Cultivating Renewed Purpose and Community in the Hybrid Era
BY Emilia Benton June 05, 2023At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, workers and employers alike had to respond and adapt quickly to a new normal. They focused on coping, survival, and productivity. Three years later, much of America’s workforce has largely embraced a hybrid model of work. However, many workers have suffered burnout in the aftermath of these changes, resorting to “quiet quitting” while exploring new opportunities that cater to the flexibility they desire. The third session at From Day One’s Houston conference, a panel moderated by Paul Pavlou, Ph.D., dean and Cullen Distinguished Chair professor, C.T. Bauer College of Business, University of Houston, explored new approaches that employers can take to create a sense of renewed purpose and spirit of community, as well as to support workers who are tired of adapting and yearning for stability. Early in the session, Rebecca Taylor, the co-founder of SkillCycle, raised the point that any enforced change has to be intentionally planned and well thought out. It also has to promote stability while leaving room for the unexpected.“The hardest part to remember, even when you're certified in change management, and have done this before, is to leave space for the human experience, and for how every person in the company is going to experience this change,” she said. “As you're navigating change, leaving that room for people is where you have to pay ten times more attention than you thought.”As the session moved forward, Pavlou touched on how employers can motivate employees in an uncertain and ever-changing environment. While working from home may have seemed like a dream in terms of flexibility in the beginning, some employees found themselves working until late into the night at home, which can obviously contribute to burnout and drive employees away. He highlighted the challenge of motivating employees, particularly when they’re working 100% virtually and not meeting and seeing people face-to-face.Paula Harris the senior vice president, community affairs, and executive director of the Astros Foundation for the Houston Astros emphasized the importance of flexibility. One “consistent thing, [is the] big need and big desire for flexibility.” In a changing workplace, workers want flexibility and more control over when, where, and how they are working.On how Air Products is approaching flexible work, Mindy Fitzgerald the the global director of diversity, culture, and engagement, said, “We do have an environment where we do like people to be together,” said Fitzgerald. “But when they come together, they have to have it has to be valuable, and it has to be purposeful. At our company, we instituted something we called the five C's: connection, collaboration, co-creation, celebration, and community. These are really important in building the kind of culture that you need. It's a place to belong, it's a place to connect, it's a place to be known and know others.”Fitzgerald added that employees’ work, productivity, and performance can greatly inform the level of connection and in-person time that a team requires. Trust is another key element. “I think we need to learn to trust our people, and our people need to learn to trust the company and the guidance in the direction it gets,” she said.Pavlou added that organizations also need to prioritize fun, in the sense that employees can get comfortable socializing with each other through activities unrelated to their job responsibilities. Neglecting to highlight this facet has made it harder for employers to recruit for open positions.“Human beings are not hardwired for stagnation. So, when people say that they're looking for opportunities to learn and grow, it's actually this instinctive drive to embrace challenges and to stay on the lookout for how you're going to navigate your own environment,” Taylor added. “[It’s also] about adaptation. No one likes interviewing when employees leave companies, so if you can save them [from leaving], and show opportunity within their current role, within their current company, and give them what they're craving, then you're going to see more of that retention, and attract more people, too, because people are attracted to companies where people stay.”Lamonica Spivey, the inclusion, diversity and corporate social responsibility director for TechnipFMC brought up the concept of “cushioning,” a strategy employees use to plan next moves or explore future options.Lamonica Spivey of TechnipFMC during the Houston panel session (photo by Cassandra Sajna for From Day One)“It’s so important to hear from your employees on a continuous basis so that you understand what their needs are and what gaps they need to fulfill, because that's potentially your future talent pipeline within your organization,” she said. Finally, Fitzgerald also highlighted how workers also want honesty and trust, especially when it comes to diversity statistics, investor and stakeholder information, compensation, pay equity, and development opportunities. “They want companies to be real, not perfect, because they want to make a difference in that real company,” she said. “[Engage in] active listening. Use your employee resource groups, which create a psychologically safe space for these individuals to prosper, to tell you what's going on in their minds,” Spivey added. “There is no such thing as over-communicating. It's essential today, and we need to continue to cultivate our leaders as well and keep them up-to-date with new generations who are coming into the workplace.”Emilia Benton is a freelance journalist primarily covering running, health, and fitness, as well as lifestyle, entertainment, and personal finance, among other topics. Her work has appeared in publications such as Runner's World, Women's Running, SELF, Women's Health, and more. Emilia is also a 10-time marathoner and lives in her hometown of Houston with her husband, Omar, and Boston Terrier rescue, Astro.
