Taking an Enterprising Approach to Building the Tech Workforce of Tomorrow
BY Ade Akin October 23, 2025For Michael Walters, the solution to the current crisis facing the U.S. semiconductor industry, as it's projected to face a 67,000-worker shortage, is to bet big on AI and apprenticeships.For Walters, the chief human resources officer at Samsung Semiconductor, North America, the projected labor shortage shapes every decision he makes regarding the organization’s future.Walters finds himself at the frontlines of the talent war sparked by the current onshoring boom. He sat down with Stephen Koepp, the editor-in-chief and a co-founder of From Day One, for a fireside chat at From Day One’s San Francisco conference, to discuss a wide range of subjects, from the geopolitics of the new Visa rules to the potential of using AI to improve employee wellness. Building a Workforce from the Ground UpSamsung faces monumental challenges as it moves forward with plans to construct a series of gigafactories in Taylor, Texas, a project that will eventually require about 12,000 employees. Each factory will be the size of ten football fields next to each other, and the site in Taylor has space for nine.“About a third of the workforce that’s in semiconductor is over the age of 55,” Walters noted, highlighting the challenge Samsung faces as it looks to staff its new factories. Walter’s solution is to attack the talent pipeline from every angle. The organization needs a range of professionals, from PhD-level engineers to technicians who will operate advanced robotics. Samsung is partnering up with higher learning institutions, like the University of Texas, to help meet its labor force needs. Both organizations are collaborating to create the first-ever master’s degree in semiconductors. Samsung also teams up with community colleges and trade schools to help develop technical talent, including the creation of apprenticeship programs. “We're big believers in apprenticeship programs,” Walters said as he described a pilot Samsung launched with Cristo Rey San Jose Jesuit High School, where most students are prospective first-generation college attendees. “We have five of those students working side by side with our people, essentially serving as interns or apprentices.” These students spend one full day each week during the school year in these roles, a practice Walters views as a direct investment in the local workforce. The Immigration Policy WhiplashWalters also discussed the mixed messaging coming from Washington, D.C., on its immigration policies. The issue is deeply personal for Samsung, given that a significant portion of its workforce is on Visa sponsorships.“There’s probably nothing more critical to their well-being and to the well-being of their families than this issue,” he said. “In the U.S., 70% of students that are pursuing Master’s or PhDs in electrical engineering are foreign students.”Michael Walters, the CHRO of Samsung Semiconductor, spoke with Steve Koepp, From Day One co-founder and editor-in-chiefWalters says the projected 67,000 worker shortage could worsen as it becomes increasingly complex for these students to study or work in the U.S. He notes that while Samsung having a voice in Washington is essential, its visibility must be carefully managed while dealing with a “transactional” administration.AI’s Promise: From Healthcare to Workforce EfficiencyThe AI boom has been a massive tailwind for Samsung, driving demand for its advanced memory chips. Walters is now exploring practical applications of AI for his HR team. He shared how a partnership with the AI platform Avante is already helping employees. “This is an AI platform that can integrate into our internal systems and customize to the employee,” Walters said. “So when the employee logs on, the platform knows who they are. In a very easy-to-use bot system, you know, if we were here and I threw out my back and I wanted to go see a chiropractor, I could easily, through the bot, be able to see within a one-mile radius, who are the chiropractors who would be in network, out of network, what would be the cost of that, and get that all in real time.”Walters views AI as an essential tool for improving employee efficiency and well-being, despite his frustration with vendors who over-promise and under-deliver. He urges employers to stay focused on the basic needs of their employees, amidst the uncertainty caused by mass layoffs and a changing economic outlook. “I don’t think that some of those employee issues that were prevalent during the pandemic have necessarily gone away,” he said. Questions like “Am I going to be able to keep my job?” and “Will I get that promotion?” are still on the minds of many employees, and mental health remains essential. Walters compared his role in HR to that of a support player in team sports who never scores points but is essential to their team’s success, a lesson he learned during his days as a collegiate rugby player. “We’re enablers. We’re making these things happen,” he said. The role of building the human infrastructure for a complex new world has never been more vital for organizations like Samsung at the heart of technological progress. Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by David Coe for From Day One)
Turning Employee Experience into a Recruitment and Retention Strategy
BY Carrie Snider October 20, 2025Employees today face constant change, and organizations feel the pressure to adapt. Traditional approaches to hiring, onboarding, and development are no longer enough to help them keep up. Companies must think strategically about employee experience as a driver of recruitment and retention.At From Day One’s Austin conference, panelists explored how organizations can create meaningful experiences that help employees feel valued, connected, and empowered. Moderated by Kelsey Bradshaw, editor of City Cast Austin, they discussed topics from personalized onboarding and continuous feedback to flexible learning programs and inclusive culture.Redesigning the Employee JourneyWhen panelist David Atkinson joined TriHealth as senior vice president and chief people and culture officer, he faced a major challenge. “We had about 8% of our open positions representing about 8% of our total employee count,” he said. “We had 36 and a half percent new hire turnover.” With more than 1,200 open roles, Atkinson realized the problem wasn’t just hiring. Rather, it was the employee experience from the very start.“Employee experience starts before they even get to the door,” he said. TriHealth reworked its hiring and onboarding process to build connections early. Candidates received personal messages from future teammates, a designated ambassador, and a sense of belonging before day one. Orientation paired new hires with ambassadors and career coaches.Kelsey Bradshaw, editor at City Cast Austin, moderated the panel discussion Atkinson also introduced a framework addressing the “emotional journey” every new employee experiences, including “excitement, doubt, learning, and mastery. Rather than avoiding doubt, TriHealth helped employees work through it. By moving onboarding surveys to the two-week mark and investing more in early days, TriHealth reduced new-hire turnover from 36.5% to under 25% in 18 months—transforming onboarding into a human-centered journey.Turning Listening into ActionAt UnitedHealth Group, employee experience begins with listening—but it doesn’t end there. According to panelist Stephanie Murphy, vice president of people experience: “You don’t understand what’s broken, where there needs to be improvement, or where there are strengths, until you talk and have those conversations—and not just a survey.” With more than 400,000 employees across the organization, her team gathers continuous insights via surveys, internal forums, and passive listening on external platforms.To make feedback constant and inclusive, the company launched its “Always On” program. “Even in a pharmacy with one pharmacist and two techs, there’s a QR code in the break room where people can go scan and share feedback at any point in time,” Murphy said. Employees can speak up whenever they have something to say, not just during formal review cycles.Listening only matters if it leads to change, she added. UnitedHealth sends monthly updates to “close the loop” with employees, sharing actions taken in response to input. The company also crowdsources solutions. “You told us that you really hate this return to office thing,” Murphy said. “Give us solutions to make it better for you.” By putting feedback into employees’ hands, UnitedHealth transforms listening into a shared, ongoing process of improvement and innovation.Continuous Feedback Beyond SurveysPanelist William Soares, vice president of global HR operations at Circana, agreed. “Engagement surveys are only really relevant for about a quarter after you take them,” he said. Besides asking for continuous feedback, the manner of feedback needs to go beyond surveys. Real-time insights require ongoing conversations, roundtables, and virtual check-ins.Being transparent and managing expectations is key, he added. Leaders should communicate what can be addressed immediately versus what must wait. Being open about hearing concerns and how they can’t be implanted at the moment is something employees appreciate, says Soares.Relationship-focused onboarding is another priority. New hires face overwhelming amounts of information, and Soares cautions against expecting instant mastery. “The worst thing you can do is have your new hire drink from a fire hose of what it is that they’re going to have to accomplish,” he said. Instead, he encourages leaders to help employees learn “the WHO” before the “what.”Finally, storytelling reinforces impact. Showing employees where change started, what was implemented, and how it improved outcomes reinforces that their voices matter. Learner-First Approach to TrainingAt Wise, learning and development is built around a learner-first philosophy, recognizing that employees absorb information in different ways. Panelist Joe Phillips, global head of learning and development, shared that learning styles is more important than considering demographics. That’s why Wise offers multiple ways for employees to engage, including reading, watching, listening, and interactive experiences, allowing individuals to choose what works best for them.Phillips