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Erika Riley | November 12, 2022

Lead Like a Human: Practical Steps to Caring for Employee Well-Being

The most desired change that both employees and leaders want to see in the HR sphere? They want their boundaries to be respected. Adam Weber, SVP of community at 15Five, a performance-management platform, explained the findings of his surveys of thousands of HR employees during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One's September virtual conference on “Stress, Anxiety and the Modern Company’s Role in Promoting Well-Being.” “We live in an always-on, phone-addicted, response-compulsive society where the lines of work and home have been blurred more than ever before,” Weber said. “And I think this data is showing us that something needs to change.” In a world of “quiet quitting” and changing tides in favor of job seekers, 15Five conducted a survey to see what leaders and employees wanted from their jobs. In addition to better-defined boundaries, employees desired more kindness in the workplace, more opportunities to learn new skills through experience, and better management to help shape their career paths. Leaders, meanwhile, desired the opportunity to learn and become better managers and mentors, but also wished for more opportunities to share their opinions and have them taken seriously. All of these desires speak to a growing demand in the HR sphere: that we treat one another like humans, said Weber, who has written a book on the subject, Lead Like a Human: Practical Steps to Building Highly Engaged Teams. Respecting boundaries, which was of the utmost importance to both groups, includes respecting log-off times, evenings, vacations, time off and sick days, among other things, said Weber. But the habit of setting–and respecting–boundaries does not fall on just one party. Both leadership teams and employees have to practice doing so in order to change the landscape. Starting with Self-Reflection Weber encouraged employees to take a look at their own behavior first. “Maybe there are some bad habits of responding to a Slack at 11 p.m., or checking an email first thing in the morning. Or maybe it’s that you have a full plate and yet you’re still saying yes when you’re already overworked and overloaded,” Weber said. Adam Weber, SVP of community at 15Five (Company photo) The No. 1 thing teams can do to promote boundary setting is prioritize. This includes deciding and agreeing on what the most important thing is for team members to accomplish each day. Prioritizing prevents team members from feeling like they have an endless list of things to get done all at the same time. Another key to setting boundaries is learning how to say no and, more importantly, being willing to do so. Weber says team members should set expectations for how much work they can reasonably take on, in addition to when they will log off of work and be unresponsive. Turning off push notifications and not checking Slack on the weekends should be totally acceptable, Weber said. “We log out of chat and email when we're finished for the day,” Weber said. “When we do things like that, we add disciplines to our lives that allow us to actually increase our performance, not decrease our performance.” Many people might feel daunted by the idea of setting boundaries, or think that it would never work in their company. But, according to Weber, these are the people who need to set boundaries the most and can help their companies return to a more compassionate and understanding vision. How Leaders Can Set an Example The onus, however, is also on higher-level team members to set a company-level strategy. Weber says that leadership teams can help make unplugging acceptable–or even celebrated. To do so, they can highlight what they do on their weekends or vacations in a Slack channel to show that they, too, are turning off and enjoying life outside of work. Setting the expectation that team members will log off at home or when they need to be with their family will help everybody in the long run. In most companies, not everybody can work at the same exact times every day. “There’s something dramatically powerful when the C-suite is willing to take breaks and share about those breaks,” Weber said, “When C-suite is willing to put up boundaries and share about those boundaries, when they create a culture of permission that says, hey, we all work at different times.” When companies don’t honor boundaries, it leads to burnout. Across industries, many managers are over their capacity, often handling over a dozen direct reports. Weber leaned into the point that managers who are over capacity will “wreak havoc” on companies. To end this cycle, it’s imperative to set more realistic goals for managers. “Over-capacity managers create psychologically unsafe work environments where people keep their thoughts to themselves until the day they quit, and they perform at a much lower rate,” Weber said. Leading Like a Human in Hard Times Experts estimate that as the nation faces a recession, about 20% of companies will have to lay off team members. Off-boarding is another place where companies can add more compassion and understanding. Creating an off-boarding strategy can help both the employees being laid off and the managers who have to make tough decisions and deliver the bad news. This strategy can include helping them transition to the next phase with generous support and transparent communication. Weber suggests making a Google doc that can be passed around the company for each laid-off employee so team members can provide positive references, endorse their skills, and share new job openings. At the heart of all these strategies are compassion and empathy. Weber doesn’t accept that employees are really “quietly quitting.” He sees employees trying to set boundaries and change the way we think about work–and life. “The concept of, ‘All I’m trying to get out of you is your everything. And I don’t know what I want you to accomplish, I just want you to work until you’re exhausted,’ that concept is dead,” Weber said. “That is over. But focused work, focused on outcomes and output, that is something that you can hold people to, and that you can motivate people toward.” Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, 15Five, who sponsored this thought leadership spotlight. Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer.

Gail Gonzales | November 12, 2022

How HR Can Look Ahead During Uncertain Times

HR has a huge role to play in the next few years “as important, if not more important, than salespeople right now,” according to Vijay Swaminathan, CEO and co-founder of Draup. The data collected at Draup, an AI-driven reskilling and talent-intelligence platform, reveals the difficult trends ahead in hiring and retention. “Meeting these challenges can give HR staff a voice in executive-level decisions if they can put data into action,” Swaminathan said in a presentation at From Day One’s Austin conference in October. Among the highlights: Understanding Frontline Workers Knowledge workers are always on the rise, but business and society learned the hard way during the pandemic how important our “frontline” workers are–the ones who make our food, deliver our packages, work in call centers, and others who cannot work from home. There is a lingering 16% to 17% shortage of frontline workers since the pandemic due to a displaced workforce. The challenge for HR staff is determining why they’re not coming back–is it Covid concerns, a desire for more autonomy, flexibility, or benefits–or is it due in part to the fact that we have not created new roles for frontline workers to return to? HR professionals must sort these issues out and address them. In the ’90s we assumed that automation would replace frontline workers, but that has happened more slowly than expected. The trucking industry is a great example, as it’s clear we haven’t come very far with self-driving vehicles. The dawning realization, Swaminathan said, is that AI is no longer “a race against machines, it’s a race with machines,” in which both the employee and the technology are essential for increasing efficiency and productivity incrementally. Meeting Worker Expectations Employee expectations, including the desire for more flexibility, have changed dramatically since the arrival Covid. As many companies work as globalized organizations, employees even where the cost of living may be lower are looking for more benefits, wellness considerations, and work-life balance. Making sure that employers are treating everyone equally regardless of their location, and finding ways to measure that, will be essential over the next few years. The desires for more work-life balance led to the explosive growth of freelancers: up by 17 million in the U.S., to an estimated 60 million. Swaminathan said that Draup “spoke to 15 companies recently and only two or three of them had an effective strategy for working with freelancers.” This strategy must include quick onboarding, taking deliverables in an integrated way, determining intellectual-property assignments, handling security aspects, and then offboarding. Juggling an array of workers–freelancers, fully remote, hybrid, and onsite staffers– also require HR leaders to reevaluate Covid policies to determine if they are hindering the hiring process or if they need to prioritize remote and contract workers. HR leaders need to make sure that good data is used to see what is “truly connecting well with employees and amplifying that,” Swaminathan said Embracing Augmented Reality The prospect of introducing the metaverse into HR is a thrilling opportunity and “the sooner we figure it out, the more career opportunities will be available to HR professionals.” Let’s say you have a recording of an entire transcript of an interview with a hiring prospect, and you want to share one small piece with your leaders. “You’ll have full control of listening and dropping it into your HR metaverse to get feedback quickly in a more collaborative way,” said Swaminathan. You can reduce bottlenecks in learning and development by enabling employees to skip past modules they already know. Instead of putting learners in front of videos, answering questions and clicking boxes, the metaverse is immersive and interactive the same way flight simulators are enabling leaders to see if employees are ready for the next level. HR leaders need to understand these technologies and present leaders with a plan for the rules and processes to ensure success. The metaverse presents a “double-edged sword” as well, according to Swaminathan as “there is a huge amount of data privacy, risk of mistrust and misuse, that need to be analyzed and documented.” Evolving Job Roles and Soft Skills As Steve Jobs demonstrated, Swaminathan said, “you may have all kinds of scientific and technical skills, but if you don’t have empathy, you can’t design a product.” The European Commission has done a superb job of documenting the soft skills that are important for different job families on a global basis. A large data-driven course teaching such skills will have an impact across many departments including finance, HR, and marketing. New roles are emerging requiring soft skills and discernment, including gig-work tracking analysts, AI-bias managers, and global cultural analysts to “work as one culture spread across multiple cultures,” Swaminathan said. HR professionals will be the ones to champion institutionalizing soft skills into the culture, determining effective processes and strategies for all types of workers, and making sure that good data is used to see what is “truly connecting well with employees and amplifying that.” Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Draup, who sponsored this thought leadership spotlight. Gail Gonzales is a writer, brand strategist and designer based in Austin, Texas. Her boutique agency, Evolve Your Brand, helps business owners who care about the positive evolution of people or the planet amplify their message.

