Workforce Therapy Files

File 20: In today's file, the team will discuss the future of work, namely the changes to where and how we'll work, in the not too distant future. In an effort to lighten up the topic, we let AI draft the outline for this file. Jason and Molley haven't seen the outline. We'll see where the machine takes us!

Companies Will Adapt to Remote Work to Survive?

There's been a lot of chatter about the return-to-office trend. How will this affect the workforce? Molley suggests that top talent may decide to seek other companies allowing its teams at least some work-from-home flexibility. Jason's company, CrowdSouth, has decided to let everyone work from home, although they have periodic, internal, in-person meetings. Client meetings are also generally held in-person. Some employees do enjoy coming into the office and interacting with colleagues. While he understands the advantages of being able to stay home, there are many jobs that can't be done that way.

One of the compromises (or sacrifices) we've made is giving up that traditional 9-5 work day. Working from home often results in work being done throughout the day and night.

As an HR professional, Jamie admits not walking through the office environments makes it more difficult for her to get a sense of the way employees are interacting. It makes it more of a challenge to understand how the culture is actually working. Remote work also makes it more difficult to form those bonds with colleagues. Companies are required to be more intentional about how they maintain productivity and cultivate a positive experience.

Molley notes that if we were to return to the office, it may help to reestablish boundaries for everyone. This may help to better define when someone is "on" and when they're "off." That line has gotten blurred over the past several years. Jason explains how the work being done is more difficult for managers to accurately track. Members of his team may decide to work more at night or to take longer lunch breaks.

While it may be okay for some organizations, it may present more of a challenge for others. For instance, because the employees don't have that face-to-face interaction, there may be less of a social bonding taking place. His company uses a practice during weekly meetings to enable each team member to talk about personal bests they accomplished, in additional to their work-related accomplishments. This is an actual agenda item for their meetings.

Molley suggests there should be a hybrid approach to having employees re-enter the office. Maybe this is a 3-2 arrangement or some other workable combination.

Jamie explains a concept referred to as the "Trust Triangle." It's made up of 3 attributes: being authentic, being empathetic and having rigorous logic. When combined, an organization can use it to build trust. This can be helpful as companies begin to require employees to return to the office. The trust triangle can be a guiding principle in helping organizations to successfully navigate this change.

Jason points out that some companies, including his, hired remotely. This may present a significant barrier to requiring everyone to return to a central office.

Prediction: Jamie predicts that hybrid work arrangements will be the solutions. Organizations will need to balance flexibility with customer needs. Molley sees a significant push in 2025 to have employees return to the office on a more regular basis. She sees the hybrid becoming the solution for 2026 and beyond, in an effort to keep top talent. Jason agrees with both, but adds that it's going to be more based on the industry or roles involved.

AI and Automation Will Grow in Significance

Jamie discusses how she's begun using Smartsheet. It creates charts, graphs and summaries from Excel spreadsheets (take that you pivot table aficionados). She also uses AI to draft policies, based on previous policies she may have written. It's an expedited path, verses always starting from scratch. Recently, she used AI to help outline a process map for organization design. Again, it's a way to get started more quickly.

Molley uses ChatGPT to rewrite a document she's already drafted. She like how it can make a draft much more understandable. On a different level, she sees how AI will have a dramatic effect on recruiting. While it may not fully replace the human, it will augment the process and reduce the time required to perform certain tasks from talent attraction to assimilation.

Jamie notes that if you decide to use AI in recruiting, you will still be responsible for your screening. It cannot have an unintended or disparate impact. You need to be careful here. A recent case made it to the Supreme Court.

Jason comments that there are a number of sensitive topics and asks he doesn't see being transitioned to AI. He sees the value in having it write a first draft for an important press release. Spell checking is another AI-delegated task. He points out that the liability will require the final version to remain in human hands.

In the marketing and advertising space, Jason uses various AI tools. For instance, one assists with A/B testing suggestions. AI can easily create additional versions of an add, enabling them to test which would be the best option. It's definitely a time-saving tool. Rather than replacing the human touch, it makes his team more efficient. They can spend more time on the main creative, rather than on the various iterations.

Jamie enjoyed an AI tool on the recruiting-side. It reviewed and evaluated job descriptions to determine if they leaned feminine or masculine. Certain words or phrasing might attract a certain gender to a specific opportunity.

Jason points out that the AI was created by humans and the algorithms often pull from certain sources. Both of these factors could introduce a degree of bias.

