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Matthew Koehler | March 11, 2024

Using Structured Hiring to Make the Process Smoother at Every Stage

Hiring isn’t an exact science, but it should be. “If you can quickly, predictably bring on the best talent you can solve most business problems. That's basically the best weapon you can have in business," said President and Co-founder of Greenhouse, Jon Stross, in a recent From Day One webinar.Stross would know. He was once tasked with hiring local editors for Baby Center (a site that reaches over 32 million users per month) in 20 different countries. To do so efficiently and successfully, he and his team perfected a process by which they could “find people, interview them, test their skills and local language, then hire, onboard, and manage them.”“Hiring is so critical to the success of the business. And yet, [companies] are showing up so poorly in the hiring process. And we said if we could solve that, if we could help companies become great at hiring.”The interview process in most instances can be messy. Interviewers go in with a résumé and general idea of what they are subjectively looking for but no consistent outline of the ideal employee that fits a certain role. Stross says this often leads to duplicative and biased interview questions and bad candidate experiences.For structured hiring, Stross says, “the idea that you come up with a shared understanding of what it would take to succeed in this role? What are the characteristics of somebody who will succeed in this role?”“So you say, okay, we’re going to test these three skills and this one interview, we’re going to test these three behaviors. And so you’re able to come up with a consistent process that every candidate goes through,” Stross said. The idea is to create a consistent, transparent process that the interviewer can repeat with each candidate, and one that the candidate also understands.To achieve a more ideal hiring experience within the structured hiring model, Greenhouse, Stross's platform, achieves synchronicity between the hiring manager and recruiter by getting them to think about the role they’re filling – job requirements, metrics by which to measure them, people in the company who are already succeeding in the role, and more. Next they develop a "scorecard" to test the candidates capabilities, then structure the stages they'll put the candidates through to test various skills and attributes.Jon Stross of Greenhouse was interviewed by journalist Kelly Bourdet on the topic of structured hiring Session moderator Kelly Bourdet, founder of Apparata Media and the former managing editor of CNN Business, pointed out the established culture of hiring and interviewing and how there is some difficulty in navigating that mindset.“You might have some leader who’s been hiring for 20 years, or somebody who says, 'I have X-ray vision, I can just tell if somebody's good,'” Stross said. To overcome this, they point out the often inordinate amount of time companies spend on recruiting and ask them to spend a little more. “If you’re going to ask for all of your interviewer’s time, asking them to step away from what they’re normally doing, the least you can do is help prepare them.”He says there’s always resistance to new ideas amongst management but other managers in other departments might be open to it. “Start with the people who go, 'Yeah, this totally makes sense to me,' and you work with them.” Once management sees the benefit, others tend to fall in line.The other thing that usually helps is when seasoned interviewers see that structured hiring actually makes their job easier. “It’s going to give me exactly what questions to ask? I don’t have to think at all” I can just spend my time focusing on the candidate and not thinking of the next questions?" Stross said.Though it sounds like a broken record to point out that the professional world is changing, and AI is driving a lot of that change, it remains true. The roles we’re looking for today may last only five years, so the skills and attributes a company is looking for are more along the lines of adaptability – someone who can “roll with the punches.”Structured hiring can play an important role in shaping the hiring process away from what Stross calls "diffuse, amorphous interviews where people just ask questions about personal tastes." He points to use cases with ChatGPT and other AI, where there are obvious cases, non obvious (but profound) cases, and some "dicey" ones. Given that ChatGPT is adept at writing content, it can be used to write job descriptions, interview questions, and scorecard attributes.On the bias concern, Stross alludes to the legislation happening in New York and Europe, “You need to be transparent about how you’re making decisions. And the answer is I don’t know, the machine told us. That’s not gonna go over. It's not a great answer, right.”Stross says that for the most part, when bias slips in it’s not intentional. When making decisions without any sort of criteria, “it’s much easier for the bias to slip in.”Stross highlights the fact that Greenhouse started with a few hundred employees and now has 10,000, and went from one office to being all over the world. And everywhere you go, he says people invent their own process for everything.Hiring and managing an office are no different. “What we find is that without structured hiring, things can get messy quickly. And when you get international, each country invents their own thing. Now, obviously, you’re always going to have something unique about each country.” He says that even within Greenhouse their local offices are going to have cultures that are unique to where they are, but there are core values found in every office.“There is a lot of bedrock that we want to be the same across each place. And so one of the secrets of structured interviewing is that it’s a way to tell your internal employees what you’re all about. What are the values that we care about? You can inculcate the company values in the hiring process.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Greenhouse, for sponsoring this webinar.Matthew Koehler is a freelance journalist and licensed real estate agent based in Washington, DC. His work has appeared in Greater Greater Washington, The Washington Post, The Southwester, and Walking Cinema, among others.

Wanly Chen | March 05, 2024

How DEI Must Evolve: Highlighting the Challenges and Opportunities

In the past year, big corporations like Target and Bud Light both faced backlash for their DEI initiatives, and states like Texas and Florida have even implemented bans to curb the expansion of DEI in higher education. DEI is facing a tough challenge in the nation.The pushback isn’t a surprise to Y-Vonne Hutchinson, CEO of diversity and inclusion product and services firm, ReadySet.“We’re seeing backsliding in those areas of DEI but I always tell people not to be surprised when that happens,” said Hutchinson. “We tend to think of progress as a linear advancement when in reality, it’s more of a push-pull and we have to be prepared for that resistance.”In a conversation with From Day One’s co-founder Steve Koepp, Hutchinson discussed the current challenges and opportunities in DEI, and how companies can continue to progress.Relabeling DEI While Remembering the Core ValuesDespite recent backlash, company leaders are still committed to DEI initiatives. Some leaders have audited their initiatives to ensure no legal risks, while others have rebranded and continued their initiatives more discreetly. When rebranding DEI initiatives, Hutchinson reminds company leaders to stay focused on the core of the problem.“Relabeling is helpful but I think that we have to be careful and we have to still call things what they are,” Hutchinson said. “Language like belonging, inclusion, accessibility is great but I get nervous when companies steer clear of naming some of the very foundational issues that they’re trying to solve because it makes it harder for them to do so. For example, racism still exists but if you rename racism then you have to figure out how to solve those problems without creating a perception that you’re being unfair to other groups.”Utilizing DEI as a Tool to Problem SolveIn the workplace, being diverse, equitable, and inclusive were long problems before the recent attention DEI had received. Hutchinson points to meritocracy as a key example of the clash of diversity and equitability.Y-Vonne Hutchinson of ReadySet was interviewed in the thought leadership spotlight (photo by From Day One)“Meritocracy has never existed when it comes to working in a company. Most people come into organizations through things like referrals and most people’s networks are homogenous,” Hutchinson said. “Even if we were to strip away traditional DEI programs, we would not revert to a meritocracy. Instead, we would be deeply entrenched in those hiring problems that were already there and have fewer tools to solve them.”To be effective in DEI efforts, leaders need to first identify the problem they want to solve, Hutchinson says. “DEI is a toolkit meant to address specific, deeply entrenched problems, and it's evolving,” Hutchinson said. “When we think about the future of DEI, focus on the problem first and specifically name some of these issues that organizations are going to have to deal with, no matter what happens in the DEI space.”Acknowledging Long-Term Effects of the Pandemic on the WorkforceThe pandemic did more than drastically change the style of working; it also left lingering effects that directly impacted workers’ health.In a study on workers’ claims and the impact of Long Covid, researchers found nearly 18% of claimants with long Covid were unable to return to work for over one year, with most claimants under 60 years of age.“We’re seeing people who are sick more often, more instances of chronic illness, more instances of disability,” Hutchinson said. “Traditionally, our tools that were relying on our old school tools, such as sick days, but over time it is not going to serve us. We’re gonna see more labor shortages, more attrition, lower productivity and I think that’s going to have a real impact on our bottom lines.”Leaders must be able to recognize the impact long Covid has on their workforce and be willing to take measures to protect and include those that are directly affected, Hutchinson says.“The best thing that companies can do now is critically think about accessibility and disability inclusion, and how they're going to make those accommodations for their workforce.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, ReadySet, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.