Earl Hopkins | November 10, 2022

Rebalancing the Relationship Between Workers and Employers

Alton Scott has jarring news for employers: they’re losing their grip. As the labor and talent shortage has widened since the start of the pandemic, there’s been a growing imbalance between the workforce and the companies that now direly need their services. “As we continue with this war for talent, I don’t know that we’re winning. And if we are, it’s not by much,” said Scott, a director and HR business partner at Sodexo, a food-service giant with more than 400,000 employees. “As employers, we got to make sure we’re offering the right pay, the right benefits, the right culture, the right engagement–and that we have diversity, inclusion and belonging.” Despite high-profile layoffs in the tech industry, most employers still have too many vacant roles and not enough candidates to fill them. It’s a reality that’s shifted the employer-to-worker dynamic, and Chinyere “ChiChi” Anyanwu, director of organizational development and culture at San Antonio-based CPS Energy, said it has helped amplify employees’ voices. “People have more choices, and I think they’re going to use that choice to work with their employers to say, ‘This is what I want. How are you going to make it happen?’” Scott and Anyanwu were among the speakers in a panel discussion on “Rebalancing the Relationship Between Workers and Employers,” part of From Day One’s Austin conference in October. The panel, moderated by Tom Miller, who anchors KXAN News Today, addressed a range of topics revolving around ways employers can offer more purpose-driven work experiences, foster a healthier work-life balance, and attract and retain talent. Among the highlights: Connecting With Employees Outside Their Roles As remote and hybrid work has matched workers’ longing for flexibility, Kim Colbeck, the VP of HR at Maximus, which provides health and human-services programs for governments, said it’s important for companies to offer the right incentives and a clear pathway for career advancement. “I don’t think employers will be in the driving seat in 2023,” Colbeck predicted. “We still have a labor shortage, and we don’t have the workers that we need with the skills that we need.” Colbeck said the more companies focus on the short and long-term aspirations of their employees, the greater chance the workers will dedicate themselves to the brand or business. “The more that companies connect with what’s really important to people, the more they’re going to want to stay there,” she said. “Employees want their company to care about the same things they do.” Embrace Their Motivations Too often companies rely on the extrinsic opportunities of a role. On a job application, in an interview or offer letter, employers flash what salary, health care options or vacation time a role offers instead of the intrinsic, or self-directed or rewarding, goals that could be achieved. “I think what people want is to understand why they get out of bed every morning and do the job, and they want more of that,” said Chad Lafferty, VP of global sales at Attuned, which helps employers understand what motivates their workers. “And they want their employers to hone more on that, and find ways to motivate them that aren’t those traditional carrot-and-stick ideals.” “I think what people want is to understand why they get out of bed every morning and do the job, and they want more of that,” said Chad Lafferty of Attuned, at center, flanked by Alton Scott of Sodexo, left, and Tran Andrada of HiBob, right Tran Andrada, a presales manager at HiBob, an HR information-system platform, said this evolution has come with the generational shift of job seekers. Rather than focusing squarely on financial compensation, she described a new legion of professionals that are drawn to roles that fuel their desire for personal development and growth. “What they want is to find meaningful work and to feel significant,” Andrada said. “That’s a big generational shift, so having the resources and the tools to support and track what their career aspirations are, those conversations have changed dramatically.” Remote Work Has Strengthened Relationships and Insights In her role at HiBob, Andrada said the switch to remote work has given her a better sense of the resources her employees need to thrive and, at times, a glimpse into their lifestyles. “We ended up creating better relationships because you got to see people’s pets, we got to see people’s children, we got to see some of the other things they’re engaged in that has become part of their daily life,” Andrada said. “So that gave me, as a leader, insights into the unique needs of each of our employees. I think that’s helped.” While remote work has certainly increased employees’ mobility, it has been a source of burnout for many in virtual workspaces. In her experience in technology work, Andrada said it’s common for high performers to work outside their office hours to respond to emails and phone calls. In those moments, she said, it’s the responsibility of leaders to encourage their employees step away from the tech that tethers them to their roles. “When you say out-of-office, that means out-of-office,” Andrada said. “Don’t respond, because once you respond, you’re opening up the door. And as a leader, you have to do that first. No means no.” Instead of placing the blame on the technology, Anyanwu said it’s the duty of the employer to designate work hours. “We have to stop blaming technology for everything,” she said. “It’s behavior. Technology is there to help our life. Just because we have it doesn’t mean we’re going to do anything, it’s what we do to it.” Turnover Is Two-Fold As time goes by in corporate life, it’s common for the names, faces, and roles of a company to change. But Lafferty said turnover is also an indicator of where a company is headed and what issues, whether structural or cultural, need to be addressed. Tom Miller of KXAN News moderated the session “A company has to ask itself, ‘Why are people leaving and where are they going and what are they doing?’ If they’re moving to another job or another position you could’ve provided for them, then you’ve missed an opportunity and thrown cash out the window,” Lafferty said. “You have to take a step back and ask if you’ve provided that person the right tools, the right training and found ways to motivate them. Otherwise, it’s a disconnect you have to deal with.” Not every relationship is worth salvaging. If an employee is leaving for money, both Scott and Lafferty agreed that counter-offers aren’t often the best option. For Anyanwu, turnover is a part of the flow of a company and should be embraced. “People are going to move. But as people move, others are going to come in,” she said. “You can’t hold on so tightly to what you know. The next best thing could be coming in. Prepare, so that it’s not costing you so much money each time you have to onboard somebody.” Earl Hopkins is a culture reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. He’s also a freelance music writer whose words can be found in Complex, MTV News, GRAMMY.com, Stereogum, UPROXX, and other publications.

Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza | November 07, 2022

How HR Leaders Can Help Companies Prepare for Tougher Times

As indicators of a recession pile up and workers worry about the stability of their jobs, HR leaders can offer a sense of hope to organizations despite a forbidding economic outlook. Signs of tougher economic times are coming from major employers. A recent survey by The Conference Board found that 98% of CEOs in the U.S. are preparing for a recession in the next 12 to 18 months. In October, the rideshare platform Lyft announced that it will lay off 13% of its workforce, and the fintech company Stripe said it will let go of 14%. Both companies cited the likelihood of a recession in their decisions. Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, is planning to begin “large-scale layoffs” this week, the Wall Street Journal reported. “The HR leader is the person that’s going to lead us through the humanity of these changes,” said Michael Plante, chief marketing officer at eFileCabinet, a tech company that builds software for document management. “[The C-suite’s] tendency is going to be to all get the executives in a room and spend all of our time poring over spreadsheets. Where can we save 50 cents? Where can we save a dollar? Sometimes that’s us being fearful of fielding candid conversations.” I interviewed Plante for a From Day One webinar on how HR leaders can help companies and their employees adapt to leaner times. He emphasized the important role HR leadership will play in keeping companies afloat as budgets shrink, resources dwindle, and employees are laid off. First, Plante underlined the necessity of honesty between the C-suite and the rank-and-file employees. It’s often the senior-most HR leader who is the voice of the people in the room, reminding executives that the workforce deserves answers, even if it’s bad news. “In performance management, there should never ever be a surprise conversation with an employee. It’s the same thing with how the company is navigating economic situations,” he said. Plante urged HR leaders not to be reactive or unmoving, but instead to be curious and resourceful in looking for solutions. “You may have a tendency to be back on your heels and waiting this out. Now’s the time to lean in, be actively asking questions of your management chain, and be networking with your peer groups. What did you guys do and see what worked when Covid first hit? What worked when the Great Recession first hit?” he said. In the webinar, Journalist Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza, left, interviewed Michael Plante of eFileCabinet (Image by From Day One) Budgets will be reduced–HR leaders can expect that–but ominous announcements from the CEO about doing more work with fewer people that often follow a lay off, are “radically insensitive to the realities of the teams that survive any workforce reduction or other changes. ‘We all have to work much harder now’ isn’t the humane approach,” Plante said. Wherever possible, HR can recommend automation instead of increased workload for the remaining employees, with the message to employees being, “We as leaders are going to rally all of our resources to focus on the stuff that matters most so that this reduced team can get it done, then we’re going to deploy automation to help automate the work to create more capacity.” To keep morale high and preserve productivity, Plante encouraged employers to “reattach employees to the mission.” “Help every employee understand how their day-in-day-out work ladders up to the company’s outcomes, whether that’s revenue or whatever set of KPIs the company is driving toward,” he said. Once everyone is aimed at the same target, solicit feedback on how the company can better operate. “The richness and value we get from a diverse set of voices is doubly important in coming up with creative solutions to get through this situation.” Show employees that they remain an important focus for the company by continuing to invest in their careers, Plante urged, even if it’s through free and low-cost professional development curriculum. “You can’t take your foot off the gas pedal on performance management,” he said. “Because that’s going to tell you who you need to keep. Those are going to be your lifeboat employees. You have to continue investing in career progressions and promotions because those are the people that you want to be mega-engaged and contributing to how you are going to thrive through and thrive after this situation.” Being frank about what it takes to be top talent–one of those “lifeboat employees”–is a way to maintain productive engagement while motivating the remaining workers. Employers can say, “‘This is how we evaluate talent, and these people are getting preferential career acceleration because they’re achieving against these standards.’ Then you challenge everybody to achieve that,” he said. HR leaders have a responsibility to be attitude leaders too. “Don’t let negativity or uncertainty fester,” said Plante. “It’s a vacuum. We’ve got to fill that vacuum with leaders that lean into it and say, ‘Here’s what we know, here’s what we don’t know, and here’s what we can do.’” Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is a freelance writer based in Richmond, Va. She writes about the workplace, DEI, hiring, and women’s experiences at work. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Fast Company, and Food Technology, among others.