How It All Fits Together: Hiring, Equity, Advocacy, and Community
BY Emilia Benton May 18, 2023How does a company tie together the roles of chief diversity officer, chief sustainability officer, and chief social impact officer to bring about holistic change? Steve Koepp, chief content officer and co-founder of From Day One, posed this question to Brian Tippens, senior vice president and chief social impact officer at Cisco Systems, to open a discussion on hiring, equity, advocacy, and community, which kicked off From Day One’s Houston conference.Cisco Systems, a company that boasts 80,000 employees, has created a culture in which purposeful work, diversity, equity and inclusion, and social impact operate in concert to make it rank highly as one of the best places to work. In answering Koepp’s question, Tippens noted that organizational constructs such as those at Cisco are starting to combine different pieces related to purpose and impact, as customers truly care about the purpose of the companies they’re doing business with. Currently, certain areas of the workforce are continuing to experience tumult, with hundreds of thousands of workers being laid off, for example, in the technology sector. At the same time, other areas have seen hundreds of thousands of new jobs created in the new year already, Koepp notes. Now that DEI has become a priority to many workers and, presumably, to companies, more workers can pursue opportunities that align with their values and provide the environment they’re looking for, Tippens says.“Gone are the days where every employee has to have a college degree. We can invest in apprenticeships and upskilling programs,” Tippens said. “Certainly, diversity, equity, and inclusion play into how we go out to find that next workforce, which I think is critically important.”Tippens, the senior vice president and chief social impact officer of Cisco, kicked off the Houston conference (photo by Cassandra Sajna for From Day One)Tippens went on to emphasize that the racial reckoning of 2020 particularly influenced how Cisco, which had already been focusing on DEI, now invests even more in social justice and prioritizes having a representative workforce. This effort has included structuring a social justice action office with several areas of focus, including hiring a more diverse workforce, building wealth, and launching even a $50 million venture fund for African American-led startups.“We usually wouldn't talk about the numbers, but it just goes to show how seriously we take this and tie it back to our workforce,” Tippens said. “Our team members really appreciate the fact that we are making investments in communities beyond thoughts and prayers in these troublesome times.”Both Koepp and Tippens acknowledge that picking and choosing what investments will have the biggest impact can be hit-or-miss. Tippens notes that it’s key to communicate with employees to find out what causes they’re passionate about, as well as simply to check in with them about mental wellness amid conversations on social justice, such as the one sparked by the recent murder of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. These efforts can be extra challenging as a possible recession looms and budget cuts are disproportionately affecting DEI investments and job positions. “Purpose is best done when it's operationalized inside the business and not just a nice, touchy-feely thing to do over in the corners of HR or the corners of philanthropy,” Tippens said. “You’ve got to treat it like a business, which is not to say you're always going to have an unlimited wallet to invest in good and communities. But you can't cut away those programs when they're very much embedded in the business.”Koepp also questions whether companies are still as committed to doing better on the social-justice front as they promised to be in the wake of the tragic murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor in 2020. Tippens anticipates seeing the media doing some naming and shaming in areas where big players have not followed through. He stresses the need to focus on corporate social responsibility to enhance a company’s image and brand and to ensure that the diversity of a workforce reflects the diversity of the communities where a company does business. He says this kind of work can create some level of competitive advantage to help attract members of Generation Z as companies fight for the best talent.Finally, Tippens believes that the world of work will be forever hybrid from here on. Cisco, having already embraced a hybrid model for its global workforce prior to Covid-19, has been particularly adaptive to workers’ needs. He notes that, while the company is leaving requirements up to managers, it is leading with flexibility rather than mandates.