, Ivacic explained, has taken an innovative approach to fill those openings in both its corporate offices and on-site at its hotels.Prioritizing Immigrants and at-risk YouthHospitality and leisure is a unique industry in that most jobs do not require a high school diploma or equivalent. With so many avenues to choose from, including front desk work, food and beverage, housekeeping, and management, employees who come in for an entry-level job can easily find themselves rising through the ranks.“It’s really a special industry, because you’re able to really discover a career that you didn’t know existed,” Ivacic said. “When you came in the door, you were just looking for a job, and now that has evolved into a career.”Hyatt has initiatives to prioritize communities with fewer diplomas or formal certifications, such as at-risk youth or immigrants. For example, Hyatt’s Rise High Initiative aims to employ 10,000 at-risk youth before 2025 (with “at risk” described as not in school and not employed).“So this is a typically forgotten about population…but we found that when we invest in them, we get back so much in gains because they’re more loyal. We’ve been able to promote them, and we’ve been able to retain them at higher levels than other employees,” Ivacic explained. “So it takes a little bit more work on the front end with the development, but it’s really hiring that sticks.”She also spoke about immigrants’ historical role in the hospitality industry, especially because many positions do not require a working knowledge of English.The vital part, Ivacic stressed, isn’t whether or not these employees have a specialized skill set yet. When hiring, she often looks for a growth mindset and a willingness to learn so the employee can scale up.“So if they have that growth mindset, then we can really kind of take somebody and move them across a wide variety of positions, again, that they didn’t really know existed,” she explained.Hyatt has also worked to remove barriers to employment for at-risk populations. One of the biggest barriers, Ivacic said, is the lack of access to reliable transportation. So to help, Hyatt launched a pilot program allowing new hires in certain roles to work from home as they grow and learn in their role.Jin Ivacic, the global head of talent acquisition for Hyatt Hotels, was interviewed during the fireside chat session (photo by Tim Hiatt for From Day One) “And it was so successful that we’re doing another [cycle]; we’re actually recruiting for it now. So we’re excited to see that continue to be a pipeline for us,” Ivacic said.For employees who cannot work from home, Hyatt has been testing flex and compressed schedules to take some of the pressure off of employees who do not have access to reliable transportation.Ivacic is also a board member at BUILD (Broader Urban Involvement & Leadership Development) Chicago, a nationally respected gang intervention, violence prevention, and youth development on Chicago’s West Side.Retaining Talent Through Upskilling and Workplace CultureAnother recent challenge, faced by all industries, has been retaining talent. Although Ivacic thinks this will be less of a concern as employees seek more stable jobs in the face of massive layoffs (such as in the tech industry), retaining talent is still one of Hyatt’s primary goals. One of the ways Hyatt aims to retain talent is through its workplace culture, which Ivacic calls the company’s “secret sauce.”“Our purpose is to care for people so they can be their best at Hyatt. We can’t get to the point of caring for people if we don’t know who they are,” Ivacic said. “So, you know, it’s really built in that we have to know people, we have to meet them where they are, we have to support them, we have to develop them along the way.”Some examples of employee development include diversity business resource groups, heritage celebrations, wellness weeks, and gratitude days. Ivacic also explained that she and her colleagues have seen many people return to the company after time apart.She also noted that new hires are especially interested in company culture when interviewing for a new role. They want to know what the company stands for, both in terms of its relationships with its employees and its greater impact on the world. Investing in employees is a considerable part of company culture. Ivacic sees it as intrinsic to keeping talent invested in the company and creating a pipeline where they can work their way up. “So we’ve really just seen that organically happen,” Ivacic said. “And I think a lot of companies are starting to really put action and intentionality around that upskilling theme.” Future Advice for HR ProfessionalsIvacic recommends three pieces of advice for HR professionals working through this challenging time. First, she noted that time is everybody’s most valuable resource. And because hiring is so busy right now, it’s best to save time wherever possible. That might look like using automation tools to cut out some recruiting, hiring, and onboarding work. The second piece of advice is that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for recruiters or HR teams, so testing solutions on a small scale before fully diving in is advisable. Having proof of what works and what doesn’t can help professionals adjust their processes.Lastly, Ivacic stressed that HR professionals need to take time for themselves.“I think this has been a really tough time for all of us. And you know, HR tends to take care of everybody else before themselves,” Ivacic said. “So I think it’s good to kind of pause and protect your personal time as much as you can. Perhaps go on vacation.”Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
What Moves Us: How Intrinsic Motivation Has Changed Since the Pandemic
BY Erika Riley May 10, 2023While employers can readily calculate the market rates for external rewards like pay and perks, what’s more elusive is an understanding of the internal factors that light their workers’ fires.Knowing what moves you and your employees, also known as intrinsic motivation, can be the key to increased productivity, better working environments, and improved relationships. Yet here’s the tricky part: over time, those factors can change among individuals, as well as change among groups. The pandemic, for example, changed virtually every aspect of our working lives. For many of us, it made us come to terms with our most important values, or perhaps changed those values altogether.Attuned, a company that helps employers understand what motivates their teams, focuses directly on intrinsic motivation, which it defines as the individual combination of values and preferences that drive us from within. Knowing an individual’s motivators and playing into them can help increase engagement, elevate performance levels, and improve well-being.Attuned has collected tens of thousands of intrinsic motivator profiles through its 55-question assessment. With its 2023 data, the company has compiled trends that show how the most popular core motivators have changed over time.The company developed a list of the 11 key intrinsic motivators with the help of psychologists and experts in the field. They are altruism, autonomy, competition, feedback, financial needs, innovation, progress, rationality, security, social relationships, and status.After taking the assessment, the assessment-taker receives a score of 0-100 for each of the key motivators. The higher the number, the more important this value is to them. If they score between 68% and 100%, the motivator is a “need-to-have.” They need this motivator to be satisfied and feel like they’re working on something that matters.So how have the most popular key motivators changed over time? Attuned’s team discussed the evolution of its findings from 2018 to 2022 in its State of Motivation Report 2023 and an accompanying webinar. Among the highlights:Increasing MotivatorsTwo motivators saw an increase between 2018 and 2022: security and financial needs. In a time of crisis and uncertainty, it makes sense that these two motivators, which are very popular among people in general, became even more common during the pandemic.People motivated by security have a desire for planning and predictability and feel a need for precisely defined rules and clear frameworks and spheres of responsibility. Security had an all-time low average of 45% in the fourth quarter of 2018 and an all-time high of 65% in the third quarter of 2019, then dipped back to 54% by the fourth quarter of 2022. It is the third-most common of all motivators, but is the No. 1 motivator for women.The increase of security as a motivator can also be explained by the shift from a promotion focus to a prevention focus. “People are moving away from the idea that we need new things; now we just need stability for a little while,” said Paul Kay, head of content at AttunedFinancial needs are the most common top motivator and highest motivator score across the board. Its average scores fluctuated a lot between 2018 and 2022, with a range of 17% between its all-time high and all-time low scores. However, it’s seen an upward trend overall, with a steady rise from the first quarter of 2018 to the fourth quarter of 2022.The financial needs motivator is not all about pay and bonuses. People motivated by financial needs have a desire for financial security and well-being, and prefer activities that generate profit and endeavors that accumulate and safeguard wealth.