Katie Chambers | March 04, 2024

DEI Will Endure, But Corporate Advocates Will Need to Reframe Their Approach

The recent headlines say it all:“Inside the anti-DEI crusade” (The New York Times)“DEI efforts are under siege” (CNN)“DEI is under attack” (Harvard Business Review)With initiatives toward diversity, equity, and inclusion enduring a backlash on several fronts, advocates would be well-advised to rethink their goals, strategies, and messaging. If there’s still a strong business and moral case for DEI, what approaches will work better in the current climate of culture wars, corporate austerity, and legal challenges? Experts on a panel at From Day One’s February virtual conference discussed the path forward.While the headlines make the struggle seem dire, panelist Sue Schmidlkofer, global director of diversity and inclusion at UPS, says not to be alarmed. “There are cycles to this kind of work,” she said. “It’s not going away, and it’s part of the foundation for organizations large and small.” Much of the controversy, she says, comes down to the proper framing and education about the initiatives.William Rolack, chief inclusion & diversity officer for management at Kroll, agrees that the added scrutiny around DEI comes down to a lack of understanding or “misplacement” of its role within the broader corporate conversation. “DEI is not a policy. It is a philosophy,” he said. “We influence policy for equity. We don’t write policy.”“There has been an ebb and flow for DEI, as a term, and certainly as a perceived discipline. In many cases, it's been politicized and weaponized,” agreed Lauren Guthrie, VP of global talent and inclusion, diversity, equity at VF Corporation. “But I personally believe that it is an essential set of concepts, skills, and capabilities that are necessary in our culture for an organization to be successful.”Taking a Global Perspective“We are a consumer-serving organization. And for us to do that work effectively and authentically, and to connect with our consumers around the world, we have to embrace and uphold the tenets of what it means to serve those who are different than ourselves,” Guthrie said. Her organization upholds “integrity, growth mindset, and consumer centricity” as three of its core company values. This infuses the philosophy of DEI into every level of the business – from hiring and establishing a leadership competency model to building an environment of psychological safety for employees, decision-making, consumer support, and beyond.Schmidlkofer says that UPS’s DEI initiatives grew from the company’s global reach, dating back to the 1960s as the company began to reach outside of the United States to what is now over 220 countries and territories. “You're going to reflect the fabric of those communities,” she said.The group of DEI leaders discussed the topic “DEI Will Endure, But Corporate Advocates Will Need to Reframe Their Approach” during the virtual conference (photo by From Day One) “I love how you say, ‘We need to look like our customers.’ I think that will embed diversity into your efforts automatically,” said moderator Nicole Smith, editorial audience director at Harvard Business Review. Having DEI ingrained into the company’s culture allows UPS to operate from a position of strength, she says, so that any new initiatives become a natural extension of its past track record and don’t seem performative.This long term commitment to inclusion can feel more natural and nuanced to potential critics. Gus Viano, VP of global diversity, equity & inclusion at Brink's, says that organizations that only started DEI departments as a response to the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter movement, face far more pushback than those that have been incorporating it into strategy for much longer.DEI in Your Business StrategyFor Brink’s, Viano says, DEI is tied to ESG (environmental, social, and governance). “We have to report it to investors as part of our sustainability report,” he said. Guthrie agrees that DEI can have “dollar and cent impact” that can make it easier to make the case for its importance within an organization.“We’re looking to maximize not only the productivity of our workforce, but their ability to live the corporate values in an authentic way,” she said, which in turn can impact benchmarks like retention, attrition, and engagement. Rolack warns that sometimes corporations can get so caught up in compliance and education on DEI, that they miss the economic value, “the understanding that everything that DEI touches has a financial formula.”Looking at consumers from a DEI perspective can also expand customer reach and therefore increase profits. Guthrie notes that inclusive philosophy can come through in marketing efforts, product websites, and advocacy initiatives. “We’re always thinking about this holistically through the lens of associate, consumer, and community. And through each one of those filters, there is a set of metrics that we can use to hold ourselves accountable, and also demonstrate a very palpable return on investment for the work that we're doing in this space,” she said.Mitigating the “Threat Level”Viano emphasized the importance of collaborating with the legal department to ensure that any statements or policies are just and defensible. Schmidlkofer encourages all organizations to do a legal audit of their current DEI practices, especially in the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, to ensure they are still being intentional as well as legally compliant.Schmidlkofer also reiterates the need for better awareness about what DEI really means to help decrease the feelings of threat and anxiety around the issue – and making it not just about race, gender, and compulsory unconscious bias training. “We all know how terrible it feels to be excluded. So let’s focus more on bringing people together so that the business performs better,” she said. These “courageous conversations,” as she calls them, take time and patience.When DEI is under attack, employees from diverse groups may feel under attack by extension. “I advise the leaders of the company to speak openly about it, and to be very specific about the position of the company as it supports diversity and inclusion, making sure that employees not only feel safer and that there is a sense of sustainability with regard to the DEI, but also that leaders are committed to the work,” Viano said.Incorporating DEI into employee systems also means ensuring people are not excluded, which can lead to resentment and the feeling of being under threat. “White males are sometimes left out of systems that may only have [identity-based] employee networks, but may not have an intersectionality network,” Rolack said. This nuanced approach to inclusion is crucial to cultivating allyship.Moving the Work ForwardEstablishing DEI as a philosophy that all employees feel ownership over is key to moving the dial forward. It starts with leadership embedding the philosophy, and then creating accountabilities for other employees too. “It needs to have a clear functional owner within the construct of the organization to drive that work,” Guthrie said.“Through programs, processes, and ways of working, the evidence needs to be palpable. Getting tactical about the clear actions, which then can allow an organization to speak transparently about progress or lack thereof, is really where the ownership lies.” Crucially, organizations must choose a path that makes the most sense for its own structure and needs. “There’s so much opportunity to lean into this platform in an authentic and an effective way for your organization.”Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost, Honeysuckle Magazine, and several printed essay collections, among others, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, and CBS New York.

Keren Dinkin | March 01, 2024

Building a Data-Driven DEI Program in Today’s Landscape

DEI has been making the headlines, which can be largely be attributed to the Supreme Court decision on higher education, which ruled that race can no longer be used as a component of how selections are made for college admissions.How does this apply in the context of employers’ DEI programs? What should organizations do to try and solidify their programs? Cheryl Boyer, director of diversity and inclusion services at Berkshire Associates, spoke about the ways to do this at From Day One’s February virtual conference.First, your DEI program should be aligned with your business priorities and objectives. Also, inclusion should be a priority. Programs and initiatives should be driven by (or at least assessed) by the data, she says. And those programs, including the data, should be reviewed annually to ensure they're meeting the organization's goals.Cheryl Boyer of Berkshire Associates led the thought leadership spotlight alongside colleague Thomas Carnahan (company photo)So, what does it mean to really look at your data? First, look at your current representation and demographics from an intersectional lens. Other items that you would have in your employee database that you could look at are age, levels within the organization, geography, and individuals with disabilities. You can also collect information on your LGBTQ+ community. All of these help assess where you are.You should also look at the entire employee lifecycle, such as recruitment strategies, hiring, performance and talent management, mentoring programs, development opportunities, promotion, and even engagement. All of these factors can help you find gaps and areas for improvement.Thomas Carnahan, manager of compensation services at Berkshire Associates, says that it’s important to consider the interrelationships of data. “Make sure that you're not treating every one of these data gathering processes as standalone,” said Carnahan.This is because a lot of the engagement information you can get from employees and customers is really telling when you look at the differences by race, gender, different demographic groups, organizational level, and more.If you’re not doing this, you’re missing an opportunity to draw characteristics and lines between aspects of your data. Performance ratings, for example, are associated with your engagement and your promotions. It’s essential to ask questions like “Do you feel comfortable raising your hand and pointing out mistakes?” and “Do you feel comfortable bringing concerns to your team to your supervisor?”“We know, from broad research on engagement surveys, that there are groups of people that feel marginalized in businesses and that they feel that they are not heard,” Carnahan said. “People tend to feel that way when they don’t match in some way, demographically with their manager.” When you look at the data and the connections in the data, you see a drastic drop off of highly qualified people not applying for promotions or providing important input or impact — because they don't feel comfortable.Building a strong, sensible DEI program hinges on data, as data can speak volumes about interrelationships between race, gender, and economics, and how the interplay of these factors impacts the workplace.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Berkshire Associates, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Keren's love for words saw her transition from a corporate employee into a freelance writer during the pandemic. When she is not at her desk whipping up compelling narratives and sipping on endless cups of coffee, you can find her curled up with a book, playing with her dog, or pottering about in the garden.

Wanly Chen | February 29, 2024

Taking the Long View Toward Progress in Workplace Diversity

“Things get hard when they’re working, but that doesn’t mean we let up,” said Loren Hudson, senior vice president and chief diversity officer of Comcast Cable. “Right now is our time to remain committed to supporting our teammates and communities because we have all learned that DEI is a key part of how we win talent, business space, and how we make an impact in the communities where we live and work.” DEI initiatives across the country are being politically scrutinized, resulting in bans and rollbacks in colleges and companies. Yet in the midst of it all, Hudson remains steadfast in her stance in supporting DEI.In a fireside chat at From Day One’s February virtual conference, with Sharon Epperson, senior personal finance correspondent at CNBC, NBCUniversal, Hudson discussed the current world of DEI and how companies can maintain their progress in driving change.Placing DEI at the CoreA CNBC survey found that nearly 80% of survey respondents wanted to work for a company that valued DEI issues, showing the importance of DEI to employees and job seekers alike.DEI initiatives extend far beyond just the workplace, Hudson said. “[DEI] touches so many aspects of our lives, from personal to professional, to our business to our community,” Hudson said. “At the heart of what is important, DEI practices, initiatives, mindset and focus are good for the business, people leadership, employee experience, and community activism.”Leaders can often assess the success of DEI initiatives and programs against business value and employee experience, Hudson says. However, leaders who lead DEI initiatives with intentionality can be more fruitful in the long term.“When I look at businesses who are focusing intentionally on this space, their most senior leaders have said, “This is important to us as leaders, as a business and as a community partner,” Hudson said. “Many organizations that can say that they were successful in this space are because it connects back to what the organization stands for.”Driving Equity Beyond the WorkplaceDuring the pandemic, Hudson realized there was a sudden need for internet access by community members who traditionally did not have regular access.Sharon Epperson, right, interviewed Loren Hudson, left, at From Day One's February virtual conference on the topic of Getting to the Next Stage of Diversity and Belonging (photo by From Day One)As a leader of a telecommunications company, Hudson knew her role was more than just driving change and equity in the workplace, it also meant driving change in the communities they served.By partnering with community organizations, Hudson and her team at Comcast were able to provide free Wi-Fi centers and resources for the communities. “We provided broadband while other partners provided the site and lunch or breakfast,” Hudson said.The success of these sites wouldn’t have come together if community members hadn’t raised their concerns, Hudson says.“Without partners telling us what the people are whispering or loudly saying, we wouldn't necessarily know all of the things we may know,” Hudson said. “So, talking to partners who are closest to the community members is key because they provide us perspective and provide insights to what their community or their members are saying.”Embracing Outside PerspectivesBy encouraging a growth mindset for employees, leaders can help cultivate a more inclusive work environment. This can aid the progress of DEI as team members are more committed to learning and growing. To help foster a growth mindset in teams, Hudson recommends actively looking for outside perspectives.“I bring other CEOs and their teams in, and we share what we’re doing, what keeps us up at night, and what’s going well. We can play off each other and do joint things to have greater impact, and that’s important across whatever line of business we’re doing,” Hudson said. “It’s creating this space for new fresh perspectives by inviting people from different backgrounds to come in and share those perspectives. That’s how we learn and grow and innovate.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.