emphasized bridging the gap between how employees learn at home and in the workplace. “We want to help people learn. We just want to help bridge the gap, make it feel more familiar to the way they learn at home,” he said. For example, subject matter experts stream short, interactive lessons, and compliance training offers multiple formats, creating a flexible and engaging environment.Wise also experiments with creative incentives to encourage ongoing learning. Employees are recognized through experiential rewards such as lunch with executives, opportunities to work in different offices, or public acknowledgment. Phillips noted, “If the results are what the results are, if we’re hitting the learning objectives that we set out, who cares how we get there? We should be putting people first in that regard.” By focusing on the learner, providing options, and making training relevant.Belonging and Being SeenAt PayPal, panelist Emily Johns emphasized that a positive employee experience fosters a sense of belonging and recognition. “Every time I have positive memories,” she said, “I feel like I belong, and I feel seen.” The opposite is also true—when someone isn’t included, they don’t feel like they belong, and they feel the negative impact.Johns emphasized the importance of responding effectively after listening to employees. “People have shared, they felt listened to, and then nothing happens,” she said. “That feedback loop is so important.” Employees need to see that their input leads to meaningful action, even if immediate change isn’t possible.Creating an environment where employees feel seen also involves everyday interactions. Johns reflects on negative experiences: “When I was talked over, or when I said an idea and somebody then took credit for the idea.” Such moments can undermine connection, while small gestures of acknowledgment foster inclusion and trust.For PayPal, the goal is clear: design experiences where every employee knows they are a valued part of the team. By listening, responding, and cultivating inclusion, the company ensures that employees are seen and they can contribute fully.Employee experience is a continuous, strategic effort spanning every stage of the employee journey. By listening and responding thoughtfully, prioritizing relational connections, offering learning that meets diverse needs, and fostering belonging, organizations create environments where employees thrive.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
How an Iconic Brand Creates Employee Resilience for the Future
BY Katie Chambers October 17, 2025Artificial intelligence. Covid. Civil unrest. Political strife. Cultural reckoning. Environmental disaster. All of these upsets can be associated with just the last five years alone. With so much anxiety and uncertainty, how can organizational leaders help their employees cope? Since stressful disruptions seem to come along every day, Levi Strauss & Co. is taking a proactive approach to building employee resilience. That means preparing its workers for business transformations like AI, but also focusing on the many aspects of wellness: physical, mental, and financial.During a fireside chat at From Day One’s San Francisco conference, Bernard Bedon, EVP and CHRO of the beloved 172-year-old brand discussed how the company stays true to its values of belonging and cultural intelligence, while also maintaining its sense of purpose and commitment to social impact.How to Build a Resilient CultureLevi Strauss & Co. uses its Seen & Heard program to help employees develop cultural competence, says Bedon. This simulcast hybrid conference broadcasts live events from its Singapore, Brussels, and San Francisco headquarters. “For us, it’s a way to tie our entire population together around critical areas that we think are going to help the culture as well as the performance of the organization,” Bedon said. Having these international programs encourages employees to be curious about other cultures and how that knowledge can help them anticipate different dynamics and drive solutions. These honest conversations are important to building resilience in fraught times. “These disruptions that we’re seeing, whether they’re technological, political, you name it, have really broad impact,” said moderator Michal Lev-Ram, contributing editor for Fortune and contributor at CNBC. Bedon says HR can no longer be reactive: “Let’s not just catch people when they fall, which has been the traditional way that HR shows up.” Instead, HR needs to take an active approach to understanding how disruptors are impacting people’s lives, and build a culture to help them work through them before something occurs.Bernard Bedon, EVP and CHRO of Levi Strauss & Company, spoke with journalist Michal Lev-RamThis became particularly pertinent during Covid, when the disruptions just kept coming, from the pandemic itself closing the organization’s physical stores, to the murder of George Floyd, political unrest, California wildfires, and a general lack of faith in institutions. “I said, ‘We can’t respond and catch each of those things. So how do we then help people to catch and respond and participate in how they build up their ability?’” Bedon said. HR’s goal should be to help employees thrive, he says, building resilience through “financial well-being, physical well-being, and mental well-being…with the types of programs and culture that make sense.” That could mean normalizing seeking mental health support by actively advertising those benefits before they’re needed, or encouraging the use of long-term financial savings tools. Benefits should be approached with intention, he says, targeting the right types of options for various employee “personas,” such as early career, the sandwich generation, or those nearing retirement age. Building Upon BelongingBelonging is a key component of Levi’s core values, both with its customers and its staff. “We’ve applied it to how we look at our consumers, and some of our products are the direct result of getting that consumer input,” Bedon said. “The same thing happens with the programs that we have internally from a health and welfare perspective, education, manager training, and leadership. That is the way we get the best outcome and let everyone know their voice matters, and it’s going to drive us all forward.” Organizations should not see DEI as a detriment. “It is not to divide people. Who would say, ‘I don’t want to be included’? We think everyone does, so we try to find a way to get that information to make it better for everybody,” Bedon said. “I remember this conversation 30 years ago, this ‘diversity vs. meritocracy’ split. It was a false dichotomy, but if you buy into it, then you go down the wrong path. And so, for us, it’s: how do you follow the evolution of what’s necessary to do the right work, to get as many people involved as possible?”It can be tricky to create a sense of belonging when the nature of work has changed. “I think part [of it] is going to be listening. Picking up on the signals: What are people divided about? What are people looking for? What’s missing?” Bedon said. HR will also need to stay abreast of how work itself and the subsequent necessary skill sets change, especially those tied to emerging technologies. “Skill-building is a way to build resilience as well. Suppose people feel left behind by advances, left behind by technology, left behind by information. In that case, the resistance comes, and the bitterness comes, and the fear comes,” Bedon said. When it comes to AI, Bedon finds many employees “want help getting started” and have a fear of failure. Both can be mitigated through structured development plans and mentorship opportunities that leave them feeling empowered rather than threatened. A sense of ownership, Bedon says, gives workers the confidence to try new things. “One of the big takeaways: help employees participate in the solution.” Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost, Top Think, and several printed essay collections, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, On New Jersey, and CBS New York.(Photos by David Coe for From Day One)
Inclusive Career Growth: Using Data and Innovation to Empower Today’s Workforce
BY Katie Chambers October 16, 2025Career growth isn’t what it used to be. The classic climb up the ladder has given way to a more dynamic journey, one that might zigzag through different roles, take a lateral turn, or even involve a strategic step back before leaping forward. Today’s employees aren’t just chasing titles. They’re seeking meaningful, personalized development that gives them room to grow with confidence, even when the future feels uncertain. During an executive panel discussion at From Day One’s Austin conference, leaders shared insights around inclusive and innovative career growth. The Importance of Versatility and Advocacy Much of modern career growth can be driven by the individual, with employer support, of course. To encourage employees to develop their versatility and curiosity, Google offers what it calls “20% projects,” allowing workers to spend 20% of their time on something outside of the scope of their role. Joe Davis, head of innovation, development platforms and learning ecosystem for Google.org, Google, benefited from this opportunity. “I went from an operations role in a policy department to suddenly becoming a marketing manager, overseeing three people and a whole global product. Now I’m in a corporate philanthropy arm,” he said. “The lesson here is leaning in, being curious, and figuring it out. Now after 11 years, I’ve got such a wide set of skills.” Carly Brunner, head of learning and development at Cloudflare, encourages employees to get invested in the company’s growth and development, becoming advocates for the organization and for each other while building their own skills and engagement in the process. “We say this a lot to our new hires: ‘If you see something, say something,’ like [in] the New York City subway. We find those that are the most successful at Cloudflare are those that [when they] see something wrong–and it doesn’t matter if it’s within their role or not–they’re going to step in and help,” Brunner said. Employees are also encouraged to advocate for themselves by asking for feedback, which is made available at any time through the organization’s HRIS, not just during review periods. If they don’t know what to