Next Practices Weekly

Next Practices Weekly

By i4cpBusinessManagement
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Next Practices Weekly episodes

  • Connections & Collaboration for Hybrid Teams with Experians Annette McEnery, Sr. Vice President, HR Operations, and Joanna Wimbish-Gildart, Sr. HR Business Partner

    On this episode, i4cp' s Managing Director, Communities and Partnerships, Carrie Bevis, and Senior Research Analyst, Tom Stone, facilitated a conversation with special guests Annette McEnery, Sr. Vice President, HR Operations, and Joanna Wimbish-Gildart, Sr. HR Business Partner, at Experian. Here are some highlights from the call:

    • Experian always had a larger than average (over 20%) remote workforce. They've also grown in part over the years by acquisition, which led to merging various organizational cultures together. They have a large set of call center employees who are hourly and had more schedule structure, but the rest are salaried professionals so a culture of flexibility was already important at Experian, prior to 2020.
    • Experian found that their workforce remained productive during the early parts of the pandemic and the shift to full remote work. They listened closely to their employees and determined that maximum flexibility was going to be best for their workforce. Some prefer to work mostly at an office, but many want to be fully remote. The same approach and principles were used globally at their various main work locations, such as in Costa Rica, Chile, and elsewhere. Experian's core belief is: "We believe in a people-first approach. We design the way we work to enable the best outcomes, for our people and our business." Their core principles in this regard are: 
    • Trusting our people. We know that our people strive to do their best work every day, wherever and however they work. They have proven that during the pandemic.
    • Offering flexibility. We believe that we can achieve great business results while supporting our people to find more balance in their lives and are committed to offering each person as much flexibility as possible.
    • Enable success. Being with colleagues not only inspires collaboration and innovation, but helps people learn from one another and build relationships which are key for career development. We will make sure that our office spaces support that and that our technology and collaboration tools help people stay connected and be successful.
    • Experian's employee listening strategy includes regular use of pulse surveys. They use Qualtrics as their platform.
    • They measure turnover closely, and found that their regretted attrition actually decreased a little while other companies were suffering from "The Great Resignation." And their % of women in the workforce remained constant, compared to many other organizations where more women than men left the workforce over the past few years. Their major employee engagement numbers also remained high, in the high 80s and low 90s percentages.
    • From a technology standpoint, Experian had been rolling out Office365, and emphasizing Sharepoint and Teams, for greater connection and collaboration in their distributed teams and workforce. So in early 2020 they accelerated this and made sure all employees were using these platforms to maximize productivity, connection, and collaboration. These technologies provide part of the "connective tissue" that binds people together.
    • Experian also encourages, but doesn't require all the time, the use of video as this reduces multi-tasking during meetings and helps people get to know each other better. Experian encourages the use of video by having leaders model the use. 
    • More recently they are focusing on different cohorts beyond an employee's immediate team.
    • One focus is their ERGs, and making sure these groups are still going strong in a hybrid/remote world.
      • 55 min
    • Culture Fitness: Healthy Habits of High-Performance Organizations with i4cp CEO and Co-Founder, Kevin Oakes, and i4cp Senior Research Analyst, Katheryn Brekken

      On this episode, i4cp' s CEO and Co-Founder, Kevin Oakes, and i4cp Senior Research Analyst, Katheryn Brekken, presented findings from, and facilitated a discussion about, i4cp's latest major study, Culture Fitness. Here are some highlights from the call:

      • The Fitter the Culture, the Better the Performance. The headline finding is that high-performance organizations are nearly 6x more likely to have fit cultures compared to low-performance organizations.
      • Fit Culture Defined. A culture that employees rated as very healthy (compared to somewhat healthy, somewhat toxic, or very toxic), and one which they commonly described using these six traits: Employee-Focused, Inclusive, Quality, Learning, Innovative, Collaborative.
      • Culture Impacts Productivity. Culture fitness explained nearly 20% of the variation among organizations’ employee productivity over the past two years (controlling for size and market performance.)
      • The Unfortunate Reality. More than a third of large organizations surveyed (34%) report becoming more toxic in the past two years.
      • Toxic Cultures During the Pandemic. During the pandemic, organizations with toxic cultures were far more likely to struggle with...Disrespectful behavior
        • Senior leaders who don’t trust employees
        Employees who don’t trust senior leaders
        Leaders favoring on-site vs. remote employees
        Unsafe environments for expressing opinions/concerns
        Bullying
        Pay inequity
        Lack of recognition
        Lack of inclusiveness
      • More Data on Toxic Cultures.Those who described their organizations’ cultures as toxic were 16x more likely to indicate "lack of trust in senior leaders" as an issue that needs to be addressed.
        • They were also 10x more likely to indicate an "unsafe environment for expressing opinions or concerns" as a top issue in their organizations.
        Poor behavior is often overlooked during talent decisions. Leaders in organizations with toxic  cultures were 4 to 5x more likely to be described as disregarding poor behavior when making decisions about advancement, compensation, succession planning, performance rating, awards and recognition, and high-potential employee designations.
      • Not All Cultures Suffered During the Pandemic. 43% of companies reported their culture became healthier during the pandemic.
      • The Seven Habits of Very Healthy Cultures. These are:More flexible work arrangements
        • A learning mindset
        Boards care about culture
        Leaders lead by example
        Leaders held accountable for employee outcomes
        Leaders regularly communicate values
        Poor behavior is addressed immediately
      • During the call we asked the following participant poll: "What Culture Type is your organization?" (Select all that apply)54% Customer-focused
        • 48% Purpose/Mission
        38% Collaborative
        34% Performance
        21% Learning
        19% Inclusive
        18% Innovative
        16% Safety
        16% Agile
        16% Quality
        54 min
      • Reimagining Talent Acquisition and Mobility with i4cp, Vice President of Executive Search, Mimi Turner

        On this episode, i4cp's Managing Editor and Vice President of Research, Lorrie Lykins, and i4cp's Vice President of Executive Search, Mimi Turner, facilitated a discussion on reimagining talent acquisition and mobility. Here are some highlights from the call:

        We led off the call with the following participant poll: Has your organization experienced a layoff in the past 90 days?

        • 32% - Yes
        • 63% - No
        • 6% - Not yet, but I'm anticipating it

          • i4cp's Talent Acquisition Board indicated four top priorities for 2023, with one being "Enhancing the organization's workforce planning capabilities." This includes an emphasis on talent mobility, which helps to engage and retain employees. It can also help mitigate the need for layoffs, by first mapping employees' skills and capabilities to internal openings to verify if some of them can stay on in a different role.

          Is there a best practice around time-in-role required before internal mobility becomes an option? Turner noted that it could depend on the organization. For instance, startups might be inclined to allow for internal moves with very little tenure with the organization, because everything is moving so quickly and the company needs to be very agile. Other, more mature organizations, might reasonably have requirements of a year or more, but should consider carefully the why behind such rules in order to not stifle best-fit moves for top talent.

          Many participants on the call noted that their organizations are focused on increasing talent mobility, but admit they are at various maturity levels in this area.

          Lykins noted the critical role of the managers: i4cp's research has found high-performance organizations far more often incentivize and recognize managers who develop and move their talent into the organization. Doing this is one way to fight against the natural tendency for managers to hoard their top talent. Turner added that a key cultural aspect is shifting the mindset so that managers and leaders see employees as the organization's talent, not their talent.

          Lykins and Turner discussed the issue of the many recent reductions in force at many large organizations. These aren't always handled in the best way, with organizations often not thinking through the process that should involve optimal communications, benefits, support, etc. This has a negative impact not only on those employees laid off, but also those who remain (e.g., survivor's guilt, questions about the organization's culture, etc.) and the public perception of the organization's culture, employee value proposition, and leadership.

          A stronger people analytics muscle in organizations, particularly in regard to workforce planning, could have helped reduce the level of layoffs that we have seen at many companies. Not only might they have not scaled up as much or as quickly only to need to layoff many workers now, but they could better connect employees with good-match open internal roles rather than letting the talent go. Hopefully, more organizations will learn this from the current period and avoid the over-hire/layoff cycle in the future.