“We also have to think about the inclusion ramifications of that, if there is proximity bias for the people who are in the room versus those who aren't in the room,” he said. “And I worry as we talk about being hybrid, and being dispersed, and not having the benefit of being able to do the water cooler chats and have the mentorship from being in the office. I think that's a bit of the challenge to think through and address.”Emilia Benton is a freelance journalist primarily covering running, health, and fitness, as well as lifestyle, entertainment, and personal finance, among other topics. Her work has appeared in publications such as Runner's World, Women's Running, SELF, Women's Health, and more. Emilia is also a 10-time marathoner and lives in her hometown of Houston with her husband, Omar, and Boston Terrier rescue, Astro.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Recognition in a Hybrid Workforce
BY Emilia Benton April 24, 2023How can employers give employees thoughtful recognition in a hybrid workforce? That was the challenge posed to audience members during From Day One’s Houston conference in a Thought Leadership Spotlight led by Matthew Willis, senior vice president, North America, at Advantage Club.Willis discussed how company policies and programs are moving toward a direction that focuses on keeping the workforce engaged while also considering its future aspirations, changing needs, and employee needs. It’s no secret that while many companies have largely embraced a hybrid work culture and the benefits it provides to all involved, many have been challenged by the prospect of cultivating a collaborative work environment. However, by recognizing employees’ needs, work, and contributions, organizations can create a healthy environment that can still successfully achieve business goals. Willis emphasized how recognition needs to largely focus on employee experiences and satisfaction levels, an area where there is a growing disconnect in many industries. Even with a recession pending and mass layoffs in industries like technology, many workers truly feel like the ball is in their court and are willing to “quiet quit” (i.e. perform the minimum requirements of their job, and no more than is necessary). Many would rather be unemployed than stay in a job where they’re unhappy, and would not accept a job where they have no work-life balance. Willis continued by sharing a “new age” job satisfaction checklist that employers should consult, highlighting the six factors of culture, autonomy, growth opportunities, flexibility, purpose, and recognition.“As we go up that list, motivation and engagement go up,” he said. “So our job, whether we are executives or HR leaders working with executives, is trying to create that sense of the ability to create that belonging down the chain quicker to create that sense of importance and build some structures around that to allow for it.”With that, though, Willis acknowledged the real challenge of keeping employees who aren’t physically in the office consistently engaged. One potential solution is creating communities related to their skill sets and interests, such as those focused on diversity and inclusion or women in leadership, or even hobby-focused ones like cycling and photography clubs.“With leadership, it starts at the top, and then with managers, as HR progressions, we need to make it personal, we need to be empowered to do that,” Willis said.Willis concluded the session stating that the bottom line is that companies don’t need a formal structure or advanced technology to provide adequate recognition and appreciation for their employees. “Let's think about it, what fits our culture, what fits our organization, and our employees,” he said. “We're building the team, we're training the managers, and the fun one is keeping things fresh. But you must first win the workplace.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Advantage Club, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Emilia is a freelance writer and editor living in her hometown of Houston. She received her B.A. in journalism with minors in Spanish and women's studies from Hofstra University in Long Island, New York. Her work has been published by Women's Health, SHAPE, Prevention, POPSUGAR, and the Houston Chronicle, among others.
