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Upskilling and reskilling employees are constant requirements in today's rapidly changing workforce environment.
This article was first published on September 7, 2023, by HR Daily Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders.
Reskilling and upskilling are terms that refer to workforce development and employee training efforts designed to ensure employees are capable and competent to achieve job objectives. While similar, the two terms are different.
Difference Between Reskilling and Upskilling
Reskilling is the process of training employees in new skills that are entirely different from the skills they’re currently using.
Upskilling is the process of improving or expanding existing skills.
Both involve training and development activities designed to enhance proficiencies and productivity.
The Benefits of Reskilling
While upskilling helps employees develop higher-level competencies that may allow them to move into more responsible roles, reskilling teaches them new skills they need—in some cases, because their current job is being eliminated or replaced by technology.
Reskilling ensures employee adaptability and helps future-proof the organization. It also aids in retention. After all, even if employees’ skills have become outdated for their current role, their knowledge and experience with the company are still valuable. It’s costly to recruit and retain new employees, but if existing employees can be reskilled to meet company needs, that’s a win-win for both the company and the employees.
Best Practices
The best practices for reskilling employees are the same as for upskilling. Both involve:
Aligning training and development activities with organizational goals and strategic objectives;
Continually assessing individual employee needs—in this case, gaps between current competencies and required competencies to remain effective and productive in their jobs;
Providing diverse learning opportunities;
Setting clear goals; and
Rewarding and recognizing achievements.
Because reskilling has a somewhat more negative connotation than upskilling, it’s also important to provide ongoing communication and support to employees whose current skills don’t meet organizational needs. It’s important to ensure they understand that the company wishes to keep them on board, values their contributions, and is committed to providing them with the knowledge, skills, and aptitudes to help them succeed in the organization.
The good news for employers is that employees are increasingly interested in reskilling to remain competitive in a constantly changing job environment. In fact, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 68% of workers say they’re willing to retrain in any situation—28% are willing to retrain if necessary.
Upskilling and reskilling are constant requirements in today’s rapidly changing environment. What steps are you taking to ensure employees are committed to strengthening or gaining the skills needed to help your organization succeed?
GenZ employees have a unique perspective on work and the role it plays in their lives.
This article was first published on September 8, 2023, by HR Daily Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders.
In an article for Forbes, senior contributor Jack Kelly ask: “Can 5 Generations Coexist In The Workplace?” In 2023, most workplace settings are comprised of members representing The Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, GenX, GenY, and GenZ.
Gen Z, the newest entrant to the world of work, is proving to offer some new challenges for organizations, their HR leaders, managers, and supervisors. Offer referred to as “digital natives,” GenZ employees have a unique perspective on work and the role it plays in their lives—a perspective that has been impacted by pandemic-era experiences.
So what motivates this generation generally reported to have been born from 1997 and beyond?
Understanding Gen Z Motivations
Members of GenZ have grown up in a world dominated by technology. In fact, unlike their older colleagues, they’ve never been without the internet. Their unique experiences have shaped their perspectives and world view, making them distinct from previous generations.
For Gen Z, work isn’t just about the paycheck—it’s about purpose. They’re drawn to companies with a clear missions and values that resonate with their own.
Flexibility is another key demand of this generation. The traditional 9-to-5 doesn’t appeal to them as much as flexible hours that allow for optimum work/life balance. Their digital-first nature means they expect modern tech tools to be available at their fingertips. And, with a thirst for knowledge, they value opportunities for continuous learning and growth.
Challenges and Opportunities
Culture is paramount for Gen Z as they consider which employers they want to work for. They thrive in environments that champion diversity and inclusivity. Collaboration is their modus operandi, and they appreciate regular feedback. They’re also acutely aware of the importance of mental wellbeing, valuing employers that place a priority on employee health and wellness.
While misconceptions about Gen Z abound, and they’re often labeled as having short attention spans or being entitled, they are adaptable, quick learners who can drive innovation.
By taking steps to understand the motivations of this newest workforce cohort, organizations can foster a climate where they can adapt and thrive.
After all, a motivated contingent of GenZ staffers isn’t just good for culture—it’s good for business.
Employees across all departments, and all skill levels, need to be continually upskilled to ensure they’re optimally prepared to be efficient, productive, and effective.
This article was first published on September 6, 2023, by HR Daily Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders.