          Employer branding can really be hit negatively when an organization needs to do a significant reduction in force. Turner noted that when a RIF has happened, there is no way to ignore it. So it is critical that you explain and clearly communicate why it happened so that the candidates you are now interviewing understand and remain interested in your organization.


          53 min
        • Microsoft's Data-Driven Decisions that Drive Flexible Work with Rachel Russell, Director, Flexible Work at Microsoft

          On this episode, i4cp' s CEO and Co-founder, Kevin Oakes, and Senior Research Analyst Tom Stone facilitated a conversation with special guest Rachel Russell, Director, Flexible Work at Microsoft. Here are some highlights:

          • Russell became focused on flexible work a full year before the pandemic, in early 2019, when she was tasked with researching how Microsoft could increase employee and workplace flexibility. This research led to a 5-10 year plan, which of course was helpful for Microsoft to have when the pandemic arose in 2020.
          • After the initial shift to remote work, the new flexible work strategy was rolled out at Microsoft in October 2020. Since offices did not fully re-open for over a year beyond that, they had plenty of time to socialize and get feedback on the approach.
          • Going back to 2019 and before, leaders at Microsoft saw flexible work as a strategic decision, not a perk. This is similar to how forward-looking leaders are starting to see it strategically, not as a concession to employee demands.
          • Microsoft's philosophy is to provide "as much flexibility as possible." What that means will vary from role to role, team to team, etc. But on average the baseline is around 50% of time (per week) working remotely, with manager approval needed for more than that.
          • Microsoft's approach is not "one size fits all," and managers are encouraged to find a way to "get to yes" when employee's make the case for more remote time. The key is to balance the needs of the individual with those of the team(s) they are on, and the overall needs of the business and its culture.
          • Russell noted that the nature of work today means that team needs have become increasingly important, and that this includes your primary (hierarchical) team, as well as the many -- often virtual -- project- and role-based teams that each employee is a part of (some of which are temporary and will change over time).
          • On that point, Russell noted they ask managers to have team agreements to make explicit how members will collaborate, communicate, etc., both in-person and virtually.
          • This approach also aligns with the movements in some countries that have pending legislation around formalizing flexible work expectations.
          • At Microsoft, "hybrid" involves three dimensions: work site, work location (geo region), and work hours. Much attention has been spent on the first two, with more consideration now being spent on the time aspect.
          • Russell noted that their approach is "hybrid by design," but that doesn't always mean "hybrid first." She noted the case of hybrid training, where synchronous training events with some people gathered in-person and some online can be very challenging and so often might not be the best approach. In some cases they might instead run the training completely in-person or completely online instead of "hybrid".
          • Microsoft's philosophy when it comes to decision making is "data over dogma." This has been followed in developing their flexible work policies, with extensive employee listening that includes daily pulses of a subset of employees to get quick input. Open-answer questions are also leveraged so that nuances can be detected on questions such as, Do you feel that Microsoft values flexible work, or Are you productive in how you are working now?
          • They also conduct research on just when in-person work matters the most. They have found that mandating Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday as in-office days is not the best approach, and that a focus on the purpose for being in the office brings better results. Two findings include that in-person time is more important for employees who are new to Microsoft or new to a particular team; and that setting, where possible, an in-person gathering for a crucial project milestone can be beneficial.
            • 53 min
          • Supercharging HR Leaders in 2023 with JP Elliott, PhD., Chief People Officer at WilliamsMarston

            On this episode you will hear from JP Elliott, PhD., Chief People Officer at WilliamsMarston, a national leader in complex accounting, tax, and valuation services, and Future of HR Podcast Host. JP is a forward-looking HR executive who is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of HR Leaders. Join this discussion for lessons learned in his 20+ year career, and advice he has garnered from his talks with various practitioners and HR experts on his podcast to help you navigate the workplace of 2023.