Molley also use AI to help the job description to target specific types of applicants. For instance, an industrial construction job description needs to be different from one for a residential contractor. The two industries use different words. Understanding this will help recruiting software to forward specific opportunities to the proper target candidate pool. This maximizes the impact of the market funds allocated to recruitment activities.

The group discusses the need to review how AI enhanced the copy or draft. You'll still want to verify that it fully understood the task it was given and that it executed properly. This is extremely important from a compliance perspective.

Prediction: Jamie predict that the use of AI and automation will continue to grow, but we'll need to be careful with the inputs and spend time evaluating the outputs. This may lead to the development of new skills. Molley feels AI and automation will require us to discuss the future of careers. The cross-functionality we have will play a part, but the role requirements are definitely going to need to adapt. Jason notes that it won't be about replacing roles, but rather a question of which responsibilities can be enhance using AI and automation. He also encourages leaders to explore the capabilities of these AI tools. Molley suggests there may be ways for organizations to reallocate funds to ensure employees receive a financial benefit, based on the savings that might be related to a position eliminated through AI.d

It's interesting to think about where AI and automation will take us in the next 10 years.

Be sure to join us for Part 2 of the discussion!

That's where we'll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We'd love to hear from you.

Did You Enjoy Today's Conversation?

Visit www.WorkforceTherapyFiles.com to listen to additional WTF files or to let us know you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming file.

Need Help Supporting Your Company's Recruiting and Staffing Goals?

We're here to help. You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions:

· Jamie Swaim, SPHR – www.ParcelKnows.com

· Molley Ricketts – www.IncipioWorks.com

· Jason Heflin – www.CrowdSouth.com

We hope you found this file insightful and helpful. Thank you for listening!

File 19: In today's file, the entire team is back in the studio. They welcome Wendy Hall to discuss showing you the money. She is an Employee Benefits Advisor for USI Insurance Services. The group discusses the impact of taking an innovative approach to employee benefit programs. There are ways to do this in a very, cost-effective manner.

Meet Wendy Hall

Wendy has spent many years in focusing in the areas of employee benefits and HR. Her passion is helping employers create a motivated and engaged workforce through effective benefits plan, without breaking the bank. The relative cost of benefits has a significant impact on the financials of most companies. Wendy's objective is to help employers control those costs while getting employees excited about the available benefit options.

Transparency Leads to Value with Benefits

Molley is a strong proponent of ensuring the total benefits package is delineated in an offer letter. Ideally, that second page should go into great detail to help the prospective employee to easily see beyond the base pay. Many employers miss out on the opportunity to showcase the value of the entire package. It may be a lost opportunity to differentiate the offer from others that may be in consideration. This tactic can also be applied to an annual review.

Wendy notes this is a common topic executives want her perspectives on during an engagement. The arrive frustrated because employees or prospective employees are pursuing other options because they don't fully recognize the value added by the benefits program and/or package. She points out that it may be a case of the employer failing to effectively communicate the value of the various elements being offered.

On the other side of the coin, many employers overlook the possibility of asking what their workforces would like to see as part of their benefits. Wendy points out that we have 5 different generations in the workforce, so a one-size-fits-all approach to benefits will typically fail. Employees have different needs and wants, depending upon the stage of life they are in.

Jamie recalls her first job. She read through the benefits, but didn't understand the difference between co-insurance and co-pay. She didn't understand how to make the optimal 401(k) selections. To make matters worse, the company didn't provide resources to help her think through these important options.

How Are Companies Beginning to Educate Their Employees about Benefits?

Wendy begins with insurance, because it's typically a large, specific line item on the financials. However, open enrollment really happens once a year. So, how can companies use the remaining 11 months of the year to educate their respective workforces? One option is to begin analyzing the gaps in care and/or education. Are there trends and grouping in the types of questions employees are asking? Those clusters can identify opportunities for focused education and communication.

Proactive implementation of this education and communication may ensure the upcoming open enrollment period goes more smoothly. It also empowers the employees to may better decisions about their individual benefits.

How Often Should an Organization Audit Its Benefit Package?

If your organization is run by a board, or is a government entity, regulations are probably already in place regarding the audit frequency. For example, there may be a requirement that an RFP be issued every 3 years. There's also a due diligence process.

If your feedback loops are indicating certain elements aren't working well, it's a signal you should begin investigating alternative providers and options.

The size of your organization doesn't necessarily have an impact on the frequency. In reality, it may be driven more by the available funding for the benefit programs.

Wendy comments the importance of considering the costs related to retention, turnover and recruitment, that bucket may provide additional fund that could be leveraged to improve the mix of benefit options being made available to your employees. She notes benefits are definitely a differentiator related to those metrics.