Mary Pieper | February 28, 2024

Empowering People With Eating Disorders to Recover at Home

Eating disorders affect nearly one in 10 Americans, and 10,200 deaths each year are the direct result of one of these illnesses. However, the United States has a shortage of experts providing treatment, says Dr. Erin Parks, co-founder and chief clinical officer of Equip, a 100% virtual eating disorder treatment program. “I think it’s generous to say that there’s even 5,000 outpatient specialists,” Parks told Lauren Burkavage, senior director of the strategic partnerships team at Accolade, during a From Day One webinar. Another key issue in eating disorder treatment is it requires a multidisciplinary approach to be effective, says Parks. “It’s hard to put together a team because it often takes both medical and mental health professionals to help someone recover,” she said. Equip not only provides a five-person team for each patient, but also lets them recover in their own home. “We think it’s important to be at work, to be at school, to be at soccer practice, to be in their book club, because those are the reasons we recover,” Parks said. “We wanted to make sure treatment was being delivered at home around your schedule instead of having to give up on life to get better.”From an employer’s perspective, Equip results in reduced absenteeism because an employee who is either dealing with an eating disorder themselves or has a child dealing with one doesn’t have to “take them to appointments or travel to a residential treatment center, which many times aren’t closely located to where people live,” Burkavage said.Other Equip AdvantagesThere are four different kinds of treatment for eating disorders: a residential treatment center (RTC), where patients live full-time for a month or more; partial hospitalization (PHP), where the individual stays in a hospital for six to nine hours a day for five to seven days a week; intensive outpatient treatment (IOP), which lasts three hours a day for three to five days a week; and outpatient treatment, which is what Equip provides in a virtual setting.“Right now, about 85% of our patients meet criteria to go to IOP, PHP or residential, but choose to use Equip instead,” she said. One reason is a patient’s insurance might cover care at a residential treatment center, but when they go home, they can’t find a PHP, IOP, or even an outpatient provider.“That really contributes to the fact that 50% of patients usually relapse within a year of treatment, and it’s because treatment doesn’t last that long, just a couple of months,” Parks said. But in the Equip system, “a lot of our patients stay with us for a full year, really getting them to a solid place and giving them more than just a foundation,” she said. “They can see their life without an eating disorder by the time they leave.”Provider Diversity and Peer MentorsThe webinar featured Erin Parks, co-founder and chief clinical officer of Equip (company photo) One thing that prevents people from seeking treatment for eating disorders is the stereotype that they only affect thin, white teenage girls or young women, says Parks. “But the truth is eating disorders don’t discriminate,” she said. “At Equip, we’ve had patients as young as 5, and we’ve had adults in their 70s. Up to 40% of people who suffer are male. It affects all races and ethnicities equally, and it affects people at all areas of the socio-economic spectrum. And probably the most surprising thing is people with eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes.”Seniors, males, and people of color tend to want a provider that has a similar lived experience as they do, says Parks. In addition, someone who is transgender or gender non-conforming is four to five times more likely to develop an eating disorder than someone who is cisgender, Parks says. “It’s less safe for them to get treatment when they don’t have providers who understand the intersection between their gender identity and their eating disorder,” she said. This is why Equip is dedicated to increasing the diversity of its providers. The organization also has peer mentors, who are employees who have recovered from an eating disorder themselves. “Our patients really love working with their peer mentors because they have a shared identity.” Peer mentors “help to increase motivation, build a life worth living, and figure out why you want to recover from your eating disorder.” Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Accolade, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Mary Pieper is a freelancer reporter based in Mason City, Iowa.

Carrie Snider | February 27, 2024

Lifestyle Spending Accounts: Offering Employees a Flexible Benefits Choice

It’s not always about dollars and cents, but about what you can do with them. That’s the takeaway that flexible benefits company Forma has found working with 280 companies across the globe.Megan Burns, benefits strategy team lead at Forma, spoke to these findings at a From Day One Webinar titled “How Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) Revitalize Benefits for the Most Employee.” As a newer benefit in the industry, Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) are growing. Fast. The biggest reasons?“The power in these programs is employee flexibility and choice,” Burns said. “Since employees can choose how to spend their money, there’s always something valuable for every employee to use those dollars on, and then no one is left out.”A Changing MarketplaceIt’s no surprise that the cost of employee benefits increases year after year. So benefits leaders need to ensure their dollars are working efficiently without compromising the quality of benefits. Employees are already feeling the pinch financially, Burns says, as the cost of living keeps going up.“This type of stress is impacting both workplace productivity, and also makes employees more likely to explore alternative positions outside of your organization, directly impacting your overall retention,” she said.Traditionally, lifestyle benefits solutions relied on a confusing point system, leading to low engagement and low appreciation. Meanwhile, it takes more work for the admin to run these programs. Enter LSAs: this new way of looking at benefits can be a win-win for companies in more ways than one.An LSA, which can be called by many names, is a customizable spending account that the employer designs and sets up, then the employee decides how to spend those funds within the parameters. LSAs look different from company to company, depending on their goals.Megan Burns, benefits strategy team lead at Forma, led the webinar (company photo)Empowering EmployeesSupporting employee wellness is one common way of structuring an LSA, Burns told the audience. You as the employer set the pillars and budget with specific parameters. For example, a company could allot $50 per month for each employee as part of their LSA.“Once that’s set in place, the employee then gets to decide how to spend that $50. Within those program parameters, those pillars, they may choose to spend that $50 on a local gym membership, or purchasing a bicycle or running shoes because they like to be outdoors.”But it doesn’t have to stop there. Employers could set up parameters for financial wellness, caregiving support, or other benefits that could help support employee wellness. Forma can help companies set it up and offer employees a debit card to a discounted store with 250 vendors, making each dollar go further.Dollars are only debited from the company if they are used by the employee, and Burns said a majority of employees don’t always use 100 percent of what’s allotted to them. Not only that, but there is cost savings thanks to lower call volume and admin time required. For one company, Forma was able to save them $500,000 in the first six months, partially because they could use the Forma platform and offload their expensive benefits software.“We worked cross functionally across a number of different teams to realize what that amount would look like. For this particular client, they did choose to reimburse for gym, home office expenses like internet, cell phone, and other wellness items.”Gaining PopularityEmployers and employees have both benefited from this program, which is why Burns said LSAs continue to grow. In fact, 70% of employers are currently considering adding a lifestyle spending account. A projected 13% of companies will have them in place by 2024 and 43% by the end of 2025.“Employers are more diverse and dispersed than ever before. There’s five different generations in the workforce, and the most efficient way to meet their unique needs is to provide them with choice and give them benefit dollars that they can then use towards what matters most to them.” That’s why LSAs also translate well across global populations, since they are customizable and can adapt needs country by country.According to a Radford analysis, employees ranked their 401k match as the most appreciated and valued benefit program, with LSA as a close second. It’s interesting to note, too, that employees actually ranked less dollars given to them and an LSA as high as having higher value than more dollars put into a program that's specifically designed with strict parameters and less choice, Burns explained.In Forma’s recent benchmark report of 200 companies with 450,000 members as of December 2023, the broad all-inclusive LSA is the most popular. One likely reason is that it helps companies reach their DEI goals.“They want to lean into that flexibility of choice where everyone gets the same dollar value, the same dollar amount, and then they get to choose on how to spend that money,” Burns said.One account some companies have set up is medical travel. Especially for those who are in underserved areas and require medical services in another area, employees can get reimbursed for travel costs associated with medical procedures. Education repayment and other development reimbursement is also high on the list of LSAs for companies, as are home office reimbursements, rewards and recognition, caregiving, and even meal delivery service. The opportunities are endless.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Forma, for sponsoring this webinar.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.

