How AI is Making Marketing More Siloed, and the Only Way to Break Out
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski October 14, 2026AI tools are helping marketers work faster and more independently, but a single-player approach to AI can come at the expense of collaboration. When team members work in silos, it can lead to fragmented workflows and misalignment. A multiplayer approach to AI, by contrast, helps teams work together, share insights, and stay aligned, says David Gorman, SVP of product and co-founder of Opal.Gorman spoke about the topic during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Chicago marketing conference. Working with a multitude of brands for many years, Gorman and his team have seen the transformations these companies have gone through over time. “Even pre-dating Opal, marketing was always kind of a hair-on-fire situation,” said Gorman. “That’s what we always heard when we started, as we were running an agency and working with brands and kind of feeling it on the receiving end.” “We thought that surely, with technology, there has to be a better way,” he said.AI as a Common Marketing Tool“There’s this stat, which is 95% of marketers are using AI in 2026,” said Gorman. Marketing traditionally followed a step-by-step process: executives set the strategy, the marketing team wrote the copy, the art team developed the creative, and channel teams handled distribution across websites and social media.“Today, that looks a little bit different,” said Gorman. “That looks like everyone running a million miles an hour because you can now. Speed is certainly part of the promise here. But everyone is kind of back to doing that in a silo, and everyone is trying to kind of work as their own team with their AI.”But AI can introduce problems, including hallucinations and what Gorman described as a “siloing effect.” Customers have raised concerns about whether their content stays on brand, how siloed teams can quickly become misaligned, and how the broader strategy can get lost when work moves so fast. In the process, collaboration can become an afterthought.This can put you into a type of single-player mode and this is where issues can arise. For example, if three team members are using various AI tools for their work, even if they ask the same question, they’re going to get three different results. Some may be relevant to what you want to put in the market while other responses may be way off. This isn’t an effective way to work. “As someone that comes from the feeling that technology should bring people together to work as a team, I definitely don’t love how this feels,” said Gorman.So, how do we resolve these issues? Gorman stated we have two options: follow the 5% and stop using AI, or stop playing alone. How to Use AI as a Team“With Opal, we’re introducing a concept that we call the memory layer, and it is all about, ‘How do we enable teams to actually work together with AI in an effective way?’” said Gorman.Gorman said two ingredients required to do this include the context of the work and the instruction side of the equation. Opal uses something in the middle called Gem, an intelligence layer. Gem is an AI co-pilot built into Opal’s marketing platform that answers questions using information stored in its database, he says. For example, it can pull details on fall launches from the past five years. Users can also incorporate their workflows, guidelines, and preferences, then easily share the compiled information with teammates or in presentations.“I think about this as a way for the team to work together to produce work, improve the rules, and ultimately get to a better outcome next time,” Gorman said. “Whether that’s someone on your team, or you doing that work, or your agents doing that work, and you have more confidence that they’re working to the best of their ability in a framework that sets them or your team up for success.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Opal, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.(Photo by Josh Larson for From Day One)
How Winning Organizations Invest in Human Performance
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski October 12, 2026As AI tools are used more often and technology changes, HR leaders are tasked with navigating this change, which is more organizational than technological. “What we want to help you answer today is how do you overcome the growing employee mistrust and anxiety that’s a result of all of that change,” said Jen Mosher, marketing manager at Active Release Techniques (ART). “And the answer is to build a strategy that focuses on blending both technology and culture, and one that really puts your people at the center.”Mosher spoke during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Chicago HR conference, alongside Todd Prather, ART sales manager, and Stuart Yoss, an ART provider. Active Release Techniques (ART) is a U.S.-based soft tissue therapy system that offers noninvasive treatment for musculoskeletal and nerve disorders.Culture change is becoming a priority as 65% of organizations say AI will require drastic changes to their workplace culture. Culture also plays a role in employee retention, burnout prevention, and productivity. So, how can organizations build a healthy culture? Start by looking at the workplace from the employee’s perspective.“Employees don’t feel value based on the words of your mission statement, but rather they’re going to feel value based on the actions of your leaders and the investments that you make in them each and every day,” said Mosher.Keep Consistency in MindYoss is familiar with different organizational cultures. As a chiropractor and ART provider for professional sports teams, including the Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, and Bulls, he’s seen how different organizations operate. He also gets to speak with the players about all sorts of topics.“One of the main things that I’ve asked the [players] is what makes a good coach. Because as a fan, we all wonder about it,” said Yoss. Jen Mosher, marketing manager at Active Release Techniques, Todd Prather, ART sales manager, and Stuart Yoss, ART provider, shared the stage for the thought leadership spotlight titled, "The Balance Between Technological Adoption and Human Needs: How Winning Organizations Invest in Human Performance" Yoss has recognized a pattern of importance around “accountability and consistency.” One thing that stands out is how consistently the organization treats its players as valuable assets, a lesson companies should apply to their own workers, says Yoss. Yoss discussed consistency as it pertains to his application of active release technique and how consistency using one technique can help many people. Keeping consistency in the workforce, no matter what occupation, helps to boost productivity and cut losses, he says. Focus on the Human ComponentPrather discussed how professional athletes and corporate workers face similar workplace challenges and deserve the same level of care. He added that ART focuses on prevention, helping address issues before they escalate.“In my world, a lot of people come to me when it’s too late. Humans do that, that’s what we do. We wait until you almost have to go see a specialist,” he said. “With ART, you can get treatment ahead of that to ultimately support your recovery.”Prather says ART can address a wide range of workplace issues, and he was particularly impressed by its return on investment, which extends beyond preventing recordable workers’ compensation cases. “In 2026, we’re going to impact over a million lives,” he said. “On one edge of the value spectrum, you’re saving money. And then on the other, [there is an] this human component—the engagement, the cultural benefit when somebody comes to me and says, ‘This program actually tells me you care.’” When companies invest in the human side of work, workers feel valued rather than replaceable. A strong culture builds trust within teams and fosters a deeper emotional connection.“We wanted to focus on this idea of technology and culture, because we all know AI will continue to change the way we work, the way we do everything. But human needs won't change,” said Mosher. “And so, the organizations that continue to pay attention to their employees’ needs and invest in those employees are the ones that will win in the future.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Active Release Techniques, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Nobody Wakes Up Fluent in AI: A Playbook for HR Leaders
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski October 08, 2026Just as computers became part of the workplace in the 1980s, AI is becoming a fundamental workplace skill today. “No one woke up computer literate in 1985, and no one is going to wake up AI fluent in 2026,” said Abigail Seldin, chief growth officer at Scholarship America.Fortunately, HR leaders can take practical steps to help their teams build the skills and confidence they need to use AI well. Seldin spoke about the evolution of AI and how HR leaders can help their teams grow with it during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Philadelphia conference. “AI fluency is an emerging standard that many of us are working to define and implement in real time,” said Seldin. “In this moment of transformation and dislocation, buy-in can be hard to come by.”Seldin was an early AI adopter and started learning more about this tool in November 2022. What originally started as something she was curious about turned into a multipurpose tool.“Today, a few years later, I use it to probe weaknesses in my go-to-market plans, identify summer camps for my sons, and to find obscure headlines to show in talks,” she said. “It’s a multi-prompt use.”But Seldin realizes not everyone is a daily AI user. She’s exchanging prompts with some of her colleagues often, while she’s gently encouraging other team members to start using AI.Scholarships With an AI Focus Are Continually EmergingAt Scholarship America, Seldin and her team members are in the business of removing barriers between learners and the training and education they seek. Scholarship America runs 1,300 different scholarship programs to make this connection possible, she says. Scholarship management is a big part of this process and it’s a double-sided marketplace, including the sponsors and the applicants. “Since the launch of ChatGPT in 2022, we have begun to see interest in scholarship programs focused on AI,” said Seldin. “Some sponsors choose to expand existing programs to add AI as an allowable focus area, and others choose to set up brand new programs either for their employees or members of the public.”Abigail Seldin, Chief Growth Officer at Scholarship America, led the thought leadership spotlight With the increase of AI, it’s important for HR managers to take a leading role. “As HR leaders, we are responsible not just to steer learning and development but also to steward organizational culture in this transformational and dislocating moment,” said Seldin. Seldin shared a case study that started with an AT&T strike where 155,000 workers walked off the job in 1986 for about a month and did so to strike for job security and retraining support purposes. As a result, a resolution included a $21 million investment from AT&T which went towards offering targeted training and pipelines so workers could transition before the jobs they held vanished. Through partnerships with community colleges, customized short-term vocational programs were developed, with the colleges paid upfront to ease financial concerns for employees. The program ultimately retrained more than 150,000 people and helped fill thousands of internal roles with workers who had completed the training. When AT&T laid off workers in the late 1980s, those who had participated in the program found new jobs faster than those who had not.“What made these efforts so successful, both for employees who were ultimately retrained and upskilled, as well as those who went on to other careers after reductions in force, is that the employers defined the needs,” said Seldin. “They defined the training that was going to help them meet those needs.”How HR Leaders Can Help Implement AIToday, HR leaders are well positioned to understand what workers need and what they’re willing to try. Scholarship America is seeing interest across three areas: access, application, and acceleration.Before workers can become AI fluent, they need access to the technology. That requires tech, time, and interest, she says. Peer-to-peer demonstrations can help, but even “free” programs require internet access, making investments in technology essential.The next step is application: learning how to use AI in the context of the work. This can include individual courses, short online certificates, or product-specific training. But AI fluency takes time, even for workers eager to learn.Acceleration is the final step, focused on leadership. These are the workers who can help lead their organizations through the adoption of AI.“We know that these opportunities and obligations to our employees don't end when employment does, as AI eliminates job categories, and I expect it will,” said Seldin. “Employers can also invest in the people leaving, helping them acquire the skills they need in the labor market that they’re entering.”While no one wakes up fluent in AI, Seldin knows that HR leaders want to work together to ensure employees aren’t left behind during this period of dislocation and change.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Scholarship America, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