Gail Gonzales | November 07, 2022

Discovering the Essentials of an Inclusive Corporate Culture

Describing cultural diversity and inclusion as “great hiring bait” might seem crass, but Paul Kim, head of global implementation for Expedia Group, cut to the chase with this refreshing conversation starter, asserting that you can’t “catch the big fish without taking care of business internally.” Creating a diverse leadership team is the first key to hiring and retaining great talent, he said. So then, what makes an inclusive culture and how do we define diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) when they often feel like corporate platitudes? Kathryn Lundstrom, sustainability editor at Adweek, posed this question to open a panel discussion on fostering a genuinely inclusive corporate culture, part of From Day One’s Austin conference. Definitions ranged from “making people feel they were chosen for that reason to build a stronger team,” as Elsa Zambrano, SVP of talent and culture at NXP Semiconductors pointed out, to “creating the psychological safety that allows people to be their truest self,” said Paul Agustin, director and solutions engineer at Betterworks, a management-software company. Steve Armbruster, a partner in McKinsey & Company, agreed that “if we actually create truly diverse and inclusive teams where people take care of each other through apprenticeship, through mental health support by watching out for burnout or stress, it’s the broadest possible definition” of inclusion and belonging. Armbruster is a firm believer that creativity and the practical exchange of culturally diverse ideas in an environment of safety and authenticity helps his firm’s clients and increases their bottom line. Defining company values is foundational, said Zambrano, who hosted hosted roundtable conversations on values across all her company’s departments globally and turned that into management training. Inclusivity can come in the form of fun as well. Honoring and celebrating all cultural holidays, encouraging self-expression, and making sure your events are at times when everyone across your company can join helps everyone feel valued. Betterworks even decided that if they were going to do something in one location, they would do it everywhere. At the same time, it’s important to understand that people from diverse cultures feel valued in different ways and that it’s too nuanced for a blanket approach. Conversations are required to appreciate the differences. “Equity is a little more complicated,” noted Kazique Prince, PhD, the global director of DEI and belonging at NI, formerly known as National Instruments Corp. Equity is making “sure that folks that have been historically excluded or marginalized are getting additional resources, in many ways making up for things in the past, but also making up for challenges that are still happening today.” Kathryn Lundstrom of Adweek, at podium, moderated the Austin conversation Prince asserted that taking an honest look at the historic corporate culture of your specific company or industry that may still be controlled by white men requires tough questions: “Are you pro-Black? Are you a feminist? Who are you as an organization? And are you willing to call those things out plainly? Are you willing to say you’re anti-racist? Those kinds of conversations are just as important as the programs, initiatives, and policies that you put in place.” If your company intends to make improvements, he advises bringing up this topic honestly in the hiring phase and letting candidates know it’s something you’re proactively seeking to change. Finding Diverse Talent While finding diverse talent can seem daunting, all the panelists agreed that data was essential to “opening the candidate aperture,” noted Expedia’s Kim. “Be agile and iterative about whom to pursue, and how to attract them in a way that’s actually compelling and grounded in meaning.” Systemic and unconscious bias creates a lot of missed opportunities to bring in diverse talent. The speakers praised bias training as one of the most eye-opening and beneficial experiences they’ve ever had–and that honesty about bias leads to transparency and better hiring practices. Issuing report cards for executives, using third-party vendors to interview employees, and publicizing and discussing findings openly in meetings were all ways these panelists encourage conversations so “everyone feels they’re in it. This is not just an HR thing,” said Zambrano. Navigating Communication Challenges and Conflicts Instead of looking for punitive ways to get people to change their behavior, trying to understand what led to the situation from both sides and what cultural dynamics may have influenced that situation leads to better solutions. A more-carrots-than-sticks approach seemed to be the overall consensus on this topic. Prince asked, “How can we all walk away with our dignity” while creating more respect among employees? Bias training was cited again as invaluable for mitigating potential conflicts by defining and modeling inclusive behavior. McKinsey’s Armbruster said that the likelihood of mismatched expectations is reduced when managers help people self-define their own path, purpose, and meaning. Changing Corporate Structure to Reward Diversity Zambrano circled back to values and how important it is to “put that flag in the ground,” declaring what the company stands for and publicizing it everywhere. Kim said that Expedia doesn’t incentivize leadership in DEI because it’s expected that goals will be met and managers are held accountable for delivering on them, but leaders offer public praise when those goals are met. Betterworks utilizes a bottom-up leadership style in DEI, Agustin said, and offers a stipend for DEI team members who reach their goals. The full panel: Steve Armbruster of McKinsey & Company, Paul Agustin of Betterworks, Lundstrom, Kim, Elsa Zambrano of NXP Semiconductors, and Kazique Prince of NI (Photo by From Day One) Looking at how data is collected, analyzed, and used for better decisions ensures changes over the long term. The data McKinsey & Company has collected clearly shows that there is genuine economic value in diverse workforces. “Young people desiring purpose, meaning, and the need for psychological safety are going to generate a disproportionate amount of profit and shareholder returns,” said Armbruster. “We need to make everyone understand how important this is. Business leaders must dispel the notion that DEI initiatives are something that can be done on the side or delegated as an HR function.” DEI is “one of those topics like sustainability that has to cut across every aspect of a company’s operations if it’s going to mean anything at all,” noted moderator Lundstrom. By incorporating these ideas into every action, DEI initiatives become a set of tools, vs. a set of rules, that can shift the health, morale, and prosperity of businesses into high gear. Gail Gonzales is a writer, brand strategist and designer based in Austin, Texas. Her boutique agency, Evolve Your Brand, helps business owners who care about the positive evolution of people or the planet amplify their message.

Erika Riley | November 04, 2022

Why Walmart Buys Into the Career Growth of Its Workers

As the largest corporate employer in the U.S., with more than 1.7 million domestic employees, Walmart is a trend-setter in HR just by the impact of its scale. So when Walmart makes a decision, it commands attention. In the past year, the company has doubled down on its commitment to career growth, deciding there should be no employee left behind. To make that happen, Walmart has embarked on an ambitious campaign of teaching its workers new skills via a medley of programs. “Our vision is–and it’s very lofty–we want to redefine what education means in this country, full stop,” said Lorraine Stomski, senior vice president of associate learning and leadership, who is essentially Walmart’s dean of continuous learning. Stomski shed light on the how and why of Walmart’s efforts in a fireside chat with Romesh Ratnesar, opinion editor at Bloomberg, part of From Day One’s October virtual conference on corporate learning and development. Among the highlights: A Commitment to Teaching New Skills Walmart’s most recent commitment to upskilling and career growth includes a promise to invest $1 billion over the next five years. Through this investment, the company is now able to offer free tuition and books to all of its associates through its Live Better U (LBU) program, and has consolidated all of its learning platforms into one called Walmart Academy. The educational push is part of Walmart’s greater effort to retain workers by focusing on well-being, advancement, and more competitive wages. The commitment to upskilling and career growth has been integral to the company since its beginnings, Stomski said. She explained that founder Sam Walton always wanted to expose people to different jobs and roles and let employees work their way up the corporate ladder. That commitment still rings true today–75% of Walmart’s managers started as hourly associates, including the current CEO, Doug McMillon. “What I love about that mindset is [Walton] really introduced the notion early on that in order to build great leaders and great associates in the company, you have to be exposed to the entire company to understand it,” Stomski said. Walmart’s Lorraine Stomski, at right, speaking with Romesh Ratnesar of Bloomberg (Image by From Day One) Stomski was drawn to Walmart for its values and company culture. Originally from New York City, she doubted she’d find life fulfilling in Bentonville, Ark., where Walmart is headquartered. But after interviewing for her role, she found she loved the company’s culture and couldn’t turn the opportunity down. “It’s the hardest job I’ve ever had. It's the most fulfilling job,” Stomski said. “Because our purpose and what we are trying to do on behalf of our associates and our customers is nothing I’ve ever experienced.” Before 2022, the company operated separate learning institutions under each of the company’s different banners. For example, Sam’s Club employees had different learning options than Walmart employees. By unifying all learning opportunities within the Walmart Academy, the company is able to diversify its offerings for employees globally. Offering Diverse Education Options Live Better U, Walmart’s college offering that allows employees to pursue degrees and certificates, operates under the Walmart Academy umbrella. In the past, U.S.-based Walmart employees could take advantage of degree and certificate programs through LBU for $1 a day. Walmart waived the cost in the summer of 2021. “You know, for somebody that’s working in a store or a club in the frontline, that’s a significant investment. And we forget that,” Stomski said. “So I am so appreciative of the leadership team at Walmart. They said, ‘Take it away, remove the obstacle,’ and we had a 66% increase in enrollment.” More than 89,000 associates have enrolled in LBU, and 15,000 have completed a degree program over the last four years. But Live Better U is just one part of Walmart Academy, which consists of three “rungs,” Stomski said: •The first rung is helping employees improve the skills required for their current jobs. •The second rung is Live Better U: preparing employees for jobs they may have in the future through upskilling and completing courses. Live Better U is made possible through Guild Education, which focuses specifically on adult education. “Adult learners have challenges finishing their credential degrees. And that’s why we end up with tons of debt. Guild partners with educational institutions that truly understand how adult learners learn and how to help them complete their credentials should they need it,” Stomski said. “So that was a really big turning point for us in helping our associates who wanted to get credentialed do that.” Walmart associates can earn college credit for their jobs, further helping them pursue higher education. Guild also offers learners educational coaches to help Walmart associates find the best program for them. Of course, not all associates want to pursue a college degree, and Walmart Academy’s options reflect that. Live Better U offers short-form courses and high school completion programs in addition to traditional college degrees. Walmart Academy graduates with company CEO Doug McMillon, who started at the company as an hourly worker (Photo courtesy of Walmart) •The third rung of Walmart Academy is about creating a company culture, which Stomski says is vital for managers. Creating a cohesive culture can be difficult in an organization where so many employees haven’t had the time off from working in-person. “And let’s not forget, we just came out of two years of working from home. But our store managers and associates, who have been there from day one, did not get that luxury of working from home,” Stomski said. “And so when you think about how do you instill culture across 2.3 million associates, that’s pretty intense.” By investing $1 billion, making college education free for all employees, and introducing skills learning through Walmart Academy, Walmart has become a company on the frontline of workforce development. Since LBU’s initial launch in 2018, the program has helped employees save $333 million in tuition costs, helping thousands of employees avoid student debt. Helping Employees Level-Up Stomski is aware that many people might expect Walmart employees to move on from the company once they have completed their education. But Stomski sees it differently. Walmart wants its associates to build careers with them–but that doesn’t mean they need to stay forever. For the associates who do stay, the company has opportunities for those who want to scale up. Stomski shared the story of one associate who was never able to get her degree the “traditional” way while working on and off at Walmart. She finally completed her bachelor’s degree in just two years with LBU and later landed a job at Walmart as a project analyst. “It’s a no brainer: We want you to stay. But man, if there’s a better opportunity, and you want to build and grow your skills, we say, ‘Absolutely do it, we support you. And by the way, we welcome you to come back,’” Stomski said. Stomski said she takes pride in the company’s offering of so many educational opportunities through Walmart Academy, which sees as the right thing to do when operating in a country whose residents carry a total of $1.6 trillion in student debt. While Stomski knows that most companies don’t have the financial resources that Walmart does, she encourages employers to scale upskilling offerings to their own situations by identifying skill gaps and accelerating pathways to the jobs of the future. Another way to be more inclusive is to offer jobs to people without a lofty education. Many of Walmart’s associate positions do not require a college degree. The company has started analyzing which job listings should mention degrees at all. Instead, Stomski says, the listing can focus on the skills or attributes needed for the role. “Look for all the talent in unique places, be inclusive in your search, and be very clear on what’s required in the role so that you can determine whether or not a credential is something that you need in addition to your upskilling strategies,” Stomski said. Adding new kinds of jobs to the ecosystem has also helped the company stop and analyze what is needed for each individual role, including credentials. Looking to the future, Walmart aims keep expanding its commitment to education. “We’re actually increasing our investment year over year, even in the challenging times that we’re in,” Stomski said. “There’s not even a debate because we want our associates–if they choose to stay with us–to build a career.” Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer. She worked at the busiest Walmart on Long Island as a cashier in 2016, and she still considers it one of her most important learning experiences.