Upskilling is the process of teaching or training employees to enhance their existing skills. The goal is to ensure they’re kept up to date with the latest industry trends, technologies, and processes to ensure their productivity, efficiency, and overall performance.
Upskilling Matters for Organizations
For instance, in the HR profession, laws, and regulations are continually changing, meaning employees need to be continually upskilled to ensure they understand the regulatory requirements and risks they need to be aware of to perform their jobs effectively—and protect company interests.
But upskilling isn’t important only in the HR realm. Employees across all departments, and all skill levels, need to be continually upskilled to ensure they’re optimally prepared to be efficient, productive, and effective.
Upskilling Matters for Employees, Too
Organizations obviously benefit from upskilling, but so do employees! Employees benefit from the ability to adapt to new technological advancements, new methods of doing their jobs, and new skills to ensure competencies to serve them today and into the future, making them employable—and promotable.
Best Practices
To ensure your upskilling efforts are effective and deliver the desired results, it’s important to:
Align upskilling efforts with organizational goals and strategic objectives. Employees need to be prepared to meet organizational needs today and into the future.
Continually assess individual employee needs through assessment or surveys to help identify skills gaps and areas of opportunity for upskilling. This ensures your training efforts will meet both employee and organizational needs.
Provide diverse learning opportunities. Employees have different learning preferences, making it important to provide a variety of learning opportunities, methods, and channels to meet their diverse needs.
Set clear goals. Upskilling without a desired endpoint may result in wasted resources—time and money. Start with a clear understanding of the objective and measurable goals you wish to achieve.
Reward and recognize achievements. Take time to step back and celebrate individual and team accomplishments and milestones to reinforce the importance of continuous learning.
Regardless of the role they’re in, all employees need to be provided with upskilling to ensure they stay up to date with the knowledge, skills, and aptitudes to fulfill their job responsibilities. Upskilling is an important way to ensure this happens.
'It's important to be flexible where possible, make decisions with empathy (but not emotions), and focus on employee experience instead of rule compliance.'
This article was first published on September 7, 2023, by HR Daily Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders, and has been adapted for HealthLeaders.
Human resources (HR) leaders in healthcare can learn and take valuable information from HR leaders in other sectors. In this article, read how one leader is championing culture and mployee experience for their organization.
Meet Shannon Duvall, Sr. Director of People and Culture at CallTrackingMetrics (CTM), a global conversation analytics company. Duvall brings more than 15 years of experience managing and scaling HR operations to her role where she develops the long-term strategic vision of CTM’s culture and employee experience. Additionally, since she joined the company, CTM has consecutively been named to Inc.’s Best Places to Work, as well as Best Place to Work by Baltimore Business Journal.
Shannon Duvall
We recently connected with Duvall to discuss how she got his start in the industry, her biggest influences, and best mistake. The lesson? Follow the rules but be flexible.
“My best mistake was following the rules exactly,” Duvall shared with HR Daily Advisor. “It sounds crazy, but during the early part of my career, I was taught that there are sets of rules that HR needs to follow precisely. It was an old-school, rigid method of thinking that no longer aligned with the cultural expectations of new hires. It’s important to be flexible where possible, make decisions with empathy (but not emotions) and focus on employee experience instead of rule compliance.”
In our latest Faces, meet Shannon Duvall.
How did you get your start in the field?
My first job out of college was working as a receptionist/executive assistant for a rapidly growing company, and I happened to report to the HR Manager. I would assist with various HR projects and began to get interested in the field. I applied for an HR Generalist role when it opened and was selected, and my HR life officially began.
Who is/was your biggest influence in the industry?
My biggest influence in the industry has been a Chief People officer I began reporting to about eight years into my career. This CPO had never worked in HR before — her background was compliance and business development. She pushed me to think with an outside-of-HR perspective, which helped propel my forward thinking and encouraged me to view situations through a different lens than what was expected in the space. She challenged me to align more with the operations side of the business and showed me how to think about supporting the organization in strategy development instead of just HR-related items.
What’s your favorite part about working in the industry? What’s your least favorite part, and how would you change it?
My favorite part of working in HR is the people aspect. While it might sound cliché, helping individuals navigate their professional journeys and watching them grow is incredibly fulfilling. Witnessing a recent graduate evolve into a skilled professional through our comprehensive career path program is truly rewarding. Having the opportunity to provide practical assistance during challenging personal times, such as helping an employee find suitable care for an ill loved one, brings immense satisfaction. Each day, I strive to foster an environment where employees feel supported and empowered, pushing them to consider their true happiness and potential both professionally and personally.