“I think what we see with these motivational shifts is people don’t jump too often from something being on the left-hand side of those charts, where it’s a low need-to-have, all the way to the high need-to-have. These are based on your values, which are really deep inside you,” said Casey Wahl, the company’s CEO and co-founder. “The way I look at it is something has to happen really emotionally and leave a deep emotional imprint on your brain to shift things up. And I think what we’re seeing in these shifts in financial needs and security is people that were in the middle somewhere, but then the importance just shifted up.”Declining MotivatorsMeanwhile, other intrinsic motivators declined between 2018 and 2022: autonomy, competition, feedback, innovation, progress, and rationality.People with the autonomy motivator want to develop and preserve financial freedom and be able to do things in a way that makes sense for them. They strive for independence in decision-making and time management. There was a 9% decrease between the fourth quarter of 2019 and second quarter of 2022, perhaps as a result of autonomy needs being over-satisfied by the increased prevalence of remote work during the pandemic.“Most people in the time of remote work and work from home probably had more autonomy than they've ever had,” said Kay. “A need has been over-satisfied for a lot of people. I’ve had more autonomy than I perhaps need and now I need a little bit more structure.”However, because there was only a 9% decrease, it’s a stat worth keeping an eye on in the future.Competition is the second most common top motivator, but saw a decline from 66% in the third quarter of 2019 to 51% in the fourth quarter of 2022. People with the competition motivator are attracted to challenges and competitive situations and enjoy testing themselves against others to determine their level of success.“These I find quite interesting, because, sure there’s a Covid explanation, but I actually miss the competition. I have high competition. I've been craving that,” said Chad Lafferty, VP of global sales at Attuned. “Me being in the office and around people a little bit more has been very very helpful just because competitive people tend to play these little games in their head, right? Like, ‘I’m going to do this just a little bit faster and nobody else knows that you're doing it but you’re constantly competing.”Feedback falls in the middle of the pack among top motivators, and took a deep fall during the pandemic. It reached an all-time high of 52% in third quarter of 2019, and an all-time low of 39% in the fourth quarter of 2022. People who are motivated by feedback need evaluation and recognition in all areas of life, but especially to validate their work efforts and reinforce a sense of worth.Kristine Ayuzawa, Attuned’s director of people operations, wondered if new tech and virtual workplaces have filled a need for feedback, with standard one-on-one meetings and feedback forms. The environment we work in and the tech we use can influence our motivators over time.Added Wahl: “I've talked about how emotions change our values as well, but it’s also a lot from our environment. So what are we experiencing day to day and how is the environment changing our behavior and our habits? All that kind of sinks in and affects our values.”Innovation and progress also took hits during the pandemic. Innovation saw an all-time high of 59% in the second quarter of 2018 and an all-time low of 33% in the the second quarter of 2022, although it did see an upward trend in the second half of 2022.The Attuned team hypothesizes that this decline might be related to many people and companies switching from a promotion focus to a prevention focus. This shift often happens in times of uncertainty and stress. People begin to value stability more and take fewer risks.On the other hand, some people thrive on innovation during economic downturns.“When you get into downturns or recessions, it’s when they say generational startups are created,” said Wahl. “I wonder if that’s partly because there’s less competition, less people chasing ideas, less people pursuing ideas that they stand out.”Progress took a similar downturn from an all-time high of 60% in the second quarter of 2018 to an all-time low of 35% in the second quarter of 2022. People motivated by progress are driven to acquire new skills, expand their knowledge, and grow personally and professionally.Progress might be less important right now as people are burned out in many areas of life, the Attuned team thought. Coming out of a global pandemic and facing a recession can make it difficult for people to want to pursue growth.“It's just a differentiation in where people are putting their attention and what's going to be most critical to them,” said Ayuzawa. “I'm curious to see where things go as things improve.”Lastly, rationality took a strong downturn from an all-time high of 45% in the first quarter of 2019 to an all-time low of 23% in the third quarter of 2022. Rationality is the rarest of all top motivators. People motivated by rationality are attracted to logical, objective, and scientific methods and processes. “You can come up with all kinds of rational explainations for stuff but it doesn’t necessarily lead to emotion,” said Wahl. “So people’s emotions are being affected in different ways. My finances are killing me, my credit cards are maxed out, the interest rates are going up, and I feel that emotional pian every single day. Whereas something like rationality might not drop that chemical bond in your head to move your values there.”The Most Steady MotivatorsThree motivators largely stayed the same over the course of 2018 to 2023: altruism, social relationships, and status.People with the altruism motivator are grounded in the desire to help, support, and maintain the well-being of others and crave mutual support and encouragement in their workplace. It’s the fourth-most-common top motivator, and displayed only a 6% difference in its minimum and maximum values during this time period.Social relationships also stayed fairly steady, with an all-time high of 46% in the second quarter of 2018 and all-tme low of 38% in the fourth quarter of 2022. People with the social-relationships motivator need frequent and mutual social interactions and want to belong to a group. The status motivator can be defined as a desire for reputation, recognition, and respect, along with continuous progress through the ranks. It’s the fifth-most-common of all motivators and its average scores rarely changed between the first quarter of 2018 (53%) and the fourth quarter of 2022 (49%).“The reality that we are social creatures and the reliance we have on other people and wanting to know where we stand in the pack is something that’s probably pretty deeply engrained in us just as humans,” said Ayuzawa. Wahl agreed, positing that the need for social relationships, working for the common good, and being respected are perhaps core human traits.“Slightly above half of the population has these deeper needs for connectivity,” he said. “Maybe those are deeper, stable human desires and we’ve kind of evolved psychologically to get to this point.”Addressing Intrinsic MotivatorsEmployers and managers can use their teams’ intrinsic motivators to help shape their work environments and communications with them to drive engagement and output. However, some motivators are easier to affect than others.For example, the two motivators that saw an increase in popularity over the last few years: security and financial needs, are hard for individual managers to address.“I think talking about financial needs, even though I’ve been running companies and stuff, it's never so easy,” said Wahl. “It’s personal, and people have emotional attachments to it.”However, it’s still possible for companies to address these motivators in the way they offer benefits, their workflows, and their company cultures. For instance, employees motivated by security will feel more motivated when they know what’s expected of them and how a project will play out than they will if there are no standard workflows in place and they’re not so sure of their role.Ultimately, addressing intrinsic motivators will not be a one-size-fits all application. Everybody’s motivators are different, so companies need to find different ways to address different people’s needs.“Finding ways to not necessarily get everybody looking the exact same way–not looking for alignment or everybody in the company to have the same motivators–but for ways to be able to tailor your communication as a leadership team so you can understand each other and appreciate the different perspectives people are bringing to their work is increasingly recognized as being really valuable,” said Ayuzawa.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks its partner, Attuned, for supporting this sponsor spotlight.Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer. (Featured image by RomoloTavani/iStock by Getty Images)
Nurturing Your Workforce With Inclusive Benefits