Erika Riley | November 02, 2022

Supporting Diversity With an Inclusive Financial-Wellness Program

During the post-pandemic labor shortage, power in the hiring game has shifted into job seekers’ hands, enabling them to demand more support and benefits from employers. So if you’re looking to attract new talent, it’s imperative you offer benefits and a financial wellness plan that appeals to a diverse range of employees. “Frankly, the pressure is on to offer more than just a 401(k) in the last few years as the mounting financial needs of Americans continues to change. While benefits used to mean health insurance and a retirement savings plan, employees have grown to expect and need much more support from their employers,” said Harlyn Croland, the head of business operations and strategy for Betterment at Work, a platform to help employees meet their financial goals. At From Day One’s August virtual conference on offering workers dignity, purpose, and fulfillment, Croland presented a thought-leadership spotlight on how employer commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can be supported by having innovative and thoughtful financial-wellness programs. While the Great Resignation has eased in recent months, employees are continuing to leave their jobs en masse, seeking better pay, benefits, and better work cultures. A Betterment study estimates that one in four employees will leave their job this year. At the center of this issue is DEI, which Croland said is vital for companies to prioritize. “Unfortunately, like many other areas of work in life, financial wellness has an inclusivity problem. Underrepresented minorities seem to encounter disproportionate barriers to entry towards financial stability,” Croland said. DEI must not only factor into a company’s hiring practices, but also into its benefits and financial-wellness plans. Companies can focus on three areas of financial wellness to help diverse employees: student-loan debt, wealth-building options, and personalized financial literacy. The Long-term Burden of Student Loans Student debt doesn’t just affect entry-level and younger employees; many people have student debt well into their later adulthood, with the average borrower taking 20 years to pay off their loans. “By acknowledging that student loans affect diverse populations differently and offering a broad range of student-loan management options, you’re signaling that your company values are meeting its employees’ needs no matter their demographic group," Croland said. Betterment at Work offers student-loan management plans that allow employees to manage their loans in one place. The portal offers advice about which loans to prioritize and how much to contribute to monthly payments to reach their financial goals. Employers can also choose to match their employees’' contributions in the Betterment app. A Diversity of Needs and Resources Wealth-building options, retirement savings plans, and financial literacy can vary significantly between different groups. For example, only 39% of women have three months’ worth of living expenses saved, compared to 55% of men. “If you want to build a loyal diverse employee base, help them build for the future through wealth-building options that serve their specific needs. What better way to show your employees that you want them to stay for the long haul than by supporting them for the long haul?” Croland said. Harlyn Croland, the head of business operations and strategy for Betterment at Work (Company photo) When it comes to saving for retirement, Croland considers the 401(k) the bare minimum a company can provide. But the 401(k) can be used as a step towards employees’ financial wellness. The Betterment platform encourages users to save for the lifestyle they want to reach or maintain in retirement, in addition to saving for other life events such as a down payment or a child’s education. Employers can offer financial benefits beyond the 401(k). According to a Betterment survey, the top three most-requested benefits from employees were a high-quality 401(k), matching programs for retirement or charity, and flexible spending or health-savings account. Employer-sponsored emergency funds and student-debt repayment programs also ranked toward the top. “You could be missing out on diverse talent by not acknowledging these discrepancies and offering financial well-being programs that help combat them,” Croland said. “If an individual’s most important big-ticket items are not met, they may very well begin to look at opportunities elsewhere.” Making Benefits Visible and Accessible Even if employers already have these benefits, it’s essential that they educate your employees about them. Croland suggests adding visibility to benefits by creating a Slack channel where employees can ask questions about finances and benefits, and HR can post any updates. Betterment hosts weekly town-hall meetings where they often discuss benefits, knowing that the entire company is present. Financial education in the workplace can take many forms. Holding biannual 401(k) workshops is one way to encourage employees to think about their retirement savings beyond just tax season. Doing so can help them “reassess goals, address unforeseen financial occurrences, and learn more about legislation that may be impacting their savings,” Croland said. These workshops can also help employees understand their 401(k), which can be confusing for many not already familiar with them. “Learning about how to take advantage of a 401(k) can be confusing and filled with jargon,” Crolan said. “And maybe someone is a little bit embarrassed that they don’t understand the difference between a safe-harbor contribution or an employer match.” Croland’s concluding suggestion was to survey your employees to see what benefits they’re aware of and where they may need more support. Doing so can help you guide any changes to your benefits or outreach initiatives. “Although adding a financial well-being program won’t solve every financial problem, it can make a positive impact,” Croland said. “Additionally, many companies taking these little small steps can lead to a much bigger impact for their employees down the road, and it’s clear that employees want their employers to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.” Erika Riley is a Maryland-based freelance writer.

Christina Cook | November 02, 2022

How AT&T Is Learning What 200,000 Employees Really Want

For Ben Jackson, AT&T’s vice president of HR technology and analytics, listening to what 200,000 employees really want means to never stop learning. Successfully navigating the still-tight labor market involves two-way listening, and, as Jackson said, that starts with focusing on the employee experience: “You’re going to hear this theme a lot, and I think it’s exactly right. We are constantly listening.” Jackson sat down with Jason Wheeler, a news anchor and editor for WFAA-TV, for a fireside chat at From Day One’s Dallas conference in October. During the conversation, Jackson shed light on how the expectations of workers have changed and how AT&T is responding. “We do a large annual survey of all 200,000 of our employees. And then we are constantly doing micro-segmentation listening, whether that’s focus groups or polling new hires, people who just changed jobs, or people who got promoted and are now supervisors for the first time. And we ask them questions like: Do you feel like you have what you need to be successful?” To get the most out of their talent, Jackson said companies should commit to a listening strategy now. And while many companies chose to relax employee performance reviews during the height of the pandemic, Jackson said that at AT&T, “we are doubling down a little more.” He continued: “We made a change to performance reviews in the middle of Covid by reintroducing the ‘how’–not only what you accomplished and how you drove results in the business, but your leadership skills and how you did your job. For us that’s really important. We use that information as we identify our top talent. Obviously, we want people who are delivering results and crushing it every day, but also how they lead others, and the skills that they use to interface with their teams.” When the time came to begin asking some employees to return to the office, Jackson acknowledged the importance of the language used when communicating with AT&T’s workforce. Specifically, Jackson said that for about 40% of AT&T employees, working from home was never an option. Retail workers and technicians, for example, showed up to a physical site throughout the pandemic and Jackson shared that acknowledging the contributions of those employees, and their sacrifices, was extremely important. He said, “We worked really closely with our corporate communications partners to really go over each word to make sure that we’re continuing to recognize the 60,000 people and all that they did, but then also re-invite this other group back so that we can start to collaborate in person.” Wheeler, right, is the editor of WFAA’s “Right on the Money” program For the remote and hybrid workers, Jackson said that providing structure and purposeful reasoning for a return to in-person work was paramount. Department supervisors led these conversations and focused on the value of connecting in person. Listening to employees also spotlighted a need for a renewed focus on mental health and wellness. “I think the long tail of Covid is going be the mental health outcomes. If you look at substance abuse, if you look at the effects of isolation, we have many people that were home by themselves for a long time and the mental health outcomes and emotional health outcomes that go with that, I think we’re going to be living with this for a long time.” To combat this, AT&T has invested in a long-term solution with the appointment of a chief wellness officer for the organization. The company also hosts health and wellness fairs during which employees have free access to health practitioners at their job site. AT&T has also focused on making the process for workers availing themselves of these benefits easier and more streamlined. Ultimately, Jackson said, “The data is really clear that happy, healthy employees are productive employees. So, I think the health care aspect of what we can offer is maybe the most important right now. I think we’re going to see a wave of new solutions and new models, because the effects of the pandemic are going to be with us for a long time. We’ve got to find ways to continue to support people.” During the pandemic and recent labor shortage, workers gained a lot of leverage in their relationships with employers. Will a recession change this balance of power? “If I had to predict, maybe we’ll see more softening [in the labor market] for about the next year or so. I think it’s going to swing back to the employer side, but comparing where we are now to where we were pre-Covid, I think the employee is going to retain a lot of power, especially people in technical talent,” Jackson said. Christina Cook is a freelance writer based in Dallas. She writes about a variety of topics, including art, film, and live theater. Her 2017 children’s book, Your Hands Can Change the World, was a regional bestseller, and she is the founder of the hyperlocal arts blog Dallas Art Beat.