The Million Dollar Patient
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski October 05, 2026The onset of a serious medical issue is often when people realize just how much healthcare can cost. That realization comes as they navigate an often confusing and daunting medical system, make difficult treatment decisions, and try to manage the financial uncertainty that comes with them.Organizations, however, have opportunities to help workers and plan members navigate the healthcare system and manage costs while protecting the people those plans are designed to serve. Matthew Cavallo, VP of member experience at RazorMetrics, has personal experience in this area. Cavallo discussed his battle with multiple sclerosis and healthcare during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Austin conference. The Multiple Sclerosis DiagnosisAt 28, Cavallo began experiencing symptoms that led to an MS diagnosis. What started as numbness in his feet progressed to temporary paralysis from the waist down within five days. After extensive testing, including CT scans, MRIs, and a spinal tap, doctors gave him three possible diagnoses: sarcoidosis, Lyme disease, or MS.Cavallo engaged in various treatment methods, including outpatient physical therapy and aquatic therapy. A month later, he had a follow-up appointment with his neurologist who diagnosed him with probable multiple sclerosis. The diagnosis couldn’t be confirmed until the next exacerbation. The confirmation came six months later when Cavallo was out walking his dog, Ted, a beloved pet he had waited years to welcome into his home and who he promised to walk twice a day, every day, a promise he kept, no matter what his MS was doing.“I’m out walking Ted one day, about six months later, and I see this pinhole in the center of my vision and by the end of the day, my whole right eye went blind,” said Cavallo. “I knew right away this was going to be another MS episode, so I went to the neurologist's office, and he diagnosed me with optic neuritis and told me that the diagnosis of MS was confirmed.”Cavallo asked why he was experiencing an MS relapse despite weekly medication. His doctor explained that, with relapsing-remitting MS, the medication helps extend the time between relapses. A year later, Cavallo developed chest pains, forgetfulness, and difficulty finding the right words, the latter two signs of a cognitive relapse.New Medications, New HopeAt this point, Cavallo decided to try a new medication which was an experimental treatment at that time. He didn’t want to continue battling frequent MS relapses, so he started the once-a-month treatment, and it helped Cavallo to keep MS relapses at bay for quite a while. He needed a resolution after all he had been through, including cognitive issues, sight issues, and even losing functionality from the waist down temporarily. However, he also considered with gratitude all he had achieved: he wrote his first book, got a master’s in public health, and had two children.Matthew Cavallo, VP of Member Experience at RazorMetrics, shared his story during the thought leadership spotlight “But I was a problem for health plans because I was very expensive,” said Cavallo. “My treatment cost $90,000 a year, and then I had a bad blood test, so my physicians had to switch me.” Cavallo switched to a different medication which cost $80,000 a year, was on IV chemotherapy medications for 15 years of his life, and then finally was able to take a pill “which was a pill that allowed me an off-ramp.” It’s been three years since Cavallo has needed an MS medication.“The total healthcare spend of my plans was over 1.4 million dollars of MS medication coursing through my veins, and I'm grateful for that,” said Cavallo. “But more importantly, I’m happy to be medication-free. I've finally achieved a point in my life where I have medication independence, and that’s what we do at RazorMetrics.”RazorMetrics looks at pharmacy claims, analyzes drug spend, maps out plans and eligibility, and then provides options, called switch or deprescription opportunities, to the doctors to discuss with the patient regarding medication options. RazorMetrics works with the physicians, not around them.Cavallo closed out the session with this final thought: “You don’t overcome adversity, you get through it,” said Cavallo. “You don’t choose the things that happen to you, you choose the way you respond.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, RazorMetrics, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
The Benefits Gap: Why Wellness Dollars Aren't Reaching Employees
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski September 16, 2026Wellness dollars are intended to give workers access to valuable benefits, but too often they go unused. How can organizations make sure those dollars actually reach workers and deliver value?During a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s September virtual conference, Tray Ross, VP of growth at Corporate Traditions, an employee recognition and gifting company, shared how companies can help their employees know about these benefits and how to use them to their advantage. “We have leaders telling us they have wellness credits built into the plan, but half the team doesn’t even know they exist,” said Ross. Beyond workers not knowing wellness credits exist, companies report that wellness apps often see low adoption and redemption catalogs don’t always offer what people want. As a result, the wellness dollars expire unused, employees get another login they don’t want, and there tends to be a catalog that employees don’t peruse or simply don’t want the items.How to Get Wellness Rewards to EmployeesTray Ross, VP of Growth at Corporate Traditions, led the session about "The Benefits Gap: Why Wellness Dollars Aren't Reaching Employees" (company photo)These unused benefits come with real costs, from delayed recognition to paying for duplicate benefits without getting full credit for what HR provides. But there are ways to close the gap. Organizations can close the gap by making rewards easy to access: no app required, meaningful choice in what workers receive, and rewards delivered as soon as the activity is completed.It’s also important to ensure that the carrier-administered wellness funds go through a single-step redemption process and get the rewards in the hands of employees as soon as possible, says Ross. This can be accomplished by having the employees record their activities and progress and submit them for rewards close to when they earn it.Closing the Unused Benefits GapOrganizations can take four steps to close the gap: identify expiring rewards, tie rewards directly to activities and distribute them soon after, offer a wide range of choices, and use a single platform for accessing wellness rewards.“With Corporate Traditions, the access that they have is one link or one code to be able to copy and redeem,” said Ross. “They can access the catalogs, whether it’s on their phone, their tablet, or their computer and they've got millions of options.”Even if organizations would rather not give away gift cards, Corporate Traditions partners with online retailers to offer expansive options to individuals wanting to use their wellness rewards. “Employees can get the specific item they want from their favorite vendor and have it shipped directly to them with the same warranties; it shows up in the same box as if they were to buy it off of their favorite online platform themselves,” said Ross. “And by employees getting physical, tangible items, it qualifies as a de minimis fringe benefit.”However organizations choose to offer wellness rewards, it’s important that workers receive notice of their reward right away and can redeem it quickly and easily. Delays or a complicated redemption process can lead to rewards going unused, leaving wellness dollars on the table. Ross also encouraged organizational leaders to talk with their carriers about available wellness benefits, particularly if they haven’t used them before. Some companies may not even know these benefits exist or what they include.When rewards are earned and redeemed soon after, companies can put their wellness dollars to work while ensuring workers actually receive the benefits.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Corporate Traditions, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.(Photo by Viorel Kurnosov/iStock)
Why Most GLP-1 Strategies Are Failing, and What to Build Around Them