ask, that’s just fine, as the company provides a template of questions if an employee can’t think of their own. This way, feedback becomes part of the company’s “employee driven, manager facilitated tools and resources to drive your own growth” Brunner said. Having an individualistic mindset within a team environment, says Ayesha Sattaur, SVP, HR at RWE, is not a bad thing. “[The company is] not anyone’s family. If anything, it’s more like a sports team. Everyone has a role on that team,” she said. “It’s important for people go in with the mindset that, ‘This is what I want to do, and if it’s not working out for me at this company, then it might work out for me at another company.’” A Pathway for Advancement“Every team needs a good team culture,” said moderator Cory Mose, sports reporter and anchor at KVUE. Having a clear roadmap for advancement within the organization can keep employees engaged, motivated, and focused on personal development. “Transparency is the key,” Sattaur said, noting organizations should have clear tracks with stated skills and competencies. Additionally, providing flexibility for employees to advance into different departments internally can boost retention.Organizations that make this information readily available will see greater trust in leadership and better morale among workers, says Patrick McNiel, principal business consultant at Affirmity. That’s because transparency engenders psychological safety. Panelists spoke about "Inclusive Career Growth: Using Data and Innovation to Empower Today’s Workforce"“There has to be that culture where employees feel safe to ask questions, to engage in difficult conversations, [and] to be allowed to make mistakes,” said James Billings, Ph.D., vice provost, academic affairs at National University. Leaders are the ones who should model that behavior, owning up to their mistakes and demonstrating accountability. And employees should be encouraged to recognize one another’s accomplishments. While self-advocacy is crucial, sometimes employees might not be aware of their own latent talents; that’s when managers need to step in. “Your managers have to understand what skills are needed in the organization. That has to be broadcast to the managers [with] programs in place to help them understand,” McNiel said. Managers should be trained how to recognize skill potential in employees and push them to thrive. “It needs to be embedded in the culture for them to be able to do that effectively. A lot of it has to do with skilling up the leadership on how to approach employees and engage with them so that they'll talk to you, so that you can probe and figure out where their edges are, where their gaps are,” he said. Relying on the job description is not enough, Sattaur says. Talking to your employees can help you learn about their skills, plans, and dreams for the future, and how that might align with the organization’s goals. Job advancement can be based in part on this qualitative input from managers, Brunner says, but should also be driven by data derived from quantitative skills assessments and analysis of aggregated feedback. For those employees who might be struggling with next steps, mentorship can offer further engagement and growth, Billings says, encouraging employees to think not only about vertical but lateral moves to find the next right fit. “It can’t just be your next role; it has to be your next skill,” Brunner said. “That is so often where employees get stuck: if it feels like, ‘You’re talking to me about promotion, that’s the next step, but I don’t have control over that as an employee.’”Skill-Building in the AI AgeIn terms of what skills and roles employees should prepare for, with the advent of AI, they should be focused on “human-centric tasks,” Sattaur said. “A lot of automated, repetitive tasks, like reporting, can be done now by AI.” And that’s not a bad thing. Accessible AI tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Gemini can level the playing field for employees, helping them learn faster and accomplish tasks more quickly. Sattaur encourages companies to engage in continuous upskilling as the technology changes rapidly. “For HR, it’s about making sure that you use it for inclusive growth, making sure that all of your employees have access to the same types of learning,” she said. While professional development programs using tools like LinkedIn Learning or Google certificates should be created with an eye toward organizational goals, leaders should not ignore employee desires, Billings says. Employees will feel more engaged with an organization that cares about their personal development. “Having a balance is important,” he said. Workshops alone are not the answer, Brunner said. They should be paired with feedback, cross-functional connection, mentorship, and stretch projects. Let learning and psychological safety for growth become part of the fabric of your organization, Billings says. “We as leaders need to make it part of the ongoing culture and organization so [employees] have the opportunity to engage those conversations.”Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost, Top Think, and several printed essay collections, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, On New Jersey, and CBS New York.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
How Accessible Health Benefits Are Good for Employees and Your Business Too
BY Jessica Swenson October 14, 2025Rising healthcare costs, provider supply and demand challenges, and increasing global mobility mean employers must be intentional and forward-thinking when designing their companies’ benefits plans. Sarah Gonzales, VP of total rewards at Zendesk, says the company thoroughly evaluates its vendors at the outset of a partnership to ensure they can meet the needs of Zendesk’s multifaceted global employee base. “We require them to answer questions so we understand what opportunities they have to serve [our employees], and that they can have access to that care when they need it, for whatever reason they need it,” she said during a panel discussion at From Day One’s Austin conference.Panelists shared ideas on the topic, “How Accessible Health Benefits Are Good for Employees and Your Business Too,” moderated by Tom Miller, news anchor at KXAN-TV. Focusing on Holistic HealthTo address holistic health, Yelp’s chief people officer, Carmen Amara, shared that the company crafts flexible benefit plans to “meet employees wherever they are in their employee life cycle or life journey.” Since health can mean different things to everyone, employees can access care that supports them within their unique personal circumstances, she says. With provider shortages and wait lists of six to ten months, including mental health benefits in company plans is crucial. “It’s really lost on me why there would be eligibility for a mental health benefit,” said Matt Jackson, chief growth officer at Unmind. “Mental health is a human right,” Amara agreed. The company seeks ways to offer and democratize non-traditional mental health benefits, and she personally tries to reduce the stigma of mental health care through transparency. “I talk about my therapy in company-wide town halls,” she said. “I talk about my own access to those benefits and encourage other leaders to do the same.”A Global Approach to BenefitsWhile the pandemic has reduced the stigma around mental health, it hasn’t been eliminated across all cultures. During his time in Japan, Henrique Oswald, head of global total rewards and global mobility for Hitachi, observed that even admitting your experiences with mental health can be stigmatized. “So when you roll out programs, it’s extremely difficult to have one size fits all [solutions].” Panelists shared insights on the topic "How Accessible Health Benefits Are Good for Employees and Your Business Too"In other regions, some types of care, like mental health or reproductive healthcare, are not accepted due to cultural or religious standards. “How you communicate it, and how you tweak it locally, including the language, is of the utmost importance to make it successful,” said Oswald.Mental Health MattersMental healthcare providers often do not accept insurance, which led Curative to get creative in providing that access. According to Mark Blevens, Curative’s director of health plan sales, the company offers credit cards to cover cash-based in-person visits and maintains partnerships with national telehealth vendors that can also accept the payment method. This helped Curative dramatically increase the size of its employees’ mental health network, says Blevens, “because this is an extremely important part of their benefits, and we really need to have the access for them.”To expand the normalization of mental health, Jackson suggests mindset shifts that transform mental health care from a perk to an organizational culture issue. Referencing a survey that found that “your manager has a bigger impact on your mental health than your spouse,” Jackson advocates for focusing on the mental health and leadership capabilities of managers within your organization to create a sense of psychological safety and boost employee impact.Additionally, Jackson recommends moving beyond using employee assistance programs (EAPs) for crises. Studies show that up to 25% of employees leverage mental health care for moderate or severe mental health challenges throughout the year, he says, leaving 75% of employees with no focused mental health support to help them avoid those higher levels of need. “When you look at ‘what do we provide from a benefits or total reward perspective for every single one of your employees?’ That’ll make you think about the gaps that potentially exist, and that’s just about proactive, preventative mental health.”Engaging employees better in their own care can improve their health outcomes, happiness, and performance in the workplace while reducing overall costs. Oswald discussed Japan’s universal health care model, which is focused on prevention and lifestyle health. Mandatory annual exams catch diseases earlier, enabling effective treatment and a longer life expectancy for Japanese citizens, he says. Removing financial and operational barriers to care also has a significant impact. Within one year of its launch, Blevens shared that Curative found that guided orientation, clinician health reviews, and zero-cost visits and care placed its users 20–30% below national benchmarks in hospital days and bed days. “You have happier employees. You have people that are at work, not absent, and it’s a great retention tool,” he said.AI and New Tech in BenefitsAnd where does AI fall in the benefits space? Jackson suggests that ethical, clinically guided AI models could help offset access challenges by providing “mental health companionship” to users during times of need.Amara says Yelp has recently launched an internal AI coach trained on the company’s core values and empathy concepts. The coach is used for work-based situations like preparing for difficult conversations. “If you can be more preventative, and if you can give people access to those tools at their fingertips at any given time—how might that work experience change?” she said. Gonzales suggests utilizing AI agents to help people understand when to leverage certain parts of their healthcare benefits or to identify plan optimizations tailored to their needs and behaviors. She predicts that tailored benefit plans will become required as younger generations enter the workforce and expect ready access to healthcare. Jessica Swenson is a freelance writer and proofreader based in the Midwest. Learn more about her at jmswensonllc.com.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