But of course, there are moments that are less enjoyable. One aspect that can be tough is handling situations like layoffs. While I understand that rightsizing is often a necessary part of doing business, it’s still a difficult task. Additionally, although I engage with employees regularly, some interactions are more transactional, like addressing benefit queries. I wish I had more time to conduct insightful focus groups and gather actionable feedback, fostering a deeper connection with the workforce.
It sounds like through your experience you really care about people, and you want to help them feel safe and comfortable, which is important in the industry. Please elaborate here.
I’m genuinely passionate about people’s well-being and creating an environment where everyone feels at ease, and it’s humbling to work at an organization that has those same values. At CallTrackingMetrics, communication is a cornerstone, and we go the extra mile to ensure it’s a two-way street. We don’t add titles on our name tags or plates because a title shouldn’t change how you interact with someone. Whether you’re chatting with the company president or an entre-level new hire, it should feel equally comfortable.
Little things like having a literal open-door policy, or even the fun stuff like riding around on scooters – it all contributes to a sense of openness. And for new employees, we make sure they’re not just handed a rulebook, but rather, we have conversations about how they’ve experienced workplaces before, what they believe in and if they trust that we’ll keep our promises.
How can HR most effectively demonstrate its value to the leadership team?
HR can prove its value by supporting the leadership team. Coach leadership team members on difficult conversations, support them by being flexible where you can be, keep them informed on what you are hearing from employees and develop a foundation of great benefits, processes and candidates that is easy for them to build a culture on top of. These actions all help them be their best selves and great leaders to their teams.
Where do you see the industry heading in five years? Or are you seeing any current trends?
Over the next five years, it’s going to be quite a journey for our industry. We’ve been hearing a lot about AI, and it’ll be fascinating to see how it fits in at CallTrackingMetrics, especially since we’re already using AI in our software to help our customers. One area I’m curious about is how generative AI will play out in the HR space. HR is all about that personal touch, and I hope we don’t lose that. Imagine having a question and being directed to some chatbot – that’s not the same as talking to a real person, right?
However, AI could take care of a lot of the behind-the-scenes HR stuff, like sorting out benefits and payroll, that could free up our team to focus more on the people part of the job. However, there are also federal rules and regulations that could be real roadblocks to full automation. The big question is, will these rules catch up with all the cool tech we have?
What are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the initiative I took in 2020 while still being relatively new to CallTrackingMetrics. At that point, our company consisted of just 50 people, and we were still in startup mode. During that time of significant external challenges and shifting priorities, we mirrored successful strategies from industry leaders like Salesforce and Google through thorough research and collaboration with our talent manager. Our initiatives included a volunteer time off program, donation matching and a flexible floating holiday to honor individual celebrations. We also launched a comprehensive diversity and inclusion survey to foster a more inclusive culture. These efforts not only fortified our company values but also resonated strongly with new recruits who value such a forward-thinking environment.
Do you have any advice for people entering the profession?
First and foremost, maintaining emotional resilience is vital. Remember, everyone’s perspective is their reality, so it’s crucial not to take things personally. Flexibility is key, even within the confines of established rules. Approach people with empathy, especially during challenging times; it’s a fundamental aspect of the role, even if recognition isn’t always forthcoming.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions and challenge norms — all in a respectful manner, of course. Understanding the reasons behind actions can be just as important as the actions themselves. Beyond the contents of the HR manual, gain a holistic understanding of how the company functions – how its different parts interact, collaborate, and contribute to the entirety of the organization.
When it comes to integrating Gen Z into the workforce, be prepared to adapt. They bring their own unique perspective, and harmonizing with it is key. Blend empathy, curiosity, and strategic thinking to create a workplace environment that resonates with everyone.
'It's not just about fixing individual challenges faced by specific groups, but about addressing the overall ecosystem,' says one HR leader.
This article was first published on July 10, 2023, by HR Daily Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders, and has been adapted for HealthLeaders.
Human resources (HR) leaders in healthcare can learn and take valuable information from HR leaders in other sectors. Often great leaders are born of necessity. They see something wrong with the current state of affairs and decide that they should make a personal effort to change things for the better. That’s the case with the subject of this installment of our series on DEI leaders—Hallam Sargeant, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer at Avanade.