In Houston, Listening to What Workers Want
BY Emilia Benton April 18, 2022From Day One’s conference at the Asia Society in Houston brought together more than 200 leading thinkers and top executives in HR, CSR, talent, diversity, employee engagement, and benefits for an engaging, up-to-the-minute conversation about how employers can build stronger bonds of trust and connection with their workers and their communities. The urgent topics at the February conference included the importance of offering career paths, developing diversity in leadership, balancing productivity with well-being, supporting working parents, and encouraging employees in community work. Highlights from the event: The Major-League Clout of High-Profile Brands to Have Social Impact Paula Harris has often been the only African American person or the only woman in her workplace. As SVP of community affairs for the Houston Astros major-league baseball (MLB) team and executive director of the Astros Foundation, she is determined to work toward a time in which such scenarios are rare or nonexistent. “I think this next generation of employees are looking for employers where they don’t want to be the first. It should be part of the culture where you see diversity, diverse ideas, diverse people, diversity in their clients and everywhere else,” Harris said in a fireside chat to kick off the conference. Harris talked about her experience of moving past the empty corporate rhetoric of the past to today’s newly prominent needs. Paula Harris, SVP of community affairs for the Houston Astros of MLB “People can tell when it’s just for show, or when you just spam out numbers,” she said. “The demands are greater and greater now, [and it’s] not to say that change isn’t happening fast enough, but to say that there’s a new awareness about what’s really going on. And we’ve seen what’s happening with corporate boards, and corporate boards haven’t been made to diversify.” Harris described what the Astros Foundation is doing specifically to improve on this front, including partnering with the HBCU institution Texas Southern University, to which the Astros Foundation is giving a $500,000 grant. The Astros Foundation is also collaborating with students in sports management and STEM subjects (including some who have been affected by domestic violence) through scholarships and fellowships that allow them to work with the baseball team, as well as engage in volunteer projects involving the team and foundation. These initiatives have admittedly been challenging amid the Covid-19 pandemic. “After Covid, it’s been tough to get people back reinvesting or bringing baseball back into the inner city, and [reviving] baseball in the inner city is a big focus of MLB,” Harris said. “But we really wanted to have kids come back to baseball because we have seen [the decline in numbers] of inner-city kids playing baseball and not as many African American Major League Baseball players, and it’s an investment in time and money.” How High-Performing Workplaces Can Show Compassion, Too Those investments were at the forefront during the ensuing panel discussion, titled “How High-Performing Workplaces Can Show Compassion, Too,” which highlighted how a competitive, innovative business can remain productive even while its employee engagement and retention depend on empathy and compassion–particularly when workers are expected to take certain risks and deliver maximum effort. Leaders and managers can model the importance of flexibility in remote-work situations in order to set the tone for a reasonable work-life harmony throughout their organizations, such as being open about when they’re going to be out of the office, be it for vacation or to spend valuable time with children. The speakers considered how high-performing workplaces can show compassion, too “Dialogue is so essential, and these are the things that we need to talk about. We need to talk about what the expectations are about communication,” said Lisa Warner, president of AMP Creative, a producer of corporate learning experiences. “Give permission from the outset to be transparent, to be candid, and show that we’re doing that.” Matthew Dodson, an organizational development leader at Chevron, highlighted the additional considerations that need to be taken when it comes to international teams, such as scheduling meetings and thinking about the time zones for everyone participating. “It’s just another way to think about the big world and people, [where] someone’s going to have to pay some type of sacrifice when you’re a global team,” Dodson said. Finally, Warner highlighted webinars AMP had created to help people navigate stressors that the pandemic has brought on for both employees and employers. AMP’s new employee resources also include mental-health counseling services and an on-site primary care clinic. “Having that understanding, I think, helps people process their way of understanding their own emotional landscape, and then understanding the landscape of others,” she said. “So, perspective-taking is kind of where we start. We start by imagining what it might be like to be in someone else's shoes.” Additional speakers included Julie Fawdington, head of operations for the data office of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Kristi Pittman, VP of HR at Goodman Manufacturing, and Clelia Cayama Soto, VP of HR at Aegion, a construction and engineering company. How to Simulate Career Progressions as a Retention Tool Empathizing with the goals and experiences of employees can serve managers well too, a reality on full display during a thought-leadership spotlight titled “How to Simulate Career Progressions as a Retention Tool,” presented by Vijay Swaminathan, CEO