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski July 22, 2026GLP-1 use continues to grow as more individuals explore these medications for weight management. Along with rising interest come important questions about effectiveness, long-term outcomes, and cost. While some employer approaches have fallen short, others are finding more sustainable ways to provide access and support. How can companies develop a thoughtful GLP-1 strategy that delivers meaningful value for both employees and the organization?Yasmine Meneses, manager of consultant relations and registered dietitian at Nutrium, provided insight into this topic during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s June virtual conference. Working among benefits teams and leaders, Meneses says GLP-1 medications are “one of the most discussed line items in pharmacy spend right now.” One of the most common questions employees ask is whether their health plan covers GLP-1s. It sounds straightforward, but the answer is often anything but. “The question isn’t just whether you cover it, it’s what you’re paying for around it to make it sustainable and get that ROI,” she said. A study of people without diabetes who started GLP-1 medications for obesity found that nearly 70% discontinued treatment within a year. Given the high cost of these medications, those findings raise important questions about long-term value, she says. Many people who stop taking GLP-1s regain weight, yet employers may still face significant, ongoing costs associated with coverage. As a result, HR leaders and CFOs are increasingly weighing how to offer these medications in a way that supports employee health while remaining financially sustainable.It’s important to note that coverage is not a strategy. Coverage answers the single question about who gets access, but strategy answers a more difficult question which is, “What happens next?”The Public Health Story“About 40% of adults are living with obesity and with the changes in definition to obesity, some might say that it’s even higher,” said Meneses. “One in 10 adults are living with severe obesity. Those rates are roughly three times higher than what they were in the 60s.” The public health story behind pharmacy spend doesn’t typically show up labeled as obesity, she says. “It’s usually arriving to you in rising claims, high-cost claimants, chronic condition burden, leaves of absence, disability, and the benefits complexity that just keeps on multiplying,” she said. Yasmine Meneses, manager of consultant relations & dietitian at Nutrium, led the virtual session (company photo)This is where GLP-1s enter the picture. A successful benefits strategy has to account for a workforce with a wide range of experiences and access points. Some employees receive GLP-1s through the employer's health plan, while others obtain them through self-pay, direct-to-consumer providers, or other channels. Still others may be considering whether the medications are right for them.HR’s approach can’t focus only on employees whose prescriptions are covered by the company’s health plan. Instead, benefits strategies should be designed to support employees across the full spectrum of GLP-1 use and decision-making, recognizing that workers will engage with these medications in different ways. “That’s why the individual coverage decision here is never the whole answer,” said Meneses.“The goal for you as an HR team member is not to become a clinical decision maker. That’s not on your work description and that’s not something that you should be worrying about,” said Meneses. “The goal is to build a benefits architecture that is consistent, explainable and fair.”Before making decisions about GLP-1 coverage, HR leaders should be able to answer three questions: What support is available before an employee starts the medication? What support is provided while they're on therapy? And what support is in place after they stop? It's equally important to consider employees who never use GLP-1s but still need effective weight-management and metabolic health resources.“GLP-1 therapy sits inside a broader model of care that includes healthy diet, physical activity, behavioral support, and professional guidance, and with that intensive behavioral intention interventions should be offered alongside the medication, and that is in order to enhance treatment outcomes,” said Meneses.Support From Nutrium CareMeneses says Nutrium’s approach reflects that broader philosophy. Rather than treating GLP-1s as a standalone benefit, Nutrium Care integrates them into a comprehensive nutrition strategy designed to support employees before, during, and after medication use.“The infrastructure you build for GLP-1 users should be the exact same infrastructure serving employees who need metabolic health support, chronic condition management support, or simply a structured entry point into better habits,” she said. Nutrium offers a dual-path model which covers care complexity and offers various steps. Everyone starts at the Health Foundations Review, which is the same front door for all and includes an initial assessment with a registered dietitian. The program starts with phase one: building the foundation through nutrition education and habit formation. A registered dietitian then determines whether GLP-1 therapy may be appropriate for consideration by a clinician. In phase two, members follow either a GLP-1 or non-GLP-1 health journey, while receiving the same standard of care. The final phase, graduation, focuses on long-term maintenance, autonomy, and relapse prevention—the stage where the program’s long-term success is often determined. “So that communication, that story needs to land clearly, and the reason for that is internal word of mouth is either your best enrollment tool and your best friend or your biggest credibility factor,” said Meneses. “We really need to make sure that we’re clearly stating how these are equal and not different.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Nutrium, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.(Photo by skynesher/iStock)
Maintaining a Wellness-Forward Workplace Amid Change
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski July 07, 2026Organizational success starts with the people who make it possible. When employees are healthy, supported, and engaged, they’re better equipped to collaborate, innovate, and perform at their best. Increasingly, workers recognize this too: research shows that most employees would rather work for an employer that prioritizes their well-being than receive a 10% pay raise. The message is clear—investing in employee well-being isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s a competitive advantage that drives stronger performance and better business outcomes, says Alexandra Powell, director of insights at Reward Gateway. Powell spoke about how employers can maintain a human workplace in the midst of change during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Manhattan conference. “In the midst of change and uncertainty, your people make all the difference,” she said.Employees Want Employers to Care About Their Well-Being“What we love to do is play in the space of how do you create an employee value proposition that’s going to get and keep top talent and what is it people are looking for?” she said.The answer lies in recent survey data that highlights a significant shift in employee priorities. According to research done by Reward Gateway, 58% of U.S. employees across industries said that working for a company that cares about their well-being is more valuable than receiving a 10% raise. That’s a notable increase from 44% in 2023, suggesting that employees are placing greater emphasis on workplace culture and support than on pay increases alone.Alexandra Powell, director of insights at Reward Gateway, led the session, "Maintaining a Human Workplace in the Midst of Change"There were other sentiments offered as well that seemed to be more important to employees than a 10% raise. “Ability to learn and grow, great relationship with my manager, and consistent, frequent praise,” said Powell.“We’ve also found that one of the most interesting differentiators in the data over the past few years is where people work,” Powell said. Among fully remote employees, 54% said a company that cares about their well-being is more valuable than a 10% raise, slightly below the overall average. That figure rises to 59% for fully onsite workers. Hybrid employees reported the highest levels, with 57% of those who spend fewer than two days a week in the office and 63% of those in the office three or more days a week saying they value an employer that prioritizes employee well-being over a 10% raise.How to Promote Workplace WellnessWhether an employee feels their employer cares about their well-being majorly impacts turnover and retention, says Powell. In fact, 1 in 5 workers say they are leaving if the company doesn’t care about their well-being, she says. So, how can employers let their team members know they matter to them? “Employee resource groups, pulse surveys, lots of things we can do to let people know that they matter to us and make it visible,” said Powell.Powell pointed to her company’s response during Covid as an example of making employee support more accessible. Her team created a centralized hub of benefits information that answered common questions, allowing employees to find resources on their own without having to contact HR or their managers.She also emphasized that employers should make their commitment to well-being visible. That can include initiatives like Wellness Wednesdays, expanded counseling services, wellness care packages, or well-being challenges with prizes. Why Recognition Is Essential to Employee Well-Being“Recognition is a powerful way to support well-being, so we combined the two over the years,” she said. “We do campaigns to recognize well-being and the first one we did was super powerful, as it was to recognize your manager that supports your well-being. I love this, because it’s getting stories told across the organization.” Another recognition initiative the company runs during Mental Health Awareness Month encourages employees to thank colleagues who support their well-being. Appreciation cards are available with the message: “Thanks for all you do to support my mental health.”“These recognition campaigns are something we can do to make sure people feel valued and seen, but also reinforce what’s already working [in the realm] of well-being,” said Powell.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Reward Gateway, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Healthcare Costs: Stop Shifting, Start Solving
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski June 24, 2026What if we could improve employee benefits by fixing healthcare itself? One emerging model suggests it's possible to reduce total healthcare spending by 2% to 6%—not by shifting more costs onto employees, but by identifying problems early and providing evidence-based care before conditions escalate into costly claims, says Steve Parker, SVP at Mobile Health.Parker spoke during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Chicago half-day benefits conference on the subject. “I got into this business because I believe that when you take care of your people, they take care of your organization,” he said. This year’s benefits costs will increase by another 9%, predicts Parker. As a result, decision makers may have to tackle difficult issues regarding benefits, such as costs shifting to employees, higher premiums, higher deductibles, and network limitations. This all adds stress on the employees. People are more concerned about unexpected medical bills than other economic pressures, such as rising gas prices, he says.Steve Parker, SVP at Mobile Health, led the session titled "Healthcare Costs: Stop Shifting, Start Solving"People are also concerned about rising health insurance premiums and their ability to afford coverage. As healthcare costs climb, access to care often declines, particularly for services such as mental health, sleep care, and specialty treatment. The costs add up for everyone, employees, employers, and insurers alike.When health benefits are reduced or cut, people may refuse to visit their doctor or do so sparingly because they don’t have access or can’t afford it, he says. This could lead to productivity issues at work or employees not showing up at all because they are dealing with a medical issue. “If we keep making things more restrictive, health doesn’t improve, costs continue to go up,” said Parker.“We need to be transformational,” he said. “We need to make better care easier to access, not make traditional care harder to use.”How Technology Can Help the Shift“We can use technology to transform healthcare, fix healthcare, and fix healthcare benefits at the same time,” said Parker.Parker’s been working on a new technology concept at Mobile Health and there are four things technology can enable individuals to do that weren’t possible before. Technology can provide data, it can enable help to reach you where you are, it can link you up with a low cost care provider accessible to you, and it offers AI solutions that can help people improve their health. AI solutions must be implemented carefully. Not all AI is clinically grounded, it doesn’t know an individual’s medical history, and it can sometimes produce unsafe or inaccurate recommendations, he says. Mobile Health has been working to build AI that can help with these issues. The company has launched three different clients this year regarding this solution that have had significant success. For example, one is a government employer in a rural state where access to care is limited. In the first 60 days, the results showed 28% of their at-risk population were engaged in programs that can improve health and save money. Another client is a mid-market company that saw 88% of their at-risk people engaged in four months, says Parker. Digital care can help with health cost issues. It can provide people with an alternative to expensive, difficult to access care which can occur in the community, and it can also help to fix the supply chain problem.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Mobile Health, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Activate Your Human Edge: Leading Brain-Friendly Change in the Age of AI
