In an interview with Ginnie Carlier, EY Americas vice chair of talent, we discuss the movement that she is spearheading.

Oftentimes, when you speak with top executives they use meaningless jargon, espouse platitudes and nothing gets accomplished. Carlier is direct and a woman of action. She is on a mission to make EY an empathetic workplace.

By doing so, it will improve the mental health and well-being of her employees. Happier workers, who feel empowered, respected and trusted by managers, will outperform, as they greatly appreciate the confidence and autonomy. This should result in satisfied clients, as appreciative professionals work harder and smarter. Revenue and profit growth then follow suit.

Carlier discussed that EY will have a “flexible” workstyle. This means that if a person wants to work remotely, that’s fine. Should they want to come into the office a couple of days a week, the office is open. The employees are treated like adults who can make their own informed decisions on what type of schedules work best for them. Of course, there will be times when meetings, a client’s desire for an in-person conversation or a team leader needing a person to be in the office will be honored and the relevant professionals would be asked to be available.

The secret sauce, according to Carlier, is to be empathetic.