of Draup, an AI-driven, decision-making platform. Swaminathan asserted that by understanding the trends affecting a company’s market ecosystem, businesses can develop prospective career progressions for employees to gain valuable insights into workforce-planning needs. Vijay Swaminathan, CEO of Draup Given the digital transformation that virtually every industry is currently going through, Swaminathan highlighted how companies can effectively use career progression as an attractive retention tool to ease the burden of recruitment. “If you understand this layer, it actually takes you to a more skill-level view of the world,” he said. “Our prediction is that in the next two to three years, we [will] largely migrate toward a skill-based economy rather than a job role, or job-family-based type of a hierarchy.” Certifications for largely digitally based programs typically take months, whereas companies are still asking for years of experience when looking for new hires. Swaminathan noted that companies should not overlook candidates holding two-year degrees in higher education, vs. four-year degrees. “Today, the entry point could be through an associate degree, or it could be through a bachelor’s degree from a university, and we cannot ignore the community college [degree] that is turning out fantastic,” he said. “With digital and technology talent, the challenge is that we don’t create enough jobs at an entry-level for those professionals, and then over time, we have a pipeline problem.” The pandemic has shown employers the importance of mapping out skills and prioritizing soft or behavioral skills as much as technical skills, with a focus on having empathy for coworkers and maintaining a good communication framework. Managing a Healthy Workplace in a Hybrid Environment Empathy and healthy communication are integral to a positive workplace culture. In a panel titled “Managing a Healthy Workplace in a Hybrid Environment,” the expert speakers discussed how a hybrid or remote workplace marked by uncertainty and lack of boundaries requires extra vigilance concerning the health and well-being of workers. Core ideas like flexibility, the idea that employees’ concerns are heard, and the opportunity for self-growth and development are critical. Leaders can also boost morale and productivity when they show they care–and respond with empathetic and effective solutions to the issues their employees face. “What we see as a healthy work environment today may be different two years from now, and so we need to make sure that we are continually assessing what that looks like and listening to our employees,” said Andrea Alexander, chief people officer at Rent the Runway. Lucho Vizcardo, head of international HR for the western hemisphere at Nabors Industries, and oil-and-gas drilling company, added: “What we knew two years ago where we were all learning from this, in addition to flexibility, will kind of combine into adaptability.” The speakers shared ideas about how to maintain a healthy workplace in a hybrid environment Alexander spoke to challenges specific to Rent the Runway when it came to promoting flexibility and how the seemingly ideal or preferred solution may not actually be ideal for everyone, as some people may prefer being in an office or other workplace to being at home. Emphasizing the ongoing value of adaptation, she remarked, “One of the challenges that we really faced was, how do you make sure that you are providing flexibility, but you’re also thinking about all of your employees and understanding the inequities that may be created, as it’s easier for some corporate workers to be virtual.” Alexander concluded, “We are leaving a lot up to the employee.” The pandemic has taught us that in-person meetings tend to go longer when people socialize about their personal lives and interests, whereas with video calls, people are more likely to stick to a planned agenda so they can go about their day, noted Shashank Bhushan, chief talent-development architect at BMC Software. Socialization is a big part of the sense of belonging many employees seek from their jobs, and plays a role in mental health, as well. We’ve also learned over the past two years that employers need to go above and beyond in providing mental-health resources that employees will not hesitate to utilize. For example, many employees might be more inclined to seek out teletherapy than an in-office psychotherapist because they may feel it’s more convenient and private. Ultimately, panelists agreed that employers must continue to be flexible and listen to their employees as workplace environments continue to evolve. “We need to be flexible in our own thinking about how to deal with situations. Nobody predicted this pandemic and how this is going to play out; we can’t even predict when it’s going to end, which means that we have to be constantly thinking on our feet,” Bhushan said. “Be vigilant about what’s happening around us and then take every day the way it is and resist the temptation to crystal-gaze too much into the future, because that only brings in more disappointments at some point.” Additional panelists included Roma Desai, VP of HR International at MAN Energy Solutions, and Christine Morehead, chief people officer at One Medical. Three Key Leadership Trends for 2022 There are instances, however, in which foresight is advantageous, as evidenced in the thought leadership spotlight, “Three Key Leadership Trends for 2022.” The workforce is going through unprecedented changes, and new challenges are emerging for companies and leaders to ensure a successful talent pipeline into the future. April King, senior consultant at the leadership-development consultancy DDI, analyzed what the firm’s