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski June 04, 2026Recently, a student showed Dossier Harps her resume, saying it was completed using AI. Harps was impressed by the overall inclusions in the resume but noted one serious mistake. In the summary section, the student was said to have 20 years of experience. The problem? The student was only 20 years old. During a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Minneapolis conference, Harps, facilitation manager at LifeLabs Learning, illustrated this story as an example as to how AI needs oversight and guidance for a variety of tasks. “Moments like this remind us that, while AI is powerful, humans still need discernment,” said Harps. “Humans still need judgment, humans still need coaching, and humans still need each other.”Harps also described a recent experience where she was in a pharmacy and customers waiting in a long line started to express discontent with the employees handling the checkout procedure. This made her think of incivility in the workplace, which has increased since 2020. This may be due to many individuals experiencing more stress, uncertainty, and emotional exhaustion which in turn can lead to empathy and patience eroding, says Harps. “So, when people ask me in my work, am I scared of AI, my answer is no,” said Harps. “I am not nervous about AI, I am nervous about incivility.”However, AI can cause discomfort and uncertainty for many individuals. For example, employees who have been doing their job for years without the help of AI and ultimately have to start using AI may feel discomfort and be unsure as to the direction they’re headed. “It could feel really scary, because when the way that we work changes, our sense of confidence, control, and our competence can get disrupted,” she said. Dossier Harps, facilitation manager at LifeLabs Learning, led the thought leadership spotlight in MinneapolisHarps discussed a concept offered by Robert Katz, a leadership researcher, which is a three skills approach to effective leadership which includes technical skills, human skills, and conceptual skills. Technical skills are what you know how to do, human skills are how you work with people, and conceptual skills are how you think strategically. Many organizations are focusing on technical AI skills, which are important, however, there needs to be more focus on human skills and conceptual skills and how they pertain to AI, she says. “We have to have the human skills, such as communicating influentially, understanding how different people learn and process, giving feedback, having courageous conversations when you notice emotional stress or incivility in your teams, building psychological safety and coaching people through uncertainty,” said Harps. “And conceptual skills are about seeing the bigger picture, like pattern recognition, systems thinking, and change implementation,” she continued.As with the seven stages of grief, an adaptation of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages of grief, this concept can also apply in similar form to workplace change. Not everyone will be within the same stage and individuals in the workplace may be in different generations, have different ways of learning, and different experiences with technology. Trust is also a major component for organizations to consider. “Companies forget to acknowledge the emotions that build or break trust,” said Harps. “The major tenants of trust are credibility, reliability, and psychological safety and trust becomes especially important during times of uncertainty and change.”The first component of trust is credibility, and individuals want to know if the leader is competent to lead them through change. Next is reliability and can you depend on that person. In addition, psychological safety is also important with trust and individuals want to be able to ask questions and be honest with the leaders in their organizations. “So, once we understand the emotional side of change and the importance of trust, the next question is how do leaders practice this in real life?” said Harps.Being a great leader isn’t just about being a good person and that’s all. A great leader has to be intentional, deliberate, and exhibit mindful behaviors and actions. “Great leadership happens on purpose,” she said.Harps describes a model they teach at LifeLabs Learning called CAMPS, which is based on the concept that the brain constantly scans for threats or rewards. Under the CAMPS model, the features include certainty, autonomy, meaning, progress, and social inclusion. “What I love about this framework is that it reminds us that understanding and addressing the human experience is the greatest differentiator in the age of AI,” said Harps. As individuals navigate AI and uncover how this technology will evolve in the years that follow, keeping one factor in mind along the way is essential. “I do believe that the most underrated leadership skill in the age of AI is the ability to inspire hope.”“People are searching for something deeply human to hold on to, which is truth and hope,” continued Harps. “The truth is things are changing, and things will continue to change, and we have to evolve and change with the times to be prepared for the future of work, but hope says we can learn, we can adapt, we can grow, we can move forward, and that is the real human edge in the age of AI. It’s not just mastering the new technology, but leading people through uncertainty and confusion with compassion, trust, and hope.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, LifeLabs Learning, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Why Delegation Breaks Down and What It Takes to Build Accountability at Scale
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski May 28, 2026Delegation sits at the center of how managers create clarity, ownership, and accountability in the flow of work. It’s vital that leaders know how to delegate tasks to their team members and do so as often as possible.Kelli Wingo, facilitator at ThinkHuman, shared how to build accountability on the frontline teams by delegating effectively during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s May virtual conference.It’s not uncommon for people to take on tasks they should have delegated, only to have those tasks take longer than expected. As they work through them, they often find themselves thinking about other, more valuable ways they could be spending their time. “As you are learning how to better support and develop frontline workforce and tools, training, investment, and engagement are all great, so keep doing them,” said Wingo. “But tools, training, investment and engagement are only effective if they are in service to how a leader can create accountability in the flow of work.”There are three key things that delegation makes possible for you as a leader. First, you as a leader create a vision for the team. “The second thing is to orchestrate a team that is successful and empowered in achieving its goals,” said Wingo. “When we’re doing what we’re capable of doing, that is so much greater than just doing what we’re told to do,” said Wingo. The third key benefit of delegation is that it enables your team to do more with less.What Prevents Leaders From Delegating?Kelli Wingo, facilitator at ThinkHuman, led the virtual session about delegation and accountability (company photo)Most of us understand the mechanics of delegation and accountability, so what’s holding us back? There are some blocks that prevent individuals from delegating. Some leaders feel they can do the task better themselves. Wingo shared how this mindset can be overcome.“One way of looking at this is it’s an opportunity for growth or care, to invest in your team members,” said Wingo. “If your team members see that you are really invested in their growth, their professional growth, getting them into their stretch zone, then a certain level of respect comes from that,” said Wingo.When leaders want all the shine and recognition, they can begin to see their team’s successes as their own, said Wingo. This is where the leader steps into a coach role and helps their team grow. Leaders also may resist admitting they are wrong, which can become a barrier to effective delegation. This comes back to the importance of responsibility and accountability. Acknowledging and understanding these blocks can help us with a mindset shift. “So we want to go from I can do it faster and better myself, to my job is to help the people around me rise,” said Wingo.The Delegation ProcessThere are a few steps in the delegation process. First, clarify the task that needs to be completed. From a longer list, narrow it down to the top three to five tasks to delegate. As a leader, your role is to set the vision and have your team execute. Next, decide who on your team should own each task. It’s also important to step back and assess whether all tasks are truly necessary or if some have continued simply out of habit or routine.And once you delegate tasks to your team, you don’t want to just hand off the task list and then leave it at that. You want to have specific timelines, check-ins, and other safeguards in place to ensure that your team members execute each task in a proper, timely manner. Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, ThinkHuman, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.(Photo by Cecilie_Arcurs/iStock)
Blow Your System Up—Optimistically
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski May 19, 2026AI resistance isn't always about the tool, it’s about what the tool touches. Work is personal. Your accomplishments reflect real effort and real problem-solving. When AI enters the picture, people worry that what they built, and how they built it, might no longer matter.“That work means something,” said Rebecca Warren, senior director, talent centered transformation, at Eightfold, during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Live Seattle conference.It’s a fear a lot of people share: if AI can do my job, what does that mean for me? But the real truth is that the work moved. The skills didn’t disappear, but they in fact became foundational and moved underneath the AI strategy, says Warren. “AI shows up and it gets the credit or it gets the blame,” said Warren.Rebecca Warren, senior director of talent centered transformation at Eightfold, led the session “We say we want transformation, but then we defend the exact shape of the work that created the problems we’re trying to solve,” Warren said. “AI is not the transformation. It’s the moment of truth for whether your organization is actually built to, and ready to, transform, she says. Warren shared a “don’t pave cowpaths” example. Cows follow the same paths by habit and not because it’s the best route. Someone eventually comes along and paves the road that was traveled by habit. As a result, the bad route is permanent. “That’s what a lot of organizations are doing with AI,” said Warren. “They’re taking messy workflows, too many approvals, broken handoffs, duplicated work, and unnecessary meetings, and instead of asking, ‘Should they exist at all?’ they ask, ‘How do we automate it?’ ‘How do we make it faster?’ We just paved the cowpath. Faster wrong is still wrong.”“AI needs to force the question, ‘Why are we doing it this way?’” said Warren. “Don’t pave cowpaths, redesign the terrain.” Transformation is about what work survives. “Not everything is broken and not everything new is better, but the key is knowing the difference,” Warren said. It’s important to know when AI should be part of the conversation and when a human component is needed. For example, AI can handle administrative tasks, but there are times when human decision-making is essential, especially when ethics, trust, and nuance are involved. That’s where human judgment truly matters.In order for trust to occur, transparency must be present. People have to understand what’s changing and why. Without this, people build assumptions. “That’s why this is hard, and honestly, that’s good,” said Warren. “It should be hard because we’re not talking about buying a piece of software, we’re talking about redesigning how work moves, what people do, where to partner with AI, and what to change. That should feel heavy, that should slow you down, because sometimes the fastest way forward is to stop and ask what would need to be true for this to actually work.”It’s important to “slow down, build the guardrails, build the infrastructure, clarify the decision rights, and then move fast, not because caution is weakness, but because speed without design is just faster chaos,” said Warren.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Eightfold, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Stop Chasing AI, Fix Your Content Foundations First