How to Harness Inclusive Leadership to Elevate Your Workforce and Workplace
BY Ade Akin October 14, 2025Anne Chow was put in charge of a team of several hundred people when she started her leadership career at AT&T. She was in her mid-20s, while most of her team members were more than twice her age. “I was being called names behind my back and to my face,” Chow said during a fireside chat at From Day One’s Austin conference. But that harsh experience helped Chow realize leadership was about making the right choices for your team. She had to choose between either focusing on the noise or bringing out the best in the people she was responsible for. Chow chose the latter, and the experience helped cement a core belief that defined her 32-year career at the telecom giant, culminating in her role as the CEO of AT&T Business: leadership is all about people. “It’s that old adage where you manage things, but you lead people,” Chow said to moderator Leslie Rangel, the deputy managing editor at The Barbed Wire. “That is ultimately what leadership is about,” she said. Chow shared lessons from the experience recorded in her book, Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion, outlining a framework that managers can use to develop inclusive leadership styles required for today’s complex, multi-generational workforce.From Feeling Excluded to Championing InclusionChow’s passion for inclusive leadership is deeply personal. She often felt she didn’t fit in early in her career as a second-generation American. Her career choice as a technology leader usually meant she was often the first or only woman or ethnic minority in the room. “I never really perfectly fit into any category or any box,” Chow said. That awareness fueled her desire to ensure members of her team always felt like they belonged. She chose to focus on connecting with people individually, meeting them where they were, and finding common ground. Anne Chow shared insights from her book Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of InclusionChow’s inspiration for the book was to create a guide for managers on inclusive leadership, which she views as a non-negotiable core competency for modern leaders. “I absolutely, in every cell of my body, believe that if you do not learn how to choose to lead inclusively, you’re going to lose to somebody who does,” Chow said. Widening the Aperture on InclusionChow reframes the concept of inclusion with a simpler, action-oriented definition: “Widening your perspective to have greater performance and impact.” Leaders can actively widen their perspectives by doing three key things:Surrounding themselves with people from diverse backgrounds and different experiences.Seeking different sources of information and taking conscious steps to expose themselves to media and data from alternative channels.Seeking different experiences. For example, a corporate employee could spend a day in the field, or vice versa.Chow says this approach is essential in a world that’s more interconnected and polarized. She offers a fresh perspective on the increasingly contentious topic of DEI. For Chow, diversity is the “reality” of the modern world, equity means fairness based on what an organization actively defines it to be, and inclusion is the “action” required to deliver exceptional performance. “Inclusion is the ultimate tool for meritocracy,” Chow said. “Hasn’t it been about making sure that we are tapping into talent pools, wherever they are, whatever they look like? Talent doesn’t necessarily look like an Ivy League degree. Ironically, inclusion is necessary if you want to field the best teams today and tomorrow.”Three Foundational Beliefs for Modern LeadersChow emphasizes the importance of self-care and finding allies for HR professionals and managers. “You are carrying a heavy load,” she added, noting that the responsibility of building an organization’s culture cannot rest on the shoulders of HR alone; it must be shared by leaders all over the business.Chow closed the session by sharing three beliefs that form the foundation of her leadership philosophy. First, that every business is a people business. “It is people that drive the business.” She points out the need to rebuild trust after layoffs as a prime example of this truth, stating that unaddressed fear and doubt prevent an organization from moving forward.Second, leadership is a choice that transcends: “Leadership has no gender, no color, no title, no position, no race, no religion, no politics, no age, no language,” she said. She defines leadership as the ability to align, motivate, and inspire a group of people toward common goals. She encourages companies to view their entire talent pool as potential leaders, not just those at the top of the organization’s hierarchy. And third, culture is your ultimate competitive advantage: Chow believes the best products and strategies can be easily copied in an age of constant disruptions, but the same can’t be said about a company’s culture. She defines culture as the behavioral norms reflected in an organization’s policies and practices, and more importantly, the actions of its leaders. For Chow, leadership became the art of creating a sense of connecting to others, inspired by the experiences of a young worker who once felt she didn’t belong. Building a more successful organization and a more fulfilling career starts with intentionally widening your perspective so you can recognize, value, and unleash the potential in everyone around you.Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Building a Bigger Whataburger: Scaling Up by Investing in New Managers
BY Katie Chambers October 14, 2025“Like to make people smile?” That’s the question that opens every job listing for Whataburger. And it’s that sweet, customer-forward sensibility that drives the organization’s HR strategy.The popular, Texas-based chain is on the move, which calls for consistent training among its more than 50,000 workers to develop new leaders. The result is greater employee satisfaction and retention, while enabling the company to expand to more than 1,100 restaurants.Whataburger is growing, opening between 50-75 locations per year. Peggy Rubenzer, the company’s chief people officer, shared during a fireside chat at From Day One’s Austin conference, that over the next five years, the organization anticipates hiring 8,300 managers and leaders across the brand. Because the locations are primarily company-owned with only a few franchises, most of the hiring and corporate development is “focused on scaling our culture. My belief is every single person you hire should concentrate your culture, not never dilute it,” Rubenzer said. Employees at Whataburger are known as “family members.” Rubenzer and her team want to make sure they are hiring people who are the right fit for the company’s warm, welcoming culture. “You don’t just open your door at your home for anybody who comes knocking, right?” she said. Their hiring strategy is focused on “filling the benches” of future leaders, with the hope that entry level workers will move up the ladder into managerial roles. “We have to build benches in order for our brand to be scalable,” she said. Local leaders, who do the bulk of frontline talent acquisition, are encouraged to hire with intention, not just to “fill shoes.”Whataburger’s HR ethos is built around “the family member journey,” Rubenzer said. “We select you, welcome you, train you, develop you, support you, and thank you. And all those things circle around the center, which we call ‘the heart’ of our family member journey: engagement. Every person on my team participates in one or more of those parts of the family member journey, and our goal is to ensure that every piece of that journey is welcoming, inviting, and directed to that person’s growth.”Cultivating a Strong Frontline “What we’re looking for is resilience, someone who’s a team player, someone who gets a kick out of making somebody else’s day. In fact, our mission is to make everyone’s day a little better,” Rubenzer said. This incremental approach (“a little better”) is deliberate–and attainable. Workers that enjoy making customers happy will in turn feel more engaged and satisfied when they are successful. Peggy Rubenzer, Whataburger’s SVP and chief people officer, spoke with Ross McCammon, the editor-in-chief at Texas MonthlyManagers are instructed to call new hires the day before they start work to introduce themselves and build that welcoming, personal connection. “It might be the first job that person ever had. That could set the stage for the rest of their lives,” she said. Every new frontline employee receives an orientation with a “flip book” that describes the company culture, including “the things they ought to know and feel proud about on their first day.”Then, every team member is given a roadmap for their first five shifts that allows them to check off what they have learned and accomplished. “Staying in touch with the individual’s growth and fulfillment is just as important as staying in touch with customers’ fulfillment and happiness,” said