research says are the top leadership trends for 2022 that have emerged in these changing times, and what employers can do to respond and make the most of them. These are developments that leaders can’t ignore, since they need to prepare to take on challenges and find top talent in a faster, more tumultuous, and increasingly digital future. King kicked off the session highlighting three trends from the Global Leadership Forecast: the race for top talent, finding potential in the virtual shadows in hybrid-workplace scenarios, and how to engage the next generation of leadership. April King, senior consultant at leadership-development consultancy DDI For the first point, she emphasized how burnout is fueling attrition, and that instilling a sense of purpose and supporting leadership capabilities are ways to retain employees. “There is significant research that’s going on right now in terms of how burnout is posing that major retention risk, and how it’s important for us as leaders to pay attention to that,” King said. Regarding finding potential lurking in the virtual shadows, she noted that part of the challenge is that physical visibility does not exist as much as it used to in the past. King noted how objective observation of what’s happening is a real challenge when employees are working remotely, which can also impact the ability to engage new and emerging leadership candidates. “In that hybrid work environment, we know outcomes are important [as well as] having objectives, having key metrics in terms of measuring performance, but we know there’s so much more that people bring to the table,” she said. “The idea here is for leaders to think about how they get observational data and a real understanding of what their teams are doing on a day-to-day basis.” “And as for engaging next-gen leaders,” she said, “your future leaders are demanding more coaching and feedback, and seek an authentic workplace that truly embraces empathy and inclusion.” Is Your Company Developing an Inclusive Culture? Collaboration was a key theme of the following panel, titled “Is Your Company Developing an Inclusive Culture?” The conversation highlighted that, instead of looking for a “culture fit” in new employees, companies can make their workplace better-suited to include diversity. Among the highlights: the key elements that make an employer welcoming to a diverse labor pool, from personalized benefits to a sense of belonging, and how career growth and employee retention significantly add to a company’s reputation for inclusion. Pedro Neiva Botelho, head of HR for the Americas for Schlumberger, highlighted how one of the available avenues for growth surrounding inclusion is looking at key local factors, including ethnicity. Moderator Lan Ni, a professor of communication at the University of Houston, pointed out that inclusion also involves psychological safety, which includes having a sense of belonging and being able to bring your authentic self to work. Tiana Carter, senior director of culture and social impact for Waste Management (WM) Agnes Denise Malloy, global VP of diversity and inclusion at Johnson Controls, used the following metaphor to demonstrate the differences between diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace: “If we brought in a ton of shoes, and we passed them out to everybody, diversity is that you got a variety of shoes, inclusion means everybody got a pair of shoes, and equity means everybody got the right-size shoes,” she explained. “So, it’s meeting people where they’re at for their own individual needs, but having policies, practices and procedures to make sure that it is thoughtful and inclusive of everybody’s personal needs.” “People need to feel valued in the workplace, they need to be seen and they need to be heard,” added Victor Wright, director of Global Labor and Employment Law at KBR, the global contracting and technology company. “A lot of things where companies can go wrong is the lack of dignity and respect and how people feel valued in the workplace, if they have a voice, or if they feel marginalized.” Tiana Carter, senior director of culture and social impact for Waste Management (WM), explained why companies need to look ahead toward the next 10 years when it comes to prioritizing their company’s culture and employee retention. “When you think about the next generation of talent and their expectations, 25% of our workforce by 2025 is going to be Gen Z, and they are not going to accept similar things that prior generations accepted in the workplace. They are willing to forego a company for purpose over profits at any given point,” Carter said. “You need to go out and find talent that are culture adds, because you need to be adding to your organization to help you build and grow to the organization you want to become. You have to start planting those seeds today, [because otherwise], quite frankly, it’s going to be very challenging for corporations to have the workforce they need to succeed in business.” Botelho added that it’s important to recognize that the responsibility of creating an inclusive environment shouldn’t fall on the employees, but rather the company’s ecosystem, with HR and talent management as key players. “The ecosystem needs to be inclusive, and we need to drive the diversity aspects of it,” he said. “But we need to embed it into our practices.” Additional panelists included Rachelle Davis, SVP of talent at the management-consulting firm RGP. Don't Forget About Recruiters! How Automation Can Help The thought leadership spotlight titled, “Don't Forget About Recruiters! How Automation Can Help Retain Your Recruiters During the Great Resignation,” described another source of talent not to be overlooked. Statistics