Hallam Sargeant
Sargeant started his career in his native Barbados and came to the United States specifically to study human resources (HR) after being underwhelmed by the state of that function at his previous employer. “The reason I chose HR to begin with was the organization I worked for back in Barbados,” says Sargeant. “I didn’t think we did a really good job of recognizing or maximizing the contributions of our people.”
Once he graduated and entered the field, he says he was soon exposed to a variety of areas and experiences across a wide spectrum of employees from different backgrounds with different lived experiences. This has greatly helped to inform his work and his effectiveness as a leader in this space.
He points to one particularly impactful experience that had a significant effect on him and his career trajectory.
BECOMING AN ALLY
He was facilitating a dialogue with a group of colleagues consisting mostly of men, with only one woman present. The conversation was around determining promotions and assigning new roles for existing employees. The discussion turned to a new mother who was on maternity leave at the time and what roles might work best for her upon her return.
The men in the room assumed that she would prefer a less demanding role. Sargeant, however, paused the conversation and asked if anyone had actually spoken to the new mother to understand her actual preferences. This question was met with complete silence. No one had.
He then posed another question: “How many of you have had someone make the decision to slow down your career when you became a father?” Once again, silence filled the room. This moment highlighted for Sargeant the need for him to intervene and use his voice as an ally to address biases and unfair assumptions.
Another thing about this experience also resonated with him. As the team left the room, the lone woman who was present approached him and expressed gratitude for using his voice as an ally. “She acknowledged that if she had been the one to speak up, the response may not have been the same because her input might have been dismissed,” he says.
This experience was impactful for him. It illustrated the importance of challenging biases, using one’s voice as an ally, and considering diverse perspectives when making decisions that impact individuals in the workplace. The experience led him to delve deeper into the realm of DEI in the workplace and to consider what it could really look like.
He brought his depth and variety of experiences to bear when he came to Avanade in November 2020—in the midst of the pandemic and the social unrest arising from George Floyd’s murder. For Avanade, he says, “inclusion went from a nice to have to a critical business imperative.”
STRATEGY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Brought in as the company’s first Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), one of the first things Sargeant noticed at Avanade was that, while there was DEI-related work being done, that work wasn’t specifically aligned to company strategy or KPIs.
Today, he says, metrics are used to establish direction, ensure alignment, and “hold ourselves accountable.” Metrics are reported to the board and included on the company’s ESG scorecard. In addition, each of the company’s executive leaders was tasked with creating personal DEI commitment frameworks, identifying measurable ways they would contribute to the advancement of DEI at Avanade.
Several Avanade executive team members also serve as sponsors of the company’s employee networks as Executive Committee Champions (ECCs). Their participation and leadership helps to visibly demonstrate their support as well as generate conversations and interest.
EMPLOYEE COMMITTEES OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT
Membership in employee networks has grown significantly under Sargeant’s stewardship. When he first joined Avanade, the company had four employee resource groups. Today it has 14 groups with 45 chapters globally, and 350 employees leading work being done at the global, regional, or local levels, he says. Over the past year the employee network membership jumped by 641%–one in six employees are members of an employee network.
That’s likely because of the broad reach and intersectionality these groups have. The company and its leaders have worked hard to “widen the conversations about topics that might have traditionally been considered taboo, Sargeant says. For instance, he says, “conversations around menopause and the impact that can have on women in workplace, especially when they feel they can’t acknowledge that experience.” Conversations are also occurring around various types of disabilities—including invisible disabilities.
In October 2022, Avanade held its first global inclusion and diversity awards to honor “the important work that our people deliver on top of their day job,” Sargeant said—330 nominations came in from across the globe.
It’s clear that, at Avanade, the DEI culture is real—and employees can feel that, Sargeant says. “We’re really intentional about broadening the conversation to include everyone,” he says. In addition, he says, “we’ve done a really good job of expanding the conversation beyond what would be traditionally thought of as I&D.”
Sargeant also makes the point that these groups at Avanade don’t just provide support for DEI, but also for employee development. A number of more junior-level employees have been put into leadership roles in the employee networks. “We believe that they’re giving back to the company by serving in these roles, but we’ve invested in them as well because, as part of their development, they’re getting the opportunity to lead teams,” he says. “We believe that we’ve accelerated their development by putting them in these leadership roles.”
