Hot Topic Friday: July 31

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Happy Friday! Here are our July 31 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing culture or leadership.

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Hot Topic 1: The Real Deal: From Inclusion to Belonging.

Source: Globe and Mail; Jaqui Parchment is the CEO of Mercer Canada, and a director of the BlackNorth Initiative.

What It’s About: For the last 12 months or so, I’ve been writing and speaking about the importance of BELONGING as we evolve from diversity to inclusion, and ultimately BELONGING. The reaction has been somewhat muted by people who have responded by noting that many organizations are still early on enacting genuine inclusion, let alone the concept of belonging. So I was gratified to read the opinion of Mercer CEO, Jaqui Parchment, in the Globe and Mail. She states: “From a business perspective, we need to focus on improving the employee experience for a more diverse Canadian work force. We need to shift our thinking to move from a focus on diversity and inclusion alone, and start cultivating a more deeply-rooted sense of belonging in our workplaces.” YES! 

So What?: Speaking with the extraordinary credibility of a black woman, and CEO of a major company, she goes on to say: “The focus on belonging at work is deeply personal to me. As one of the few black chief executives in Canada, and as a woman in the corporate world, I came up through the ranks at a time when diversity was neither prized nor a focus. I sat in meetings, attended networking events and activities and started to notice and think about the thousand seemingly small things that happen at work every day that might make an employee feel like they don’t belong.”

Now What?: Parchment goes on to say: “This requires a fundamental shift in the way we do business. Leaders must encourage open communication and really listening to their staff, be willing to make the necessary changes, conduct themselves with compassion and put their people first. It’s not just the right thing to do; it’s also the smart thing to do: A workplace where employees can bring their full selves is one where they will be engaged, productive and want to stay.”

This is why we have started a new company devoted to abundantly growing two sides of a gold coin. We are dedicated to creating a deeply rooted sense of belonging, while improving results that really matter. We will help at the company wide culture level, AND focus on teams everywhere. We especially want to help remote and hybrid teams. Stay tuned for much more to come late summer and early fall. We are piloting with real customers right now. Thank you, Jaqui Parchment, for the inspiration. 

One Millennial Response: How’s this? I did one little Google search and found that you mentioned this concept in a blog as far back as June, 2014. You can all see that here. I’m not saying that Parchment is taking a direct page out of your playbook, but, anyone who has read LorneRubis.com for a while can see a little bit of familiar language in her quotes. How awesome is that?

Hot Topic 2: Why the Disconnect between HR and Employees?

Source: Inc.com.

What It’s About: Topia recently surveyed 1,000 employees in the US and UK on perceptions of employee experience. There are some interesting findings. The following are just a few: 

  • “General employee populations are almost twice as likely (40%) to rate their company’s employee experience poorly vs HR teams ( 21%)

  • Office perks are overrated. When asked what makes a great employee experience office perks came in dead last (19%). What was most important to employees? Being trusted and empowered (58%)

  • Employees are career-minded. 46% of employees say that a lack of career growth is the driver for poor employee experience. This number is even higher for the 18-36 age group. 

  • HR tasks are rated worse than household chores.”

So What?: As a former CPO, and an HR leader, this study concerns me and validates my own personal observations. I teach a strategic HR EMBA class at a top notch university. The class is populated by execs who will soon be in their company C-suites, if they’re not already. At the beginning of my class, I survey the cohort on their perception of HR providing value. The scores are appallingly low. Frankly, trust levels of HR are very weak, and most see HR people more as corporate compliance police versus valued partners in creating excellent employee experience. 

Now What?: We HR leaders must take action to dramatically move up the value chain. How? CEO’s, ask your HR people to help you and leadership to advance culture. This includes stopping the expectation that we will stand behind stupid policies and processes the C suite tacitly supports and/or is ignorant of. HR leaders must have the courage to speak truth to power. Stop doing the bidding of crummy leaders. And stop rescuing leaders who should be in different roles (or fired), rather than colluding to protect their incompetence. The data says: Employees want to be entrusted and empowered. They also want to be included, belong and contribute. LET’S FOCUS ON THAT. Stop B.S. processes that are worse than household chores. Stop using employment lawyers that grew up on scorched earth, win at all cost for the company, attitudes. Remind ourselves that WE are in the PEOPLE business. 

P.S. I’m very proud HRD chose to include me as one of the top 100 HR leaders in the US, Canada, UK, Europe and Australia. I have an obligation to be a thought and action leader for my brothers and sisters in HR. We ALL need to improve our practice and craft, starting with myself first. 

One Millennial Response: HR has a bad stigma attached to it, no doubt. There are crass nicknames for the department that I won’t share here, but they exist, because when are you dealing with HR when it isn’t trouble? Fired? HR. Complaints? HR. It’s the professional principals office! How great would it be if that reputation changed? But, of course, it likely starts with the self-accountability of HR for an image restoration.

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And finally! Here’s Cecil’s Bleat of the Week!

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“Time ensures children never know their parents young.” - Delia Owens.

Bye for now!

— Lorne and Garrett Rubis

Incase you Missed It:

My latest Lead In podcast.  

My latest blog.

Season 3 of Culture Cast. 

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