moderator Ross McCammon, editor-in-chief at Texas Monthly. Whataburger incorporates professional development into every level of the organization. Hourly team members can get certifications in both hospitality and production. Once fully certified, these workers have the opportunity to train others and even open new locations. “We’ve scaled that so that we can open restaurants at pace and we never have to slow down because we don’t have the people available to train,” Rubenzer said. A Look Inside the Corporate Office The culture within Whataburger’s corporate office mirrors the one in its stores. “The home office is a very supportive type of environment,” Rubenzer said. “We know that we are there to help support and drive our business out in the field.” The office has an ‘Orange Culture Committee’ that leads group bonding activities like football kickoff parties. Corporate employees make a point to visit the restaurants and spend time in the kitchens with frontline workers. While the company is focused on future growth, it also doesn’t shy away from its storied 75-year history. “We do a really good job of honoring our legacy. We do so much to remind ourselves of the humility and the humble roots and the beginnings that got us to where we are today,” Rubenzer said. “But we’re also firm believers in in the quote, ‘What got us here won’t get us there.’” Leaders are encouraged to engage legacy team members in conversations about branding, because they are so invested, and help them see how to bridge that history into the future of the company. With a historic organization often comes a major fan base–and Whataburger is no exception. The company has embraced fan passion by launching Whataburger Museum of Art, an online project with a physical installation at SXSW, celebrating the chain’s legacy of flavor and creativity. Think paintings of hamburgers, funky renderings of the logo, and even a motorcycle decked out in the brand’s bright orange hues. “Who does that other than huge champions and fans of the brand?” Rubenzer said. “And so, we wanted to highlight those people and thank them for the work that they do for us.”Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost, Top Think, and several printed essay collections, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, On New Jersey, and CBS New York.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Building Resilience by Leveraging Leadership Development
BY Ade Akin July 21, 2025With resources shrinking, managers face relentless pressure to do more with less. Beth Perrone, SVP of HR at pharmaceutical leader Merck, identified “ruthless prioritization” as a critical skill needed to thrive in management today. “Managers and employees are being forced to make tougher decisions and prioritize the work that they’re doing. And quite frankly, it’s not a skill that we had historically invested in,” she said during an executive panel discussion about leadership development at From Day One’s Manhattan conference. Merck now embeds prioritization training into development programs, she says. Rose Fass, founder and chair of fassforward, challenged the “do more” mindset entirely. “Do less because it’s more. A few well-focused actions can yield significant results,” she said. Fass encourages managers to distinguish between work that “moves the needle” and tasks that merely “move the mashed potatoes and peas around the plate.” It’s essential to prioritize tasks that drive significant results instead of trying to do everything, she says.Conversational Agility as a Core CompetencyHybrid work and multigenerational teams have eroded casual communication in workplaces. “Years ago, you didn’t have to make an appointment to see your boss. Today, you have to get on a calendar,” Fass said. This makes intentional, skilled conversation a non-negotiable.The session was moderated by Tania Rahman, social media director at Fast Company, leftmostKelly Stuart-Johnson, global head of learning at creative agency VML, emphasized the importance of “conversational agility,” creating a psychological safety that enables diverse teams to connect authentically. “It’s really not necessarily about [being] multigenerational. It’s about how we instill a sense and teach the importance of psychological safety,” she said. VML uses AI simulations to enable managers to safely practice difficult conversations, focusing on “the conversations they want to have rather than providing them with a script.” Empathy: The Bedrock of PerformanceJason Ashlock, the global head of organizational development at Kuehne+Nagel, urged managers to understand not just their teams, but the world their employees are navigating. “Capitalism is traumatic. It’s traumatic at scale,” he said. Managers must learn to handle “the flood of cortisol” caused by this trauma and diffuse tension, he says.While Ashlock focused on the broader forces shaping employee experience, Perrone turned to how leaders respond to that reality. She challenged the notion that leaders must choose between empathy and accountability. “Everyone wants to talk about empathy, and what a lot of leaders naturally jump to is: ‘If I’m empathetic, I then can’t hold teams accountable.’ And I think that’s wrong,” she said. Leaders at Merck revamped leadership programs to focus on building connections. “How I speak to you, Jason, and connect with you is different from how I connect with Kelly. That is at the crux of leadership,” Perrone said. Philipp Muelbert, the Group SVP of strategy, performance, and innovation at talent solutions firm LHH, agreed. “Empathy and performance aren’t mutually exclusive, but you can’t have an effective conversation with somebody about performance issues if they’re not in the right state of mind, and if they’re not willing to listen,” he said. Driving Innovation in Technology and DevelopmentThe panelists all see AI as a tool to reclaim human connection. Stuart-Johnson uses AI coaching “for the moments when someone needs it, when we’re not present,” while freeing managers for higher-touch interactions. “We’re using AI to get us back to humanity,” she said. Perrone shared how Merck experiments with AI to analyze employee surveys so managers “don't need to spend an hour reading through literally 120,000 comments. Here are the themes, now go engage.” Ashlock envisions AI helping managers tailor messages to team members. In terms of advancements in development, the most exciting innovations are those that break away from traditional corporate training. Perrone launched “Leadership Readiness Labs,” featuring unconventional experts. “We’ve had an astronaut, we’ve had a conductor, we had Andy Murray’s mom talk about how she coached,” she said.Ashlock takes leaders literally into the wild through his new venture, bringing executives to “shovel manure with Mustangs for a day” because “ecosystems teach us about sustainable, adaptable, resilient dynamics,” he said. Growth also matters from within, says Muelbert. “Figuring out what my journey looks like for me, first and foremost,” he said, emphasizing that personal clarity is the foundation for meaningful growth and leadership.And sometimes, we need to look outside the box. Fass encourages leaders to question their assumptions and be open to ideas that might initially feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar. “Disrupt your thinking. Don’t like it? Just consider it,” she said.Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Hason Castell for From Day One)
How HR Leaders Can Leverage AI to Make Their Work More Effective and Fulfilling
BY Carrie Snider July 17, 2025HR’s journey with AI is a real thrill ride, full of excitement about its potential to transform work but also tinged with anxiety about moving too fast or too slow. Finding the right pace is a delicate balance with every twist and turn bringing both opportunity and risk. At the From Day One’s Manhattan conference, industry experts discussed how AI is already shaping HR workflows, and how leaders can harness its power thoughtfully and effectively.For many HR leaders, AI is part of the daily workflow. But integration doesn’t equate to the end of experimentation. “We’re far along in using it, but there’s definitely a lot of experimentation to figure out how far we can push it,” said panelist Courtney McMahon, head of global people analytics at Colgate-Palmolive.At Colgate-Palmolive, employees across the company have access to Gemini, Google’s AI tool. Adoption is high and cross-functional, with active conversations happening every day, says McMahon. “We’re a Google shop, so Gemini right now is the hot thing, and we’re talking about it on a company-wide chat every day,” she said. This regular exchange allows teams to share how they’re using the tool, what’s working, and where it still falls short.Still, McMahon emphasized the need for caution. “This is changing every day, right? We see different articles about what’s going on with AI every day,” she said. That pace of change requires thoughtful oversight. For example, when Gemini is used to summarize employee survey comments, it often pulls from only the first few hundred responses. Without the right prompting, deeper insights may be missed.