BY Erika Riley May 09, 2023Health care, retirement, and leave benefits are still the most important benefits for the workforce in 2022, according to the most recent findings by SHRM. Companies ranked each benefit as more essential to offer now than before the pandemic.But benefits aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Not every employee will utilize or need the same benefits, and many might not even know about the benefits that are available to them. “Another big takeaway from this report and previous conversations... is that the emphasis is on making those offerings as inclusive as possible and personalized when they can be,” said Lydia Dishman, senior editor for growth and engagement at Fast Company.Dishman moderated the panel “How Inclusive Benefits Can Help Attract and Retain a Diverse Workforce,” during From Day One’s November Virtual Conference, “Making Your Company a Magnet for a Diverse Workforce.” The panel featured leaders from various industries, including fertility, wellness, and human resources.What Employees Want From Their EmployersThe panelists expressed that they’re seeing a wide range of employee concerns regarding health and well-being. Often these concerns overlap. In addition to working, many employees are raising children, taking care of other family members, grieving, and going through life changes. For these reasons, it’s vital to offer a diverse benefits package to satisfy all employees’ different needs.“It is critical that employers really message the support for all of these aspects of a person’s life,” said Lizzie Wright, Director of Consumer Success at Carrot Fertility, a company that employers can use to outsource fertility benefits. “So bringing an inclusive benefit, like fertility, as an example, says, ‘I’m not just going to give you money to support this, but I’m going to support the emotional component of this journey.’”In addition to signaling care and compassion through benefits, employees also want to feel understood by their employers and free to share challenging parts of their lives, said Singleton Beato, global executive vice president and chief DEI officer of McCann Worldgroup. For example, she wants women to feel comfortable discussing their challenges, whether they’re experiencing infertility or going through menopause.“The emotional state of our folks has become something that we talk about as leaders and that we focus on,” Beato said. “We focus on creating the conditions internally in each of our offices where employees feel that support.”Thus, creating a diverse benefits package involves the less “concrete” benefits employees might expect—like flexible schedules, compassion, and positive work culture—in addition to the more measurable pieces of benefit packages.“I think the opportunity we have is through policies, culture, and tangible benefits,” said Jessica Kim, co-founder and CEO of ianacare. “You have a very clear and visible way of saying what you actually want to bridge and what you want to support.”Another way to build support and inclusive benefits into the company’s culture is by empowering managers to be empathetic listeners and have the tools to help employees, even if that means directing them to somebody who might be able to help in a better capacity. “They are that source that people go to. And so it’s really about—for us—equipping managers with what they need, because we’re asking so much of them,” said McBride. “We’re not making clinicians out of them.”Deciding What Benefits to OfferSupporting employees also means offering help on the financial side beyond a salary and healthcare plan. Carol McBride, vice president of benefits at Mr. Cooper, says financial wellness workshops have been very successful with employees. Most of them have questions about the economic downturn. “People are trying to figure out, ‘How do I emerge after tapping into my retirement, when I didn’t want to?’ Or, ‘How do I just get started when I’m living paycheck to paycheck?’” McBride said.Many companies are extending the types of benefits they offer to benefit a wide range of employees. For example, Beato explained that McCann Worldgroup provides benefits for pet insurance and elder care.“What’s important is that you’re demonstrating that you respect the whole experience of your employee,” Beato said. “So by adding that benefit, you’re saying, ‘Look, it doesn’t matter if I don’t have a cat or a dog; I know that you have one. And it’s important to you.’”The panelists from top left, moderator Lydia Dishman, Singleton Beato, Lizzie Wright, Jessica Kim, and Carol McBride (photo by From Day One)Employers can also benefit from analyzing their employees’ demographics to understand better how they can help the most people. However, Kim cautioned against grouping people of specific demographics together and assuming they have the same needs across the board. She explained that, if “diversity” refers to reaching a number or a statistic, “inclusion” is the mindset of actually accommodating everybody.“When we think about diversity, we tend to center around the checkboxes, such as gender, age, and race, and we tend to build benefits around these assumptions that we think these types of employees need. And we’re obsessed with tracking it and making sure we have the right proportion,” said Kim. “But instead, we need to recognize that so much of people’s lives are untrackable,” involving “different lifestyles, family-care situations, socioeconomic factors, [and] life stages that don’t always match your age.”Mr. Cooper has used analytics and data to broaden the census files they keep for each employee and to create different “personas” that help define employees’ benefit needs. For example, personas can help differentiate people without kids from people with kids, people with dual incomes from people without dual incomes, students from non-students, renters from owners, and more.This data can help McBride and her colleagues get the right benefits for the right employees and make them aware of their options.“I may not get to improve my benefit line-up, but I sure can elevate and talk about and advertise what we’ve got,” McBride said.Looking at some statistics can also be helpful when uncovering groups that often go unnoticed. For example, Kim shared that about 20% of workers identify as full-time caregivers to family members, meaning they provide care for 20 or more hours per week on top of a full-time job. But these people are often overlooked in the discussion of benefits.Several panelists spoke about Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs, helping their companies find where they need to improve benefits, either by offering new benefits or by advertising existing ones. For example, a working parents’ ERG might raise the need for more extensive daycare options. “Use ERGs and BRGs to bubble up key needs and concerns, because there’s a trust and authenticity already built in there. [They] can be a pulse of what’s happening beyond surveys and multiple-choice questions,” Wright said. “Then amplify those issues with specific town halls.”No matter how employers navigate their benefits offerings, one thing is clear: failing to offer a diverse package of benefits is to miss out in the talent race. “People want to work somewhere where they feel like all these aspects of their lives are welcomed,” Kim said, “[where] it’s all integrated, so they can do their best work.”Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
Three Ways to Help Employees Overcome Health Care Barriers
BY Erika Riley May 09, 2023Health care plays a complicated role in our country and even more complex roles in our workplaces. Privatized health care makes health care inequities commonplace, and often an individual’s ability to access quality health care is directly tied to their socioeconomic status. Employers have been stepping in for centuries to offer their American employees access to health care. But how can employers further level the playing field for their employees to ensure that they all have access to quality care?Dr. Anupam Goel, Senior Medical Director at Accolade, spoke on this topic during a From Day One webinar. Joined by Katie Blakemore, Marketing and Events Manager at Accolade, Goel discussed how employers can reduce health care barriers with or without the help of Accolade.Accolade is a personalized health and benefits solution that can dramatically improve the experience, outcomes, and cost of health care for employers, health plans, and their members. Compassionate advisors, clinical experts, and intelligent technologies allow Accolade to engage individuals and families at every stage of health care. Health care advocates help individuals understand their health holistically and make choices that fit their life and circumstances.Health care can be a considerable driver in talent acquisition, as job seekers look for employers committed to providing the benefits they care about most. In 2023, this means not only offering a good insurance plan but also helping employees overcome health care barriers.Health Care Inequities vs. DisparitiesTo understand what it means to provide greater access to health care, it’s important first to understand common barriers to health care. Goel explains that health inequities are the differences people might experience when interacting with the health care system based on characteristics that have nothing to do with their health, such as race, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and geography. These health care inequities can then lead to health care delivery differences, leading to health care disparities. For example, a person who doesn’t own a car might not be able to access the same providers as someone with a car. A patient with a lower income might not be able to afford all the medications their provider prescribes them. Or, a health care provider might treat a patient differently than others based on their sexuality. Ultimately, employers cannot tackle these challenges independently; they’re deeply rooted in our economy, society, and health care systems. But Accolade has some ways to help. “At Accolade, we’re very excited about providing people with options. So you might say, ‘I just know these doctors in