The Importance of Employee Surveys

It's important to include sections related to benefit offerings in your employee surveys. It affords the workforce a chance to provide input and share perspectives about what they find valuable and what they don't. That process can foster a sense of ownership. The positive effect is multiplied when they see the organization implementing changes, based on that feedback.

How Transparent Should Management Be Regarding the Available Benefits?

Wendy views transparency as "your best friend." It's a competitive marketplace and employees often have options. The grass may seem greener elsewhere, if the organization is not promoting the condition of the grass on its side of the fence.

Take the time to conduct in-depth benefit reviews to education and help employees to optimize their selection/use of the available benefits. Wendy has evidence to show that even a poor benefits plan, when properly communicated, can be viewed as a strong plan by the employees. At the same time, a great program that's not properly communicated won't perform as well.

Jamie recommends sharing benchmark information. Sharing information can help to build trust throughout the organization. Wendy notes that from an internal perspective, employers should also benchmark their plans to proactively identify deficiencies, as well as advantages, when compared to their respective industry sectors and geographic regions. This data should be available from your benefits broker.

Jason points out that companies can allocate specific time for companywide presentations, including company financials. This is an opportunity to highlight the various elements of the benefit program and to be candid about certain cost constraints.

Is There a Difference to Pre-Employment vs. Active Employment Benefit Needs?

Wendy approaches this question by sharing how the traditional benefits program is being forced to evolve. Employees are looking for more of a cafeteria-style program. She connects that trend to back to the multi-generational nature of the workforce. Options are important.

Lifestyle Savings Accounts (LSAs) are increasingly popular. Employers set aside specific funds that can the employee can be applied to certain services. Life coaching, pet insurance, funeral expenses, home office furniture, gym memberships are innovative benefit options. The success of these types of options relies on effective communication about the available services and how they can help.

Wendy notes there are vendors who can assist in putting these options together, similar to HSA or FHA programs. Remember, the LSA would utilize post-tax dollars, as opposed to pre-tax dollars. Another advantage is LSAs give the employees a sense of control or ownership in their benefits.

Financial education services are popular options for employees. Financial stress is a productivity sink for many employees. They spend time at work trying to deal with personal, financial issues. The stress can be a major distraction leading to health issues. Providing a financial counseling or service option can be a valuable benefit.

Available Resources for Companies that Don't Have Benefit Teams

Wendy explains small employers have a variety of options to address this challenge. Most brokers have groups dedicated to supporting smaller organizations. The needs are often different, so providing experienced resources can help to guide those clients through these challenges.

Consider reaching out to community resources, such as Chamber programs. Many chambers have access to group plans enabling smaller organizations to leverage their membership plans.

Benefit services and analysis should be available, assuming you're working with the right team.

Molley emphasizes the importance of engaging your broker to help manage the offerings, rather than trying to do it independently. A program with a good mix of options is a workforce retention tool.

Healthcare Benefits are Complicated

Wendy shares that even after 30 years in the industry, when she receives an EOB, it's still stressful. Now, imagine how an employ probably feels when they receive one. How confusing can the information be for them?

This is another area in which education is important. Knowing whom you should contact with questions is important. Is it your carrier or your broker? You need to be able to reach out for assistance.

Remember there are many vendors available to assist with the education, benefit selection tools, enrollment, and census reviews to guide you. All of this can help the employer to select the best possible plans for their organizations. It's much better than the alternative of throwing a dart at the wall, during open enrollment. Having an advisor to guide you through the options and tools is a vital resource. Organizations need to understand the true costs, the value and determine if those plans align with the organizational culture.

Communicating the Value of the Benefits

Jamie adds that even if you've but together a strong benefits program, you still need to communicate the value of what it provides. Internal marketing is a component of a successful program. She recommends utilizing the total rewards statements as an effective tool for accomplishing this objective.

These statements are an example of showing the employee the cost of what the organization is providing in terms of benefits. It can help the employee better understand the broader, compensation picture, beyond simply their wages or salary. Many HR systems provide this capability already.

Molley explained how Wendy mentioned, in preparing for this discussion, that there's a $500 billion loss incurred due to absenteeism, turnover, lost productivity, vacancies, etc. Employers and employees need a way of better understanding the shared impact of these issues.

Should You be Apprehensive about Including Benefits Information in Marketing Materials?

Jason asks Wendy what she would recommend companies do in there outreach efforts. The answer is simple. Why should an organization be hesitant about communicating with their employees? Employees leave for a variety of reasons. They have options. The cost of employee turnover is real and quantifiable.

