NOW of Work

The new Now of Work is constantly changing. With people at the heart of the workforce, they make global work and productivity churn at a rapid pace. Inclusion is a big part of that. "DEIB is always evolving and I try to stay immersed in what’s happening and what’s next," Brook Sims tells us. Brook is the COO of MAC Diversity Recruiters and we are excited for you to hear more from our chat with her.
You may remember that we featured Brook's company on our social media channels a few months ago, as one to watch, and their growth is proof. MAC provides recruiting services to large companies in fields like engineering, investment banking, and information technology. They believe that a diverse workforce powers the future and that employers should be reflective of the communities in which they exist and serve. Their mission is to "lead the transformation of the workforce by being the bridge that provides access and opportunity to the most exceptional talent and helps clients achieve increased profitability, innovation, and success."
MAC recently launched their sister company, MAC Digital, which specializes in Marketing, eCommerce, and Software talent recruitment with a focus on AI, and ensuring that AI is implemented in an inclusive way.
Before leading MAC, Brook was an Executive Recruiter and Head of Diversity at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and First United Bank. Jess and I can't wait to chat with her about the changes she's seeing in DEIB, what happens when AI is added to the mix, and what steps leaders can take to ensure a more inclusive future. 

Dazzling. Innovative. Memorable. This week our team attended #UNLEASHAmerica in Las Vegas and we had a wonderful experience. Jess Von Bank and I spilled all of the details and shared highlights from the pre-event and two-day #HR #HRTech conference. 

"Human Capital is not some subset of 'HR.' It’s less about process and more about people, the culture they desire, and a vested commitment to the development of their skills."  

There is no shortage of leadership coaches, keynote speakers, motivational platforms, and business books teaching us about how to better connect with and inspire the workforce. We're not even a stranger to the idea of EMPATHY, but is anyone truly putting this into practice in a meaningful way? In business? With measurable impact?

How do some companies create dynamic, inclusive work cultures, while others struggle to connect? What does it really take for leaders to create a workplace that is welcoming to all? 

Jess and I were so excited to have a chat about equity at work on today's Digital Meetup, with Michael Bush, CEOof Great Place To Work US. Although, Brian Reaves⁠⁠, Chief Belonging,Diversity, and Equity Officer, ⁠⁠UKG⁠⁠ could not join us today, Jess, Michael and I discussed their concept of "For All Leadership," and what it takes for EVERY employer to be great. We also dove into why UKG and GreatPlace to Work are the perfect match, and what they're setting out to do together. Did you know that inclusive cultures outperform the stock performance of less inclusive companies by 400%?

Together we addressed employee experience, gnerational experiences and gap in the workplace, where the world of work is headed, short-term action and reaction business cycles, and what every company needs to think about over the long haul, not just for quarterly results!

This latest episode was recorded on March 31, International Transgender Day of Visibility. It is also the day that our friend, Sarah Reynolds, a leader and incredible marketer, was formally announced as HiBob's new Chief Marketing Officer. What a day to celebrate Sarah, and what a day to celebrate trans and non-binary people in our workforces and everywhere!

Progress in the making: McDonald's commitment to diversity has stretched for decades. They went international in 1967. In 1968, their first restaurant owned by an African-American person opened their doors. The same year McDonalds allowed women to work as crew members in company-owned restaurants, for the first time. 

Fast forward to the 1980s, when one of their Hispanic franchise owners launched the scholarship fund that's awarded $32M in funds to date. In 1986, they launched the "Silent Persuasion" campaign, becoming the first quick service restaurant with a commercial in American sign language.

In 2000, McDonald's was named named Fortune magazine’s Most Admired Company for Social Responsibility. In 2004, they formed their first Global Diversity Advisory Council, and just last year that council engaged our own Jess Von Bank to coach them on new ways to view talent and remove barriers.
Jess and I introduce you to Reginald Miller, Chief Diversity Officer at McDonald's, and the mastermind behind ALL of this since he joined McD's executive ranks in 2020. Hear about his progress since then and his ongoing plans for approaching Career, Culture and Care from a DEI perspective.

Fun fact: Reggie also claims to know more about Star Wars than almost anyone!

It's all about the green. Jess Von Bank and I are joined by two industry experts: Jason Corsello, Founder and General Partner at Acadian Ventures, and Scott Berg, Managing Director, Sr. Research Analyst at Needham & Company. Together, we dove into last week's financial collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank and how this impacts the HR and HR Tech industry. We explained our expectations for short and long term impacts!

All industry professionals passionate about HR, the HR Technology vendor community, and where we go from here are encouraged to listen. The world is at a crossroads again around banking, investing, and how innovation continues to be funded in the world of HR and HR technology. Let's learn together!

As leaders we might be okay alone, but we're much more powerful when we work together. We started our Friday Digital Meetups in 2020 to do just that, build community at a time when we needed togetherness. Three years later, that sentiment still holds true. To thrive in today's rapidly changing Now of Work, we need each other and we need to be REAL about our wins and challenges, to move forward. 

Here we GROW! You may have heard our big news. Leapgen  has joined Mercer US. Our new name is Mercer | Leapgen! The Press Release is hot off the press bit.ly/3EIenDu along with an article in Human Resource Executive; take a read: http://bit.ly/3KMgBVZ.

Five years ago, we set out on a BOLD mission to change the way the world works. That means changing an entire industry, leading enterprises as well as vendors on their transformation journeys in the NOW of Work, and shaping new thinking to help organizations BE digital, not just DO digital.

It was a pretty audacious vision. When we learned that Mercer shared the same vision, we had to go BIG. Our work continues as part of Mercer, and our values remain the same. When you do what you LOVE in the service of others, it generates ENERGY, inspires AUDACITY, and produces PROOF we can all feel.

Joining Mercer will enable us to offer our clients a full suite of solutions. Mercer is dedicated to bringing world-leading insight and innovation to companies, just like we are.

Jess Von Bank and I welcomed our new colleague, Ilya Bonic, President of Mercer’s Career Practice and Head of Mercer Strategy to the Now of Work community. We talked about the acquisition, how it will change the landscape for HR Tech, enterprise transformation work for people and work insights, and our big, bright hope for the future of work!