my neighborhood. Accolade, can you help me find other providers who might look like me, sound like me, or come from a place where I’m from, so that a better connection with my health care provider might make a difference in my long term care?’”To help address barriers to health care, Goel recommends these three steps to employers:• Use a health benefits strategy that actually improves engagement• Offer services that address access issues and experience challenges• Provide health care solutions that treat employees like individualsLet’s break down these three action items and how they can help employers with talent acquisition and retention.Use a Health Benefits Strategy That Improves EngagementEducating employees about the benefits available to them and how they can use them can help employees’ overall health and wellness. There are several ways to improve engagement with your health benefits strategy. Employers can remind their teams of the telehealth and mental health resources available to them, advertise their wellness programs, and publicly announce any new changes to the program. One way to help improve engagement with your health benefits strategy is to offer advocates through a program like Accolade. Advocates help individuals understand their symptoms and their providers’ treatment plans. Having a conversation with a trusted person (other than a doctor) who understands the nature of their benefits, copays, and coinsurance can help employees make more informed choices around their health care.“We find that to be very powerful, because in many ways, health care is so complex and so challenging. All the nuances about coinsurance, copay, and prior authorization can be very confusing,” Goel said.Offer Services That Address Access Issues and Experience ChallengesGoel’s second recommendation is to offer health care services that address your employees’ access issues and experience challenges. One of the best ways to address access issues is to provide telehealth services. Employers can check their telehealth service offerings with their health insurance providers. They can also partner with an additional service to provide their employees with more options. “I don’t think it’s going to be any employer’s individual job to get doctors to get back on telemedicine. Having said that, there are large companies across the country with nationwide networks to provide you access to telehealth no matter where you are,” Goel shared. “And no matter what time of the day it is. So we think that’s a real opportunity.”In addition to telehealth services, Goel recommends offering access to second-opinion services or centers of excellence. Second-opinion services allow employees to get a second opinion regarding a diagnosis or health care decision without seeking an entirely new provider.Meanwhile, centers of excellence are medical programs accredited to treat complex medical conditions while meeting the most rigorous quality, safety, and patient experience standards. They can help employees with a diverse range of needs.Some people also avoid health care owing to poor experiences or lack of access to doctors who match their demographics. While employers cannot necessarily do anything to change how many health care professionals, they can help their employees locate professional and responsible providers and increase access.“I think it’d be very difficult for any employer, on their own, to push for doctors or nurses to become more equitable in their interactions with patients. But as an employer, I think the first thing you can do is make a strong push around access,” Goel said. “Can I get members access remotely to services that they need? Can I give them mental health support?”Goel also recommends employers survey their employees about providers who went above and beyond in their care and make a list of providers to recommend to employees in the future. Then, you can use this list when renegotiating your health insurance plan by proposing a special payment system for those providers. “Money talks, and if a group of providers are identified by employees as providing superior service, we should acknowledge that and make a difference in how we pay for it,” Goel said.Provide Health Care Solutions That Treat Employees Like IndividualsTreating employees like individuals shouldn’t be groundbreaking, but the status quo has long been to see them as statistics, especially regarding health care benefits. Treating employees like humans with individual needs — rather than providing a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all solution — can help acquisition and retention.“We really take this to heart at Accolade. We think of you as more than a total of your insurance claims and all of that. We can figure out what the most important thing to you is by actually having a conversation,” Goel said. “Maybe smoking cessation is not the most important thing to you right now; maybe it’s just getting your medications paid.”Treating employees as individual humans can also help your company own up to its mission statement and core beliefs. Goel acknowledges that not every HR employee has the power to completely overhaul their company’s health care plans, especially when working with a limited budget. But putting time and money toward health care, even in small ways, can help signal your company’s values.Goel recommends asking, “If we are a company that cares about equality, and we say in our mission statement that it’s part of what we believe in, what does that look like? And how can we make that more possible?”A common misconception is that more complex or individualized health care has to be more expensive. This is not always the case, Goel says.“More complex does not necessarily equal more expensive,” he shared. “Advocacy might help our employees understand their health care better than if they were just seeing doctors month to month or whenever they have to go in.”Ultimately, offering employees health care solutions that work for them can be worth every penny you put into it, especially when employees feel invested in, cared about, and supported.“We like to think that everyone deserves someone to support them,” Goel said. “Our teams are happy to do that work. And we’re proud to say that we think advocacy is a part of every American’s right as a health care user.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Accolade, for sponsoring this webinar.Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
The Future of Mental Health Care–and the Role of an Inclusive Solution
BY Erika Riley May 03, 2023Over half of Americans will develop a mental illness or disorder in their lifetime. Still, more than 50% of adults with mental illnesses do not receive treatment. Even if everyone with a mental illness or disorder wants to pursue care, there aren’t enough therapists. If every one of the 500,000 mental-health specialists in America fully maximized their schedules, they could still only fit in weekly one-on-ones with 7% of the population, says Ariela Safira, founder and CEO of Real.As Safira puts it, there is no working solution in mental-health care.“I know so many people who are struggling, really struggling with their mental health. And there’s no care system or care model that’s identifying their needs, helping them to identify those needs, and bringing them to appropriate care,” she said. “The vast majority of people I know are actually struggling in silence.”Safira spoke on the future of mental health care and Real’s inclusive solution during From Day One’s February virtual conference, “Beyond Good Intentions: Measuring and Accounting for Progress in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.”Safira has worked in the mental health care space for over a decade. After a close friend attempted to take their own life, she saw how the mental health care field failed Americans.“And while that wasn’t the first time I’d seen mental illness, it was the first time I’d seen mental-health care, which felt hugely problematic for me,” she explained. Not only did I see the mental health care system, but I saw the flaws within it. So I threw myself at it and have not stopped working on it since.”The statistics are staggering, even more so for marginalized communities; only 25% of Black Americans seek out mental health care, compared to 40% of Americans, and the adult Black community is 20% more likely to experience rates of severe mental health problems than other populations.“That’s not a problem a startup or a network is going to solve for you, because we just don’t have enough therapists of color,” said Safira.After dropping out of Columbia University, where she was studying to become a clinician, she founded Real, which launched in 2020. This year, the company is launching “Real for Work,” which allows employers to offer the product to their employees as a wellness benefit.“Ultimately, you know, I found myself at Columbia thinking, I’ve seen every mental health care solution, and none of them work. And even those that say they’re working aren’t quite working. I look around and no one in my family would ever see a therapist,” she commented.Real is working to fill in the gaps left by the traditional mental health care market. Often, employers are the middleman between the individual and care, but even those offering benefits don’t always get it right.