Mary Pieper | February 26, 2024

Responding to Pushback and Creating More Inclusive Environments That Value Diversity

Even though diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace leads to better financial outcomes, greater social impact, and more satisfied employees, DEI efforts are “being used as part of the culture wars right now,” said Malia Lazu. Lazu, CEO of the Urban Labs at MIT and author of the book From Intention to Impact: A Practical Guide to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion spoke in a fireside chat during From Day One’s February Virtual Conference. “It’s important for us to remember that DEI is not against the wall because it’s a failing endeavor. It’s against the wall because people are scared of losing what they think they have now,” Lazu told moderator Jeanhee Kim. “When you’re privileged, fairness feels like a step down.”Corporate leaders and managers must truly believe that “DEI is the platform of the future” if they are going to have the will to fight the inevitable pushback, Lazu said. Although political pressure can be intimidating, organizations can gain the courage to continue their DEI endeavors from realizing the pushback is coming from less than 25% of the U.S. population, says Lazu. “This isn’t about politics for you, this is about competing in a global economy. And in 20 years, this country is going to look very different.”Acknowledging the ProblemOrganizations first need to find their gaps in DEI before they can resolve them, says Lazu. And that realization can cause discomfort.Journalist Jeanhee Kim interviewed author Malia Lazu in a fireside chat titled “How to Respond to the Pushback to Create More Inclusive Environments That Honor and Value Diversity” (photo by From Day One)“I often tell my clients if we’re not uncomfortable, we haven’t started working yet,” Lazu said. It’s important to understand that racism isn’t just an interpersonal problem but systemic one, said Lazu. “It exists whether you’re a nice person or not,” she said, noting that in American school’s, children are taught about Manifest Destiny rather than other philosophies that don’t center the white European perspective. Once people understand that institutional racism exists and what causes it, “then we can start deconstructing it,” Lazu said. The Role of Middle Management and HR A top-down approach to DEI won’t make the changes that are needed in the company, according to Lazu. “Where the change gets lost is in middle management,” she said. Middle managers and HR officers can do a lot to create a positive environment for DEI within their companies because “modeling behavior is critically important,” Lazu said. If these individuals aren’t fully invested in DEI and are worried that the company will be getting less qualified employees by hiring more women, for example, they need to learn more about what DEI really means and become more confident with it, says Lazu. Middle managers and HR leaders also need to recognize their power to make changes, whether it’s making sure they are selecting a diverse slate of candidates or even just deciding where to buy coffee from, Lazu says.It’s OK to Make Mistakes While LearningEven those with the best of intentions can make mistakes when it comes to DEI efforts. Lazu says she learned this first-hand when she was helping to organize the first disability fashion show in New England. “It became front and center how ableist I was because I had never been blessed enough to organize with people with disabilities,” she said. “And I couldn’t just walk away from it and say, ‘Oh, well.’”Instead, Lazu asked the disability community, “How do I come back from using the word ‘normal’ when I meant ‘able-bodied’?”“It’s about understanding that if you’re going to do this authentically, like any other relationship, you’re going to step on toes,” she said. “Anyone who has life partners knows, even they will get it wrong sometimes.”That’s why it’s important that companies have a culture of “generosity of interpretation. It’s important to understand that someone tried and missed the mark, and have a reparative practice.” Mary Pieper is a freelancer reporter based in Mason City, Iowa.

Matthew Koehler | February 22, 2024

Creating an Inclusive Dialogue With Workers About New Technology

AI in the workplace is no longer emergent, it has emerged. It's in our computers organizing our tasks, talking to staff and clients, writing content and generating images, and hiring the next generation of workers. At a recent From Day One event, Carrie Teegardin of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke with a panel of experts on why we should be having more conversations about AI in the workplace.Marshall Bergmann, vice president of advisory services at i4CP, has done a lot of research on AI, looking at who's using it and what successful use of AI looks like. “We surveyed over 1,500 leaders across organizations and 50 different companies across 50 different countries. Just one thing I will point out is that if you’re not trying to get involved in Generative AI right now, you are already behind."Bergmann says that organizations that are using Generative AI, and experimenting with it, are ahead of the curve. He identified three types of organizations that exist on a "maturity model" with AI. The first are the AI laggards, or organizations whose leaders don’t discuss usage of AI or have any guidance on it. The next are AI inquirers. “These folks have leaders actually researching, but are largely in a wait and see mode. The messaging to employees is mostly ‘don’t use Gen AI unless we say you can use it,’” Fordyce said.Lastly, are the AI innovators who are “already seeing advantages in productivity, efficiency, error reduction.”"They have leaders who are effectively communicating their support for AI use. Leaders need to step up and discuss how Gen AI is going to be used.”The panelists discussed the topic "Creating an Inclusive Dialogue With Workers About New Technology" (photo by Dustin Chambers for From Day One)Sherlonda Martin, the global head of DEI at Takeda, touched on the power of AI to eliminate monotonous tasks human workers typically do, or used to do. “Imagine a tube coming through that we need to make sure has no particles or floating objects in it. Typically, those have been inspected by people, right? So imagine sitting in a dark room watching a vial go by for eight hours out of your day. That just won’t work,” Martin said.Teegardin brought up the recent instability in the journalism market, citing that over 500 journalists lost their jobs in January alone. “In my industry, people are always afraid we’re gonna be losing our jobs. How are you all dealing with that and addressing that fear?”“Our research shows that organizations that are communicating more about Gen AI to their employees and listening more about their fears, and their concerns, are performing better than the organizations that don't.” Bergmann said.“It’s really critical for the CEO, the top of the top ELT (executive leadership team), to come forward and talk about how AI technology is able to embed into the strategy of an organization,” said Tanie Eio, the human resources business partner and vice president at UPS.Eio says that talking about apprehensions is important for leadership and the workers under them. More important is upskilling for when AI takes over in some areas workers will be able to transition to new or altered roles with the new technology.“We started with this program called the Digital fluency training that starts from the top. And then we also allow employees to come forward say, ‘Hey, I'm interested in trying to introduce certain technology or system or platform with this company.’” The end result is they form a group that works on ideas to adapt technology to improve processes then pitch it to senior leadership, which leadership will adopt and experiment with.Martin says they’ve already introduced upskilling into the workplace and have given employees the space to pursue that effort.“At Takeda, we’re starting to give people time to upskill. We’re now giving people three hours a month to be able to upskill on a topic that’s important to [them]. It doesn’t have to be a topic related to work. But if you are now signaling that you want to now go in a different direction and upskill from a technology perspective, you now get that time," Martin said.Mark Fordyce, regional sales director for Workvivo, sees upskilling as an all company, all roles effort for organizations. “I think AI is going to affect every department, meaning it’s going to help make finance people more productive, legal people more productive, and so on. So I think the upskilling is relevant for anyone and everyone within your company no matter what they do for a living.”“Every part of your organization will be transformed in the next five years. So you might as well get started now and have some fun with it,” Bergmann said of the ongoing AI revolution.Matthew Koehler is a freelance journalist and licensed real estate agent based in Washington, DC. His work has appeared in Greater Greater Washington, The Washington Post, The Southwester, and Walking Cinema, among others.

Carrie Snider | February 21, 2024

Helping Employees Organize Their Lives Now for When They're Not Around Later

On the proverbial starting line of her new life, excitedly using wedding planning websites and apps, Abby Schneiderman started wondering about the finish line. Where were all the websites and apps and guides for end of life?That was the small beginning of what would eventually become Everplans, a platform that helps people get prepared for the unexpected. Schneiderman detailed the company’s story and pillars at From Day One’s conference in Atlanta. A tech entrepreneur, her curiosity wasn’t that out of the ordinary. She researched and found plenty of resources for having children, buying a home, financial planning, and retirement planning. But that’s where it ended. “There were no other life stages covered online,” she said. Schneiderman brought her findings to tech veteran Adam Seifer. “I said, who's helping people deal with death?” It’s interesting to note that not all big life stages happen for everyone. Not everyone gets married or has kids, but each person will face death.“Everybody has to deal with this one day,” she said, whether it’s for themselves or for their aging parents, but this is something we can’t avoid.”To fill the online gaps, Schneiderman and Seifer started writing content. Over 500 articles worth of content at first, which has grown into the thousands. It covers every conceivable end-of-life topic, such as how to write a will, what to wear to a funeral, and how to name a health care proxy. Everplans was born. They immediately saw the value of their work.“We started coming up very highly in Google searches for every article we were writing.”A New PerspectiveThen came hard, personal experience. Schneiderman’s 51-year-old brother was killed by a drunk driver. In an instant, everything changed for her and her family. Thankfully he had life insurance, but that was where the documents and pre-planning stopped. No will, no organization of his accounts, no funeral wishes. That’s when Everplans made a major pivot. Rather than only provide articles and resources, Schneiderman and Seifer wanted to do more. “We wanted to help people get a plan in place ahead of time, so that when the time does come or when an emergency strikes, families have access to what they need.”Today, Everplans is a technology platform that helps people to organize, store, share, and everything from wills to policies to health directives to online accounts up to date. To date, over 30 million have engaged their resources since we launched, and over 160,000 people have created “vaults” on the platform, with over 3 million pieces of information stored and shared.Abby Schneiderman, co-founder and co-CEO of Everplans, led the thought leadership spotlight in Atlanta (photo by Dustin Chambers for From Day One)The co-founders also wrote a book, In Case You Get Hit By a Bus: How to Organize Your Life Now for When You're Not Around Later, in the hopes of helping people be better prepared for what’s to come. That’s why Everplans has entered the benefits space—to help companies help employees get the peace of mind that comes with getting things in order. “There’s a major tie between personal productivity and workplace productivity,” Schneiderman said. Speaking of full-time employees in the U.S., here are some statistics she reported: 65% feel anxious when critical information and documents are all over the place, 84% are less productive when they feel disorganized, and 86% are less stressed when they feel more organized. And Everplans aims to help remedy that. After creating an Everplans vault, you can upload documents and pertinent information, as well as designate “deputies” or loved ones who should have access to your vault now and after you die. Below are the four pillars Everplans recommends each person looks at when adding to their vaults. The platform also nudges you at regular intervals to make sure everything is up to date.Documents: Things like legal documents, wills, assets, power of attorney, advanced directives, and more. Since end-of-life documents like power of attorney can be hard for many people, Everplans give pointers on how to broach this topic with different people in your life. Insurance: Policies like life, health, auto, home, property, pet, disability, and more. Schneiderman explained that every year, billions of dollars go unclaimed because of policies family members don’t know about. Assets: This includes financial accounts and digital assets. Making sure that bank accounts, safe deposit box information, credit card accounts, 401k and other retirement accounts, and every other account are in the vault is vital for loved ones to be able to access them after you pass. At the very least, put in what the account is even if you don’t put usernames or passwords. As far as digital assets go, did you know the average person has 240 passwords? Social media, cryptocurrency, cell phone, unlock computer code, email accounts, and just about everything else. Schneiderman said they did a study, and 65% of people keep track of passwords in their heads. She recommends using two password managers, one for work and one for personal. Leaving a Legacy: Think about the different types of things that matter to you that you want to pass down, Schneiderman said. Recipes, videos, photos, stories, and anything else you can think of that leave a legacy. The great thing about putting your affairs in order is this: you can have peace of mind knowing that if anything does happen to you, your loved ones don’t have to scramble. They can access all of the needed information without searching for it or worrying they’ve missed something. That would make any employee sleep better at night.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, Everplans, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.