Wendy goes on to explain that every story about your company is going to be told. The question is whether the leadership, including HR and Marketing, will contribute to what's being told. This comes back to an organization's efforts related to establishing and maintaining that triangle of trust discussed during her 2024 KY SHRM interview.

If your company is apprehensive, are the benefits worth bragging about, in the first place? If not, there's work to be done. You can begin this by going back to the benchmarking discussed earlier.

Ultimately, if there's no enough funding to increase the benefit packages, consider other ways to accomplish the goal. Jaime suggests reviewing how the time off of work policy could become more flexible. Is there an opportunity to market (internally and externally) the work environment and culture of your organization?

Wendy suggests there are strategic ways to increase the perceived value. For instance, many banks would enjoy the opportunity to educate your employees on various financial topics. This might provide the bank with an opportunity to gain new clients, as a result. This could be an extremely low-cost, high-impact benefit option.

Developing programs related to preventative care is a way to add value, while possibly avoiding more substantial costs, should a disease be detected much later in its progression. Many employees may not have a primary care physician, so are their providers in your area who would be willing to work with your organization. Again, this can be a win-win situation. Wendy notes that 80% of our healthcare spend is related to care based on lifestyle decisions. Many of these decisions result in chronic, medical conditions. Some of which, may have been reduced with better preventative care. It begins with education. Preventative care education can be a low-cost addition to your benefits program.

To Contact Wendy Hall:

Website: https://www.USI.com

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (502) 777-0833

That's where we'll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We'd love to hear from you.

Did You Enjoy Today's Conversation?

Visit www.WorkforceTherapyFiles.com to listen to additional WTF files or to let us know you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming file.

Need Help Supporting Your Company's Recruiting and Staffing Goals?

We're here to help. You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions:

· Jamie Swaim, SPHR – www.ParcelKnows.com

· Molley Ricketts – www.IncipioWorks.com

· Jason Heflin – www.CrowdSouth.com

We hope you found this file insightful and helpful. Thank you for listening!

File 18: In today's file, Molley and Jamie address the topic that is extremely relevant, now that the presidential inauguration has taken place and the new administration begins implementing its policies. It's a good time to discuss how organizations navigate uncertainty. Whenever there's a transition in the White House, how work works, changes. Let's look at some helpful tips to help you lead your organization through this period of change.

We've Been Here Before

Jamie and Molley note that over their careers in HR, the fact of the matter is that we've all been here before. Every 4-8 years, there's a new administration. There are themes and new policies they want to implement.

Jamie's 2nd favorite podcast is Fixable. The hosts look at business challenges and then provide a formula for solving one or more of those challenges. One of the tools they stress can be paraphrased as follows. Whenever trust is desired, you should look for 3 things:

1. Are you being authentic?

2. Are you being empathetic?

3. Are you basing your decisions on rigorous logic?

Even if you and the other person(s) disagree, at least you have a foundation for a healthy conversation, based on facts rather than opinions.

Applying this Concept in Times of Uncertainty

Jamie uses these 3 questions in urging her team to look at their communications and their plans to confirm whether all 3 of the above questions have been positively answered. It's way to check yourself.

Molley comments that when a significant transition occurs, such as a company has been acquired, this will definitely involve navigating through uncertainty. Turning toward 2025, we are dealing with a transition, it's just seemly bigger.

By asking the 3 questions, above, you may be able to ask yourself which one you're not feeling as comfortable with, internally.

Molley reminds us that we have to be strong enough to remove self, to allow for a diversity of thinking. We need to be able to consider other points of view, with facts, to arrive at the right plan for all involved.

What Will 2025 Bring?

One of the top factors in the uncertainty is the issue what will be the impact of the uncertainty on the workforce? Driving change in a workforce made up of now 6 generations in the workplace is becoming a reality.

Leaders are going to have to be proactive in their strategies, their communications and their interactions because of the uncertainty. They are going to have to prepare to manage the ripple effect.

The importance of strategic planning is heightened especially in periods of uncertainty. You must maintain a laser-focus on what's important. Events are going to try to distract us from our goals, personally and organizationally, as the environment shifts.

Translating Strategic Planning Goals

Having goals is only the beginning. Assigning responsibility to an individual, team or department is vital. Molley asks how many of us listed "Pandemic" in our SWOT analysis prior to the past few years?

Molley explains how each goal represents a different success story for her company's strategic plan, depending upon where you are in the organization. It's important that everyone have at least a small piece of responsibility or owner ship in those overall goals, to be successful as a company.