“While individuals who go to work every day have always faced mental-health concerns, this issue is really reaching headlines and becoming more and more known. And what workplaces are certainly seeing and I hear a lot about is that today’s mental-health benefits are not addressing employees’ needs.”Barriers to Entry The average utilization rate of mental-health benefits in America is 2%, which indicates that, while most people need mental-health care, next to nobody uses it. Several barriers to entry discourage workers from taking advantage of these benefits.Time is one such barrier to entry. Many therapists book sessions during the mornings and afternoons, when people are often at work. Traditional therapy scheduling is even more exclusionary of hourly workers, who often do not set their hours and work on-site jobs. Leaving in the middle of the day requires more transit, too.Ariela Safira, founder and CEO of real led the virtual discussion (company photo)“We’re talking about demographics that don’t have the luxury to take an hour out of their schedule weekly for care,” Safira said.The stigma around therapy and mental-health care can also discourage people from seeking treatment, as can the cost. Even with insurance, individual sessions can cost upwards of $120. Some employers give their employees “packs” of sessions they can use, but workers are left with few options when those sessions run out.In other words, Safira explains, current mental-health care benefits aren’t meeting people where they are. The future, ideally, could look like more scalable, inclusive, accessible, and clinically effective solutions that make it easier for people to make mental-health care an essential part of their well-being.Offering an Inclusive Solution The goal of Real was to build something for everyone, taking diversity of race, gender, sexuality, and economic class in mind. Real, which has a website and a mobile app, aims to meet people at what Safira calls “step zero:” when they feel immense pain but don’t have the language to describe their experience.“To meet them at that step zero, you have to give them people and stories. They have to hear what this looks like for other people,” Safira said.These stories and easily digestible bits of content are beneficial for people who are not ready to or are not comfortable with talking to a therapist or who don’t have the language to express themselves.Real provides tools and lessons from therapists, therapist-led group sessions, guided programs, and on-demand exercises that target various topics, including sleep, anxiety, depression, relationships, and identity.Receiving this content in digital formats akin to those seen on social media is more accessible for people who don’t have the bandwidth for weekly hour-long therapy sessions or to read self-help books.Real can utilize user data, such as what content the user is engaging with the most or returning to repeatedly, to personalize the experience and predict future mental-health needs. And the research proves that it’s working; IRB-approved studies showed that Real outperforms one-on-one care in terms of reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.“We’re seeing clinically significant reduction in depression across all races after real app usage, which is phenomenal and incredible, given that, particularly for those who do not identify as white, there just isn’t a care option for them,” Safira said.If other industries have made this evolution in service so rapidly, such as the transition from CDs to iTunes to Spotify in the music industry, there’s no reason mental-health care can’t be the same, Safira says. She welcomes the start of “mental-health care 3.0,” where care is no longer reserved for the few who can access it.“We’re moving away from the one-on-one therapy appointment in-office, to building CBT worksheets, to putting one-on-one therapy on video chat, to transforming care into a digital-first experience,” she explained. “And it will enable us to deliver scalable and affordable care.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Real, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
Lead Like a Human: Practical Steps to Caring for Employee Well-Being
BY Erika Riley November 12, 2022The most desired change that both employees and leaders want to see in the HR sphere? They want their boundaries to be respected. Adam Weber, SVP of community at 15Five, a performance-management platform, explained the findings of his surveys of thousands of HR employees during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One's September virtual conference on “Stress, Anxiety and the Modern Company’s Role in Promoting Well-Being.” “We live in an always-on, phone-addicted, response-compulsive society where the lines of work and home have been blurred more than ever before,” Weber said. “And I think this data is showing us that something needs to change.” In a world of “quiet quitting” and changing tides in favor of job seekers, 15Five conducted a survey to see what leaders and employees wanted from their jobs. In addition to better-defined boundaries, employees desired more kindness in the workplace, more opportunities to learn new skills through experience, and better management to help shape their career paths. Leaders, meanwhile, desired the opportunity to learn and become better managers and mentors, but also wished for more opportunities to share their opinions and have them taken seriously. All of these desires speak to a growing demand in the HR sphere: that we treat one another like humans, said Weber, who has written a book on the subject, Lead Like a Human: Practical Steps to Building Highly Engaged Teams. Respecting boundaries, which was of the utmost importance to both groups, includes respecting log-off times, evenings, vacations, time off and sick days, among other things, said Weber. But the habit of setting–and respecting–boundaries does not fall on just one party. Both leadership teams and employees have to practice doing so in order to change the landscape. Starting with Self-Reflection Weber encouraged employees to take a look at their own behavior first. “Maybe there are some bad habits of responding to a Slack at 11 p.m., or checking an email first thing in the morning. Or maybe it’s that you have a full plate and yet you’re still saying yes when you’re already overworked and overloaded,” Weber said. Adam Weber, SVP of community at 15Five (Company photo) The No. 1 thing teams can do to promote boundary setting is prioritize. This includes deciding and agreeing on what the most important thing is for team members to accomplish each day. Prioritizing prevents team members from feeling like they have an endless list of things to get done all at the same time. Another key to setting boundaries is learning how to say no and, more importantly, being willing to do so. Weber says team members should set expectations for how much work they can reasonably take on, in addition to when they will log off of work and be unresponsive. Turning off push notifications and not checking Slack on the weekends should be totally acceptable, Weber said. “We log out of chat and email when we're finished for the day,” Weber said. “When we do things like that, we add disciplines to our lives that allow us to actually increase our performance, not decrease our performance.” Many people might feel daunted by the idea of setting boundaries, or think that it would never work in their company. But, according to Weber, these are the people who need to set boundaries the most and can help their companies return to a more compassionate and understanding vision. How Leaders Can Set an Example The onus, however, is also on higher-level team members to set a company-level strategy. Weber says that leadership teams can help make unplugging acceptable–or even celebrated. To do so, they can highlight what they do on their weekends or vacations in a Slack channel to show that they, too, are turning off and enjoying life outside of work. Setting the expectation that team members will log off at home or when they need to be with their family will help everybody in the long run. In most companies, not everybody can work at the same exact times every day. “There’s something dramatically powerful when the C-suite is willing to take breaks and share about those breaks,” Weber said, “When C-suite is willing to put up boundaries and share about those boundaries, when they create a culture of permission that says, hey, we all work at different times.” When companies don’t honor boundaries, it leads to burnout. Across industries, many managers are over their capacity, often handling over a dozen direct reports. Weber leaned into the point that managers who are over capacity will “wreak havoc” on companies. To end this cycle, it’s imperative to set more realistic goals for managers. “Over-capacity managers create psychologically unsafe work environments where people keep their thoughts to themselves until the day they quit, and they perform at a much lower rate,” Weber said. Leading Like a Human in Hard Times Experts estimate that as the nation faces a recession, about 20% of companies will have to lay off team members. Off-boarding is another place where companies can add more compassion and understanding. Creating an off-boarding strategy can help both the employees being laid off and the managers who have to make tough decisions and deliver the bad news. This strategy can include helping them transition to the next phase with generous support and transparent communication. Weber suggests making a Google doc that can be passed around the company for each laid-off employee so team members can provide positive references, endorse their skills, and share new job openings. At the heart of all these strategies are compassion and empathy. Weber doesn’t accept that employees are really “quietly quitting.” He sees employees trying to set boundaries and change the way we think about work–and life. “The concept of, ‘All I’m trying to get out of you is your everything. And I don’t know what I want you to accomplish, I just want you to work until you’re exhausted,’ that concept is dead,” Weber said. “That is over. But focused work, focused on outcomes and output, that is something that you can hold people to, and that you can motivate people toward.” Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, 15Five, who sponsored this thought leadership spotlight. Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