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski April 28, 2026Chasing AI at scale can just as easily create problems at scale. That’s why you need to focus on your content foundations first before putting AI to good use. There is pressure as AI raises expectations, but a clear gap remains: most content foundations were not built to scale. The good news is that this creates an opportunity. With the right foundation in place, AI can deliver on its promise. These topics were explored during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Silicon Valley marketing conference, in a conversation between Misti Vogt, SVP of engagement at Orange Logic, and Kathleen Cameron, senior digital asset operations manager in marketing operations at Google.“Everyone is being pushed to adopt AI faster,” said Vogt. “From your perspective, what do marketing leaders need to understand before they invest further?”Cameron highlighted that the importance of understanding the underlying architecture and making sure those foundations and governance are in place are key components. “You’re going to want to string all of that data together from all of your different tools and that's where you’re going to get a lot of that benefit from those AI tools to get either the analytics or understand how to make those quick changes to those assets to improve performance out in the market,” said Cameron. Without those foundations, you’re making things up as you go without the benefit of the data, Cameron says. As for the difference between an organization that experiments with AI and one that builds the foundation to benefit from it, Cameron says the two can exist in parallel. Experimentation is valuable, but organizations also need to account for regulatory compliance, which requires a more careful approach. You can experiment in a controlled environment and figure out where AI can benefit you. If you don’t have a strategy, look at what your information architecture is.Misti Vogt, SVP of engagement at Orange Logic, spoke with Kathleen Cameron, senior digital assets operations manager, marketing operations at GoogleMeanwhile, there is a strong push to deploy AI widely while personnel budgets are being cut, but information security teams are urging caution, saying it is not ready for broad use yet, Vogt says. That leaves operators stuck in the middle. “So, this is where experimentation and creating those guardrails allows you to continue to move forward while you're making sure that the security team has all the information they need to feel comfortable,” said Vogt.“I think we’re all feeling the friction of the tools evolving so quickly,” said Cameron. “I’ve had the experience of tools changing throughout my career, but not at this speed. And we want to embrace new tech, and I think we just need to do it more responsibly and thoughtfully,” she said. When people come to Vogt with questions about AI, she first asks what problem they are trying to solve. Once that is clear, the path forward becomes more focused and manageable.How Content Is Created and ManagedAs for what assumptions marketing teams should rethink, particularly around how they create and manage content, Cameron says the way content is produced is changing rapidly. It is important to examine every component, including copy, video, and photography.She emphasized the need for caution, especially when it comes to existing agreements and rights holders, in order to protect the brand and its reputation. Teams also need to stay alert to new regulations as they emerge.“Every piece of content that exists for your business should understand when it was created, why it was created, how much it cost to create, which teams engaged with it, how it went to market, and how it was recomposed,” agreed Vogt. “Throughout the entire content journey, there’s a lot of value there, regardless of the audience or channel,” said Vogt. “Localization is a big one. I think everyone in this room has some kind of localization effort underway, and many are working with third-party localization agencies, but the rules are pretty similar. As long as we track those rules and can dynamically compose the elements, it starts to streamline the process and allows creatives to do what they love to do, which is be creative.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Orange Logic, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
How to Support Employees Through Rapidly Changing Times: Top HR Priorities
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski April 27, 2026When priorities shift, structures evolve, or new expectations take hold, employees are often left figuring out what to do first and how to keep up. That’s where HR can make the difference, helping turn uncertainty into something people can actually navigate.Janine Yancey, founder and CEO of Emtrain, an online compliance and culture training with workforce analytics company, provided insight on this topic during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Silicon Valley conference. She offered insight into four distinct ways that HR professionals can help their team adjust to rapidly changing times. Business transformation, especially when technology begins to automate roles once handled entirely by people, forces employees to adapt quickly. At the same time, HR leaders are navigating a mix of new workforce technologies, reorganizations and reductions in force, gaps in management skills, and growing pressure on culture and engagement.The Top HR PrioritiesNew technology is the first top HR priority, especially with AI. As more companies utilize AI, it’s important to ensure your team is proficient with AI tools and determine what the work ratio looks like and what the outcomes are. Go to other departments and teams to shadow, assist, and observe what’s going on in these other teams.Once you feel confident that your team is proficient with the new technology, the next step is to see how the employee roles might shift, says Yancey. “My recommendation is to be proactive,” she said. Yancey recommends that HR leaders assess what their teams can do differently with new technology in place, then evaluate each role to redesign the organization accordingly and bring that plan proactively to the C-suite. “For decades, HR leaders have been wanting to be the true business partner to the executives,” said Yancey. “And there is no year like this year that gives us all an opportunity to do that.”The next priority is to understand the capabilities of your managers—they’re the glue that basically holds the organization together, says Yancey. “Can the managers lead a diverse, multigenerational team?” asked Yancey. “Do they know how to develop? Do they know how to coach?”Managers who appear to have the strongest leadership skills, based on employee feedback, are often those with the fewest compliance issues. Strengthening these outcomes can be supported through targeted management training.Janine Yancey, founder and CEO of Emtrain, led the sessionManagement training can also help leaders more accurately identify compliance issues and address them effectively with their teams. As organizations invest in management and leadership development, the focus should be on both measuring and building leadership capabilities so managers, leaders, and individual contributors can operate in the most productive and effective way possible, she says.It’s important to try to ask periodic questions in annual management and compliance training. Ask people what’s happening on their teams and map the employee sentiment to behaviors and teams. This will help you know what’s really going on among the teams.Finally, a culture of respect often requires additional attention during periods of business transformation. It’s important to be intentional about integrating programs so they work together in a more holistic way. For example, initiatives like annual culture surveys, leader and manager training, and coaching and development should be viewed as part of a connected system that provides a clearer picture of what’s really happening across the organization, says Yancey. It’s also essential to use data to identify which managers need the most support. With better insights, HR leaders can be more strategic about where they focus their time and effort, ultimately driving stronger outcomes.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Emtrain, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight.Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
It’s Time for Disruption: Why Caregiving and Backup Care Programs Are Breaking Down
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski April 16, 2026Family care needs aren’t just occasional. Many employees are ongoing caregivers for children, parents, or other relatives. When support falls short, stress rises and PTO gets stretched. So why does backup care break down, and how can employers fix it?This was the topic of discussion at a From Day One webinar titled, “It’s Time for Disruption: Why Caregiving and Backup Care Programs Are Breaking Down,” led by Jess Brown, vice president of marketing for Cariloop.Employers are turning to solutions such as Cariloop, an employer-sponsored caregiving benefit that helps to provide solutions for working parents and caregivers, and other avenues that help caregiving employees with their multifaceted needs. Caregiving Support IssuesDee Brown, TV personality, freelance reporter, and session moderator, stated that the system isn’t working the way that we had hoped it would. “73% of the workforce is caring for someone and nearly half say finding last minute care is very difficult. Additionally, 48% of employers offer caregiving support but only 36% offer backup child care,” said Dee Brown. As a caregiver, she can relate to the need for caregiving options all too well. The state of caregiving is a multifaceted problem and system under intense pressure due to an increased demand and lessened supply, says Jess Brown. She stated there are two types of caregiving supply including family caregivers and professional caregivers. Family caregivers are individuals caring for their family members and this has a direct impact on employment as these individuals are often pursuing a full-time job while handling caregiving duties. Professional caregivers for adult care have been facing shortages and 48 states have reported shortages, according to