Feature

Apprenticeships: a Classic Solution to the Modern Problem of Worker Shortages

The U.S. labor market has become like a crazy quilt: mass layoffs in certain industries, along with dire shortages of workers in businesses ranging from accounting to trucking. To close the critical gaps, industries are turning to modern versions of an age-old institution: the apprenticeship. “Apprenticeships are the most promising solution to addressing the current labor shortage. Why? Because apprenticeships are jobs first and foremost–jobs that pay a living wage–not just training programs,” Ryan Craig, author of Apprentice Nation: How the Earn and Learn Alternative to Higher Education Will Create a Stronger and Fairer America, told From Day One. “They’re accessible to anyone with the potential and willingness to work hard–and much more accessible than tuition-based, debt-based college, or other training programs.”Causes of the labor shortage are many: A workforce quickly aging into retirement, the slowing of population growth, the burdensome cost of post-secondary education, lack of access to affordable childcare, and an increase in entrepreneurship. All of these have contributed to a shrinking workforce. As of January, the U.S. labor force participation rate is 62.5%. A couple decades ago, at the beginning of 2001, it was 67.2%.Employers are attacking the problem on many fronts. Some are pulling out the stops to retain older workers who might otherwise retire, and some are coaxing the semi-retired back to the office with flexible new arrangements. Others are dropping four-year degree requirements to broaden their talent pools, or bulking up benefits packages to include childcare, paid leave, and fertility benefits to attract and retain workers. Apprenticeships have joined that medley of solutions, with employers, advocacy organizations, and policymakers exploring and investing in the “earn-and-learn” model to fill talent pipelines from hospitality to healthcare to finance. Apprenticeships Beyond Blue CollarsApprenticeships represent a mutually beneficial way of hiring and training workers. Apprentices get on-the-job training, related instruction (often in a classroom or virtual classroom), and a paycheck all at the same time. Employers get the workers they need, trained to their specifications. In the U.S., apprenticeships are most often associated with skilled trades–it’s normal for plumbers, electricians, construction workers to complete apprenticeships–yet white-collar professions are only beginning to forge a connection with earn-and-learn programs. In 2020, professional services firm Aon announced that it would invest $30 million in its apprenticeship program over the next five years, with a goal of creating 10,000 apprenticeships in the U.S. within Aon and its partner organizations by 2030. In 2022, IBM committed to putting $250 million toward apprenticeships and other “new collar” programs by 2025.Aon’s program includes three tracks: insurance, HR, and IT. Apprentices take courses in insurance and business administration at partner colleges. Francheska Feliciano, the director of Aon’s apprenticeship program, told From Day One that career changers have found a home there. “We have found that those that thrive in our program tend to be career changers, but our program has a wide range of candidates with varied backgrounds, customer service, hospitality, or other service type roles.”Last year, the Biden Administration announced that it will invest $330 million to expand federally registered apprenticeships programs. In July, the Department of Labor awarded $17 million to expand existing apprenticeships and promote the model in new industries. In November, Maryland Governor Wes Moore committed $3 million to developing apprenticeships for public-sector jobs and $1.6 million toward the development of hospitality industry apprenticeships. “Maryland has set ambitious goals for expanding apprenticeship and we mean to meet them,” said Portia Wu, Maryland's Department of Labor secretary, in a press release. “Registered apprenticeship is key to our state’s economic success. We’ve already hit historic highs in apprenticeship adoption and today’s investments will accelerate our progress.”Alleviating the Local Labor ShortageApprenticeships could help solve local labor shortages for companies whose workers must be on-site–crucial for skilled trades like manufacturing or nursing–which are experiencing a pipeline problem of their own. Rather than recruiting the skilled talent from elsewhere, employers can use apprenticeships to develop the talent in their community. As housing inventory trails demand, employers who can tap their local talent markets will have the advantage, said Renee Haltom, the VP of research communications at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, during a panel discussion last month at the Richmond Economic Forecast “The regions that figure out housing are going to be ahead of the curve in terms of dealing with the coming demographic shifts,” Haltom said, referring to the aging U.S. workforce. Annelies Goger, who studies how to scale earn-and-learn models at the Brookings Institution, sees the advantages for local employers. Apprenticeships are a way to draw on local talent, and employers are more likely to retain locals than workers who have relocated, she told From Day One. “Rising rents have made it hard for employers to find and retain people only with the normal ways they’ve recruited people, so they’re looking into a lot of other ways and channels for finding talent,” Goger said. Apprentices Enter Finance and AccountingIn accounting and finance, more workers are retiring than are entering the field. According to a 2024 analysis by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “even if every unemployed person with experience in the financial activities or professional and business service sectors were employed,” the report reads, “only 42% and 44% of the existing job vacancies in these industries would be filled, respectively.”In 2022, the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA) and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) launched the first federally registered apprenticeship for finance and accounting professionals, and in its first year signed up 17 employers from 15 industries, including healthcare, industrial gas, banking, and manufacturing. One hundred apprentices have registered with the program in its first year.When AICPA and CIMA set out to create apprenticeships, the aim was to address the worker shortage in the accounting and finance field with early career talent. “When we started talking to employers who would want to hire people from these programs, we found that they were more interested in reskilling workers,” said Joanne Fiore, AICPA’s VP of pipeline and apprenticeships. Rather than recruit new talent, employers wanted to use apprenticeships to retain their current workforce and train them as strategically minded contributors. The purpose of the Registered Apprenticeship for Finance Business Partners is to develop management accountants for the finance function of the future–not just number-crunchers, but “key players in strategic decision-making and broader business transformation,” said Fiore.Even if this program is able to shrink the skills gap, the labor shortage is likely to persist. There just aren’t enough young people entering the field to balance out their retiring elders. One problem: the profession has a reputation for being, well, dull.To fill the talent pipeline, and help rebrand the profession, AICPA and CIMA have piloted a youth apprenticeship program in Maryland high schools, aiming to drum up excitement and interest in the field among young people.Customizing the Programs Organizations, employers, and educators have found ways to tailor apprenticeship programs to their needs. They’re not just for recruiting, they can be deployed for talent development as well. “With the digital transformation of our economy, tens of millions of jobs now require workers to use tools to build things–only the tools are digital and workers no longer need to wear hardhats,” said Craig, author of Apprentice Nation.Often, those skills are software related. Where hospitals and healthcare providers use Epic, marketers use HubSpot, and HR uses Workday. “Companies are increasingly demanding that applicants for these jobs already have these platform skills–skills which are much harder to learn in a classroom than on-the-job via an apprenticeship,” Craig said.“Apprenticeship brings an organic culture of learning into any workplace and helps business perform better,” writes Jean Eddy in Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow’s World. “An apprenticeship program breathes new life into workplaces and lets employers quickly tap into a culture of learning that so many now are desperate to build.”Scaling Earn-and-Learn to Quell the Labor ShortageApprenticeships are difficult to start, and they’re difficult to scale. Few employers have the infrastructure to both employ and train unskilled workers at the same time, and most require the help of intermediaries like the AICPA and CIMA, which provide the instruction and the infrastructure.While it may be a while before apprenticeships alone make a dent in the labor shortage, analysis of the success of existing programs is promising. Not only are retention rates high–Aon, for instance, retains 80% of its apprentices–the Department of Labor estimates that employers get a 44.3% return on investment for apprenticeship programs.“While traditional apprenticeships emphasized hands-on skill acquisition under a mentor, modern apprenticeships often integrate technology-based learning, including virtual simulations and online coursework, to complement on-site training,” said Katie Breault, SVP of growth and impact at YUPRO Placement, a recruiting firm focused on skills-based hiring. Finance and tech roles are particularly suited to apprenticeships, she told From Day One. “Industries undergoing digital transformation, for example, greatly benefit from such programs. They offer real-time learning opportunities, crucial for staying relevant in dynamic fields.”The problem with apprenticeships as a solution to the labor shortage is that we just don’t have enough of them yet, said Craig. Plus, in his estimation, they’re under-funded and under-marketed on both the demand and supply side. “Many young people and their parents think of apprenticeships as a ‘second tier’ option–if they think of them at all,” he laments in Apprentice Nation. White collar employers may be thinking much the same. Yet as investment continues and apprentices pop up in surprising places, like the finance department, enthusiasm may spread. “It certainly fits the accounting profession,” Fiore said. “And if it fits the accounting profession, my sense is that it will fit many professions.”Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a freelance journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about work, the job market, and women’s experiences in the workplace. Her work has appeared in the BBC, The Washington Post, Quartz, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.(Featured photo by Amorn Suriyan/iStock by Getty Images)