Why Walmart Buys Into the Career Growth of Its Workers
BY Erika Riley November 04, 2022As the largest corporate employer in the U.S., with more than 1.7 million domestic employees, Walmart is a trend-setter in HR just by the impact of its scale. So when Walmart makes a decision, it commands attention. In the past year, the company has doubled down on its commitment to career growth, deciding there should be no employee left behind. To make that happen, Walmart has embarked on an ambitious campaign of teaching its workers new skills via a medley of programs. “Our vision is–and it’s very lofty–we want to redefine what education means in this country, full stop,” said Lorraine Stomski, senior vice president of associate learning and leadership, who is essentially Walmart’s dean of continuous learning. Stomski shed light on the how and why of Walmart’s efforts in a fireside chat with Romesh Ratnesar, opinion editor at Bloomberg, part of From Day One’s October virtual conference on corporate learning and development. Among the highlights: A Commitment to Teaching New Skills Walmart’s most recent commitment to upskilling and career growth includes a promise to invest $1 billion over the next five years. Through this investment, the company is now able to offer free tuition and books to all of its associates through its Live Better U (LBU) program, and has consolidated all of its learning platforms into one called Walmart Academy. The educational push is part of Walmart’s greater effort to retain workers by focusing on well-being, advancement, and more competitive wages. The commitment to upskilling and career growth has been integral to the company since its beginnings, Stomski said. She explained that founder Sam Walton always wanted to expose people to different jobs and roles and let employees work their way up the corporate ladder. That commitment still rings true today–75% of Walmart’s managers started as hourly associates, including the current CEO, Doug McMillon. “What I love about that mindset is [Walton] really introduced the notion early on that in order to build great leaders and great associates in the company, you have to be exposed to the entire company to understand it,” Stomski said. Walmart’s Lorraine Stomski, at right, speaking with Romesh Ratnesar of Bloomberg (Image by From Day One) Stomski was drawn to Walmart for its values and company culture. Originally from New York City, she doubted she’d find life fulfilling in Bentonville, Ark., where Walmart is headquartered. But after interviewing for her role, she found she loved the company’s culture and couldn’t turn the opportunity down. “It’s the hardest job I’ve ever had. It's the most fulfilling job,” Stomski said. “Because our purpose and what we are trying to do on behalf of our associates and our customers is nothing I’ve ever experienced.” Before 2022, the company operated separate learning institutions under each of the company’s different banners. For example, Sam’s Club employees had different learning options than Walmart employees. By unifying all learning opportunities within the Walmart Academy, the company is able to diversify its offerings for employees globally. Offering Diverse Education Options Live Better U, Walmart’s college offering that allows employees to pursue degrees and certificates, operates under the Walmart Academy umbrella. In the past, U.S.-based Walmart employees could take advantage of degree and certificate programs through LBU for $1 a day. Walmart waived the cost in the summer of 2021. “You know, for somebody that’s working in a store or a club in the frontline, that’s a significant investment. And we forget that,” Stomski said. “So I am so appreciative of the leadership team at Walmart. They said, ‘Take it away, remove the obstacle,’ and we had a 66% increase in enrollment.” More than 89,000 associates have enrolled in LBU, and 15,000 have completed a degree program over the last four years. But Live Better U is just one part of Walmart Academy, which consists of three “rungs,” Stomski said: •The first rung is helping employees improve the skills required for their current jobs. •The second rung is Live Better U: preparing employees for jobs they may have in the future through upskilling and completing courses. Live Better U is made possible through Guild Education, which focuses specifically on adult education. “Adult learners have challenges finishing their credential degrees. And that’s why we end up with tons of debt. Guild partners with educational institutions that truly understand how adult learners learn and how to help them complete their credentials should they need it,” Stomski said. “So that was a really big turning point for us in helping our associates who wanted to get credentialed do that.” Walmart associates can earn college credit for their jobs, further helping them pursue higher education. Guild also offers learners educational coaches to help Walmart associates find the best program for them. Of course, not all associates want to pursue a college degree, and Walmart Academy’s options reflect that. Live Better U offers short-form courses and high school completion programs in addition to traditional college degrees. Walmart Academy graduates with company CEO Doug McMillon, who started at the company as an hourly worker (Photo courtesy of Walmart) •The third rung of Walmart Academy is about creating a company culture, which Stomski says is vital for managers. Creating a cohesive culture can be difficult in an organization where so many employees haven’t had the time off from working in-person. “And let’s not forget, we just came out of two years of working from home. But our store managers and associates, who have been there from day one, did not get that luxury of working from home,” Stomski said. “And so when you think about how do you instill culture across 2.3 million associates, that’s pretty intense.” By investing $1 billion, making college education free for all employees, and introducing skills learning through Walmart Academy, Walmart has become a company on the frontline of workforce development. Since LBU’s initial launch in 2018, the program has helped employees save $333 million in tuition costs, helping thousands of employees avoid student debt. Helping Employees Level-Up Stomski is aware that many people might expect Walmart employees to move on from the company once they have completed their education. But Stomski sees it differently. Walmart wants its associates to build careers with them–but that doesn’t mean they need to stay forever. For the associates who do stay, the company has opportunities for those who want to scale up. Stomski shared the story of one associate who was never able to get her degree the “traditional” way while working on and off at Walmart. She finally completed her bachelor’s degree in just two years with LBU and later landed a job at Walmart as a project analyst. “It’s a no brainer: We want you to stay. But man, if there’s a better opportunity, and you want to build and grow your skills, we say, ‘Absolutely do it, we support you. And by the way, we welcome you to come back,’” Stomski said. Stomski said she takes pride in the company’s offering of so many educational opportunities through Walmart Academy, which sees as the right thing to do when operating in a country whose residents carry a total of $1.6 trillion in student debt. While Stomski knows that most companies don’t have the financial resources that Walmart does, she encourages employers to scale upskilling offerings to their own situations by identifying skill gaps and accelerating pathways to the jobs of the future. Another way to be more inclusive is to offer jobs to people without a lofty education. Many of Walmart’s associate positions do not require a college degree. The company has started analyzing which job listings should mention degrees at all. Instead, Stomski says, the listing can focus on the skills or attributes needed for the role. “Look for all the talent in unique places, be inclusive in your search, and be very clear on what’s required in the role so that you can determine whether or not a credential is something that you need in addition to your upskilling strategies,” Stomski said. Adding new kinds of jobs to the ecosystem has also helped the company stop and analyze what is needed for each individual role, including credentials. Looking to the future, Walmart aims keep expanding its commitment to education. “We’re actually increasing our investment year over year, even in the challenging times that we’re in,” Stomski said. “There’s not even a debate because we want our associates–if they choose to stay with us–to build a career.” Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer. She worked at the busiest Walmart on Long Island as a cashier in 2016, and she still considers it one of her most important learning experiences.