AARP. “More professionals are leaving the field than are entering the field,” said Jess Brown. Jess Brown is the VP of marketing at Cariloop, a comprehensive caregiving solution for employees (company photo)“The good news is that data is showing us that new licensed child care centers are slowly coming back and rebuilding a little bit year over year,” said Jess Brown. However, waitlists are an issue for parents seeking child care centers and there is an average of 6 months to 2 years on a waitlist. In addition, the cost issue is problematic as well since higher demand than supply equals higher cost, she says.Beyond caring for children, many people aren’t prepared to care for aging parents, making it a daunting responsibility that employers should take seriously.There have been changes in workforce participation in the past few years, says Jess Brown. Women’s workforce participation rates have reduced whereas men’s have started to slightly increase. This may be due to women opting out of the workforce or not being able to work due to caregiving duties.Employers should pay close attention to employees’ caregiving responsibilities, as added stress can impact productivity and drive costs tied to absenteeism and turnover. Care demands can lead to leaves of absence, burnout, mental health challenges, and exhaustion.There are also early signs of backup care breaking down. Employees dealing with issues at home may be distracted at work and more prone to burnout. More visible signals include missed work, increased claims related to family needs, and employees leaving the workforce altogether, says Jess Brown.Why Caregiving Support Benefits Matter There are three core areas of caregiving benefits. The first is backup care, an employer-subsidized benefit that provides temporary solutions when regular care falls through, helping reduce unplanned time away from work. The second is caregiver support, which addresses broader challenges across all life stages, from navigating a parent’s new health diagnosis to finding child care. Lastly, caregiving benefits can include access to discounts and resources, such as marketplaces and child care centers.Traditional backup care models often fall short because, while they help employees search for care, supply is limited, says Jess Brown. The provider networks employers select may also not meet the specific needs of employees and their families. In addition, she said, “we need to invest in programs where 100% of the dollars allocated to sponsoring caregiving costs go directly to the care provider.”Return on investment is an important consideration with caregiving benefits. It includes soft ROI, such as reducing stress that can lead to health issues for employees, and hard ROI, such as measurable improvements in clinical outcomes. Dollar-for-dollar savings should also be part of the equation, says Jess Brown.As for how employers should get started considering the impact of caregiving benefits, they can compare leave claims between those who used caregiving benefits and those who didn’t. Survey data can also be consulted to come up with information regarding caregiving benefits and unplanned leave. The best way for employers to evaluate new or updated caregiving programs is to take advantage of their benefit consultants and ask the right questions regarding planned investments and desired returns.Providing the Benefits That Matter MostWhen asked how these benefits can be used when they matter most, Jess Brown emphasized the need for strong promotion. Employees can’t use programs they don’t know about, and access must be quick and seamless.For organizations new to caregiving benefits, impact can be measured through cost savings if a program is already in place, or by tracking reductions in missed work if one is not. Surveys and year-over-year analysis can also provide insight, she says. Companies that get these programs right tend to see stronger retention. Success often comes from refining offerings to fit both employee needs and budget, sometimes even resulting in cost savings.Jess Brown also noted a disconnect that can exist between the care networks offered and what’s actually available or comfortable for employees to use. In some cases, people don’t even identify themselves as caregivers, which limits uptake.Finally, she stressed that caregiving challenges aren’t solved overnight. Employers need to invest in support and be patient in seeing results. Employee sentiment can be tracked through engagement surveys and qualitative feedback, alongside honest, transparent communication.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Cariloop, for sponsoring this webinar. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.(Photo by jacoblund/iStock)
How AI Can Help Identify the Right Skills and Build Stronger Teams
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski March 30, 2026Building a strong business starts with assembling the right team and delivering a thoughtful, effective hiring process. As AI and related technologies rapidly evolve, they are becoming an increasingly common part of how companies approach talent acquisition.Tim Wesson, SVP of global talent acquisition at IQVIA, spoke with moderator Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, business reporter at the Seattle Times, about AI and how it can be used to create strong, long-lasting teams in the workforce during a fireside chat at From Day One’s March virtual conference. With a background in sales and sales management, Wesson eventually found his way to the talent acquisition field. Now, with eight years at IQVIA, Wesson has firmly settled into his role at the corporation that provides many vital services.“Our mission really is to accelerate innovation for a healthier world, and we do so by leveraging our domain expertise, our tech, our data and analytics, bringing it all together to innovate,” said Wesson.How the Pandemic Changed HiringWhen discussing how Covid reshaped hiring, Wesson noted that the virtual hiring practices that emerged during the pandemic are still widely used today. He also pointed to greater flexibility in career paths and the expanded use of technology, including AI, as lasting shifts that continue to shape hiring.Tim Wesson of IQVIA shared insights on TA during the session (photo by From Day One)When asked what challenges exist today, Wesson stated that having to do more or even the same with less is often a challenging feat. Budgets are usually tight and that has been amplified throughout the past years, which puts pressure on talent acquisition. There’s also a large increase in applicants for the various roles. “I think, primarily because there’s not as many roles, but also AI is certainly helping facilitate people to apply to roles,” said Wesson. “And so you just have this massive amount of applicants that are coming in on a day-to-day basis.”Some of the applications coming in aren’t from actual candidates and this leads to an increase in the number of applications the talent acquisition team has to go through to find the right person to hire for the job role, he says. How a Company Can Attract TalentAs for how a company can remain attractive to talent, “I wouldn’t say there’s this new playbook that you have to write in order to remain attractive. I think it’s still about knowing what’s important to the people in the various talent pools that we recruit in and then taking a tailored approach to that individual.”There are more than 2,000 different job profiles at IQVIA, ranging from clinical roles to tech roles, and everything in between, he says. Therefore, the approach must be tailored to reach those individuals in all the different job roles. The recruiters need to be well-versed in the roles that they’re hiring for, know how to provide meaningful information to the candidate, and run a well-constructed interview process. Most importantly, they must have good communication with the candidate throughout the hiring process. In addition to offering a competitive salary and attractive benefits, Wesson said that it’s also important to provide flexibility, learning and development, and career growth opportunities. Overall, it’s vital to know what’s important to the candidate and focus on those areas, which will help increase the attractiveness of the job opportunity. The needs of potential hires also vary from a generational standpoint. “Certainly, stability is very important, and flexibility is important for Gen Z and millennials. I would also say meaningful work is very important. Probably more important, I think, to the Gen Z group than the others.” For IQVIA, which has a global presence, Wesson says the fundamentals of talent acquisition don’t really change. However, you have to be aware of certain factors, such as cultural nuances, laws and regulations, and social platforms. When recruiting in different countries, you should be knowledgeable of the various cultures. Some companies have recruiters all over the globe, which makes it easier to hire with this type of consideration in mind.With that said, hiring managers do sometimes have to interact with candidates outside of their country. “What we’re running into is hiring managers, say, in the US, having to interview and interact with candidates in other countries, and they’re not used to how you go about interacting, interviewing, etc. So, in the last year or so, we had to put together playbooks for hiring managers, educating them on those cultural nuances and kind of setting their expectations as it relates to interviewing people in other parts of the world.”AI and Hiring DecisionsAI plays a role at multiple stages of the hiring process, Wesson says, particularly in the early phases of recruitment, where it helps shape messaging that attracts candidates.“In regard to finding talent, creating those talent pools, we’re also using it to assist us in assessing a candidate’s experience or level of skills. So that’s where it’s primarily being used,” said Wesson.Wesson continued that AI is also used to review the skills that currently exist with their employee base for internal mobility purposes.Looking ahead, Wesson said he’s watching how organizations will evolve in allowing talent acquisition teams to use AI, and to what extent. With recent lawsuits involving AI tools making headlines, the path forward may depend in part on how those cases are resolved and how companies use the outcomes to guide their approach.There may also be some employees who are resistant to using AI and other similar technology tools. “I think the change management piece is really important, as far as really helping people understand the reasoning behind the tool, whether it’s AI or not AI, or why you decided to use it, how it fits the expectations around using it, the training and support after it gets rolled out, and understanding that people are going to be somewhat resistant to change,” he said. “You have to account for that.”Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photo by NongAsimo/iStock)
What Makes a Company Totally Rewarding to Work For