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza | February 14, 2024

Wanly Chen | February 13, 2024

Fostering Workplace Well-Being Amid Today’s Stressors

With 81 at-home baseball games a season, Atlanta Braves’ executive vice president DeRetta Rhodes knew her employees would need to catch a break during their shifts.Introducing the wellness room: a room that mirrors a living room, equipped with a sofa, TV, and refrigerator for anybody who simply needs time to rest. “It’s about creating space for individuals who need to be able to take care of themselves,” Rhodes said. “In the wellness room, people have the opportunity to go and take a relaxing break if they need to.”In a recent survey, 77% of employers saw an increase in mental health concerns, with 16% anticipating an increase in the future, indicating that health and wellness will continue to be a pressing issue for employers and employees in 2024.Rhodes’ approach is one of many other health and wellness strategies employers are taking to meet their employee’s needs. At From Day One’s Atlanta conference, leaders joined moderator Kelly Yamanouchi, business reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to discuss their health and wellness focal points for the new year.Changing Traditional Financial ProcessesWhether it’s due to the rising cost of living, inflation or the flexibility of remote work, more workers are working two jobs than ever before. Eight million Americans reported working more than two jobs this past January alone. For workers who take on a second job to make ends meet, timely pay matters, says Jon Lowe, chief people officer of financial services company DailyPay.“Today, the number of people who have more than one job is quite high and that creates a very high degree of stress. If you were a bartender around Christmas, you probably made a killing. But come January, when you’re working your part-time job and bartending on the side, there’s this degree of very high variance that we start to see,” Lowe said.With more than 60% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, employers need to rethink the two-week pay cycle, Lowe said.“When we look at this idea of earning wage access, we need to be disrupting this idea that two weeks is the right cadence to be paid,” Lowe said. “Today, we’re able to offer access to tools that technology allows us to do, where it recognizes the evolution of what work looks like and allows that degree of flexibility to be able to go and tap into resources that otherwise would not be available.”Building Wellness into the CultureFor Kimberly Rath, vice president of home builder company PulteGroup, wellness programs play a key role in building a healthy foundation for a company.The full panel of speakers from left to right: Steven Lester of Mayo Clinic, Josh Crafford of Synchrony, DeRetta Rhodes of the Atlanta Braves, Kimberly Rath of PulteGroup, moderator Kelly Yamanouchi of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and Jon Lowe of DailyPay (photo by Dustin Chambers for From Day One)“At PulteGroup, we build homes. If you think about how wellness comes to life for you, a lot of what you do or how you take care of your well-being is done in your home,” Rath said. “At work, it’s similar. Wellness is the health of an organization and how people show up for work. If we’re strategizing how we take care of our employees and build great places where people work, we're going to get so much more from our employees.”From higher retention to increased productivity, employers can yield the benefits of happier and healthier employees. At healthcare clinic Mayo Clinic, professor of medicine and cardiologist, Steven Lester, M.D., discusses how supporting employees both in and off work can strengthen the overall performance of businesses.“As an organization, we are optimizing our business performance by incorporating well-being into the design of work,” Lester said. “We have programs supporting the financial, physical and mental well-being of our employees at work and we are also thinking about how we identify and allow people to have purpose, meaning and belonging at work.”Leading With EmpathyAn overwhelming 90% of U.S. employees believe empathetic leadership leads to higher job satisfaction, underlining the strong value employees place on leaders who lead with purpose and care.One part of empathetic leadership is active listening which helps in engaging with employees, Lester said. “We want to be actively listening to the needs of individuals and give them that safe, comfortable opportunity to engage and be heard, and know that the organization is here to support them and their well-being,” Lester said.With the emphasis on supporting employees, leaders will need to shift their priorities, Josh Crafford, vice president of technology learning and development, of financial services company Synchrony, said.“We're teaching leaders to be coaches and mentors and not care as much about the numbers,” Crafford said. “The numbers will come but the happier, safer and the more secure and connected your workers feel, the more productive they will be.”Wanly Chen is a writer and poet based in New York City.

Mary Pieper | February 12, 2024

Does Your Corporate Culture Promote Overwork? How to Tell–And How to Fix It

When Malissa Clark was in graduate school, she went into labor with her first child right before spring break. Instead of going to the hospital right away, she waited until her contractions were less than six minutes apart so she could finish a midterm. “I spent a couple more hours at the coffee shop, occasionally doubled over,” she said during a fireside chat at From Day One’s conference in Atlanta.Clark told moderator Nicole Smith of the Harvard Business Review that “I didn’t feel like I could stop. I didn’t feel like I could ask for support. I just felt like I had to push through.” At the time Clark realized she had a problem. However, she said she didn’t really address it until she began writing her book, Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture is Bad for Business – and How to Fix It and doing research on workaholism. Today, many people are feeling burned out in their careers and are trying to find a healthier work-life balance. However, workplace culture far too often gets in the way, says Clark. “Companies just aren’t listening to employees,” she said. Despite people learning during the pandemic that they could do their jobs from home and be productive, organizations are still pessimistic about remote work and insisting workers return to the office.“One of the biggest misconceptions about burnout is that the employee is just not managing stress well enough and needs to learn more coping skills and mindfulness, and then they can handle this,” Clark said. “That’s just not accurate. It’s the organizational and societal factors that are the stressors building on top of each other, and cumulative stress has a toll on our bodies.”When individual employees are overworked, it lowers not only their performance but that of others, says Clark. “You’re not as good of a teammate or boss, and so that hinders the morale of the group,” she said. Breaking the “Always On” MentalityA key contributor to the current culture of overwork is the belief that employees should be available 24/7, says Clark. Sometimes this attitude comes from the top of the organization, but lower-level employees can perpetuate it.“I think during Covid, we learned some bad habits,” she said. For example, parents who had to supervise their children during the day tended to contact their colleagues in the evenings about work, which put pressure on those colleagues to respond.Clark says some companies are encouraging those who have different work hours than other team members to go ahead and write the emails, but to use the schedule send feature so they aren’t received outside of working hours.Incentives for Using Vacation TimeAnother way employers can promote a healthy work-life balance is by encouraging workers to take paid time off. However, offering unlimited vacation days doesn’t work, says Clark, noting companies that have tried this found employees were taking even less PTO than before.Author Malissa Clark signed copies of her book Never Not Working for From Day One audience members (photo by Dustin Chambers for From Day One)Some companies are finding innovative solutions to encourage workers to use their PTO. Medtronic found a way to encourage employees to use their allotted days. In their ‘Earn Time to Win Time’ program, the more workers use their vacation time, the more opportunities they have to enter drawings to win even more days off.“It’s like a positive reinforcement for actually taking vacations,” Clark said. “I thought that was pretty ingenious.”The Four-Day Week MovementSeveral years ago, some companies began experimenting with four-day work weeks, in which employees worked 32 hours a week but were paid the same as they would have been for a 40-hour week. Revenue at those companies grew, while 70% of workers reported less burnout, according to data and employee surveys.“Almost every single employee said they wanted to continue with this,” Clark said. “One of the most astounding things is that 15% said they would not go back to a five-day week for any amount of money. It was life-changing for them.”A 32-hour work week doesn’t have to mean working eight hours a day, four days a week, says Clark. It can be five days a week from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, which is popular with parents.“We don’t need to be working 40 hours a week,” Clark said. “We have technology, we have AI, we have all these tools that help us to be more productive. We equate hours worked with productivity, and we need to stop doing that.”Mary Pieper is a freelancer reporter based in Mason City, Iowa.

Cynthia Barnes | February 09, 2024

Embedding DEI in Grantmaking: From Vision to Action

Embracing our differences and lived experiences enhances innovation, creativity, decision-making, and better problem-solving. But it’s not always easy to turn aspirations into tangible actions. In a thought leadership spotlight session at From Day One’s Denver conference, Tanya Odom, director of equity and inclusion at the Walton Family Foundation, shared practical strategies and real-world examples of embedding DEI principles and practices into philanthropy, both internally and externally.Odom painted a vivid picture of the Walton Family Foundation’s legacy, tracing its roots to its founding by Sam Walton and Helen Walton in 1987. “We’ve been in the space of diversity, equity, and inclusion for over 25 years,” said Odom. In 2020, the foundation awarded $749.5 million in grants. “We actually fund in three very specific areas that are determined by the family, which are education, which has taken different pathways and ways of looking at it, but that’s been since the beginning. Another is the environment, more specifically oceans and sustainability. And the third is the home region, Bentonville, Arkansas, and Arkansas’ Mississippi Delta,” said Odom. “We infuse all of them with a sensibility about diversity, equity inclusion.” “Our framework centers around three key pillars: embed, align, and amplify,” said Odom. Through these pillars, the foundation aims not only to incorporate DEI principles into its own operations, but also to foster similar initiatives among its grantees and partners. This holistic approach reflects the foundation’s recognition of the interconnectedness of issues, and its commitment to driving systemic change. “It's not just about what we do internally,” she said. “It's about how we leverage our influence to effect change on a broader scale.”Navigating the Last Few YearsThe conversation turned towards the challenges faced during the pivotal summer of 2020, a period marked by widespread social unrest and calls for racial justice. Odom reflected on the intense global efforts during that time. “Many of us had never worked as hard as we did in the summer of 2020,” she said. “That summer and I would say the year after that. And I think there was a sense of people finally understanding what we did.”Tanya Odom of the Walton Family Foundation was interviewed by From Day One co-founder Steve Koepp during the thought leadership spotlightDespite the challenges, Odom recalled this period as a catalyst for change. “We’ve been saying this, this is not new. Odom mentions the curb-cut theory, an awareness that once you find a pathway to address some of these inequities, or structural issues, you usually find ways to address other issues. “So while the summer of 2020 was called a racial reckoning, in Europe, it was also often called a social reckoning. It just highlighted so many other things.”Leadership Buy-In and the Importance of CourageOdom underscored the importance of courage in leadership and the willingness to take bold action. This call for courageous leadership highlighted the need for organizations to confront difficult conversations and actively engage in the work of dismantling systemic barriers to equity.At the Foundation, Odom says, they held an interview with their board chair on the subject of diversity. “And that was very unusual. Our comms department actually got permission to have that go out onto social media. What was really important was that our board chair talked about how DEI connected to the thoughts and beliefs of Sam Walton. Sam Walton wasn't saying ‘diversity, equity and inclusion.’ But Sam Walton talked about access. So how do we connect it to the mission of the organization?”Philanthropy's Roadblocks and Future ChallengesDespite the foundation's commendable efforts, Odom acknowledged the roadblocks and challenges facing philanthropy in its quest for DEI integration. “Dr. King has a quote,” she said. “Philanthropy is commendable, but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances, economic injustice, which makes philanthropy necessary.”Odom remained optimistic about the future, emphasizing the importance of collective action and ongoing dialogue. “While the road ahead may be challenging,” she said, “I firmly believe that by working together, we can overcome these obstacles and create a more inclusive and equitable future for all.”Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, the Walton Family Foundation, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Cynthia Barnes has written about everything from art to zebras from more than 30 countries. She currently calls Denver home.