show that one in three recruiters is currently looking for a new job, and experts believe internal recruiting teams need to be at the forefront of retention strategies. Jason Scheckner, chief revenue officer at HiredScore, which uses artificial intelligence for hiring, demonstrated how technology can unlock recruiter retention and satisfaction while making progress towards corporate goals. Recruiting has been a beleaguered field amid the pandemic and the onslaught of people seeking new jobs. Scheckner covered some of the key challenges recruiters and recruiting companies have faced, including the backlog of pandemic and market shifts, increased burnout, and an ever-changing regulatory environment with fluctuating laws regarding treatment and the disclosure of information. Additionally, some companies are still struggling to strike the right balance between having the autonomy to meet DEI goals and meeting hiring managers’ demands about candidate experience to fill a role. Despite these challenges, Scheckner made clear that demand is at an all-time high for recruiters by showcasing 16,000 new recruiting jobs posted on LinkedIn within 24 hours of his session. Furthermore, since one in three recruiters are looking for new jobs, those searching have an abundance of opportunities to choose from. Jason Scheckner, chief revenue officer at HiredScore “[This shows] the burden we have to think about when it comes to our recruiters, and it really becomes front-and-center because without those folks, we’re not hiring the people we need to fuel all the growth and achieve all the initiatives,” he said. “The people you need to fuel the very hard labor market are also themselves in the labor market, and that creates a very interesting dynamic.” Scheckner pointed out that one in two recruiters would join another organization if the company had better recruitment technology. However, companies are struggling to address these technological issues while simultaneously dealing with the “people problem” of retaining employees. “The challenge is: If you wait, the problem gets worse, because recruiters are going to get less burned out or more burned out,” he said. “[If they get] more burned out, they’re going to leave your company in droves, and that’s going to leave you with gaps and challenges.” However, companies can achieve productivity in reaching hiring goals and prioritizing diversity by using automation. “Recruiters are huge, so please do not undervalue them,” he said. “They drive a lot of the hiring in your organization, [so think about] how automation could maybe play a role in that and don’t wait too long to leverage it.” Redefining the Workplace to Give Workers a Sense of Belonging This notion of proactive engagement arose as well in the final session of the day, a fireside chat titled “Redefining the Workplace to Give Workers a Sense of Belonging.” Michael Bramnick, SVP of corporate affairs, chief of staff and chief compliance officer for NRG Energy, a major supplier of energy and natural gas to millions of U.S. customers, explained how the company is adapting to remote work by revamping its culture to embrace diversity and boost engagement. Many companies are beginning to foster an inclusive workplace environment even while their employee base is working remotely. For NRG Energy, this effort entailed adopting an array of different work arrangements, including fully onsite work, fully remote work, and two kinds of hybrid work, with one being in the office one-to-two days a week and the other three-to-four days a week. Michael Bramnick of NRG Energy, right, spoke in a fireside chat with Jennifer Vardeman, associate professor and director of the Valenti School of Communication at the University of Houston “Based upon anecdotal data, card swipes, and surveys, we were averaging about 80% occupancy in an office environment on any given workday, in any given month of the year,” Bramnick said. “The idea was to cut it in half, so we would be at roughly 40% occupancy.” But there were considerations the company had to monitor within this arrangement, such as offering enough guaranteed seats for those needed at the office. Additionally, this required the company to take a hard look at workplace boundaries and maintain the same norms it had in place pre-pandemic, such as extending people the courtesy of not calling in the early or late evening hours unless absolutely necessary, not requiring everyone to have their cameras on at all times during video calls, and giving people working remotely the freedom to take an afternoon walk or a coffee break if that was part of their routine in the office. “Managers had to be told, [if] somebody doesn’t answer the phone, they’re simply not at their desk and it’s no different than when they’re not at their desk at the office,” he said. “Similarly, [if] there are less than 12 people on a call, it’s suggested that you have your camera on, but if there are more than 12 people on the call, it’s polite to turn your camera on when you’re speaking but you don’t need it on all the time.” When it comes to DEI initiatives, Bramnick said NRG Energy is still in the early stages of a process that it began in earnest over the last three years. To date, the company has encouraged people to share their preferred pronouns and conducted pay-equity surveys based on race and gender. It has also updated its company match policy on charitable donations, reducing its threshold from $25 to $10 to make it more accessible. Bob Hamer, director of corporate for ClassPass, left, with the company’s team in Houston. ClassPass presented a workshop at the conference. “We are working our way through this as we pivot to a hybrid work environment from a manage