Angelica Frey | October 30, 2022

A Radically Honest Personal Story of Mental Illness in Business

Anyone who has met with or interviewed startup founders will have noticed several traits consistently present among modern-day entrepreneurs. They tend to exhibit high energy, positive energy, creative energy, lateral thinking, a sense of destiny and purpose, and some degree of irritability. However, these traits can also be symptoms of bipolar disorder. Andy Dunn, the American entrepreneur who co-founded menswear brand Bonobos, knows this all too well. Dunn talked candidly about his experience with bipolar disorder during a fireside chat at From Day One’s September virtual conference on stress and well-being in the workplace. “For better or for worse, at times, this was an illness that served my interests,” said Dunn. “Other times, it tried to undo all those interests. Nine years after building the company, I ended up in the psych ward. I was discharged in handcuffs, and charged with felony and misdemeanor,” said Dunn, who told his story of success and crisis in his book Burn Rate: Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind, published earlier this year. Bipolar disorder, a mental illness characterized by mood swings, can bring emotional highs and lows beyond what’s considered typical. One of the most prominent public figures affected by bipolar disorder was Vincent van Gogh, so, culturally, we tend to think of those living with the disorder as swinging between extreme bouts of creative thinking coupled with delusions of grandeur and severe depressive episodes. Of course, that’s a reductive portrayal of the condition. “My experience of it has been really living, not at the extremes of two moods, but with five different mood states, and the potentiality for the extremes,” he said. For a long time after his diagnosis in 2000, after a manic episode in college, Dunn tried to hide his condition. The menswear company he started with a fellow Stanford graduate student pioneered the direct-to-consumer business model and attracted more than $100 million in venture capital. His episodes of hypomania along the way tended to manifest as company strategy and were not seen as cause of concern in the fast-paced, high-intensity startup world. Dunn was a fountain of ideas: Why not launch a womenswear brand within Bonobos? Why not launch a sister company in California to build better e-commerce software? “Hypomanic state is a dangerous state. I felt capable of more work, but I also felt and sensed I was unhinged at times,” Dunn said. “The line between fantasy and reality can be threadbare. The best of us can walk the line one way, but at times I would veer off that path.” Dunn, at right, was interviewed in a fireside chat with Janelle Nanos, a reporter for the Boston Globe (Image by From Day One) In 2016, a night of mayhem led to him being arrested and hospitalized, and the six months following that episode were “living hell,” Dunn said. He was trying to reconnect with friends, family, and loved ones, and there were a lot of hard conversations to be had in the company. He had to publicly disclose his diagnosis. “Because of the legal proceedings, because of the potential impact that the table-setting could have had on our company and my colleagues, our investors, in a way, it removed the agony of figuring out whether or not to share something,” he said. “I had an obligation to my colleagues and our shareholders to say, Hey, here’s what happened.” So he spoke honestly with his executive team and some colleagues. “I now joke to people that no one was that surprised. If you work with someone for years, you might have a better understanding than they do.” When it came to talking with the board of directors, he was also met with empathy and understanding. “We support you to lead the team, and from a board perspective, to continue to run the company,” was the board’s verdict. In 2017, the founders sold Bonobos to Walmart for $310 million in cash; Dunn left the company two years later. Since then, Dunn has set out to become an advocate for empathy for neurodiverse people, “so we can help each other through challenges that are all too common,” he said. He eventually disclosed his diagnosis to the public earlier this year with a Business Insider story adapted from Burn Rate. “It’s about being permissive,” he said of his efforts. “By going first, you make space, mostly in the DMs and in messages across social media. There’s a lot of people who’re carrying around secrets, and narratives that they feel like will hold them back.” Dunn hopes to see the creation of pathways to disclosure in the workplace, and then build a community around it. He has seen organizations that have neurodiversity-focused employee resource groups (ERGs), which are creating a space where workers can share and be supportive of those with similar stories to tell. Investment by employers, however, is a crucial component, because reimbursement rates for mental health services are typically low. A good start is “having an ecosystem of partners that are on the company payroll, who can help.” When it comes to company-led reimbursement, he points to progressive employers like Salesforce and Microsoft, who step in and pay for what the insurance companies don’t. For more day-to-day actions, Dunn recommends the Canadian organization Jack.org, which partners with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, whose training resources are condensed yet comprehensive. Dunn makes an important disclaimer, though: “I am not a professional: I am a patient, I don’t have all the answers,” he said. It has been six years since Dunn started active treatment, meeting twice a day with a physician and taking five types of medications. “I still have bipolar, and I don’t have the same highs and lows,” he said. “I have a lot of days where I am at a 5 out of 10–and that’s good! Often, it used to be an 8 or a 2.” Mostly, though, he doesn't want people to confuse correlation with causation when it comes to entrepreneurial spirit and bipolar disorder. “I would have had an even better journey without the illness,” he said. “It just happens to be the story.” Angelica Frey is a writer and a translator based in Milan and Boston.

Michael Stahl | October 30, 2022

How Social Responsibility Can Inspire Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Bonterra, the software company devoted to nonprofit-group operations, was formed a year ago when four separate organizations combined into one. So respecting colleagues with a variety of perspectives has been a foundational element of its culture. “We are better when we have diverse pools of thought, and inclusivity goes hand-in-hand with that,” said Pete Karns, Bonterra’s general manager of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and philanthropy. Speaking at From Day One’s August virtual conference on offering workers purpose and fulfillment, Karns and his colleague Terilyn Juarez Monroe, Bonterra’s chief people officer, asserted that company leaders should go out of their way to bring together diverse colleagues under a common social purpose. “Because at the end of the day, what we’re trying to do is build community and build a sense of belonging within our companies,” said Juarez Monroe. That approach appeals directly to contemporary workers, particularly those on the younger side of the age spectrum, who want the companies that employ them to provide a sense of meaning beyond their pay and benefits. A more communal culture helps organizations to identify company-wide values, and pinpoint causes that CSR teams can focus on. Terilyn Juarez Monroe, Bonterra’s chief people officer (Staff photos courtesy of Bonterra) It’s this intertwining of CSR and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) that is so vital to the sustainability of Bonterra’s company culture, especially through worker retention.“When we think about DEIB and CSR, we know that we need to make sure that it’s not just one single moment in time, but it’s woven across the entire [employee] experience,” said Juarez Monroe. “So when a candidate hears about your company, what makes you special in your values, they’re not only hearing it, but they’re seeing the action, they’re seeing the results on your websites, they’re hearing about it with their hiring managers, sharing those proof points. And then when they’re an employee, they’re actually living it as well.” This lived CSR experience is manifested at Bonterra in a few different ways. Juarez Monroe highlighted the company’s skill-based volunteerism in organizations that reflect Bonterra’s DEIB values as one particularly fruitful venture. This type of initiative not only gives employees that sense of purpose, it also helps build them up as potential company leaders. “When we look at all of these initiatives as separate initiatives, they feel like add-ons, they feel like more work,” Juarez Monroe said. “People love it when we can actually show that all these things are integrated, that when working together we can actually have greater impact.” Pete Karns, Bonterra’s general manager of CSR Juarez Monroe also advised companies to not be shy when there’s a call to take a stand on an issue, like reproductive rights or social justice. She said employees want to see that more so today than at any other point in her career. “People want us to actually show what we’re doing in support of these things, or to see how we’re going to respond, and how that aligns to our values and our purpose,” she said. “And so we have an opportunity to re-engage our employees, and by doing so, keep them retained in the organization, but also help attract others.” Finally, Juarez Monroe said she envisions a future for CSR and DEIB initiatives that include more collaboration and partnerships, perhaps between corporations and nonprofits or, really, any organizations that can reward each other in some relevant way. Afterall, a single organization can only do so much, but a coalition makes expanding horizons–and impactful outcomes–far less daunting. Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner who sponsored this thought leadership spotlight, Bonterra. Michael Stahl is a New York City-based freelance journalist, writer, and editor. You can read more of his work at MichaelStahlWrites.com, follow him on Twitter @MichaelRStahl, and order his first book, the autobiography of Major League Baseball pitcher Bartolo Colón, at Abrams Books.

Lisa Jaffe | October 29, 2022

Women’s Health Benefits: Breaking Down Barriers to Care

Women have historically been the caretakers of family and community. But often the efforts they put forth taking care of others means they don’t take care of themselves. The Kaiser Family Foundation reported in 2021 that 10% of women with a chronic condition don’t have a primary-care provider. And among those who visited a doctor in the previous two years, women are more likely than men to say a health care provider dismissed their concerns or didn't believe they were telling the truth. At a recent From Day One webinar, titled “How Women’s Health Benefits Can Address Barriers to Care,” leaders from Accolade, a personalized health navigation and advocacy platform, discussed why it’s vital to ensure women have access to needed care–and not just related to reproductive health, although that is often women’s entry point women into more complex aspects of the health care system, said Jessica Huertas, clinical steward of Accolade’s Women’s Health Team. In the last decade, questions from Accolade members, as well as the support they require, have changed. The pandemic led to an uptick in behavioral and mental health needs, Huertas said. More recently, there have been increasing questions from families struggling with the choice to carry a pregnancy to term or not, regardless of the reason. Huertas and her team help find safe reproductive care and advice, as well as access care if they can’t obtain it locally. Accolade fields questions about parental leave, breast pump coverage, and how to add a baby to one’s health care plan after delivery. “They want to know their return-to-work childcare options, and if their company offers dependent care savings plans or college savings resources,” Huertas said. “They have questions about what a pregnancy and childbirth will cost them after insurance pays its portion, or what fertility treatment will cost so they can plan for it. And they want that information ahead of time.” Mary Lasky, Accolade’s director of benefits (Staff photos courtesy of Accolade) Beyond Parenthood Since working women are the primary caretakers of a community that often extends beyond their immediate family—three quarters of caretakers are women who work at least 30 hours a week—Mary Lasky, director of benefits at Accolade, said they started examining how to best take care of the caretakers. “There is pressure on those women caregivers that impacts their health as well as their work.” Accolade has made changes for its employees to address these issues, including: •A sick and safe leave policy, alongside of their existing time away policy, that allows caregivers protected time away when they’re faced with urgent issues; •A partnership with Cariloop, a caregiving-support benefit that can help users find resources for eldercare or other caregiving needs, and also help them understand their own future Medicare journey; •A family-forming benefit through Carrot, a fertility benefits platform; •A $2,000 health-reimbursement account. There can be pushback from some about any new emphasis put on women’s health, but Lasky has an easy retort: “Improved health care for women is improved health care for their families, for their communities, and on down the line. In our company, 75% of our employees identify as female, and if we improve the health of that population, we create a domino effect. Those healthy individuals are interacting with our customers and our clients and our members and helping them live their healthiest lives. This is an intricate web and impacting one can impact the whole.” Besides, Huertas noted, even if the majority of your employees are men, they often have spouses and daughters whose care comes from the benefits you offer. Non-binary populations have also been getting more attention–rightly so, says Lasky. “I think companies are behind the times on this issue.” The systems and vendors that support employees need to support non-binary or female-identifying employees upon hire or enrollment. “A year or two ago, I was working with a vendor that couldn’t accept anything in their file integration feed, other than M or F for gender. That is an issue.” Half of the LGBTQ population reports some sort of health care discrimination, and almost 20% of Gen Z identifies as LGBTQ, Lasky noted. “This has to change if we want to integrate the new generation into our companies and benefits. We should have started thinking about it five years ago.” Lasky added that Carrot offers help to the LGBTQ population, through education about surrogacy and adoption issues. “We have to meet people where they are,” she said. Making Your Program Work for Women Huertas and Lasky had suggestions for ensuring your program delivers for your employees: 1.) Look for carriers or programs that have strong networks of specialists across the U.S., or even globally. 2.) Programs or partners should do their best to integrate with your current health-plan carriers or other associated services and coordinate care to help ease the burden of your HR department. For example, Huertas said, the maternity-management program will refer a user to their company’s employee assistance program (EAP), their short-term disability vendor, mental health and wellness resources, and any other pregnancy-related support programs. “That takes the lift off the employee to track down all those benefits, and how to contact them, and keeps those phone calls and emails from clogging up your inbox and voicemail in the HR department. Having carriers and programs that really work together is going to help alleviate a lot of stress for your department. Jessica Huertas, clinical steward of Accolade’s Women’s Health Team 3.) You can’t design it and forget it. “Evaluate the cost impact of offering a service versus not offering it,” said Lasky. “I want to look at employee surveys, the feedback that comes from exit interviews, and during our annual engagement surveys. It may entail looking through thousands of lines of responses. But I don't think that you'll ever walk away from that experience saying, gee, I really wish I wouldn’t have read those comments.” When Lasky started at Accolade, there was feedback that benefits were primarily focused on women of childbearing age. She reviewed surveys, and exit interviews revealed some gaps, so in 2023, Accolade will add Bloom to its benefits. Bloom provides services related to pelvic health for women of any age. “I think that this is an important way to ensure that our employees know that we’re listening to them. We don't talk about women’s health care issues. I had never heard about pelvic dysfunctions until I started thinking and talking to my peers about Bloom. It just is starting to open that conversation.” 4.) Know if they ease your work burden, said Lasky. “Is the work worth the reward, and does it improve the employee experience? Think of something as simple as file integration and how difficult that can be. If you are sold some solution, but there are 17 different files that must integrate with your system to be effective, maybe you need to reevaluate it.” That alone may not be enough to tip the scale against a vendor if the reward and impact on your employees is enough. “Did it delight and inspire your employees?” Lasky asked. “If so, then all that front-end work was for a good end.” 5.) Be aware of issues and problems. The first time you hear about something shouldn’t be when you are terminating the vendor. Lasky has regular check-ins with new vendors, even after implementation. 6.) Address problems in a timely manner. Lasky said you should track the time it takes to resolve open items. “If you have been trying to change something for 18 months, a vendor shouldn’t be surprised when I say that this relationship may not be working for us.” Check-ins also allow you to alert vendors to trends you notice in the feedback from surveys and exit interviews. 7.) Beware of custom products and services. It can backfire as you grow and as and if your business changes. “It’s hard to maintain the continuity of a bespoke solution,” Lasky said. Coming Down the Pike Among the pressing issues Lasky said she sees is the continued politicization of women’s bodies and their health care. “How do we address equal access to health care? That definition should not be owned by politicians, but by our experts in the fields of medicine.” Of continued importance are issues related to cardiac disease, depression, and topics that impact women alone, including gynecological health, menopause, and violence against women. Forecasting future trends in women’s health care is made more difficult because of an ever-evolving patchwork of state and local laws. Issues as seemingly mundane as sick leave can differ drastically from one county to the next. Proposed solutions for how best to address issues of LGBTQ health and trans-gender medicine also change as one moves across political boundaries. Huertas said that the best way to move forward is to continue to focus on women’s health care and view it as family health care. “The choices you make to support the women in your employee population have ripple effects on the health of their families, their teams and their work in general. You'll have more satisfied employees and healthier employees overall.” Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner who sponsored this webinar, Accolade, and the session’s moderator, Katie Blakemore, the company’s marketing manager for webinars and events. Lisa Jaffe is a freelance writer who lives in Seattle with her son and a very needy rescue dog named Ellie Bee. She enjoys reading, long walks on the beach, and trying to get better at ceramics.