Avanade has successfully opened up doors for inclusive opportunities for employees across its organization, recognizing the value they all bring, allowing them opportunities for input, learning, and growth. And, of course, ensuring that their efforts are aligned with business objectives and accountability.
They’re also making an effort to ensure that DEI isn’t focused on “fixing those in underrepresented groups.”
Traditionally, he says, many companies have approached DEI by trying to fix underrepresented groups—like women, racial minorities, or LGBTQ+ individuals. It’s like noticing a few dead fish in standing water and assuming it’s just a problem with those specific fish.
Imagine, Sargeant says, walking by a body of water and finding one or two dead fish. It’s concerning, but you may think it’s an isolated incident. Yet, if that same body of water is filled with dead fish, you begin to realize that there’s something fundamentally wrong with the water itself.
Sargeant applies this analogy to company culture. If an organization’s culture forces women and other underrepresented groups to assimilate or leave, then there is a systemic issue within the company. It’s not just about fixing individual challenges faced by specific groups, but about addressing the overall ecosystem.
For Sargeant and his team, the focus lies on transforming the company culture, which serves as the “water” in the analogy. They aim to identify and eliminate barriers and obstacles that hinder people from achieving their career aspirations. By doing so, they strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.
Sargeant’s story powerfully highlights the need for organizations to shift their approach from merely fixing isolated issues to fundamentally transforming their culture, fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion at every level and across all employees.
'Almost every job will have an AI tool that will allow an employee to do their job better, but that requires extensive training,' one expert says.
This article was first published on September 1, 2023, by HR Daily Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders.
There’s a lot of discussion about and concern over artificial intelligence (AI) taking jobs from human employees, and in some cases, that’s a likely scenario. Jobs in customer service, journalism, financial services, and others may be particularly at risk because of the close alignment of those job functions with AI’s abilities.
AI Impact Unclear in Some Sectors
But for many roles, the picture isn’t so clear. Many complex functions may benefit from AI as a productivity booster but still require uniquely human abilities to make use of the AI’s output. For example, an AI program may be able to analyze a complex legal issue or medical condition, but it can’t currently work with a client or patient to determine the best way to use that information.
Human-AI collaboration may represent the future of many job functions, meaning the humans in those roles have a lot of learning to do in order to effectively use their future AI partners.
Human-AI Collaboration
“Here’s the first reality check: Almost every job will have an AI tool that will allow an employee to do their job better, but that requires extensive training,” say Eric Lamarre, Alex Singla, and Suman Thareja in an article for Fortune focusing on the impact of AI on computer coding.
“Effective training starts with understanding how AI is changing the work people do. Our own experiments have shown that using generative AI tools can help reduce time spent refactoring code by 20% to 30% and generating code by 35% to 45%, but speed gains vary by task complexity and the developer’s experience. These tools perform best for relatively repetitive tasks and in providing a starting set of code that developers can work with and improve.”
Coworking
As tasks get more sophisticated, though, AI tools will evolve to serve more as co-programmers, the authors predict. Working with these new tools—generative AI or genAI, for instance—will require new skills.
These include “how to better understand the intent of end users, how to translate that intent into code and test the results with subject matter experts, and how to closely track and rapidly adjust models based on performance.” Users will need to be adept at evaluating the solutions AI tools suggest, as well as understanding which specific tools are best suited for various tasks, alone or in combination.
The example Lamarre, Singla, and Thareja present illustrates an important and complex reality about AI’s future use within organizations. While companies may be able to replace certain functions entirely with AI, other uses may require additional human resources to leverage AI’s full potential.
Change management competency is crucial for leaders.
Today’s healthcare executives operate in an environment of continual change. That makes change management competencies no longer an option but a crucial competency.
Operating Amid Constant Change
Today’s business landscape is constantly evolving. Businesses need to continually adapt to both internal and external impacts, including advances in technology, shifts in market dynamics (both customer preferences and competitive pressures), and legal and regulatory changes.
The broader the organization’s reach—in terms of attracting and retaining both workers and customers—the more important, and challenging, change management becomes. A small, local business, for example, will have fewer challenges than a large, multinational organization.
Both, though, will need to ensure they follow best practices in managing change successfully for minimal impacts on the organization, its customers, and its employees.