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski March 23, 2026The role of chief heart officer may not be a job title you come across in business every day. While rare in name, it’s powerful in impact, keeping employees connected and turning a company into a place worth showing up for.Claude Silver, chief heart officer at VaynerX and author of Be Yourself at Work, spoke about her book and how she’s helping employees show up as themselves at work during a fireside chat at From Day One’s NYC benefits conference.When the CEO of VaynerMedia asked Silver to be the chief heart officer at VaynerX, she had three questions about the job position, including what her role would be in an HR department setting, what they are building there, and how to know if she’s successful. As for what they’re building at VaynerX, “He said, we’re building the single greatest human organization in the history of time,” said Silver. And when it comes to knowing when she’s successful, CEO Gary Vaynerchuk told her that she would impact every single human being while deploying empathy throughout the offices.“Deploying empathy is pretty ambiguous, and it’s pretty massive,” said Silver. “It depends on what empathy means in every given moment, because it’s going to mean something different to you and to you, and so being able to discern that without a lot of subjectivity or bias, is really the job,” she told session moderator Steve Koepp, From Day One’s editor in chief. “It’s also creating and holding space for people, no matter where they are on their journey, with the hopes that we’ll get everyone from here to high performing to here to thriving, whether or not that’s in our four walls,” said Silver.When it was time to draft a job description, Silver included the usual important components such as empathy, elaboration, imagination, and creativity, but also added in other key components including trust, psychological safety, and belonging but concentrating on factors such as talent, talent retention, and performance.“Everything in this job description is still housed in empathy, psychological safety, all of those things that are just natural to me and natural to many of us, but it’s really geared on finding the needle in the haystack and making sure that we are retaining those needles in haystacks,” she said. Silver shared insights from her book, Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart, during the fireside chat in NYC When asked about the philosophy of her book, Silver shared that it’s a call to individuals to know who they are and what they offer. “What I’m saying is find yourself. You are in charge of yourself. You’re the CEO of yourself, and so through your own self-awareness journey, whether or not that starts today, yesterday, or on your last day on earth, begin that journey so that you can get to know yourself and know what your triggers are and where your limits are,” said Silver.“The premise of the book is you deserve to be comfortable with yourself and to share yourself in any environment that you’re in,” said Silver. “I think we’ve been conditioned to think that others can change our behavior, but no one can change your behavior other than you, and so that’s really what it's all about.”“I don’t subscribe to bringing your whole self to work, I really don't,” said Silver. “You figure out what part you want to bring, and hopefully it’s a part that you enjoy and that others might get a kick out of.”How Leaders Can HelpWhen asked about how team leaders can meet the employees’ needs, Silver discussed Maslow’s hierarchy of needs in connection with what HR professionals should keep in mind with their teams. It’s important to individuals that they have their needs met, including the physiological needs, psychological needs, and eventually self-actualization. When putting this into effect in the workplace, it’s important to look at how team leaders can help their employees and how employees can respond to this assistance. Also, how can people in a work environment be their whole selves yet have boundaries and how can the team leaders best work with these individuals?“I think the key there is the culture and the leaders and managers—how can they become more human? How can they be more empathetic, caring, and compassionate?” When managers and leaders show their human qualities, they can reach their team and show them they’re supported, she says. Supporting GrowthMost employees want to grow and evolve in their job roles and with the overall company they work for. So, how can team leaders make this possible?Silver highlighted that at her company they often use a simple phrase, “Yes and…” This could mean ‘yes, that’s a possibility’ or ‘yes, we’ve looked at something and know we can provide certain things for our employees.’ A growth mindset really means being open to possibility. One solution won’t work for all employees, but you also can’t do something specific for each individual employee. It has to be something in the middle that works. “We’re not going to be able to retain our folks, our great people, and especially this younger generation, [if we’re leading with a] ‘no.’ So, let’s see what's possible. We can’t promise, but let’s see what’s possible.”Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
The Competitive Advantage of Unlearning: Why Workforce Development Fails Without It
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski March 17, 2026Continual learning is a necessity, but you can’t adequately learn the new things you need without unlearning the things you don’t. When you fail to unlearn, workforce development will fail.Stephanie Shuler, chief people officer at LifeLabs Learning, discussed this topic during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s February virtual conference. She shared insights on the topic, “The Competitive Advantage of Unlearning: Why Workforce Development Fails Without It.”“This concept of unlearning is really interesting and important to me, because underneath all of our L&D and workforce investments, there’s this quiet failure that we really don’t talk enough about,” said Shuler. “We’re in this age right now where we’ve maybe never had as much learning coming at us at one time, more platforms, more certifications, leadership programs, sprints and academies, and yet, the behavior inside a lot of our organizations does not appear to be changing or having lasting, meaningful change at the same speed that our strategy expects or demands.”Additional pressures result from the influx of AI offerings and learning and development become more skill-based with little regard for behavioral conditions that are important to make these skills stick. “In order to have transformation, you need not just for skills to be learned, but for them to stick and be adopted,” she said. “The issue is not whether people know how to do it, or whether there’s enough training, it’s about whether we’re able to recognize the skills and norms that we’re not training on, and those are the skills and norms that no longer serve us as an organization,” she said. “Do we have the courage to stop doing what once worked, even if it creates friction?”Additions and Subtractions in L&DProblems arise when strategies are revised faster than the systems and norms that support them. New learning often builds on old foundations, optimized for the past rather than the future. Learning alone adds knowledge, but true transformation requires both addition and subtraction.Stephanie Shuler, CPO at LifeLabs Learning, led the virual session (company photo)A company can deliver an engaging, informative workshop, yet if the results don’t materialize or fail to create impact, the training may be judged ineffective. In reality, the old learning wasn’t unlearned, preventing the new knowledge from taking hold. “Unlearning is not just simply a mindset, it’s really a system skill,” said Shuler. “You can learn new skills, but you can’t translate those new skills into sustained behavior until you’ve acknowledged what is no longer going to serve you,” she said. There must be performance expectations up front along with feedback systems and recognitions for a managed transition. Additionally, traditional training can stall because the behaviors and systems are contradicting themselves. In addition to training, there must be transformation. Shuler used the example of AI. Companies are training their teams on AI concepts, but even though the training is completed, there must be additional layers to ensure the best possible outcome of the training completion. “Teams are using AI and they’re drafting faster, but then they’re going back to the same processes and the same workflows and standards, so you don’t really get any fundamental shifts from that.”Before launching a learning and development program, it’s crucial to examine the metrics that matter. Ask what drives career growth and what motivates performance so your programs align with real impact. Focus on what will actually stick. “The goal is going to be whether or not the skills are going to show up in how people work, especially when pressure hits,” said Shuler. “If it’s not repeatable, then it’s not going to stick, and if it doesn’t stick, it's not going to drive change.”Workshops are going to help reinforce new ideas, but it’s the systems that decide if the new ideas succeed and are put into motion. “It goes beyond training and the workshops, it goes toward design and culture questions that L&D absolutely should be a part of.”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, LifeLabs Learning, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photo by BeritK/iStock)
Finally, Leadership Development at Scale: Equipping Every Manager With an AI Personal Trainer
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski March 06, 2026Fostering team engagement and a positive work culture starts with empowering managers. Standard training often falls short, which is why personalized AI-driven programs for each manager are key to driving real impact in employee engagement and team development.Jennifer Dulski, CEO and founder of Rising Team, highlighted how personalized AI training can help managers and their teams during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Washington, D.C. conference. “The great news is that with AI, we now can finally do this,” said Dulski. “We can give every single manager a personalized plan that’s targeted to their own needs and context. We can give them consistent practice over time.”This is what Rising Team’s training accomplishes with its AI personal leadership trainer, aRTi. “It essentially takes every manager, gives them a personal leadership trainer, creates a plan based on intake of what they need, which is also customizable,” Dulski said. The training features a wide array of activities, such as one-on-one practice and skill learning as well as team building that’s personalized to fit the needs of each manager.aRTi starts the training by asking a variety of intake questions involving topics such as number of direct reports, years as a manager, managing duty that is easiest to perform, and overall goal of employee training, says Dulski. The manager is then asked how much training time is requested and the AI trainer creates a growth plan that the manager can follow exactly or alter if they choose to do so.Jennifer Dulski, CEO and founder of Rising Team, led the session in D.C.Over time, the AI gets to know the manager and the training preferences. The training sessions can be added to the manager’s calendar, and aRTi will even practice training scenarios with the manager. “So the scenario I picked is I need to tell Ted that I’m giving him a lower rating on his performance review than he gave in his self-rating, involving all kinds of hard situations, like I need to tell him he’s not getting promoted when he expected a promotion, or if I’m managing up and I want to ask my manager how do I get on track for a promotion,” said Dulski. “All of these conversations can be practiced here.”Dulski practiced the scenario with the AI system for the audience and showed how the role play session can help managers practice their conversation before putting it into motion. aRTi will prompt the user to improve their conversation, if needed, and provide a score and tips on how to improve in future conversations. The score is based on effectiveness of achieving the objective, clarity in doing so, and empathy used along the way. aRTi then recommends phrasing to use and a plan for future conversations.The next step is putting aRTi to work with your team via live practice sessions. “That’s another part of this process, and it gets all kinds of insights about the team that managers just wouldn’t get on their own because they don’t know what questions to ask,” Dulski said. “We get everyone’s strengths and we know what makes people want to jump out of bed in the morning,” she said. “I know how to put people on projects, and we know exactly how each person likes to receive feedback.”With the help of aRTi, going through these training sessions provides managers with insights as to how employees want to receive feedback, encouragement, and appreciation.“All of this comes together into giving every single manager a personalized leadership trainer, coach, role play partner, and team building facilitator and the amazing thing is it works,” stated Dulski. “The data is super clear on this and within six months, you’re getting massive, statistically significant lifts on manager effectiveness.”And when a manager is effective their team members feel valued and heard, which can lead to improved productivity and retention within an organization.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Rising Team, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