Emily Nonko | October 28, 2022

Thinking of Quitting? There’s a Happier Approach for You (and Your Boss)

Working as a careers reporter for Insider, Shana Lebowitz Gaynor noticed that one particular story topic always caused readership to skyrocket: why and how people quit their jobs. She wondered if she was playing into the readers’quitting fantasies, and started thinking about other avenues to workplace fulfillment. The result of that curiosity is Don’t Call It Quits: Turn the Job You Have Into the Job You Love, published in August. The book shows that employees have more options–and agency–in their current workplace than they might think. Lebowitz Gaynor joined me for a fireside chat during From Day One’s October virtual conference on continuous learning and career growth to talk about why the book is resonating after several years of workplace upheaval, as well as her biggest reporting takeaways and first steps employees can take to job satisfaction. Our conversation, and the book, started with a disclaimer: this advice isn’t necessarily for everyone. “I hope that many of the insights and advice can help people across the board, regardless of industry or occupation,” Lebowitz Gaynor said. “But at Insider, I generally write for knowledge workers. I think that sometimes the strategies that can help knowledge workers are the same ones that can help people in other segments of the workforce, but sometimes they’re not.” For those who are interested in finding more workplace fulfillment, and are not yet ready to take the plunge into quitting, the book is broken down into three categories: evaluate and reevaluate, take action, and give yourself other options. Lebowitz Gaynor packs each section with insight from experts and seasoned employees like Dean Carter, who for many years led the HR function for Patagonia, but shared with her his experience working for Sears as the company was failing. Author Shana Lebowitz Gaynor “I really appreciated what Dean told me, and sometimes I even think about it and apply it in my own job and career,” Lebowitz Gaynor said. “If you’re in a situation like that, you have to put your head down and focus on the work you’re doing, focus on the work your team is doing and what you are doing for your team. Think about how the work you’re doing now is going to help you in your career, getting your dream job.” Lebowitz Gaynor makes a consistent argument that workers have more agency than they think. “It’s both about that broader sense of feeling that you have agency you can then exercise in your job and career, and also about the day-to-day, like how am I feeling at work today?” We discussed how this book plays into the workplace upheaval caused by Covid-19, which has most recently resulted in phenomena such as the Great Resignation and quiet quitting. Lebowitz Gaynor proposed an alternative to the burnout behind quiet quitting: “You can do what you can at work, and maybe even let your manager know that you’re doing what you can and not going over the top, and stop fixating on your job as the be-all, end-all of your life and your identity.” Lebowitz Gaynor poses a question in her book, “Do you need to find meaning in your work?” She deliberately leaves it open for the reader to answer. During our conversation, she shared some insight from a PR professional who felt like her work wasn’t meaningful enough. After a perspective shift, “she feels like her work is meaningful enough, because it’s allowing her to do something she’s good at and provide for her family,” Lebowitz Gaynor said. “For her, there is meaning in that right now.” Lebowitz Gaynor also pointed out how employees have so much opportunity to define themselves, and find meaning, outside of work. The book talks about workers who have found meaning in volunteering or part-time positions, invest in activities unrelated to work, and take steps to create more space and time away from the office. “In some cases, it’s okay to expect less from your job,” she noted. “Which is to say that your job doesn’t necessarily have to be the place where you earn money, make friends, spend all your time, derive all your self worth, and put all your emotional energy.” As we closed, Lebowitz Gaynor shared her own journey of writing this book while navigating the pandemic, getting pregnant, and giving birth. “I think my relationship to work has changed,” she said of the experience. “And I think the big takeaway for readers is that you have more agency over your work experience than you think, and while there are plenty of things that are out of your control, there's still a lot that's in your control. And that you can change.” Emily Nonko is a freelance journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to writing for From Day One, her work has been published in Next City, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and other publications.

Angie Chatman | October 25, 2022

Making Work Meaningful in an Uncertain World

Although the period during the Covid-19 pandemic has been called the Great Resignation, a more accurate description would be the Great Exploration, as employees and employers reevaluate the nature of work. “At Zensar,” said Shahina Islam, VP of HR for the tech company, “there were challenges, especially with onboarding new employees, but we were able to take advantage of technology and adjust the culture. There were huge growing pains, but eventually we landed on fully remote/camera on during meetings.” Zensar is a software company, so it’s not surprising that they leaned into technology solutions. “There was a huge amount of change management that had to be done, but more so to manage customer expectations,” said Islam, speaking at From Day One’s Boston conference in a panel discussion on “Making Work Meaningful in an Uncertain World.” Not so for the health care industry. “We had physicians and nurses who were working on site all during the pandemic,” said Dionne Wright Poulton, chief diversity officer at Care New England Health System in Providence. “I worked remotely on some days; on others I came into the office. This variety of experience within the organization primed us to think about diversity in a more active way. What about women who had to stay home with their children because the schools were closed? How do they balance their jobs given this new reality? What about the physician who has to leave the hospital and undress in the garage or basement of their home? It’s changed the way we look at work.” It has also changed how businesses recruit and retain employees. “Prior to the pandemic there was already a struggle to attract and retain top talent,” Islam pointed out, “Typically, those [final] interviews would happen in person so the candidate could experience the organization’s culture and determine if there was a fit,” she said. “Now, retention and recruitment efforts include a mentor from the very beginning who answers questions and helps the candidate understand the culture.” Among the panelists: Robert Livada of CyberGrants, left, and Dionne Wright Poulton of Care New England Health System “Nurses were in short supply before the pandemic. We’re offering signing bonus to compete in the market, but we’re also doing something similar to the buddy system, partnering new employees, especially those who are relocating to the area,” echoed Poulton. “It’s a wraparound service approach.” “A similar trend I’m seeing with the companies we work with,” said Robert Livada, senior VP of solutions architecture at CyberGrants, “is that the employee engagement programs of the past were driven from the top down. Now, [the goal] is to cultivate grassroots engagement, allowing employees to participate in programs which they champion because it means something to them, not because it directly aligns with the corporate pillars.” Wendy Richard, director of corporate social responsibility and community relations for the pharmaceutical company Sanofi, added, “Sanofi has approximately 4,300 employees based in Massachusetts, 100,000 in total. We’ve had leadership buy-in to the challenge that we must partner in the communities where we live. But it’s really been the employees that are driving the conversation regarding the type of workplace they want to have. We can’t do everything, but it’s about listening and responding to the employees you’re trying to attract and retain the ones you want to keep, particularly in this competitive innovation centered economy in the greater Boston area.” “I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about George Floyd,” said Poulton. “The aftermath was transformative. Having been in the DEI space for over 20 years, the conversations got more real, deeper, and richer. Employees feel like they can really say what they think. I had an employee tell me, ‘You know we don’t have a space to pray during Ramadan.’ And I found a prayer space for Ramadan. It’s really fantastic to see this happening.” “That’s a segue into one of my favorite stories,” said Livada. “Disney is one of our clients. They opened up one of their employee-engagement programs saying, ‘Listen, you can record any act of kindness that you want.’ One person posted a selfie of helping a turtle cross the road. It went viral. Every week, employees were posting pictures of themselves either helping turtles or helping other animals. That’s not one of Disney’s direct pillars, but it got everybody engaged and got everybody focused on the programs, which is great.” Angie Chatman is a freelance writer who covers business, technology, education and social justice. She earned her MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Susan Kelly | October 25, 2022

An Inclusive Culture: ‘It Starts From the Top Down and Bottom Up’