Moving beyond the political, when it comes to our communities in general, the lack of commitment needs to be brought into the light. Society tends to believe it's okay to flip-flop multiple times. Does this current zeitgeist work against the 3 questions listed above? In many ways, it certainly does. So, how can we do better in 2025?

Uncertainty and Change Has an Impact

Mental health is a key area that can be negatively impacted during times of uncertainty and change. It's going to be a challenge finding that sense of balance in the upcoming months. Molley recommends finding a way to unplug. Unfortunately, there's often an accompanying sense of guilt leading up to those few days off. She comments how it's so critically important to "disconnect, so we can reconnect."

This is similar to one of the topics from the previous file, slowing down to speed up. We need to find a way to quit being reactive. Because we don't know what's coming, we constantly live in a period of uncertainty. How one approaches this fact will have an impact on how businesses lead their respective workforces.

Immigration is one of the drivers of uncertainty, across the country. There will be discussions about how to properly classify workers. What will be the Department of Labor's view of how contractors and other workers are classified?

Given the labor shortage, some states are considering a reevaluation of the child labor requirements.

Jamie recommends tasking someone in the organization with the responsibility of monitoring the various government websites. There are many opinions, but TikTok isn't the most reliable source of information. The Department of Labor website is where you'll find many of the updates. Your State Department of Labor website is another (here's Kentucky's). If you have questions, you may have access to an employment attorney, or you could contact Parcel, for to speak with an HR professional.

The Department of Labor also posts important labor statistics, which was discussed in File 6, last year. The WTF team provided useful tips about how to read and understand some of those statistics.

Molley brings up the concept that we also need to consider the ways people are going to come to us. Some employees may need the option of a work from home arrangement, for at least part of the week, to address family issues. How can a workable solution be crafted?

Jamie suggests the value of staying educated using resources, such as the CDC's website. You may have different rules in different state's that require a constant monitoring for compliance. Be sure to check-in with your local teams to make sure the plans that have been implemented are actually working at those locations. Are they properly executed? Are they adequately supported? Discipline yourself to return to those initial 3 questions to make sure you're showing up from a position of trust.

You can navigate uncertainty, with certainty, is by ensuring we are listening. Is it working? Accept that you can't possibly know everything. A key lesson from the pandemic is that we had to learn to be adaptable. Everything kept changing. Stay flexible.

Communication Is the Key

By keeping open the lines of communication, and realizing it's okay to say, "I don't know," we'll be able to forge trust in uncertain times. Confront the issues head-on, be candid and resist the temptation to close off the world by staying in your office.

Consider asking how the other person might suggest we approach the problem at hand. Foster good communication. It also leads to buy-in of the solution. Keep the dialog and the information flow going.

To Summarize:

· - Utilize the 3-Question Tool (authenticity, empathy, and rigorous logic)

· - Are You Doing Strategic Planning?

· - Balance Employee Needs and Business Needs

· - Use Trusted Resources (e.g. Government Websites) to Anticipate Upcoming Challenges

· - Maintain Healthy Communication Patters, Even When You Don't Have the Answers

That's where we'll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We'd love to hear from you.

Did You Enjoy Today's Conversation?

Visit www.WorkforceTherapyFiles.com to listen to additional WTF files or to let us know you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming file.

Need Help Supporting Your Company's Recruiting and Staffing Goals?

We're here to help. You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions:

· Jamie Swaim, SPHR – www.ParcelKnows.com

· Molley Ricketts – www.IncipioWorks.com

· Jason Heflin – www.CrowdSouth.com

We hope you found this file insightful and helpful. Thank you for listening!

File 17: In today's file, we begin Season 2 of the podcast. Today, the team welcomes Tiffany Nugent, an HR practitioner for over 20 years. The discussion is going to focus on leadership and wellness. They'll explore the challenge of creating a wellness-focused organization.

Meet Tiffany Nugent

Tiffany has experience in a broad range of industry sectors, including retail, manufacturing, fulfillment, healthcare and healthcare technology. She led a healthcare organization through a rapid-growth phase, then through the COVID pandemic. Afterwards, she transitioned into healthcare technology. That organization was experiencing double-digit growth before closing down. Currently, Tiffany is working in the virtual, mental health space.

Interestingly, Tiffany is also the owner of the Louisville Salt Cave and Salt Wellness. They partner with organizations interested in bringing wellness into the workplace.

Molley comments on how so many leaders neglect wellness within their respective organizations. She blames this on the previous 4-years, post pandemic, and that we haven't shifted back.