Supporting Diversity With an Inclusive Financial-Wellness Program
BY Erika Riley November 02, 2022During the post-pandemic labor shortage, power in the hiring game has shifted into job seekers’ hands, enabling them to demand more support and benefits from employers. So if you’re looking to attract new talent, it’s imperative you offer benefits and a financial wellness plan that appeals to a diverse range of employees. “Frankly, the pressure is on to offer more than just a 401(k) in the last few years as the mounting financial needs of Americans continues to change. While benefits used to mean health insurance and a retirement savings plan, employees have grown to expect and need much more support from their employers,” said Harlyn Croland, the head of business operations and strategy for Betterment at Work, a platform to help employees meet their financial goals. At From Day One’s August virtual conference on offering workers dignity, purpose, and fulfillment, Croland presented a thought-leadership spotlight on how employer commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can be supported by having innovative and thoughtful financial-wellness programs. While the Great Resignation has eased in recent months, employees are continuing to leave their jobs en masse, seeking better pay, benefits, and better work cultures. A Betterment study estimates that one in four employees will leave their job this year. At the center of this issue is DEI, which Croland said is vital for companies to prioritize. “Unfortunately, like many other areas of work in life, financial wellness has an inclusivity problem. Underrepresented minorities seem to encounter disproportionate barriers to entry towards financial stability,” Croland said. DEI must not only factor into a company’s hiring practices, but also into its benefits and financial-wellness plans. Companies can focus on three areas of financial wellness to help diverse employees: student-loan debt, wealth-building options, and personalized financial literacy. The Long-term Burden of Student Loans Student debt doesn’t just affect entry-level and younger employees; many people have student debt well into their later adulthood, with the average borrower taking 20 years to pay off their loans. “By acknowledging that student loans affect diverse populations differently and offering a broad range of student-loan management options, you’re signaling that your company values are meeting its employees’ needs no matter their demographic group," Croland said. Betterment at Work offers student-loan management plans that allow employees to manage their loans in one place. The portal offers advice about which loans to prioritize and how much to contribute to monthly payments to reach their financial goals. Employers can also choose to match their employees’' contributions in the Betterment app. A Diversity of Needs and Resources Wealth-building options, retirement savings plans, and financial literacy can vary significantly between different groups. For example, only 39% of women have three months’ worth of living expenses saved, compared to 55% of men. “If you want to build a loyal diverse employee base, help them build for the future through wealth-building options that serve their specific needs. What better way to show your employees that you want them to stay for the long haul than by supporting them for the long haul?” Croland said. Harlyn Croland, the head of business operations and strategy for Betterment at Work (Company photo) When it comes to saving for retirement, Croland considers the 401(k) the bare minimum a company can provide. But the 401(k) can be used as a step towards employees’ financial wellness. The Betterment platform encourages users to save for the lifestyle they want to reach or maintain in retirement, in addition to saving for other life events such as a down payment or a child’s education. Employers can offer financial benefits beyond the 401(k). According to a Betterment survey, the top three most-requested benefits from employees were a high-quality 401(k), matching programs for retirement or charity, and flexible spending or health-savings account. Employer-sponsored emergency funds and student-debt repayment programs also ranked toward the top. “You could be missing out on diverse talent by not acknowledging these discrepancies and offering financial well-being programs that help combat them,” Croland said. “If an individual’s most important big-ticket items are not met, they may very well begin to look at opportunities elsewhere.” Making Benefits Visible and Accessible Even if employers already have these benefits, it’s essential that they educate your employees about them. Croland suggests adding visibility to benefits by creating a Slack channel where employees can ask questions about finances and benefits, and HR can post any updates. Betterment hosts weekly town-hall meetings where they often discuss benefits, knowing that the entire company is present. Financial education in the workplace can take many forms. Holding biannual 401(k) workshops is one way to encourage employees to think about their retirement savings beyond just tax season. Doing so can help them “reassess goals, address unforeseen financial occurrences, and learn more about legislation that may be impacting their savings,” Croland said. These workshops can also help employees understand their 401(k), which can be confusing for many not already familiar with them. “Learning about how to take advantage of a 401(k) can be confusing and filled with jargon,” Crolan said. “And maybe someone is a little bit embarrassed that they don’t understand the difference between a safe-harbor contribution or an employer match.” Croland’s concluding suggestion was to survey your employees to see what benefits they’re aware of and where they may need more support. Doing so can help you guide any changes to your benefits or outreach initiatives. “Although adding a financial well-being program won’t solve every financial problem, it can make a positive impact,” Croland said. “Additionally, many companies taking these little small steps can lead to a much bigger impact for their employees down the road, and it’s clear that employees want their employers to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.” Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
Getting Jobs and Careers Back on Track After the Pandemic
BY Erika Riley September 18, 2022Millions of working parents left the workforce during the pandemic, and the vast majority of them were mothers—2.9 million women with children, compared to 500,000 fathers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many of those parents are expecting to return to work soon, but they have faced continuing struggles with child care and other issues. In a competitive talent market, employers are offering support in new ways to attract and welcome working parents back into the workplace, specifically to their companies. To explore what companies can provide working parents in these times, From Day One invited HR and recruitment experts to speak in a webinar titled, “Getting Jobs and Careers Back on Track After the Pandemic,” moderated by Fast Company senior editor Lydia Dishman. Many of the panelists shared that they had taken breaks from employment themselves. Some of them were working mothers and acknowledged that they had difficulty discussing their needs with their employers. “I was able to be a working mom that didn’t burden any of my colleagues with my children issues,” said Jayme Arendt, a senior director of HR at Holcim, a global construction-materials company. “And so I think today is an opportunity for us to flip that upside down. Instead of making it something we pride ourselves to get through as warriors, we instead connect and work with each other to say there’s got to be a better way to balance work and life.” Increasing the visibility of mothers’ needs is vital to changing the culture. Working parents often feel like they’re alone in their struggles. But when they share with others, they find many people are in similar situations, says Robbie Green, head of working parents and caregivers at Talking Talent, an inclusive coaching platform. “As a coach, I always encourage parents to be completely transparent with all of your stakeholders. People are usually willing to help, but they just have to know what you need help with,” Green said. Speaking about returning workers, top row from left: Lauren Milan of Google and Robbie Green of Talking Talent. Middle row: Jayme Arendt of Holcim, moderator Lydia Dishman of Fast Company, and Artell Smith of Quad. Bottom: Bridgett Hart of Ibex (Image by From Day One) Increasingly, job hunters seek more flexibility in their next roles, and companies are looking to meet that need. Panelist Artell Smith, a VP of HR and talent at Quad, a printing and marketing company, said that the company’s hiring processes have changed due to its new