Keren Dinkin | February 08, 2024

Getting Ahead of Attrition Through Career Equity and Recognition

In the age of hybrid work and digital transformation, companies face the challenge of meeting rising employee expectations despite strained profits. Aside from wages, how might companies ensure that their employees’ needs are being met?At From Day One’s recent Atlanta conference, Jeff Cates, CEO of Achievers and Kumari Williams, VP of belonging and diversity at Workday, discussed exactly this. According to research from Achievers, the number of people who are job searching in 2024 is going up by 10%. For most people, the number one consideration is wage, which makes sense given today’s cost of living and expenses.How do we solve the wage problem when most organizations are actually looking to reduce wage increases this year? Research shows that on average, in the U.S., employers are looking at wage increases of about 3.9% in 2024 compared to 4.4% last year.Emotional salary supports retention. Two-thirds of individuals reported that if they felt supported and connected at an organization, they would take that over a 30% increase in wage.This cultural environment fosters a strong sense of belonging, increasing the likelihood of individuals pursuing long-term careers within their organization. Belonging creates the difference between ‘I work at an organization’ versus ‘I’m connected; I have a career at this organization.’Creating a sense of belonging is ultimately what helps create the stickiness that can help offset the lure of wages. For Williams, belonging is an output of inclusivity—and building inclusive spaces and inclusive leaders are the cornerstone workplace belonging.“It’s even a KPI for our organization. And so at the highest level in the organization, we are focused on increasing belonging, not just maintaining it,” she said.Williams, left, and Cates, right, led a thought leadership spotlight titled “Getting Ahead of Attrition Through Career Equity and Recognition, Using HR Tech” (photo by Dustin Chambers for From Day One)So, how do you create an environment where people feel connected and fulfilled? At Achievers, equity and transparency are vital in creating employee-friendly talent practices. “Individuals that report a feeling of career equity are two times more likely to not job hunt,” Cates said.One key area where they dialed in on transparency was performance ratings, where workmates were free to share performance ratings as well as their ratings from a potential standpoint and how they could do better, he says.It’s time to shift the idea of recognition from a reward to a sustainable practice that nudges people forward. It’s not just about using money (but you can, in small doses), but about using recognition to drive behavior, Cates says. It’s also important to use data to draw relevant insights regarding employee performance and how recognition can further propel that.“It’s really when we think about recognition that’s not tied to the monetary that we can drive behavior—and if we are going to use monetary rewards, then it should be used in very small doses,” said Cates.When you think about all the things you can do that drive behavior, such as recognition, gamification, and things that create a sense of accomplishment, it’s important to note that even micro-nudging or micro-rewarding can add up to help build positive habits. By helping to create habits and drive behavior, you can really drive scalable impact on how people feel. By accomplishing smaller tasks and micro-rewarding, you help people achieve a sense of fulfillment and action.It also comes down to leadership accountability. “Oftentimes, we’re focused on the message at the top of our organizations and making sure that our executives are aware of what we're trying to drive,” said Williams, “and it just doesn't permeate the layers in the middle.”For Williams, being intentional about how you drive accountability among leaders in the middle of the organization is essential so that they can carry the work forward. Most of your employees’ experience is shaped by your middle managers, not the executives, she says.Staying competitive in the job market and reducing attrition is challenging, especially now that employees are increasingly focused on finding better wages. However, the one thing that employees do value more than higher wages is company culture, particularly a sense of belonging where they see a path forward career-wise, where they’re being recognized, and feel that they are seen and heard.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Achievers, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Keren's love for words saw her transition from a corporate employee into a freelance writer during the pandemic. When she is not at her desk whipping up compelling narratives and sipping on endless cups of coffee, you can find her curled up with a book, playing with her dog, or pottering about in the garden.

Katie Chambers | February 07, 2024

In Employee Experience, What Is True No Matter What?

Katharyne Gabriel, chief of human resources, North America at the Coca-Cola Company, has fond childhood memories of heading to the McDonald’s drive-through window with her mother to enjoy a Diet Coke from the fountain “because it just tastes better.”She’s not alone in this, she says. Most Coca-Cola employees have a strong connection with the brand. “We are very proud of our company’s purpose, which is to refresh the world and make a difference,” Gabriel said. “And there are many ways that we’re able to then draw from our employees and help them find connection to their career and the community.”Since the lesson of recent years is that the workplace will be buffeted by one disruption after another, employers need to focus on fundamental values that resonate with workers in any season. In a fireside chat session at From Day One’s conference in Atlanta, Gabriel shared how the Coca-Cola Co. focuses on employee fulfillment.Gabriel cites three tenets that hold true in elevating employee experience. The first is transparency, or employees feeling like they have full context for why and how certain decisions are being made. Next is autonomy, which Gabriel describes as allowing employees to make career decisions that benefit their personal professional growth and the lives of their families. Lastly is recognition: helping workers be appreciated for their individual identities as well as their workplace contributions.Katharyne Gabriel, the Coca-Cola Co.'s chief of human resources, kicked off the conference in a fireside chat titled “In Employee Experience, What Is True No Matter What?” (photos by Dustin Chambers for From Day One)These have been especially valuable during recent years, during which society has faced a pandemic, natural disasters, war, and economic recession. “No matter what is coming at us, how can we best serve our population?” Gabriel said. By focusing on core values like transparency, autonomy, and recognition, corporations can provide a steady foundation even in times of uncertainty.A Practical Approach to Recognition“Recognition and specificity around behaviors or goals, those are cultural icons for many companies, including the Coca-Cola company,” Gabriel said. “But [what’s also important is] broadening that definition so that my unique individuality is recognized.”Coca-Cola’s Thrive Career Network is an example of employee engagement through a combination of recognition and career development. Gabriel says that the corporation’s values of transparency and autonomy are at the forefront of the program. “We’ve tried to be very transparent about the tools and the resources we have for each of us as employees to drive a career in the company,” she said.They’re also focused on being clear about leadership behaviors that are especially important, she says. “We’ve put our employees in the driver’s seat with meaningful tools to help them effectively navigate what that career path looks like.”Part of building out an individualized career path for an employee is updating the definition of growth. “We always hear growth, and think it means more–bigger title, bigger remit–and that isn’t what the growth aspiration is for everyone,” Gabriel said. Instead, she prefers the word “fulfillment.” This allows space for those interested in a more traditional vertical growth, but also those who see professional development as an opportunity to try out a new department, mentor others, or learn new skills.Leroy Chapman, editor-in-chief of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, interviewed Gabriel in the fireside chat“We’ve started with broadening out how we define a career. How do we then make sure that we’re meeting individual needs and recognizing what they’re looking to get out of the Coca-Cola company?” Gabriel said. With 80,000 workers in their network, moderator Leroy Chapman, editor-in-chief of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution pointed out, “That’s a lot of employees to support!”Subsequently, that’s a lot of pressure to potentially put on managers hoping to guide and nurture their workforce. Gabriel shares that the company developed a set of manager tools that encourages leaders to facilitate conversations and think critically and creatively with team members about what they need to succeed. This strategy releases managers from feeling the need to have all the answers, but instead to simply be accountable for having the conversation to lead colleagues to the proper resources for their version of fulfillment.Building a Culture Rooted in Diversity, Equity, and Belonging“The 800,000 employees between the company and our bottling partners are dispersed in 200 markets across the globe. And we know it’s imperative that we represent the markets that we’re serving in order to stay in front of the consumer needs,” Gabriel said.“We aim to create equal opportunities for our employees in order to meet that growth mission for the company.” This involves creating an inclusive environment in which employees are set up to bring their individual selves to the workplace and build a career that best serves themselves and their families.Coca-Cola has the ambition to become 50% female-led by the year 2030, Gabriel says. Already, its board of directors and executive leadership team have hit that benchmark, and its North America operating unit is being led by its first female president, Jennifer Mann. The company also hopes to soon have its own demographics in the U.S. reflect current racial and ethnic census data.One way to cultivate a sense of belonging, especially in a workforce increasingly defined by a rift between older and younger workers, is through listening. “We’ve checked ourselves not to make assumptions about what the workforce entering wants or doesn’t want, and how different they are from other generations. [Instead], we ask,” Gabriel said.Coca-Cola works to instill its values in employees early, before they move into leadership roles. The organization is finding volunteerism is increasingly important among younger generations, and in return has increased its paid volunteer hours for employees and created a “Kindness is Refreshing” campaign. This spirit of generosity among younger employees is perfectly aligned with Coca-Cola’s values and bodes well for the company’s sustainability. “Coca-Cola has been at this for a long time, 137 years to be exact,” Gabriel said. “And we’re looking to live this purpose for another 137 years.”Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost, Honeysuckle Magazine, and several printed essay collections, among others, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, and CBS New York.