Best Practices in Change Management
Following are some critical best practices in change management:
Clear communication is number one! Organizations need to be open, honest, and transparent with employees about the changes—internally and externally—that may impact them and how the organization plans to help prepare them for those impacts.
Stakeholder involvement. While it’s widely believed that most employees resist change, in truth, they are more likely to accept change if they’re involved in the change process. Stakeholder input and involvement are critical to ensure employees understand why change is necessary, how they will be impacted, and what the organization plans to do to help them navigate the changes impacting them.
Training and development. When change impacts employees, it often results in the need for upskilling or reskilling. Training and development are critical and, for most companies these days, ongoing.
Monitoring progress and making changes, as necessary. Any change initiative should involve a strategic plan for implementing the changes, goals, and objectives designed to help measure effectiveness and impact, as well as a plan and process for continually monitoring results.
Change management is no longer an option for HR professionals and the organizations they work for. By following best practices in change management, HR professionals can help their organizations adjust and acclimate to ongoing change, both internally and externally.
'Demonstrating the business impact of the human experience is critical to demonstrating value to other leaders who may not see the intrinsic value of your work.'
This article was first published on August 31, 2023, by HR Daily Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders, and has been adapted for HealthLeaders.
Human resources (HR) leaders in healthcare can learn and take valuable information from HR leaders in other sectors. In this article, read how one leader is championing scaling the employee experience; well-being/mental health; applying a global lens to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB); and providing support for working caregivers for their organization.
Before Kim Rohrer got her start in the HR industry, she focused on literary management and dramaturgy at Geffen Playhouse and then Berkeley Repertory Theater. She would go on to serve at Google and Pixar Animation Studios before a stint as a writer and blogger. It wasn’t until 2009, when she joined software development company Disqus, that Rohrer finally found a clear path to HR.
Kim Rohrer
“After running on the hamster wheel of ‘you have to have HR experience to get an entry level HR role,’ I found a company who was looking for someone with strong office administration experience, which I had, and an interest in doing HR, which I also had,” Rohrer shared with HR Daily Advisor. “They were willing to let me learn on the job, and I spent eight years going from Office Manager to Vice President of People & Culture.”
Rohrer would go on to run the people operations at Stride and cofound Organization Organizers, a resource group for people operations practitioners at start-ups. Currently, she serves as principal people partner at Oyster, an automated people platform, where she’s focused on scaling the employee experience; well-being/mental health; applying a global lens to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB); and providing support for working caregivers.
In our latest Faces, meet Kim Rohrer.
Who is/was your biggest influence in the industry?
My two earliest friends and mentors were Katelin Holloway and Cara Brennan Allemano. Katelin and I had similarly unconventional backgrounds before getting into this work, and she was always just 1 to 2 years ahead of me in terms of the size/stage of companies she worked at. Cara gave me the permission I needed not to pursue a formal HR certification (I really didn’t want to) and was an amazing partner in building communities for our underserved peers. Both women taught me how to be scrappy and resourceful, to trust my intuition, and to find the humor in this work.
What’s your best mistake, and what did you learn from it?
The first time I was working on a group layoff, I didn’t listen to my instincts. Instead, I just agreed to execute what the more experienced executives suggested we do. The result was a process that stretched on way longer than it should have and didn’t optimize for neither the employee nor the company experience. I learned that even if I don’t have the answers, it’s OK to push back and really interrogate assumptions to make sure that the path we’re on is the right one.
What’s your favorite part about working in the industry? What’s your least favorite part, and how would you change it?
I love how inventive people and companies are willing to be. If you’re a person who likes trying new things and doesn’t assume the old way is the right way, you’ll be right at home in tech start-ups. I don’t love the instability; the rollercoaster can be exhausting, and it can be tough to constantly fight fires.
It sounds like, through your experience, you really care about people, and you want to help them feel safe and comfortable, which is important in the industry. Please elaborate here.
I do care about people, and I’ve found that I do my best work when I’m working to dismantle the systems that aren’t centering the human experience. When larger structural problems exist, such as a toxic leadership culture, a lack of accountability, or unclear expectation-setting, it’s not usually possible to solve for everyone’s personal comfort one person at a time. It doesn’t scale, and it’s just not an appropriate use of an HR team’s skills and training. You must look at the larger picture and find the root of the problem within the organization, explore it with openness and curiosity, and then unpack a variety of solutions with your executive team.
How can HR most effectively demonstrate its value to the leadership team?