“You have to keep iterating on the prompt in order to get it to look at more and more comments,” McMahon said. With the right approach, AI can enhance the work, while still requiring human judgment.Watch for AI Security and Policy As organizations adopt AI tools more broadly, balancing innovation with security is proving to be a complex task. Panelist Anita Jivani, global head of innovation at Avanade, highlighted a growing concern: employees using generative AI tools like Gemini or Perplexity on their personal devices when corporate guidelines feel too restrictive. “There’s a huge security risk with the guidelines and policies,” she said. “What we’re seeing in the market is the guidelines need to be structured in such a way that they’re encouraged to be used, but not so tight that what I call the black market of AI is being used.”The panel was moderated by Sage Lazzaro, technology writer and editorWhen access is limited or unclear, employees may turn to their private browsers to get around internal controls, posing serious risks to data privacy and organizational trust. The challenge, according to Jivani, is designing governance that enables use without driving it underground. “You actually don’t want people to then go into personal devices to do things from a security play,” she said.HR leaders must strike the right balance between freedom and control. Guidelines should be specific enough to protect sensitive data while still encouraging experimentation within safe boundaries. “How do you encourage it while making sure there’s guidelines, while making sure everything’s on the computer, on the company’s cloud?” she asked. “Really way, way harder to do in practice.”HR Must Advocate for People Amid ChangeAs AI adoption accelerates, HR leaders have a critical role to play in implementing new technologies and in protecting the people impacted by them. Panelist Annalyn Jacob, EVP of talent analytics and HR operations at IPG, emphasized the growing tension between innovation and humanity. “The business is seeing this as an opportunity to cut costs and save money,” she said. “That knee-jerk reaction is starting to accelerate.”Jacob warned that without thoughtful intervention, organizations risk leaving people behind in the pursuit of efficiency. “As AI reshapes industries and eliminates certain roles, especially entry-level jobs in areas like marketing and media, HR must help define new pathways for workforce development.HR’s voice matters now more than ever. As Jacob pointed out, we may be witnessing a shift as disruptive as the industrial revolution, and the choices made today will shape the future of work for years to come. “I think as HR professionals, it’s important for us that when we are in the rooms, when these conversations are happening, that we are able to help bring in that context,” Jacob said.Human-Crafted Input Remains CriticalAs AI tools become more integrated into performance management and employee recognition, it’s tempting to let automation take the lead. But panelist Omar Pradhan, employee engagement and HR technology strategist at Workhuman, cautions against relying too heavily on generative AI for content that should reflect genuine human insight.“We originally were thinking about creating some sort of a writer’s block tool,” Pradhan said, referring to a tool that could generate recognition or performance review comments. “But then we kind of backed away from that as a company, because we knew that on the back end that those descriptors, those adjectives, those things might not be actual behaviors.”Instead, Workhuman is investing in tools that support rather than replace human input. Their approach encourages authenticity and specificity by coaching users to reflect more deeply. “Almost like you’re creating a password on a website. It’s a little progress bar of ‘keep building into it, lean into that, you’re almost there,’” Pradhan said. This attention to quality matters when those comments are later used to surface talent, assess team fit, or identify potential leaders. AI is only as good as the data it’s trained on. “If a recognition message was written by AI 50% or more,” Pradhan said, “it might not map to a skills profile” in a meaningful or accurate way.In an era when data drives so many talent decisions, preserving the human voice, especially in moments of recognition or performance feedback, is essential.What of Entry-Level Employees?Already, AI is actively transforming how companies assess and hire entry-level technical talent. Panelist Catherine Hill, VP of marketing at CoderPad, says that AI is deeply embedded in their product to help employers identify the very best engineers right from the start. “We help companies to assess technical talent and to really help with hiring the very, very best engineers,” she said. This integration allows hiring teams to streamline what has traditionally been a time-consuming process, making it easier to evaluate candidates’ real-world skills through interactive coding challenges rather than relying solely on resumes or interviews. There’s a natural synergy between AI and talent assessment platforms, Hill says.As AI tools continue to evolve, they are setting new standards for entry-level hiring. Instead of relying solely on traditional qualifications, companies now leverage AI-powered assessments to gauge candidates’ problem-solving abilities and adaptability in real time. This shift is reshaping expectations for new graduates and junior engineers entering the workforce, who must be prepared to demonstrate their skills through AI-driven platforms.As they view how engineers use the platform, that gives recruiters insight into candidates’ actual capabilities rather than just theoretical knowledge, says Hill. The result is a more meritocratic, data-driven hiring process that better matches candidates to roles where they can thrive. Ultimately, AI is not replacing entry-level jobs, Hill says. Rather, it is redefining how talent is discovered and evaluated, ensuring the workforce of tomorrow is prepared for the demands of an increasingly digital world.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.(Photos by Hason Castell for From Day One)
How Effective Leaders Are Rethinking Employee Well-Being
BY Christopher O'Keeffe July 16, 2025In the early months of the pandemic, companies rushed to offer employees meditation platforms, fitness trackers, and mental health resources, sometimes rolling out half a dozen different solutions at once. The result? Digital exhaustion and programs that gathered dust.Now, three years later, corporate America is taking a more strategic approach to employee well-being. The shift comes as organizations face mounting pressure from economic uncertainty and policy changes. At the same time, they're contending with a workforce that increasingly views mental health support not as a perk, but as a baseline expectation.At From Day One’s Manhattan conference, executives outlined how the wellness landscape has fundamentally shifted and why leading companies now treat employee mental health as a competitive advantage rather than just a compliance checkbox.From Quantity to QualityThe transformation is stark. Matt Jackson, chief growth officer at Unmind, witnessed the initial wave of wellness initiatives firsthand. “There was a big growth in single point solutions being thrown at employees,” Jackson said. “There wasn’t as much intention with the solutions that were being launched, which meant there was low utilization.”The numbers tell the story: Of the 10,000 health and wellness apps available to consumers, only 5% are backed by scientific research, says Jackson. Companies were essentially throwing solutions at a wall to see what stuck, overwhelming employees with choices while failing to address underlying workplace culture issues.The companies that learned from those early mistakes have adopted a radically different approach. Instead of piling on wellness apps, companies are integrating mental health support into everyday operations and tracking results with metrics that drive business performance.The most sophisticated companies are now tying wellness programs directly to business outcomes. NRG Energy has taken this approach to its logical conclusion by linking employee well-being scores to their internal bonus structure. “The result of that, whether it’s better or worse than prior scores, directly impacts the size of our annual bonus pool up or down. So we really put our money where our mouth is,” said Peter Johnson, SVP, head of talent and culture at NRG Energy.Panelists shared insights on the topic, "Building a Thriving Culture Through Comprehensive Health and Wellness Benefits," in a session moderated by Corinne Lestch, independent journalist and founder of the Off-Site Writing WorkshopThe business case is increasingly compelling. Jackson shared that when a management consultant began incorporating psychological safety questions into weekly project check-ins, it found that “where there was greater perceived psychological safety, greater perceived well-being, projects were done on time, they were done on budget, and clients were happier.” When the prioritization of well-being drives measurable business results, even skeptical CFOs pay attention.The urgency behind these changes stems from a fundamental generational shift. Today’s workforce grew up with mental health conversations normalized in schools and universities, creating what Jackson calls “an expectation of today's workforce to provide me with the same openness and same conversation and same resources around mental health.” Companies that fail to adapt, particularly those with traditional leadership approaches, are discovering that their talent acquisition and retention strategies are increasingly obsolete.The Leadership Vulnerability FactorPerhaps the most significant change is how company leaders discuss mental health. The old model of executives maintaining stoic professionalism has given way to what experts call vulnerable leadership, an approach that's proving surprisingly effective.This authenticity extends beyond grand gestures to daily management practices. Amy Onori, SVP of talent acquisition for Publicis Media has added a simple but powerful message to her email signature. It reads: “Managing work and life responsibilities is unique for everyone. I have sent this e-mail at a time that works for me. Please respond at a time that works for you.”The message serves a dual purpose: it sets boundaries while signaling to employees that their personal time matters. It’s a small change that reflects a broader shift in how companies think about work-life integration.Even with all the wellness programs and mental health initiatives, many employees still struggle with a fundamental issue: they’re waiting for explicit permission to prioritize their well-being. The problem runs deeper than policy; it's about psychological safety. “They get so worried that if they leave at four o’clock, that it’s going to look bad. And to me, that doesn’t matter, as long as the work’s getting done," Onori said. For many employees, the fear of judgment outweighs any written policy promising flexibility.This permission-seeking behavior reflects a broader challenge facing HR leaders, who find themselves caught between competing pressures. Chad Deshler, SVP of sales at LifeSpeak, described the dilemma with a vivid metaphor: “As HR leaders, it’s kind of like a grilled cheese sandwich. You have pressure from top bread and bottom bread, and the cheese in the middle is getting burned.” Executive leadership demands cost-cutting while hiring top talent, while employees want better benefits and higher pay.The solution is something along the lines of radical transparency combined with visible boundary-setting. Diana Blancone, chief people officer for Omnicom Media Group, has started announcing her departures for family obligations. “I know myself included, I’ve been more vocal about saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got my daughter's game. I’m going to run out at this time to get home at this time,” she said. When executives publicly prioritize the importance of family and personal commitments, it can foster a culture where employees feel permission to do the same.