            Speaker:

            • JP Elliott, PhD., Chief People Officer, WilliamsMarston, and "Future of HR" Podcast Host

              • What you'll hear:

              What HR leaders should expect this year, and where to make adjustments from the previous year’s strategy, such as:

              • Leading with Purpose: What capabilities will differentiate the best talent management leaders in 2023
              • The Future of Learning: Why skills and projects, not pedigree or roles will define the future of HR in 2023
              • Building and sustaining a healthy culture: How will wellness and human-centered designs be differentiators to secure talent in 2023
                • 54 min
              • Cultural Infusion: Strategic HR Next Practices with Amaris McComas, Chief People Officer for CPSI

                Amaris McComas, Chief People Officer for CPSI, a leading provider of healthcare solutions and services for community hospitals, clinics, and post-acute care facilities, joins us for this installment of our Strategic HR Next Practices series. McComas will provide a peek into her leadership style, which builds, inspires, and maintains employee engagement along with leading cultural integration efforts amongst employees.

                51 min
              • Standing Out in an Employee-Driven Market -Talent Acquisition Next Practices with Danielle Monaghan, VP of Global Talent Acquisition, at Google Cloud

                Today’s talent acquisition leaders are experiencing an unprecedented demand for talent within a limited pool. As the VP of Global Talent Acquisition, at Google Cloud, Danielle Monaghan understands the demands for talent and just how high the stakes are. Find out how she is leading the efforts, attracting and hiring the best talent at Google. On this episode Monaghan discussed:

                • TA in Tech – What’s unique to the tech world? Which challenges are most daunting for organizations?
                • How to expand the capacity of TA
                • Offering remote or hybrid work models, and which are most ideal
                • Common TA challenges in the U.S. and how they compare to other regions, such as the EU
                • What's ahead for TA
                  • 52 min
                • How is Zoom Getting Hybrid Work Right? With Jodi Rabinowitz, Head of Talent and Organizational Development at Zoom

                  On this episode i4cp CEO and co-founder Kevin Oakes and Senior Research Analyst Tom Stone facilitated a conversation with special guest Jodi Rabinowitz, Head of Talent and Organizational Development at Zoom. Here are some highlights: 

                  • We asked a poll of participants on the call: On average, how often do you personally use Zoom (or a competing product with video) per week?0% - 0 or almost never
                    • 6% - 1-5 times (once a day or less)
                    13% - 6-10 (about one or two times a day)
                    20% - 11-20 (about three or four times a day)
                    29% - More than 20 times (more than four times a day)
                    32% - I’m essentially always on Zoom or a similar tool, all-day
                  • Like many organizations, only about 15% of Zoom employees were remote workers before the pandemic started in 2020. So everyone leaving the corporate headquarters to work remotely was a big change at Zoom too.
                  • Zoom has obviously grown tremendously over the past two years. In fact, 75% of their employees were hired in the past two years, and so haven't yet worked in traditional Zoom offices. 
                  • Zoom supports its culture by giving employees money to purchase Zoom swag, such as sweatshirts and other items.
                  • Zoom has always had a strong volunteering culture, but this was challenged during the lockdown periods. The company today still supports employee volunteer time--in fact, they are allowed unlimited PTO for such activities (and they have even organized some virtual walks, bike rides, etc., to connect employees in this area while remote.)
                  • Zoom's culture is fairly loose and informal, but also very strong in the sense that their engagement scores are "off the charts" in Rabinowitz's words. People are friendly, open, and willing to help -- the culture is not bureaucratic or layered.
                  • Zoom has some 700 different internal chat groups, e.g., dog lovers, book clubs, and so on.
                  • At the same time, Zoom employees feel immense pride in the serious work they have done these past two years, given the fast growth and importance of the Zoom platform for so many organizations and individuals around the world.
                  • A hybrid approach is what Zoom is pursuing going forward, as only 1% of its employees want to be in a traditional office all of the time.
                  • They just opened their offices a few weeks ago. They waited this long because they didn't want to open while PPE (personal protective equipment), e.g., masks, were still required.
                  • Zoom's approach to hybrid is full flexibility--employees can choose which days they come into office workplaces. Employees go into the office for largely social reasons, not specifically to be productive (as they can do that while remote too.)
                  • Onboarding at Zoom considers IT and benefits as table stakes, with the emphasis instead put on relationship building, particularly on day one. There are many social elements, including breakout activities, etc.
                  • They have also created nudges for managers at the 30/60/90/180 day marks to do check-ins for those who recently joined, and provide sample questions to consider asking.
                  • Zoom makes heavy use of breakout room activities for meetings to keep the many online meetings people are having from getting stale.
                  • Zoom shifted their previous $300 gym stipend benefit to be a more general wellness benefit, which can still be used towards a gym/etc., but also for yoga, a more comfortable home office chair, etc.
                  • One call participant shared: "I like to shift from the word 'productivity' to the phrase 'doing your best work'. The latter is what we should be shooting for, and allows people to think more holistically…doing your best work isn’t just about output and hunkering down, it’s about investing in connection, creativity, rest, etc."
                    • 46 min
                  • How FedEx is Getting Hybrid Work Right? With Mike Lauderdale, Vice President of Human Resources at FedEx Services