Jamie notes that often leadership underestimates their impact on the wellness of others. It's not simply something quick, such as direct feedback. It may take someone time to digest the feedback before deciding to act. It could take years. She advises leaders to be mindful of creating a spark that could eventually grow into forest fire.

Being Intentional about Organizational Wellness

Jamie remarks on Tiffany's focus on how organizations support wellness, especially when resilience, adaptability and culture belong at the forefront.

Tiffany describes a scenario from the pandemic. It heightened her awareness of how an organization has a responsibility to support its leaders, so they in turn can support their employees. HR is typically under-resourced because it's not viewed as revenue-producing. Alternatively, leadership expects HR to lead culture and wellness. In response, Tiffany views the opportunity exists for HR to equip leadership with tools to lead wellness and to create a healthy workforce. The HR staff and C-suite can't be everywhere, so by equipping other leaders in the organization, the feedback, needs and recommendations can be more quickly communicated. They are the frontline.

During the pandemic, Tiffany was approached by many leaders asking for direction and/or advice in dealing with the situations such as the death of family members. Her primary response, was to approach the situation as a human, first. There are many things that need to get done, but we're dealing with real people experiencing real situations that could impact their ability to remain focused and engaged.

Providing psychological safety in the workplace, providing space and understanding all mesh to help employees realize the company cares about them. This is how the organization ultimately benefits.

Tiffany explains that sometimes, feedback isn't necessarily required in the moment. It may be time to pause and to consider what's going on in the person's life. Could external issues be impacting how that employee is showing up? If you can meet them where they are and think through it, the opportunity for feedback will present itself. At the same time, that feedback might not take years to resonate within that individual (or ignite that forest fire Jamie mentioned).

What Does Wellness Really Mean?

Molly comments that leaders need to be told what "wellness" means. It's not about the cafeteria, the gym or the air hockey table. The key for leaders is to take the whole person into consideration.

Mid-level managers and down are need you to be mindful of leading your people. It's typically a mix of ages, generational experience and demographics. Molley points out that the wellbeing of the human in these group is "all of their environment." It's requires a holistic view.

Jamie adds that there are small nuggets to consider relative to wellness in the workplace. She recommends assuming the individual wanted a situation to work out well. It's easier to have a dialog from this starting point, rather than just hammering them.

Good Feedback Loops Create Healthy Environments

Tiffany points out that people need to feel a sense of psychological safety in order to want to speak up. If that's absent, it's a marker of an unhealthy work environment.

That trend toward superficial wellness (i.e. the air hockey table in the breakroom) only served to mask existing problems.

When people feel comfortable enough to raise their hands and voice issues that are problematic, there's a good sign you have a healthy workplace. Especially if surveys indicate people plan on remaining with the company, but they want to make it even better.

A manager who feels the need to give feedback regardless of the size of the issue, is just feedback for the sake of feedback. Consider how your immediate, albeit well-intentioned, desire to provide feedback may lack an assumption of positive intent. You need to slow down and consider the impact of your feedback, overall.

Molley explains how Incipio favors employee surveys. Helping leaders to understand and analyze the results of the feedback is critical. The pure fact that only a small percentage of the surveys were completed and returned is not a good sign, regardless of what the answers are. It may be a case of the non-respondents assuming their feedback won't make a difference anyway. Worse yet, maybe they simply don't care because they've disengaged with the mottos posted on the walls of the office or plant. This place is only a stepping stone in their future careers.

So NOW You Want My Opinion?

Why to employers usually only focus on feedback during the annual survey and the exit interview? If you're waiting until the exit interview, it's already too late.

Leaders should generally have to care about the survey results. Jamie advises that if you're not going to do something based on feedback to a particular question, don't ask it. Tiffany points out that that non-action degrades the trust in the organization.

Consistency and Cadence

Tiffany recommends maintaining a consistency of the questions along with the frequency of the employee feedback surveys. If the questions keep changing, there's no way to measure the trend or progress toward a better solution set. Once you've defined a way to address specific issues, it's important to communicate the changes the company is implementing to address the issues. At the same time, be transparent about what you are unable to address in the short-term and why.

This also shows up in benefit surveys. Even after the feedback was provided, there's a good chance the benefits won't change or may even get worse. One approach Tiffany uses is to assemble the benefit survey results and determine which benefits add the least value. Get rid of it and redirect the expenditure toward benefits people actually want. Is there an opportunity to implement a type of total rewards package that would be more beneficial to a generationally-diverse workforce?

Initiatives are Good, Right?

Jamie comments that companies often hear about ideas that are implemented as initiatives. The unfortunate part is they forget the "…so that…" aspect when justifying the initiative.