“I think transparency is really important with my team. I’ve tried to be as transparent as I can, whether it’s good or bad news, and just say, ‘Hey, this is this is what it is,’” Deshler said. By doing so, direct honesty becomes a radical act of leadership.Employee well-being directly impacts the bottom line. Effective leaders treat wellness programs as profit drivers that reduce turnover, increase productivity, and improve client satisfaction. They embed mental health in leadership goals, train leaders to be vulnerable, and build cultures where well-being comes first. This is a competitive strategy, not just social responsibility.Chris O’Keeffe is a freelance writer with experience across industries. As the founder and creative director of OK Creative: The Language Agency, he has led strategy and storytelling for organizations like MIT, Amazon, and Cirque du Soleil, bringing their stories to life through established and emerging media.(Photos by Hason Castell for From Day One)
Gen Z on the Rise: Responding to the Needs of Emerging Talent
BY Carrie Snider July 15, 2025Gen Z isn’t just joining the workforce, they’re reshaping it. As the first digital-native generation to enter the workforce in large numbers, Gen Z is bringing new expectations and challenging long-standing workplace norms. Their arrival has prompted employers to rethink how they recruit, train, and retain early-career talent. While often described as ambitious and purpose-driven, Gen Z workers also face professional gaps due to pandemic-era disruptions and a rapidly evolving job market. At From Day One’s Chicago conference, a panel of leaders shared how they meet Gen Z’s evolving needs. John Pletz, senior reporter at Crain’s Chicago Business moderated the discussion titled, “Gen Z on the Rise: Responding to the Needs of Emerging Talent.”For Gen Z employees, hard work matters, but outcomes still count. That’s the message from leadership consultant Jahnavi Brenner, CEO and founder of Vivid Leader. She referenced a talk by organizational psychologist Adam Grant, where a Gen Z student described working hard on a paper but only receiving a C. Grant responded by explaining that both effort and results matter—you are rewarded not just for trying, but for what you achieve.“It’s not just the effort, it’s also the outcome, and giving recognition for both. [That] can help bridge that divide,” she said. Most Gen Z workers understand that results matter but benefit from more communication that connects their work to the company’s broader goals, she says. She also emphasized the importance of skill-building, particularly around business acumen and communication. “We have to close the gap on the skills they need,” she said. Mentorship, peer learning, and structured feedback, rather than just promotions, can go a long way. “It doesn’t have to be so expensive,” she said. Promotions are still valued, but they’re not the only way to make employees feel appreciated, especially for Gen Z. “At the end of the day, we’re all human beings,” said Shelly Cluff, senior consultant at Workhuman. “We need to be told, ‘I see you. I appreciate you.’”Cluff noted a shift in expectations. “Gen Z really [wants] to be promoted and move super fast,” she said. “That’s not always available, so we have to be more creative.” Spot bonuses, peer recognition, or even a thoughtful thank you’s can help meet that need.She encourages leaders to “democratize recognition,” making it available at every level. “It gives people more opportunities to be recognized without having to receive that promotion.” Recognition, she says, also supports long-term growth. “Even if you’re not at that promotional step, you understand the repeatable behaviors that get you there.”Competency-Based Development for AllAt ACCO Brands, growth isn’t defined by generation, says John Hine VP of global talent and organization effectiveness. The company’s development model is based on skill needs, not age. “We’re not putting kids at the kids’ table. We’re including everybody,” he said. Rather than separate tracks for Gen Z, ACCO combines employees with similar learning needs. “Just because I am an awkward engineer that happens to be a Boomer doesn’t mean that I don’t need that skill,” Hine said. This blended approach fosters learning and supports limited resources. “Those dollars are very sweet,” he said. Panelists shared insights on supporting their Gen Z workforce Honest conversations also matter. “The real target is being honest, so they know what the realities are,” Hine said. And even if people leave, “Don’t forget about us. We’d love to have you back.”Gen Z Brings Speed, But Needs Skill BuildingNikki Slowinski, EVP of talent experience and development at Publicis, sees promise and pressure. “They’ve learned how to get things really fast, which is great,” she said. “They’ve learned how to work smarter, not harder.” But Gen Z still needs help building foundational skills.To meet this need, Publicis launched Ignite, a two-and-a-half-day kickoff program for early-career hires, focused on communication, time management, and business acumen. “We used to wait, but that’s when Ignite came to fruition,” she said. “The goal is to get them to greater impact quicker.”Retention remains a challenge. But building understanding early helps, she says. “They need the recognition, but they also need to understand that promotions don’t just come because we work hard.”Make Purpose Visible to Attract Gen ZBala Swaminathan, global head of talent management and leadership at PPG, knows his company, which is focused on paints, coatings, and sealants, competes with flashier brands. So, to engage Gen Z, he focuses on purpose. “It’s not like you sit there with a bucket and stir paint,” he said. “We paint all the F-15 and F-35 jets, so there’s a lot of fun stuff that happens.”PPG’s 12-week internship program, “Primers,” offers exposure to different departments, from R&D to sales, and builds transferable skills. “Even if they never come back, they develop skills useful to society as they move on,” he said. Recognition matters, too. But not just promotions. “Recognition could be a title, a job, an experience, or money,” he said. And investing in development shouldn’t be seen as a cost. “If you view this as a cost, it’s easy to cut. If you view this as an investment, then you already predict some level of return.”Finally, he encouraged thoughtful navigation of today’s cultural dynamics. “It’s a balancing game,” Bala said. “We don’t want to go down a path of permanence that comes back to bite us later.”The panelists agreed: organizations need to be intentional. But that doesn’t mean catering to every preference or creating generational silos. Many of the best strategies, like competency-based learning and cross-generational mentorship, benefit everyone. As the workplace evolves, those who lead with empathy, transparency, and purpose will be best positioned to attract and retain the next generation of talent.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.(Photos by Tim Hiatt for From Day One)
The Human Capital Factor: How Treating People Well Drives Business Performance
BY Ade Akin July 14, 2025Bart Houlahan watched revenues plummet from $250 million to $40 million in just three years after the purpose-driven basketball apparel company he presided over, AND1, was sold to new owners. “The buyer didn’t share our people-first values,” Houlahan, a partner at Irrational Capital and co-founder of B Lab, said during a fireside chat with Andy Serwer, editor at large for Barron’s, at From Day One’s Manhattan conference. Under Houlahan’s leadership, AND1 grew to $250 million in revenue, powered by its people-first culture. The company brought streetball to mainstream media, providing platforms for many who went on to become streetball legends, including Philip “Hot Sauce” Champion, Grayson “The Professor” Boucher, and Rafer “Skip 2 My Lou” Alston, who went on to play for 11-years in the NBA.Houlahan credits AND1’s success during his tenure to a people-first approach. “It was just the type of company we wanted to run, and what that meant for us was putting our people first,” he said. “Over 11 years, we saw time and time again that that wasn’t just the right thing to do, it was a better way to run a business.”Houlahan went on to co-found B Lab, a nonprofit that certifies companies that balance profit with purpose. “We have about 400,000 companies using our tools, and at the end of the day, all we’re trying to do is show clearly that if you put your people first, you’ll end up building a more resilient business,” he said.This belief eventually led the B Lab co-founder to Irrational Capital, where he leveraged employee data points to prove a radical idea: companies with substantial human capital outperform the market by 3-6% annually.Defining the Human Capital FactorBehavioral economist Dan Ariely’s research at Duke University, reveals that traditional metrics like pay and benefits aren’t enough to assess an organization’s growth potential when prodded about how he came up with Irrational Capital’s investment model. According to Ariely’s findings, true motivation depends on pride, recognition, and a sense of psychological safety. Irrational Capital applied those insights to 17 years of employee-survey data, 750 million data points across 70,000 companies, to identify a “human capital factor” that predicts stock performance.Bart Houlahan, Partner, Irrational Capital & Co-Founder of B Lab, left, spoke with Andy Serwer, Editor at Large, Barron'sTo validate the findings, Irrational Capital invited JPMorgan to replicate the analysis on 14 years of data. “JPMorgan did their own independent analysis, and they found that in every year, there was outperformance, and their average outperformance was 4% annually,” Houlahan added. The conversation turned to practical execution. Irrational Capital created three exchange-traded funds (ETFs): a large-cap fund, a small-cap fund, and an unconstrained fund. These ETFs select top-scoring companies based solely on employee-survey metrics, industry, and market-cap weighting.