                    On this episode i4cp Senior Research Analyst Tom Stone facilitated a conversation with special guest Mike Lauderdale, Vice President of Human Resources at FedEx Services, a division of FedEx. Here are some highlights: 

                    In developing its Workforce of the Future model, FedEx Services knew it needed to take a research-based, holistic, and employee-centric approach. So they formed a cross-functional internal task force that went beyond the typical HR, Comms, and Legal groups. Key workstreams included research, payroll/tax, investments, compensation, employee impacts, talent acquisition, employee experience, and tools & tech.

                    Hundreds of team members touched pieces of the project. Eventually, they had a consensus on decisions all the way up to the chairman.
                    They developed the model for the Services/Corporate operating companies of FedEx but are sharing and collaborating across all operating companies.

                    • Purple Flex was the name given to the new flexible work model. It is driven by designating its employees into three work modes: Central, Hybrid, or Anywhere. Central: Employees that must work onsite to perform their duties, e.g., operational tasks, security implications, etc.
                      • Hybrid: Employees who pre-pandemic worked in a FedEx facility full-time don’t have to work onsite to perform their duties at all times. These are the majority of exempt office employees.
                      Anywhere: Employees that pre- or post-pandemic were hired remotely or that received approval to work remotely.
                    • The HR team and partners then undertook the immense exercise of designating all current employees (13,000+) into those work modes and revising all (~100) processes, policies, and procedures to represent this new way of working.
                    • Since hybrid is by far the largest category, a large focus point was how to change their work experience in a positive and meaningful way, while capitalizing on what they know worked pre-pandemic and what was learned while working from home.
                    • Purple Flex Team Days. That is the name given to the intentional, pre-determined days in the office that allow for planning, predictability, and in-person collaboration. Set at the individual org level, these days are meant for collaborative work when needed, not required time in the office. Team Days are for: townhalls, strategy/brainstorming sessions, celebrations, team buildings & meetings.
                      • Team days may be for: project meetings, performance management, coaching sessions, and team meetings.
                      Team days are not for back-to-back Zoom calls or solo desk work
                    • Resources and communication. Leader and employee resources and communication have been a top priority throughout this process: A dedicated internal resources site, a dedicated email inbox for questions, leadership webinars, FAQs, job aids, and many more resources have been provided at every step of the journey.
                      • 30 days' notice was given to team members before the start of Team Days to ensure they could ensure their support systems for child-care or other personal needs could be handled.
                      They have continued to communicate the priority for a safe, secure, and clean workplace following CDC guidelines.
                      Their executive team leaned into transparent and direct communication with team members and are discussing in their team meetings, 1-on-1s, town halls, etc.
                      All our HR policies and procedures have been updated to reflect the new Purple Flex environment.
                      Productivity and work-life balance have both increased because leadership has leaned into more flexible schedule arrangements with team members.

                      53 min

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