Focusing on Wellbeing without Sacrificing Productivity

Tiffany has a worked the past couple of years in a remote workforce environment. This topic is particularly important to remote-first or hybrid workforce organizations. Fundamentally, without a focus on wellbeing, you won't get the productivity you're expecting. You'll experience high absentee rates and higher rates of leaves of absence. It's often a reflection of the employees' mental wellbeing.

Leaders should look at their workforce as human beings first. Assume positive intent and ask how the company could better support and help. Tiffany recounts an engagement in which the executive team did a listening tour to try to figure out why the leaders were becoming less cohesive as group. They were all feeling over-stretched and it was beginning to show in the way in which they interacted.

Once the feedback was assembled, Tiffany noted that the feedback focused on symptoms. She challenged the executive team to consider the demands being placed on the other leaders. Did they have the right tools to handle the responsibilities? She encouraged the team to dig deeper to uncover the root causes, not just the symptoms. Sprints involving extra effort hours or higher-levels of stress may be possible, but extending that expectation over the long-term leads to burnout and worse. Jamie comments, "You can't pour from an empty cup."

Leaders should take time to understand the weight of the words they carry and the shadow they cast on the organization. Even though they may be well-intentioned and want to help, sometimes simply being there is scary or otherwise disruptive. Be self-aware and remember we're all humans trying to work together.

How Do We Strike that Balance?

Molley asks about practical ways to accomplish wellness goals for the organization and organizational performance. The topic of the 9-box tool surfaces. Tiffany often works with start-ups and rapid-growth organizations. The typical 9-box approach doesn't really work for these types of organizations, in her opinion. The place to begin is with training your leaders on how to be good people-leaders. It's not uncommon for high-performers to get thrown into leadership roles without the proper tools and training for that role.

The better approach is to consider how the organization sets its leaders up for success. Are there minimum expectations for being a good leader? Do we communicate what we see as their competencies? Unfortunately, the answer is often no. However, by taking this alternative approach we are prioritizing wellness in the workplace.

In a recent executive leadership engagement, Tiffany held an impactful exercise. They reflected on what they've done, what could be learned from it, what should be continued, what should they stop doing, and ultimately take those lessons into planning for the next year or quarter. This should be done on a consistent frequency. It's about investing in yourselves, regardless of how busy it may be.

At Salt Wellness, Tiffany provides a space for people to get away from the chaos of work and find a place to connect with each other. They do corporate events and leadership training there. It's a place for organizations to do teambuilding exercises and related programs.

For more information:

Website: www.SaltWellnessKY.com

In closing, Molley comments that 2025 is the year people need to make the change. It's time to focus on slowing down to speed up. It's time to move beyond the Band-Aids. It's time to pay more attention to the wellbeing of the organization and its workforce. Tiffany observes that we're already experiencing high turnover rates. People are simply burned-out. Organizations must intentionally slow down, identify the root causes and fundamentally fix the foundation that's negatively impacting our workforce. Unless we do, we're going to continue to see organizations limit their potential, experience decline and some ultimately won't make it.

We'd like to thank Tiffany Nugent for joining us on the Workforce Therapy Files podcast.

That's where we'll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We'd love to hear from you.

We hope you found this file insightful and helpful. Thank you for listening!

Did You Enjoy Today's Conversation?

Visit www.WorkforceTherapyFiles.com to listen to additional WTF files or to let us know you'd like to be a guest on an upcoming file.

Need Help Supporting Your Company's Recruiting and Staffing Goals?

We're here to help. You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions:

· Jamie Swaim, SPHR – www.ParcelKnows.com

· Molley Ricketts – www.IncipioWorks.com

· Jason Heflin – www.CrowdSouth.com

The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2024 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth.

In this segment, we interview Daro Mott, a Multisector Leader with a wide-ranging background in process improvement and strategic consulting. He currently serves as the Head of Strategic Projects and Process Improvement for Farm Credit Mid-America. He co-presented, at the 2024 KY SHRM, on the topic of Demystifying Project Management for the HR Professional.

To learn more, visit:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daro-mott-pmp-958a9a4

Daro, thanks for stopping by to speak with us!

That's where we'll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We'd love to hear from you.

Need Help Supporting Your Company's Recruiting and Staffing Goals?

We're here to help. You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions:

· Jamie Swaim, SPHR – www.ParcelKnows.com

· Molley Ricketts – www.IncipioWorks.com

· Jason Heflin – www.CrowdSouth.com

We hope you found this file insightful and helpful. Thank you for listening!

The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2024 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth.