A common mistake HR folks make is focusing too much on representing the voice of the employee and not enough on the impact on the business. While HR usually has the most skill in understanding and interpreting what employees need, without the business acumen, your recommendations are likely to be undervalued. Demonstrating the business impact of the human experience is critical to demonstrating value to other leaders who may not see the intrinsic value of your work.
Where do you see the industry heading in 5 years? Or are you seeing any current trends?
I think we’ll get smarter about automation, integrations, and technical solutions to the more mechanical parts of our work, opening more space for people to think critically and creatively about how we solve problems. Freeing up time and brainpower by removing tasks that can be automated provides practitioners with the capacity they need to do truly human-centric work.
What are you most proud of?
I trust my intuition and, over many years, have cultivated the ability and courage to speak up, ask questions, and push back on things that don’t feel right. I am proud to use the platform that I have to share honest, authentic stories with those in my community. And I’m proud to be showing my kids that you don’t have to be perfect to make an impact on the world.
Do you have any advice for people entering the profession?
Be brave and bold, and keep pushing for things you know in your gut are right. Create opportunities for yourself when the ones you want aren’t available—take on those small projects, learn a new skill, and build yourself into the person you want to be. Don’t wait for someone to hand you your dream job or offer to teach you something you need to learn. Ask questions, be curious, and always document your work.
Anything else you’d like to add? We can talk about anything you’d like to discuss here.
It’s important to remember to take care of yourself, even as you are tasked with taking care of others all day long. I often fail to do this, but whenever I do something that’s just for me—whether that’s dipping out for a pedicure after a meeting, reading a book with my coffee, or choosing to work on a project that lights me up—I notice the difference in my well-being.
Some recruiters are still hesitant to embrace automation and AI within their workflow. Should they be?
This article was first published on August 31, 2023, by HR Daily Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders.
“Automation” has been a business buzzword for quite a while, but only in the past year or 2 has it really picked up steam in the recruitment industry. No longer does it conjure up mental images of robots or impersonal interactions. Now, recruitment automation can look like anything from chat bots to screening software. There are a ton of systems and software programs being invented to help recruiters excel at their job. Many recruiters use automation and artificial intelligence (AI), even if it’s on a small scale.
But some recruiters are still hesitant to embrace automation and AI within their workflow. They fear it will make interactions feel stale and tense and that it can’t possibly help attract top talent. Isn’t a personal touch always best? In some ways, that’s true—if you’re hiring for a major role or a very specialized niche, a completely personal recruitment process may be the way to go. AI is just that—artificial. But for many other roles, automated recruitment can be immensely helpful. The leaps AI automation technology has taken in the past few years can’t be overstated, and recruiters who use automation are seeing it make a huge difference in their systems. If you’re able to outsource more of your low-level recruitment efforts to software, it will free up more of your time, energy, and resources for positions that require more personalized attention.
If you’re still on the fence about automation, you probably have a few unhelpful myths floating around your mind preventing you from taking the leap. When it comes to the cons of automation, though, you shouldn’t believe much of the hype. Here are three big myths about automated recruitment and why they shouldn’t be a concern.
Automation Will Make Recruiters Obsolete
This is a major fear not just for recruitment but also for society in general. Won’t the robots just swoop in and take our jobs if we let them? If automated recruitment is that helpful, does it mean we no longer need recruiters? Is recruitment, an area of your job that you’re passionate about and have worked hard to cultivate the skills for, about to be ripped away? The media certainly seems to think so—almost every day, there’s a new article warning us about the dangers of automation.
But as mentioned above, there will always be some roles that automated recruitment isn’t a good fit for. Even for lower-level positions, AI tools aren’t meant to completely replace recruiters. They’re meant to enhance the job recruiters are already performing. They still need to be run and monitored by human beings. In fact, over two-thirds of employers see AI tools as a way to support their employees, not a way to get rid of them (source). As any great recruiter knows, human interactions are still the most vital part of recruiting, and there are some intuitive feelings that really need to be relied on when meeting with a potential job candidate. That will never go away, no matter how great the latest chatbot is.
Automation Won’t Bring in High-Quality Candidates
It would be easy to think automation is the lazy recruiter’s way out. Sure, it brings you in new leads, but are those leads qualified? Are they worthy of a job at your company, or were they just people who knew which keywords to use on their application? Maybe they look great on paper, but they’re not a fit for your company culture at all. Can automation actually help recruiters do their job?