Companies at all different stages of the journey are focused on creating a more inclusive corporate culture. But what elements within the workplace make an employer welcoming to a diverse labor pool? Representatives of five Midwest companies, each committed to increasing diversity and equity in the workplace, tackled that question during a panel discussion at From Day One’s conference in Chicago. The murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police became a wake-up call for companies across the country to re-examine their corporate values, and this was no truer than at Best Buy, based in the city, said Andrea Wood, VP of social impact for the consumer electronics retailer. “George Floyd happened right in front of us,” Wood said. Like other business leaders, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry publicly pledged to do better, committing the company to a path of systemic, permanent change toward the common cause of equality and justice. Best Buy has followed that statement with commitments to recruit, retain and promote diverse employees, and initiatives involving procurement and business investment, said Wood. The company reports progress on its commitments on a quarterly basis. The retailer has launched dozens of Best Buy Teen Tech Centers in marginalized communities across the country, which offer after-school programming in areas such as 3-D design, music production, and coding. Best Buy thinks about the program as a potential talent pipeline, Wood said. To foster community engagement through programs such as the teen centers, Wood said it was vital to ensure that Best Buy’s team reflected the communities it was trying to serve. “Being intentional about who you’re talking to, and who’s building those relationships, is really important,” she said. At Conagra Brands, improving communication within the organization is a current focus, using the tools of genuine listening and healthy debate, said Melina Barona, who helps lead diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at the packaged food giant. The company mined data from employee surveys to be able to identify those inclusive behaviors as priorities. “Something that seems so ethereal like belonging–there are ways to really measure this in a way that makes it meaningful and tangible,” Barona said. “Being intentional about who you’re talking to, and who’s building those relationships, is really important,” said Andrea Wood of Best Buy, center DL Morriss, a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson, said one way that his law firm is tracking the success of its culture initiatives as they are integrated across the organization is through the Mansfield Rule certification process offered through the Diversity Lab. The certification measures whether law firms have reached at least 30% underrepresented lawyer representation in a number of its leadership roles. Underrepresented groups include women, ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities. Hinshaw & Culbertson has exceeded the minimum standard, with its two highest governing bodies growing to 50% diversity in talent over the last five years, Morriss said. “I say it starts from the top down and bottom up,” he said. “It’s not just relying on your senior management to really move that initiative. But it is getting a collective sense of collaboration of grassroots efforts from so many of your staff, employees, attorneys at every level who care about these sorts of initiatives.” Panel moderator Zoraida Sambolin, a veteran Chicago TV journalist, noted that the umbrella of diversity is expanding to include neurodiverse populations and people with disabilities, and efforts to help these employees feel that they belong. Sambolin asked if companies are finding ways to “celebrate the differences and honor them.” Morriss said education initiatives at Hinshaw & Culbertson have addressed neurodiverse populations in the workforce. Destigmatizing neurodiversity and raising the level of conversation on the topic in a positive and affirming way can create more opportunities for diverse learners in the workplace, he said. Panelists agreed that statements from corporate leadership in support of diversity and inclusion must be followed by deeds, or an organization’s credibility is at risk. Without buy-in from a company’s leadership and core employees, all that is left is talking points, said Morriss. “If you don't have a real action plan, or you don't already have an action in place, it’s viewed as a platitude by your own employees or by the very community that you’re trying to stand with,” said Natasha Miller Williams, head of diversity, equity and inclusion for Ferrara Candy Co. Broadcast journalist Zoraida Sambolin moderated the discussion Visible diversity during the recruitment process is key to attracting talent, yet often gets overlooked by companies, said Pamela Pujo, a diversity advocate with Affirmity, which makes software for measuring and building inclusivity in organizations. This can be a problem at hiring events. “I know, just from personal experience, if I’ve gone to those type of events, and I don’t see anyone who looks like me, who I can relate to, then I’m not interested in that company,” Pujo said. Likewise, diversity at the highest levels of an organization is critical to employee retention. “If someone doesn't see someone like them in those roles, that they can aspire to, who they can reach out to, then more than likely, they’re not going to stay,” she said. For those leading the charge, working to develop an inclusive corporate culture can sometimes feel like going against the grain and has the potential to become discouraging, but there is a collective momentum of progress underway, Morriss said. “Be proud of that, and continue the mission,” he said. Susan Kelly is a Chicago-based business journalist.

Joyce Flory | October 25, 2022

How Sustainability Became Everyone’s Concern: the Allstate Experience

Sustainability is everyone’s job. Stakeholders, including employees, customers, partners, and investors, demand that organizations show commitment and progress on environmental, social, and governance issues, or ESG. Tara Leweling, VP of stakeholder engagement and sustainability and chair of the sustainability council at Allstate Insurance, joined Karen Weigert, director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise & Responsibility at Loyola University Chicago, to explore sustainability as a strategic imperative at From Day One’s conference in Chicago.. Allstate’s commitment to sustainability is longstanding. In May 2021, it published its 19th sustainability report, sharing results on climate change, inclusive diversity and equity, culture, and pandemic response. Allstate takes a broad view of sustainability, incorporating environmental and social issues into programs involving employees, suppliers, investors, customers, and partners. A robust corporate governance process ensures transparency and integration with stakeholder needs. Allstate’s sustainability council leads the way. Forty senior executives serve as ESG ambassadors and work on ESG issues across the company’s many business units. Said Leweling: “Our chief legal officer spearheads the council, allowing Allstate to elevate and push sustainability forward as a team.” Why the Emphasis on Sustainability? Allstate’s sustainability initiative meshes with stakeholders’ growing demands for action. Investors want details and action plans on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), while consumers and employees prioritize sustainability and climate-change action. Leweling shares a compelling statistic: 70% Millennials say they prefer to work in an organization with a robust sustainability agenda, according to survey reported in Fast Company. Three-quarters express a willingness to accept lower salaries to work with environmentally responsible organizations. The takeaway: Younger employees are eager to influence ESG and sustainability results. Organizations committed to worker recruitment and retention must follow suit. Climate Change Calculations Environment and climate change surface in Allstate’s drive to protect consumers from weather-related incidents and disasters. A record number of billion-dollar disasters struck the U.S. in 2020 as the nation saw the fifth-warmest year on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The pain persisted. In 2021, the U.S. experienced 20 different billion-dollar weather and climate-related disasters, surpassing the record 22 disasters of 2020, Leweling said. “Disasters affect the way Allstate thinks about climate change and the impact of freezes, flooding, wildfires, and heat waves in an increasingly perilous environment,” she said. Allstate examines historical and future data to make pricing decisions while offering consumers greater control over how they influence the environment and how much they pay for insurance. Said Leweling: “Helping consumers control their carbon footprint, including how many miles they drive, could lead them to make different choices.” Allstate’s strategy to protect consumers has generated a re-examination of financial security. Forty percent of consumers have less than $400 in emergency savings, according to a Federal Reserve report. Said Leweling: We need to think of what we can do to make a dent in that $400, deliver more competitive pricing, and lift and change the difficult circumstances faced by consumers.” Allstate also championed consumer control and DEI when it tapped four minority-owned firms to complete a bond offering for an acquisition. “The initiative changed the way companies view bond offerings,” said Leweling. “The conversation shifts when you position a national brand like Allstate behind minority-owned firms.” Sustainability Anchors Allstate’s sustainability initiative is anchored in its shared purpose, three core values, four operating standards, and four behaviors. “Our purpose and values help us reflect on how to operationalize inclusive diversity and equity,” said Leweling. “People should be able to put their full identities into work and have the space to share their work experience.” And what of the future? Leweling predicts that Allstate will continue to reach out to stakeholders, identifying expectations that drive strategic decisions. “ESG is now engrained in Allstate’s business strategy,” said Leweling. “It drives decisions on products, services, and policies. ESG is at the center of what we do.” Joyce Flory, PhD, is a Chicago-based freelance writer with decades of experiences in public relations, marketing, and thought leadership with a focus on the health care industry.

Sheryll Poe | October 25, 2022

How a Tradition-Bound Agency Attracts Workers in the Flexible-Work Era

Workers are redefining work in the post-pandemic world, with expectations for more remote work options, a significant increase in pay and benefits, and greater work-life balance. While all of these new worker demands can be a challenge for private sector employees, it can be near impossible for a government agency with 400,000 employees responsible for America's largest integrated health care system, according to the Veterans Health Administration’s chief of human capital management, Jessica Bonjorni. “People are re-evaluating what’s important to them,” Bonjorni said during From Day One’s Washington, D.C. conference on how organizations can build stronger bonds of trust with their workers and their communities. “They’re looking for flexibility in how and where they do their work, which isn’t easy in a healthcare environment.” Bonjorni spoke in a fireside chat with Sam Fulwood, dean at the American University School of Communication, to discuss how the relationship between employers and workers has changed and how employers can figure out how to compete for labor, whether it’s through compensation, total rewards, or a sense of mission and purpose. Empowered Workers and High Turnover While the VHA has a strong sense of mission and purpose that resonates with job candidates and incumbents alike, its charter as a government agency can constrain the agency’s ability to provide compensation and benefits that can compete with the private sector. The VHA, which is faced with thousands of job vacancies and high turnover, has to ask Congress to set higher pay caps and provide funding for expanded benefits. “Right now, there are more jobs than people,” Bonjorni said. “There’s a sense of empowerment among workers and high turnover, especially among entry-level workers, many of who were able to shift to virtual work during the pandemic. That [job] loyalty is not really there anymore.” Bonjorni emphasized “letting people talk about who they are and what’s going on in the world” What the agency and HR professionals like Bonjorni can do, however, is focus on work culture. While the VHA can’t offer a 100% remote work option in most cases, some flexibility, for example working from home one or two days a week, makes a big difference, Bonjorni said. “Giving people some choice, some flexibility it goes a long way,” she noted. The agency is also touting its growth and development opportunities as well as a commitment to employee empowerment. That includes investing in training and coaching for VHA leaders, as well as those in entry-level positions. Tackling Tough Conversations at Work Bonjorni pointed to VHA’s “Own the Moment” initiative, which reminds employees that they are in control of how they connect with one another and how they treat each other. “It’s important to bring your whole self to work,” Bonjorni said. With the recent racial justice movement, and changes and protests around social and ethical issues including voting rights and abortion, more employees want to feel free to discuss what’s happening outside of work, she noted. “Letting people talk about who they are and what’s going on in the world, which a lot of times is reflected in the streets outside my office,” allows employees a chance to be seen and heard, rather than just being treated like cogs in the machine, Bonjorni said. “We’re all going through something.” The focus, Bonjorni said, is as much on retaining existing workers as it is on attracting new ones. “In HR, if feels like we are in a thankless job. What you can do is focus on retention doing ‘stay’ interviews rather than ‘exit’ interviews,” to figure out what employees need to stay in a job. Keeping a worker is easier than getting a new one. Bonjorni recommended that organizations can make existing employees happier by looking for ways to get rid of “administrative nonsense” and bureaucratic red tape, she noted. “People want to have hassles reduced in their lives.” Sheryll Poe is a freelance journalist based in Alexandria, Va.