Mary Pieper | February 06, 2024

Diverse Perspectives, Unified Goals: Embracing Diversity in the Workplace

Kristin Taylor, executive vice president of workforce solutions at Avenica, knows what it is like to have an identity that is often misunderstood.During From Day One’s conference in Atlanta, Taylor shared that she is bipolar. “That does not mean that I’m unpredictable,” she told panel moderator Ernie Suggs, race and culture reporter for the Atlantic Journal-Constitution. “I just get really sad sometimes, and I struggle with things like public speaking and networking.”At Avenica, Taylor feels supported. For example, if things are too much for her while attending a conference, she can always ask a colleague at the event to step in for a bit, she says. “How fabulous is it that we can all be our authentic selves, and really feel like we can articulate our needs and our preferences?” Taylor said. “We are really welcoming that conversation [around] diversity of thought but also diversity of preference.”Taylor’s story illustrates why it isn’t enough for companies to simply invite people of color, women, and others who traditionally have not been part of the dominant culture to join their team.The executive panelists discussed the topic “How to Embrace Diversity of All Kinds in the Workplace” at From Day One's Atlanta conference at the Georgia Aquarium (photos by Dustin Chambers for From Day One)Karlene Gordon, senior vice president and diversity and inclusion officer at Ameris Bank, said she once heard Creative Artists Agency global DEI speaker Nzinga Shaw say at a conference: “If you’re inviting people into a dirty house, they’re not going to stay.”“If you go to someone’s house and it’s filthy, do you sit down? Do you take a glass of water from them? Or are you trying to find your exit real quick?” Gordon said.Many people of color already have imposter syndrome, says Gordon. If the leader of the company that hires them is unaware of this common issue, “they’re not going to perform.”Kitty Chaney-Reed, chief leadership, culture and inclusion officer at IBM said the company has eight communities for employees with various identities, including veterans and neurodivergent folks.“It helps in terms of giving people a place to fit in,” she said. “And there’s intersectionality. People can belong to more than one community. For us, that has been a huge game changer.”IBM also ensures that a college degree is not a necessity for entry, says Chaney-Reed. Over the past three years, only 50% of the available jobs with the company required applicants to be university graduates.Making the Case for DEIThe highest performing organizations worldwide are those that focus on building a strong culture based on diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies, according to a recent partnered study between Fortune magazine and the Institute for Corporate Productivity.Liz Pittinger, VP of customer success at Stork Club, a family building and reproductive health company that helps employee groups design benefit packages, says that’s something she emphasizes when working with HR leaders.“One of the things that we do whenever we’re partnering with our customers or prospects is help arm their teams with the data points they need to go in front of the decision maker who controls the budget,” she said.Part of Pittinger’s job is to explain why Stork Club has certain benefits, like its doula program, and how they can impact company culture. Research shows that having a doula in the room with the person who is in labor can save lives.This is especially crucial for women of color, who have a far greater maternal mortality rate in the United States than their white peers, says Pittinger. “A wealthy, highly educated Black woman with access to great care is still three times more likely to die than a poor white woman in a rural community,” she said.Getting to Know the WorkforceAn important step toward fostering a workplace that embraces diversity of all kinds is to build relationships with the employees, says Cheryl Kern, vice president of DEIB at MillerKnoll.“As I came into our organization three years ago, the first thing that I wanted to do was understand our people, because through understanding you truly get to know the culture and identify the areas that need to be transformed,” she said.Another advantage of this approach is “when people see you are about them, they will care about the work you’re doing,” Kern said.Now that DEI efforts nationwide are experiencing pushback, Kern’s relationship-building efforts are paying off. “While the external waters are really choppy, we have brought along advocates and allies that have said, ‘I’m on this journey with you,’” she said.Mary Pieper is a freelancer reporter based in Mason City, Iowa.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza | January 29, 2024

Small, Consistent Interventions for Employee Mental Health

“Our employee population is changing,” said Marielaine Yepes, the VP of human resources at NBCUniversal. “Post-pandemic, job candidates are asking about mental health benefits. Whereas in 2019, it was ‘Do I get health care? Do I get vision, dental, and a 401k?’ Now their questions are, ‘What about my flexibility? What about parental leave? What about mental breaks?’” No longer the taboo it used to be, mental health, for many, is becoming part of their standard measure of health care. “I used to pride myself on being sick but still coming to work, but it’s kind of embarrassing to say that in a post-Covid world,” said Andrea Cooper, chief people officer at virtual mental healthcare company Talkspace. During From Day One’s January virtual conference on making a fresh commitment to a culture of well-being, Yepes and Cooper shared their thoughts on the shifting view of mental health in the workplace as part of an expert panel titled, “Enhancing Employee Mental Health and Wellness Benefits.” I moderated the discussion in which panelists shared their outlooks for workplace mental health in the coming year, and their best advice on caring for a changing workforce.“There was this notion that being a workaholic was a good thing,” Cooper pointed out. “Now it’s about acknowledging that we should take care of ourselves–not just our physical selves, but also our mental and emotional selves.”Building Engagement WithinDespite the new-found freedom many people have with talking about mental health, it doesn’t mean that mental health issues or that seeking care are entirely without stigma, or that everyone is comfortable talking publicly about their wellbeing, especially at work.Business process management firm eClerx experienced this reluctance first-hand. The company’s early mental health and wellness programs were greatly lacking in engagement, yet employee surveys showed that its workforce wanted wellness initiatives. In response, rather than administering initiatives only from HR, the company recruited its own employees to be wellness ambassadors, people who want to play an active role in the well-being of their colleagues. “We hope [the wellness ambassadors] reach out to engage and talk about the programs that we have, because sometimes resources can just be resources in your intranet or in your HR platform. So how do we get the word out? By engaging with our employees,” said Alvarine Syiem, the company’s head of total rewards and HR operations.The panelists spoke to the topic “Enhancing Employee Mental Health and Wellness Benefits” at From Day One's January virtual conference (photo by From Day One)Aware that some employees might be unwilling to approach their manager or HR about their needs, Syiem hopes that training up ambassadors among management and the rank-and-file can open more avenues for people to seek the help and resources they need.“You might not have huge programs, you might not have a ton of resources, you might not even have a lot of engagement—but what is important is to get that conversation going,” said Syiem.Interventions for Workers Exposed to ViolenceAt NBCUniversal, Yepes is in the unique position of caring for journalists whose jobs take them to war zones, violent environments, and tragedies. Supporting workers who have been in highly stressful or traumatic work environments requires structured and predetermined touch-points, said Yepes. When they return, the company has mental health checkpoints already installed so no one goes unnoticed. Workers receive outreach at seven days, two weeks, and one month post-return, plus a suite of resources at their disposal. Among them, access to on-site mental healthcare—a talk therapist in the company offices available for sessions during the workday.Yepes said her best advice is to establish processes that are as flexible as the employee needs them to be. “It’s always good to have discipline, but understand that people are unique, so having a portfolio and being flexible on how you offer your resources is best.”Mental Health Support for Working ParentsEveryone is susceptible to mental health problems following the birth or addition of a child to the family, said Corrinne Hobbs, the general manager and VP of employer market at reproductive healthcare provider Ovia Health. Both men and women can experience depression and anxiety, sometimes called perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD), up to a year after the birth of a child. This can make up a significant part of the workforce: In 2022 in the US, in more than 91% of families with children under age 18, at least one parent was employed, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.“Many [parents] may not know that they have it,” Hobbs said. People who experience PMAD are “already dealing with the difficulties of being parents, but they also struggle with attention to detail, being present in the moment, and remembering all the steps required in their daily work. Enabling mental health supports that address this are really important.”To care for the parents in your workplace, Hobbs recommended employers take three steps. First, increase the number of screenings available to encourage prevention and early intervention for mental health issues. Second, train managers to get comfortable talking about postpartum needs. And third, invest in digital tools that give workers access to 24/7 care. “Provide an end-to-end women’s health solution,” she said.Small Interventions Along the WayGood mental health encourages productivity. “Leaving conditions untreated can really result in costly emergency room visits, urgent care visits, time away from work,” said Cooper of Talkspace. “We as employers want our employees to be healthy, but also do a good job at work, and all those things work together.”The panelists agreed that incremental, personal interventions early on make a difference in the health of a workforce. “I encourage leaders, managers, employees, to think of the small, everyday thing that you can impact,” said eClerx’s Syiem. If she senses that a member of her team is having a rough day, Syiem encourages them to step away from work for a few hours. If she notices an employee hasn’t taken a vacation day recently, she tells them to. “Even if you don't have plans for a vacation with family, take a day off and just go get your nails done, spend time at the library, or just go catch up with a friend.”Keeping close tabs on the temperature of the team can help prevent burnout and mental health problems. “My aim is prevention,” Syiem said. “Imagine if not just one manager did that, but the entire team. Imagine the impact of it all as an organization.”Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a freelance journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about work, the job market, and women’s experiences in the workplace. Her work has appeared in the BBC, The Washington Post, Quartz, Fast Company, and Digiday’s Worklife.