High-quality recruitment automation doesn’t do it all, but it does help in some major ways. It can help with your volume, allowing you to process more incoming leads at a quicker pace. It can help schedule interviews and meetings so you aren’t bogged down with back-and-forth e-mails about time zones and afternoons vs. mornings. It can reduce your cost per hire so you’re able to bring on new team members at a fraction of the cost. And some recruitment automation tools can even help you evaluate the quality of your hires, narrowing down what makes someone a great fit for your team and what you should look for in the future. Automation can absolutely bring in high-quality candidates when it’s implemented with time and care.
Automation Is Too Complicated and Expensive
“Artificial intelligence” just sounds … complicated. Ditto “machine learning” and “technology stack” and all of those other fancy buzzwords. It feels like you need a degree in computing or technology to start to use automation. Isn’t the way you’ve always done it just fine? After all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
But so much of automation is actually really simple—it’s just a glorified computer program where you input data. Automation isn’t nearly as complicated as it used to be, and many companies offer designated on-call customer service reps to help you with anything tricky. Some will even lead you through the implementation and onboarding. As automation for recruitment becomes more commonplace, it also becomes more affordable. There are, of course, costs associated with automation, but the benefits automation tools provide likely outweigh them. You might be surprised at how many chatbots or screening systems are well within your budget. While automation doesn’t eliminate the need for talented recruiters, it may allow you to take on fewer new hires, saving you money in the long run—after all, software is almost always cheaper than an entire salary and benefits. You may not know something’s “broke” until you see how much better it can be done!
Don’t Be Afraid of Automation
You may have even more concerns about AI and automation within your recruitment process, but do those negatives really outweigh the positives? The only way to tell is to try it out. Evaluate where you’ve been using automation within your workflow over the past year, and try to identify areas where it may be helpful going forward. You may just see your costs decrease, your productivity increase, and your recruitment success skyrocket.
Employers that go through the time, cost, and effort to develop and offer lifestyle benefits for their employees should ensure they're also properly communicating with employees.
This article was first published on August 30, 2023, by HR Daily Advisor, a sibling publication to HealthLeaders.
Employers and employees are increasingly appreciating the value of nonsalary compensation like employee benefits. When most people think of benefits, they probably think of health insurance, which is an extremely important benefit. But when virtually all employers offer certain foundational benefits, others try to differentiate themselves by offering premium benefits that support employees’ varied lifestyles.
The Employee/Employer Benefit Disconnect
While ambitious employers often spend large amounts of time, money, and other resources on premium benefits, they often miss the mark when it comes to satisfying employees.
New data released by software-as-a-service (SaaS) benefits and solutions provider Alegeus points to disconnects and potential miscommunication between employers and employees. These disconnects can result in significant sums of money being spent on programs employees aren’t even aware of and employees’ growing resentful at a perceived lack of benefits.
Lack of Awareness Drives Discontent
For example, the Alegeus survey found that employees are often unaware of whether their employer offers lifestyle benefits at all, let alone what the associated budget is. It indicates that 30% of respondents are unsure of the dollar amount their employers offer in lifestyle benefits, and only 10% believe their employer allots more than $2,000 annually to lifestyle benefits.
The fact that so many employees aren’t even aware of whether their employer offers benefits suggests some employers are failing to adequately communicate available benefits.
For their part, employers aren’t always cognizant of their employees’ preferences on lifestyle benefits. It’s important to note that there are meaningful generational differences in how employees value lifestyle benefits, and employers that try a one-size-fits-all approach are likely to alienate at least one generational cohort who feels their preferences aren’t being considered.
Generational Differences
According to Alegeus, “Baby Boomers and Generation Xers both agree that work-from-home and food support are high priorities, while Millennials favored family care and healthy living perks. On the other hand, the Silent Generation prioritized food and leisure/hobbies for lifestyle perks and Generation Zs ranked food and family care on top.”
Alegeus goes on to note that, when it comes to generational differences, millennials were most likely to agree that their perks were fully aligned with their lifestyles, while baby boomers and Generation X said their perks didn’t align with their lifestyles.
Employers that go through the time, cost, and effort to develop and offer lifestyle benefits for their employees should ensure they’re properly communicating with employees, both to better understand what benefits they’re interested in and to ensure they’re aware of the available options.