Anna Maltby | October 24, 2022

Seeking a New Definition for Employee Wellness

What more can employers do to promote the wellness of their workers? Most of the good ones offer a lot already: health insurance, an allotment of sick days, maybe an annual charity fun run. Even so, employees need (and expect) more today, and companies are considering a more comprehensive, holistic definition of wellness. This evolving definition was the subject of a virtual panel at From Day One’s September virtual conference. Benefits leaders today are assessing the places where employers can be most effective at supporting their team’s wellbeing—and finding ways to align those needs with new solutions. Among the expert panel’s recommendations: Increase Engagement With the Benefits You Already Offer Many well-rounded companies offer a suite of stellar (and, frankly, pricey) wellness benefits but struggle to get employees to actually use them, said Kimberly Young, VP of global benefits and HR tech at Amentum, a government technology contractor. One effective strategy Young and her team have implemented is targeted, themed communication. “Just sending out multiple communications on a variety of topics doesn’t really drive engagement. What we’ve found successful is tying our communications to themes, like mammograms around Mother’s Day, or other topics tied to various things happening on the calendar,” Young said. “Not every wellness message is for every person at any time.” It’s a strategy also used by Kathleen O’Driscoll, VP of HR for global benefits, well-being and HR policy at Cognizant, the engineering and technology company. “For example, World Financial Planning Day is coming up,” O’Driscoll said. “You can take that day that might be getting some attention and then curate and talk about the different resources you offer that relate to that topic.” Enlisting employees to spread the word about benefits they’ve tried can make a difference as well, said Natalie Baumgartner, PhD, chief workforce scientist at Achievers, an employee recognition and engagement platform. “When employees inside organizations are modeling their use of resources and programming, that has a tremendous impact on the uptake of other employees making use of all the wellness services available to them.” Exploring a new definition of wellness, top row from left: moderator Anna Maltby, Will Peng of Northstar and Troy Heflin of Volvo Financial Services. Bottom row: Natalie Baumgartner, PhD, of Achievers, Kimberly Young of Amentum, and Kathleen O’Driscoll of Cognizant (Image by From Day One) Consider Expanding the Concept of Wellness Financial pressures are a major source of stress and an unsung contributor to health problems, said Will Peng, CEO and co-founder of Northstar, a provider of financial-wellness benefits. That’s why including financial benefits as part of wellness offerings is a helpful way to meet employees where they are, no matter their income level. “Finances have become one of the most foundational parts of wellness; they touch every part of our lives. It’s the foundation for emotional and mental well-being that allows employees to flourish,” Peng said. “But financial struggles can be overwhelming, and the financial services industry is quite complex. So the same way that you would want an employee to be able to see a doctor to treat an illness, people should be able to work with a financial professional to get guidance on financial wellness.” Help Managers Put on Their Oxygen Masks First During the early days of the pandemic, Troy Heflin, SVP of people and culture at Volvo Financial Services, and his team created a program called Leading with Care, a series of workshops designed to help HR leaders and other managers cope with stress and change. “In HR, we hear so much from our employees and the concerns they have–we’re carrying so much that we can sometimes forget about ourselves,” Heflin said. “I wanted to create a safe space where they could be vulnerable as leaders, since vulnerability builds trust, and really be in a community that supports each other in that effort.” During the Volvo workshops, participants work on activities such as author and educator Stephen Covey’s Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence, which helps them focus their efforts on areas where they can make effective change, among other opportunities to explore and share about what’s causing them stress. The result, Heflin says, is that leaders feel less alone in the ways they’re experiencing fear and stress, and they’re better able to model vulnerable, transparent leadership to their teams. Recognize the Role of Recognition. Don’t underestimate the impact company culture has on employee wellness. In her team’s research, Baumgartner found that employees who felt supported by their organization—and particularly by their managers—were more than twice as likely to feel physically and mentally healthy. The four factors that defined “support” were coaching and feedback, a clear line of development, contact, and meaningful recognition. Of those four, recognition was the most important. “Meaningful recognition, delivered at least once a month, has an outsized impact on the extent to which employees feel a sense of well-being and a lowered sense of burnout,” Baumgartner said. What makes recognition meaningful? “The research shows that simply saying, ‘Hey, thanks for closing that deal’ actually does not have much impact,” Baumgartner said. “It needs to be personal, it needs to be specific, and you need to talk about the impact the person’s work has had. For example, I could say to you, ‘Thank you for facilitating this session today. The way that you created connection points between the panelists and pulled out meaning for our participants was really powerful. I felt the way you led this session helped me fulfill my mission to have a meaningful impact on the lives of people at work.’” It’s hard to anticipate every possible employee need—and to help your team take full advantage of the supports available—but using what Peng called “a more empathetic, nuanced, and data-driven approach to understanding what our people actually need” will go a long way toward helping employees feel like their best selves, both at home and at work. Anna Maltby is an editor, content strategist, and exercise specialist. She has served as executive editor of Elemental, the health and well-being publication on Medium, as well as deputy editor of Real Simple and Refinery29.

Webinar Recap

The Great Return: Reimagining the Office for Working Parents

“Parents are emerging from the hardest years of their lives at this moment,” said Gina Nebesar, co-founder and chief product officer at Ovia Health, a family-health benefits platform. “Many of them are really taking this opportunity this year to reassess what matters most to them.” Nebesar could relate. She returned to work after having her third child during the pandemic, at a time of fear, school closures, and women leaving the workforce in droves. Through her role at Ovia, she witnessed what other families were going through and what they really needed from their employers. In a company survey of thousands of people, “90% of them said they’d leave their jobs for the same exact job if it offered better family benefits, like flexibility,” said Nebesar. “And 77% said they considered family-friendly culture their No. 1 priority in choosing where to work. How do we reimagine our support for parents and think of them as parents, not employees, first?” Subsequently, employers are evaluating if their pre-pandemic policies are holding up. In a From Day One webinar, “Return to Work: Best Practices to Retain and Support Working Parents,” moderated by Boston Globe reporter Katie Johnston, the panel of business leaders, all of whom are working moms, discussed how employers are adjusting their protocols for returning to work while retaining and supporting working parents. “It’s been a period of self-reflection for a lot of people about making their needs met: What do I want in the workplace?” said Jennifer Chiang, head of people strategy in the U.S. for MilliporeSigma, a biotech company. “And it’s forced us to really change our policies and think about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, taking a look at each tier and making sure that we’re satisfying it.” While feedback surveys are popular, employers are utilizing an array of methods to determine worker needs and accommodate returning employees. Pilot programs, which rely on “early adopters” or volunteers, offer different models of operation to gauge workers’ experience returning to in-office work. Other leaders recommended incorporating more flexible work options like paid parental leave, providing parenting groups, lactation rooms, and increased manager training to support working parents. “So much of that return-to-work experience depends on the manager,” said Nebesar. “And the managers really need dedicated or very specialized training for parents to help them with those different paths through parenting.” Speaking about supporting working parents, top row from left: Jennifer Chiang of MilliporeSigma and Diana Geofroy of Colgate Palmolive. Middle row: Gina Nebesar of Ovia Health, Shannon Flynn of Fortive, and Judith Almendra of TTEC. Bottom: moderator Katie Johnston of the Boston Globe (Image by From Day One) Mental health is a big concern for all workers, especially new parents. Maternal mental health issues are the No. 1 complication in pregnancy and childbirth. More leaders today are encouraging staff to open up about burnout and challenges at home. Some employers are getting creative with stress-alleviating activities at work, like offering on-site art-therapy counselors or fun community events for families. “Our company offered a virtual camp for children at home,” said Chiang. “One of our employee-resource group (ERG) leaders conducted this really well-planned camp where students could learn about STEM activities all week long.” As with any work-related change, communication is paramount, with one company giving two months’ notice for employees to return to the office. Other panelists said their companies took a phased approach, allowing staff members to ease back one or two days a week, then gradually increasing their in-office workdays. In some cases, customers wanting employees to come back to the office were at odds with employees’ reluctance to return on-site, and expectations needed to be managed. “We launched a completely new function within the organization that does advanced analytics about employee sentiment, employee behavior, or trends in the market, to make sure we’re keeping a proactive education with our [employees],” said Judith Almendra, VP of global human capital and talent acquisition at TTEC, a customer-experience tech company. And yet, many workers remained resistant to returning on-site. At TTEC, 30% to 40% of employees said they’d resign if asked to come back to the office, according to Almendra. So the company encouraged their employees to visit the office for a day to interact. “What we found is people forgot what it is to be in the office,” she said, “and some of the pros [of being] with each other.” The positive reminder served to change people’s minds; 50% of those who had initially threatened to leave changed their minds. The company also offered flexibility to those with major concerns about returning. “A lot of kind of communication and engagement needs to happen through that process,” said Almendra. Many panelists advocated greater intentionality when asking employees to return, focusing on the benefits of in-person work. They’re considering what activities warrant returning to the office, and adjusting schedules for occasions when team members need to collaborate, problem-solve, brainstorm, or welcome a new hire. “People really value going back and seeing everybody,” said Diana Geofroy, VP of HR for Colgate-Palmolive. “They want to be in the office when there is a purpose and not to go in the office just to send emails, which is something they can do at home. People value working in teams and working in collaboration.” While employers are experimenting with return plans, they’re also reworking office layouts. Cubicles are being replaced with couches and more open spaces to encourage interaction. Companies are testing creative ways to entice employees to return, like offering transportation allowances and complimentary EV charging. When in doubt, free food always seems to do the trick. “We're going to bring back weekly team lunches, just as a perk,” said Shannon Flynn, VP of corporate HR at Fortive, an industrial tech company. “It’s amazing how much that does incentivize people to come in.” She’s already seeing a shift in momentum. “At the beginning of the year, only a handful of us were coming in and nobody really saw the value in it,” said Flynn. “As more and more people are coming in, they’re getting excited about coming in on a more regular basis. I think we’re going to see the pendulum swing back to the middle.” Samantha Campos is a freelance journalist who has written for regional publications in California and Hawaii, with forays into medical cannabis and food justice nonprofits. She currently resides in Oakland, Calif.

Samantha Campos | October 24, 2022