remote operations. With a much larger talent pool from across the U.S., the company has to be clear about what benefits it’s offering, including flexible shifts and access to daycare. “It’s the issue of the company now being able to look at an individual and say, ‘Oh, we're going to try to meet your needs,’ as opposed to ‘Here’s the schedule, you have to change your life to meet the schedule,’” said Smith. Employers also want to make their hiring practices, from the job listing to the interview, more equitable and inclusive to encourage working mothers to apply. To achieve this, Google has changed many of its hiring rubrics, shared Lauren Milan, a leadership recruiter at the company. “We changed from ‘Did you do it?’ to ‘Can you do it?’” Milan said. “And that’s a big philosophy change for us.” Another struggle parents returning to work face is being behind on the latest education or what a company might expect of them. Future development is also a huge factor in employees’ decisions to stay at work; Culture Amp reported that 59% of people who quit their jobs during the Great Resignation did so due to a lack of developmental opportunities. “People need to be developed,” said Bridgett Hart, VP of employee experience at Ibex, a customer-experience outsourcing company. “When they come to a role, they need to be developed as they continue in a role, they need to feel that they have a future and a path.” To accomplish this, Ibex has invested in career coaching, seminars, and workshops, in addition to mentorships for women led by other women in the company. Google offers peer-to-peer mentoring and a support group for mothers across its offices, Milan said. Quad, too, has given employees access to online training modules and courses through eCornell. Incorporating flexibility, continuing education, and increased benefits isn’t just an HR responsibility, panelists asserted. Companies must rethink their policies and cultures from the top down. “HR can only be empowered to do what they’re allowed to do. So organizations, companies, CEOs have to say, ‘We want you to strongly encourage that when a new hire comes in, that we support a flexible work schedule,’” said Green. Some companies might see flexibility as a detriment to productivity, but not offering flexibility can significantly cost their bottom line. In an era when companies are fighting over talent, they must have the resources available to attract the employees they want. “We were losing some really good talent, because other companies were calling our employees with more flexibility, more options,” Arendt said. “They were doing a better job of listening than we were and so sort of had to really rethink, How do you not lose your good people? Well, you’ve got to talk to them. And you've got to find out what it is that they need.” Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
The Lesson for Leaders From the Spirit of a Campfire
BY Erika Riley June 20, 2022The No. 1 reason that people left their job between 2020 and 2021? Uncaring leaders, according to a McKinsey & Company study. More than two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more companies are acknowledging that successfully leading a team doesn’t just mean streamlining productivity and keeping people on task. Knowing what your team members are going through, what they’re distracted by, and what makes them tick is all part of being a caring—and effective—leader. “Managers are the key to growth in companies. They’re the linchpin,” said Steve Arntz, the co-founder and CEO of Campfire, a company that trains managers. “And if you look at the research around manager effectiveness and its role to company growth, they are a linchpin to company growth.” Arntz’s talk, “The Connection Gap: Redefining Leadership Post-pandemic,” was part of From Day One’s May conference in Washington, D.C. During his talk, Arntz stressed the importance of getting to know the people you’re working with and offering them the same grace you might extend to yourself. He began by asking the members of the audience to close their eyes and think about three things: What are you feeling? What are you thinking? Who are you? He then asked the audience to think about their teams and specifically focus on one person. Then, he instructed them to ask the same questions about them: What are they feeling? What are they thinking? Who are they? “What are the types of things that might be distracting them? And who are they?” asked Arntz. “Do you know their strengths, their motivators, their drivers, their personalities, their interests, their dreams, their passions, their family situation?” Steve Arntz, co-founder and CEO of Campfire (Photo by Justin Feltman for From Day One) Arntz showed the audience a range of 27 emotions that their employees might be feeling, but observed that researchers have identified more than 34,000 distinct emotions they could be feeling. It’s easy to assume that your coworkers and team members are enjoying their work and focusing on only that. But there are plenty of things that they could be feeling in addition to their enjoyment or focus. Everybody gets distracted at work, whether checking the score of a sports game or getting texts from family members. But there are many distractions that your team members cannot control or expect, which can affect their mental health and work. Examples include the pandemic, war, money, loss, and political conflict. Arntz shared that some of his colleagues with ties to Ukraine found it hard to work in the first days of the Russian invasion and decided to take time off work. Regarding the question of identity, Arntz shared that it’s important not to lump everyone into the same box. For example, he might naturally assume that every sales team member is extroverted, sociable, and motivated by closing deals. But when he researched the matter, he found surprising results. Of 200 salespeople he spoke with, only 20% said money and rewards were in their top five motivators. “They were driven by impact, mission, vision, problem-solving, all of these different things,” Arntz said. “And yet we build these pictures of the people we work with. We frame their identity in certain ways. We have stereotypes and all sorts of things we use as crutches to identify who they are.” Working with different people and acknowledging their strengths can help break the mold and change how your team operates. By working with one of his introverted colleagues, Marinne, to develop Campfire’s brand, Arntz was able to find a new way of doing things in which every voice was heard. Instead of discussing ideas with his colleagues in a meeting room, everyone answered questions in a Google doc regarding their ideas for the brand. After everyone wrote their answers, they typed “=” signs next to the ideas they liked. “And at the end of this experience, this beautiful brand emerged called Campfire, about connection and community and collaboration and all these things. And this brand emerged from very little speaking,” Arntz shared. “There weren’t stickies. There weren’t whiteboard markers. There weren’t loud extroverts in loud rooms. There was an introverted dialogue between people who were able to all share their voice and opinion in the exact same amount of space and time. And we were able to create something magical and beautiful.” Hearing every voice is one of the critical parts of being a caring and effective leader. Manager effectiveness can help a company reach its other goals, such as diversity and inclusion and mental health, because an effective leader will prioritize these issues. “What does the post-pandemic leader look like? Someone who’s inclusive and collaborative, someone who’s connected and caring. It’s a little bit different than the pre-pandemic leader,” said Arntz. “And maybe it should have always been this way, but the pandemic has given us an opportunity to rethink our definition of leadership.” Prioritizing connection and collaboration can mean using a Google doc like Marinne’s to evaluate everyone's ideas, having one-on-one meetings on walks outside, or finding an online game for the team to play together on a Wednesday afternoon. Most importantly, effective managers help their team members feel seen. They acknowledge what they’re thinking and feeling and who they are. It can be as simple as reaching out and asking, “How are you?,” a gesture Arntz said brought him closer with a friend 2,000 miles away and helped him work through his feelings at the time. On the spectrum between “quitting” and “winning,” Arntz said, he sat more toward the former than the latter. After the call, he felt like he had moved in the other direction. “Everyone we work with is somewhere on this continuum,” Arntz said, “and there’s no way we can know where they sit unless we reach out and connect.” Editor’s note: From Day One thanks Campfire, the sponsor of this Thought Leadership Spotlight. Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer.