Planning a Path to Business Renewal and Growth

Human resources leaders representing some of San Francisco’s largest organizations met virtually to discuss how they are planning a path to business renewal and growth. They shared strategies to determine the pace and scope of return-to-work plans, how they’re reprioritizing goals to transition to “the new normal,” and the positive developments in the midst of uncertainty.

To set the stage for the conversation, C-suite leaders across North America participated in a survey indicating the following:

38% are continuing standard business operations at a reduced level.

10% expect to return to standard business operations in less than 3 months.

65% report a high or extremely high impact on their organization’s revenue.

61% predict a high or extremely high impact on their organization’s budget.

This panel was moderated by Lisa Mulrooney Gross, SVP of global HR at Fitbit. Mulrooney was joined by Sally Shepard, CHRO at Exponent, Inc., Sudarshana Rangachary, SVP & CHRO at Essex Apartment Homes, and Liane Hornsey, chief people officer at Palo Alto Networks.

Planning for the Return to Work

After more than two months of working from home, employees are now settling into their new environments, balancing home life and work commitments. CHROs were pleased to report that productivity has increased, and morale has remained high in many groups. Advocating for an individual approach and ensuring employee choice is top-of-mind was credited with managing the emotions and output of employees.

Tough decisions are ahead to plan the return to work, as some CHROs are contemplating an indefinite work from home policy and others are working to bring essential employees back into the office quickly. Having a True North regarding employee safety in the office has kept strategies and decisions clear. CHROs are taking a slow and cautious approach and scenario planning for all possibilities. 

Leadership teams are conscious of the fact that the workforce will look very different in the future. Leading from the front and maintaining effective communication are paramount, and CHROs are at the helm. Emotion and change management are at the forefront of some roadmaps, in addition to rethinking the skills needed to maximize productivity moving forward.

Creating Short-Term Objectives

In the short term, CHROs are highly conscious that fatigue is setting in for employees. Instituting small changes such as flexible work hours, meeting caps and video-free days are helping to combat burnout.

Different cohorts are responding to remote work differently, so CHROs must be flexible and adjust to employees who may or may not want to go back to the office. Preparing for long-term employee needs may require a bifurcated approach to benefits and perks moving forward. Ensuring a fair and equitable solution is a challenge CHROs are tackling head-on.

A lot of short-term planning is focused on engagement. CHROs have seen positive advancements in the acceleration of technology and innovation with the way work is done. HR leaders want to continue building upon these tools and adding additional ones. Giving employees the option for flexible hours and the ability to plan their day has also been helpful to keep folks engaged.

Changes to Keep

Beyond providing virtual tooling, companies need to consider other needs for a successful remote set-up. Some companies gave stipends for office equipment, while others let employees take what they needed from the office in shifts. CHROs are now wondering if remote work continues indefinitely, have they done enough? What else needs to be done?

CHROs are looking at how managers across their businesses are stepping up and leading with compassion. Organizations are seeing that employees can be productive and effective at home if they’re given the right tools and support. Ensuring this support continues long-term may require a massive leadership shift – now is the moment for CHROs to help in ways never considered before.

Human resources leaders have been thrust into the role of chief crisis officer, and it’s important for us to elevate that to be the chief influence officer.

Thoughts from the Community

This dynamic and insightful discussion was focused on leading with compassion and practical considerations to move back into the office. There was consensus that now is the time for leaders to step up and build greater trust with employees. People will look back at this time and ask, “How did my leadership act and communicate during COVID-19?”

CHROs are also leveraging self-health assessment questionnaires to ensure employee safety in the office. They are keeping an eye on new regulations as they come in and are building a toolkit to safely manage the return to the office. All are taking a cautious and phased approach.

by CHROs, for CHROs

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