How to Harness the Power of AI to Make Your Life (and Work) Better
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski February 19, 2026People may use AI for work or personal purposes, but it can also enhance both areas of daily life. As part of a human-machine partnership, it’s important to understand how to use AI effectively in both professional and personal settings.Celia Quillian, author of AI For Life and director of AI and growth on the innovation team at Greenlight, spoke about just this during a fireside chat at From Day One’s Atlanta marketing conference. Having worked at Greenlight for the past five years, a company that started off as a debit card for kids but has since expanded to a family tech space, Quillian’s role was primarily in the product marketing landscape but she now works in additional areas, including an innovation space for new products as well as an AI enablement focus. Her appreciation and interest in AI began in 2022 when she started navigating through AI on her personal time to learn more about this relatively new technology tool, she told moderator Steve Koepp, From Day One co-founder and editor in chief. “I remember thinking, everything is going to change and people have no idea,” Quillian said. “They’ll be pulling their phone out at parties saying, ‘Have you seen this yet? Try this. Look at what it can do,’” she said. “That inspired me to start my Smart Work AI channel, where I teach people about what I’m learning and what’s happening with AI.” Her devotion to understanding AI and its future implications even prompted her to write her book.Quillian signed complimentary copies of her book, AI for Life: 100+ Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence to Make Your Life Easier, More Productive…and More Fun!, for session attendees At the time, there were many AI books on the market, but all very technical, she says. “Many of them were only about the business use case, there was nothing for the average everyday consumer or just everyday worker.”“My thought is that it’s not as motivating to adopt a new tool if it’s just for work and you’re being told to do it. But if you can find personal value in how you can unlock things for yourself using a tool, maybe you’re going to start experimenting with it more,” she said. “Maybe you'll find more use cases. And so, the book, I’m hoping, unlocks that for a lot of people.”To Quillian, there’s value in using AI in both work and personal circumstances, not just one or the other. “You might learn something at work that it can do and go, hey, I wonder if I can apply this to my home life and vice versa,” she said. “That’s certainly what I did.”Think of your AI as a collaborator–-just not a human one. Understanding its limitations is key to using it wisely, she says. “Expertise is not going away, and it should not go away in the context of AI. That human experience that you have, the training and knowledge that you have developed over your career, you have more context than it will ever have,” said Quillian. “You can use it as a starting point, but bringing yourself into that human-in-the-loop moment is important.”The Best Use Cases, So FarIn her personal life, Quillian says ChatGPT has helped her plan a vacation by providing her with ideas as to where she could travel in the United States that had a variety of features she was looking for in a destination. It helped plan the vacation for her and even built out an itinerary. “I was able to plan a vacation that ended up being one of our favorite trips that we've ever done,” she said. Another AI success for Quillian came when she learned to use Claude and built three applications. The experience left her excited and empowered about AI.However, it’s important to recognize AI’s limitations, including the risks of hallucinations and generating fanciful or inaccurate content. “Hallucinations is a term when an AI very confidently says something that is not true or includes some information that’s a little lacking in some human logic,” she said. That’s where human logic is essential. It’s also important to use prompt layering by feeding AI a series of prompts instead of relying on a single question and answer, she says. AI can handle multiple prompts, help with drafts and outlines, and generate several versions of a document. She also recommends using specific words, action verbs, and using AI for brainstorming purposes. You can also use tools to make correspondence sound better, be more diplomatic, and still get the point across to the reader.You can ask ChatGPT or other AI platforms to rephrase and soften messages so they may be received better by the recipient. You can ask, ‘How do I express myself in a facts-only way and not emotionally?’ “AI can take that and do it for you immediately, without any friction, and over time, you will get better at writing those emails yourself as well, if you collaborate with it that way.”From a marketing standpoint, Quillian points out ways AI can help boost creativity. It can be used to brainstorm ideas and help with various aspects of the entire campaign. As for where AI is headed in the future, Quillian used her experience with Claude Code as an example and stated we may be moving into a time where people start to build their own personal applications more frequently, relying less on direct-to-consumer apps even. “We’re moving into a world where you’re not just prompting AI. The AI is prompting you.”Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.
How HR Can Be a Strategic Partner in a Culture of Compassion and Accountability
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski February 13, 2026In any business, it’s not only important to attract future employees, but to retain them for years to come. To do so, it takes many pieces of the puzzle to come together and make this goal a reality.Alison Smith, chief HR officer at Piedmont Healthcare, spoke about this with moderator Andy Miller, founder and editor of Georgia Health News, during a fireside chat at From Day One’s Atlanta conference. Smith highlighted various ways that HR teams can help to nurture compassion and accountability, especially in the area of healthcare. Smith pivoted to the healthcare industry from a previous role at Publix and quickly noticed the contrast between retail grocery and healthcare. In healthcare, the stakes are literally life and death, and she values how patient care makes the work both meaningful and complex, with a clear, lasting impact.How HR Teams Make Things HappenWhen asked about her goals as chief human resources officer, Smith mentioned how important it was to have a seat at the table where things happen. “It’s really important to be at that table, to have a seat at the executive table, and really be able to strategically lead the organization not just at where it is now, but where it’s going,” she said. It’s important to see what the growth strategy looks like and what human resources can do to encourage this growth, she says. “The other piece with HR is really making sure that you’ve got the talent, both now and what that succession planning piece is, and are you developing the workforce and keeping the workforce so that you're sustainable for the future in the long term.” The Importance of Both Hiring and RetentionA shortage of nurses as it pertains to both attracting and retaining these medical professionals is a big challenge in the healthcare industry today, says Smith. “With this shortage it makes it a little bit more challenging to figure out,” she said.“How are you going to design the workforce and how are you going to design the work to accommodate the fact that there’s just not enough folks to do the work that is needed down the road?” Thus, the focus needs to be on recruiting. When the company recruits, the focus is on the culture and how their employees are ambassadors of the culture. The organization builds relationships with colleges in the area and Smith states that with her prior company the outreach was also extended to high school students as these 17- and 18-year-olds will soon be graduating and considering future careers. Piedmont is hopeful to start doing this type of outreach as well, she says. A crucial part of retaining employees is knowing how they feel. One way to do so is through surveys. “We use the Great Place to Work tool, and we’ve really found that to be helpful,” she said. “We do an annual survey once you’re on that, but we actually do a lot of pulse surveys, too.”Alison Smith, CHRO at Piedmont Healthcare, spoke with Andy Miller, founder and contributing editor, at Georgia Health News, KFF Health News, and HealthbeatSurveys are sent to recently hired employees to understand their hiring and training experience and whether they feel supported. When employees tend to leave around a similar point in time, the HR team analyzes the feedback to identify why and uses those insights to refine recruiting and training.An employee’s relationship with their supervisor can also have a lot to do with retention, says Smith. Although compensation and benefits are extremely important factors, the appreciation of a supervisor towards their employees goes a long way. A “thank you” goes a long way. If the supervisor is supporting their employees, this can play a part in retention.“When you think about retention, that’s why people want to stay,” stated Smith. “They’re working for someone that they believe cares about them, that champions them, that’s invested in their growth, and that, in the end, means a lot more than anything else that you can do.”Getting Company Values AcrossAnother focal point to help recruit and retain is effective branding, which in this case, can mean showing how the company impacts its community. “Piedmont does a great job of trying to help people understand the community impact that it has,” said Smith. “We're a nonprofit, and so we give back a lot to the communities, and we spend a lot of time on trying to understand community needs.”Part of the branding success also relates to telling an authentic story. The Piedmont Promise Story is something the nonprofit does to highlight individuals within various departments of the team. During the weekly executive meetings, a different executive is tasked with telling a Promise Story about someone on the Piedmont team from any department and how they play a part in making the nonprofit a successful entity. Supporting Well-BeingMental health and well-being are another major focus, especially in healthcare. The company provides tools and resources to support team members and encourages them to seek help when they need it.“Having an environment where you’re encouraged to be supported is one of the first steps in creating an environment where people do actually go get the help that they need, because we know that it can be difficult,” Smith said.Compassion and accountability go hand in hand. When employees feel supported, they are more likely to stay with the organization for the long term.Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)