In this segment, we interview Natalie Middaugh, President and CEO of Kentuckiana Health Collaborative. They area a non-profit coalition of employers and other healthcare stakeholders. The organization has been around for 24 years. They focus on improving communities through high-quality, affordable and equitable healthcare. They assist employers to design healthcare benefit programs by collaborating with providers, plans and government programs.

To learn more, visit:

Website: https://khcollaborative.org/

Phone: (502) 238-3603

Natalie, thanks for stopping by to speak with us!

That's where we'll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We'd love to hear from you.

Need Help Supporting Your Company's Recruiting and Staffing Goals?

We're here to help. You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions:

· Jamie Swaim, SPHR – www.ParcelKnows.com

· Molley Ricketts – www.IncipioWorks.com

· Jason Heflin – www.CrowdSouth.com

We hope you found this file insightful and helpful. Thank you for listening!

The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2024 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth.

In this segment, we interview Ben Vallat, investor and CEO of GoJob. They provide end-to-end solutions leveraging AI to source, match and screen job candidates for companies. Their ideal client is a large warehouse facility or factory requiring hundreds or thousands of workers. The GoJob platform automates many of the low-value tasks HR staff and recruiters have to handle, enabling them to spend more time interviewing and interacting with candidates.

To learn more, visit:

Website: https://gojob.com/media/gojob-us-opening-offices

Ben, thanks for stopping by to speak with us!

That's where we'll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We'd love to hear from you.

Need Help Supporting Your Company's Recruiting and Staffing Goals?

We're here to help. You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions:

· Jamie Swaim, SPHR – www.ParcelKnows.com

· Molley Ricketts – www.IncipioWorks.com

· Jason Heflin – www.CrowdSouth.com

We hope you found this file insightful and helpful. Thank you for listening!

The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2024 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth.

In this segment, we interview Angela McCorkle Buckler, People Person at Parcel, LLC. Angela and Jamie presented at the conference on the topic of "Separating with Dignity." They explained ways to terminate employees, but in a compassionate, thoughtful and mindful manor.

To learn more, visit:

Website: http://www.parcelknows.com/

Phone: (502) 554-3071

Angie, thanks for stopping by to speak with us!

That's where we'll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We'd love to hear from you.

Need Help Supporting Your Company's Recruiting and Staffing Goals?

We're here to help. You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions:

· Jamie Swaim, SPHR – www.ParcelKnows.com

· Molley Ricketts – www.IncipioWorks.com

· Jason Heflin – www.CrowdSouth.com

We hope you found this file insightful and helpful. Thank you for listening!

The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2024 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth.

In this segment, we interview David Irwin, President of gThankYou LLC. They produce and sell gift certificates employers can give to employees for a variety of reasons, including holiday celebrations. The gift card works like a coupon for items such as a turkey, ham, full bag of groceries, etc. It's an innovative approach offering control and flexibility for employers who want to reward their employees. Most importantly, it's a way to say "thank you" to your team.

To learn more, visit:

Website: https://www.gthankyou.com/

Phone: 888-484-1658

David, thanks for stopping by to speak with us!

That's where we'll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We'd love to hear from you.

Need Help Supporting Your Company's Recruiting and Staffing Goals?

We're here to help. You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions:

· Jamie Swaim, SPHR – www.ParcelKnows.com

· Molley Ricketts – www.IncipioWorks.com

· Jason Heflin – www.CrowdSouth.com

We hope you found this file insightful and helpful. Thank you for listening!

The Workforce Therapy Files team attended the 2024 Kentucky SHRM Conference, in Louisville. We took the opportunity to interview over 20 professionals who stopped by our booth.

In this segment, we interview Wendy Hall, Employee Benefits Advisor for USI Insurance Services. She helps mid-market organizations discover ways to contain costs and innovative ways to provide employee benefits. We discuss how what employees want from employee benefits and how that's evolved over the years. Wendy assists organizations to identify and offer the types of benefits that truly add value for the employee. It's key component of employee recruitment and retention.

To learn more, visit:

Website: https://www.usi.com/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (502) 777-0833

Wendy, thanks for stopping by to speak with us!

That's where we'll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We'd love to hear from you.

Need Help Supporting Your Company's Recruiting and Staffing Goals?

We're here to help. You can contact us via our individual websites, depending on your specific needs or questions:

· Jamie Swaim, SPHR – www.ParcelKnows.com

· Molley Ricketts – www.IncipioWorks.com

· Jason Heflin – www.CrowdSouth.com

We hope you found this file insightful and helpful. Thank you for listening!