“The large cap is benchmarked against the S&P 500. It takes the top 150 on the human capital factor out of those 500 stocks,” Houlahan said. Houlahan points to Microsoft, where Satya Nadella’s leadership refocused the culture when pressed for concrete examples. “Our human capital score for Microsoft began climbing about two years post-transition. A year later, the stock price followed suit,” he noted. Conversely, Starbucks’ culture score declined during the Covid-19 pandemic as frontline workers faced safety concerns, and its stock suffered a corresponding decline.Serwer asked how HR leaders can leverage this research, and Houlahan offered a two-step playbook. He recommends sharing Irrational Capital’s JPMorgan reports with CEOs to spark boardroom conversations and implementing employee monitoring tools to measure intrinsic motivators, such as pride, recognition, and safety, and embedding them in performance metrics. Culture alone isn’t a solution, he says, but “measuring what matters” gives leaders additional data to help guide strategy.As the conversation wrapped up, Serwer asked Houlahan about the future. Houlahan says the most resilient companies will be the ones that invest in their people—through development, recognition, and trust. Treating people well isn’t idealism; it’s an effective investment strategy with decades of market-proven returns.Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Hason Castell for From Day One)
Rebuilding Trust, Fueling Growth: Leading With Transparency in Times of Change
BY Katie Chambers July 09, 2025The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer reports an unprecedented decline in employer trust. It’s a troubling shift, given that workplace trust is essential to organizational success. Higher trust correlates directly with improved talent outcomes and engagement, according to MetLife’s annual employee benefit trends study. Employees who trust their organization are 3.8 times more likely to have healthy outcomes and 2.8 times more likely to feel they can be productive. So, what is a forward-thinking employer to do? At a time when external forces can shake employee confidence, MetLife is leaning into what it can control: how it responds. During a fireside chat at From Day One’s Manhattan conference, Shurawl Sibblies, EVP, chief HR officer at MetLife, described how the organization is fostering trust through open communication, transparent leadership, and inclusive career development, creating a workplace where employees feel supported and empowered to grow.“We are living through some interesting times where the employee/employer relationship is really under pressure like never before. Whether it’s economic uncertainty or the rapid rate at which we are seeing technological changes, the workforce is really facing a lot of complex emotions right now,” said moderator Cadie Thompson, executive editor at Business Insider. “At the center of it all is this critical, very fragile component, which is trust.”Shurawl Sibblies, executive vice president and CHRO at MetLife, right, was interviewed by Cadie Thompson of Business InsiderThe key to building a more stable environment, Sibblies says, is first to understand exactly what challenges people are facing, or the “why” behind their uncertainty. A MetLife study found that 81% of employees rely on their leaders to create a trusting environment, one that can support positive outcomes and productivity, she says. Employers can foster that strong foundation through open dialogue. “One of the things we learned, especially over the last few years, is you have to have open, transparent, honest communication,” Sibblies said. “Two-way dialogue creates an opportunity for people to share perspective with you. And you have to listen. It’s so important to listen, and when you ask for feedback from people, you actually have to do something with it.” MetLife puts this into practice through town halls with its CEO, called “Let’s Talk Live.” Employees can ask questions in real time, and the CEO answers directly. “You can’t dodge the hard topics. If you’re going to say, ‘let's talk live,’ it means you are open to what is on people’s minds.” Sibblies encourages leaders to be honest about what they know and what they don’t know yet. “[Vulnerability] makes a difference in the culture.” One significant barrier to trust in today’s workplace is the increasing uncertainty surrounding emerging technologies and their potential impact, or even elimination, of certain job positions. Thompson cites a KPMG study that reports 54% of people are wary of trusting AI, and almost as many are worried about its impact on the workforce. But AI isn’t going anywhere, so employers need to tackle their strategy head-on and be transparent with their workers about what is next. Sibblies suggests positioning AI in your communications as it relates to your organization’s overall mission. “It's not ‘AI in isolation.’ It's in service of what you are doing for your customers. It should be in service of what you need to do for your employees and how they’re getting their work done,” she said. Providing fundamental education on responsible AI usage can also help reduce the fear of the unknown. From there, you can help certain employees dig deeper into AI specialization as needed. MetLife is investing its resources in developing ways AI can be used and managed by humans in everyday applications to make their work more effective. Again, it comes back to communications. “Your company wouldn’t exist today if it wasn’t constantly growing and evolving, which means your people have been growing and evolving,” Sibblies said. “There are lots of ways to lead with curiosity and focus on curiosity and critical thinking.” Talking about AI in the context of your corporation’s ongoing story positions it as “another muscle being developed” rather than something completely foreign.Employee Growth and Appreciation as a Pathway to Trust“Climbing the corporate ladder isn't what it used to be,” Thompson said, noting that the shapes of organizations are changing, with fewer middle management positions. Sibblies encourages leaders to have ongoing “candid career conversations” with employees about their ambitions. Then, follow up those conversations with solid opportunities to develop and grow, ideally within the organization. “My responsibility as a leader is to help my people,” she said. “Growth starts with marrying the person's aspiration and ambition with where the company has a need, and [where] it’s also growing.” MetLife offers employees an AI-driven resource called My Path, which enables them to articulate their goals and be matched with internal opportunities, such as stretch projects, volunteer events, or open positions in other departments. Sibblies says this helps engagement by cultivating employee ambassadors. “They realize, ‘Wow, I can do something new and also contribute to the company,’” she said. Consistent recognition and rewards when employees rise to a challenge also build a supportive, secure, and reliable environment where they feel safe to take risks and reach higher. “Benefits are really powerful, because you show up for people in times of their greatest need,” Sibblies said. “You don’t want to have to choose between your health and well-being and being able to earn a living. You want an employer to be able to back you in those times.” Providing access to a variety of benefits options so employees can choose what is best for their family engenders their trust in your organization. “When you think about people you trust, you trust them because they’re consistent, they show up for you,” Sibblies said. “That’s our responsibility as employers. Show up for people, be consistent, be open with them. Culture truly matters.” Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost, Top Think, and several printed essay collections, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, On New Jersey, and CBS New York.(Photos by Hason Castell for From Day One)
Designing Holistic Benefits: Balancing Cost With Real Impact
BY Katie Chambers July 02, 2025“The world is evolving. Our companies are evolving. How we do work evolves, and different people need different things to help support their journey to feel healthy, safe and secure,” said Kim Nero, EVP and CHRO of GATX Corporation.During a panel discussion at From Day One’s Chicago conference, industry leaders shared how HR teams are innovating to control costs, meet diverse employee needs, and reassess benefits through new tools and feedback methods.With five generations working side by side, today’s workforce requires a more tailored approach to employee benefits that reflects a wide range of needs and priorities. Many employers are opting to provide expansive benefits packages that allow employees to activate whatever benefit makes most sense for their current circumstances, be it retirement saving, family planning, or elder care support. But employers should be careful to make sure their offerings are fair and comparable, no matter an employee’s life or work circumstances.“Our hourly associates have exactly the same benefits as our salaried employees,” said Michele Miller, SVP and CHRO, Ideal Industries, Inc., citing equal health and retirement benefits and PTO. “That's really important around the wellness that you need to be able to have your passion projects, support your family, take care of yourself,” she said. “No one’s family is more or less, and that’s been so powerful.” Panelists spoke during From Day One's session titled "In Employee Benefits, Balancing Cost Efficiency with Good Employee Outcomes" This is also crucial from a DEI standpoint. “It’s important for our employees to know and be able to trust that we have their best interests at heart, and for them to feel like they have secure, safe and healthy lifestyles while they’re with our companies,” Nero said. “And that requires a lot of open dialogue between employees and us. There’s education and awareness both ways.” Leaders should remember, says Jon Lowe, chief people officer at DailyPay, that “fair doesn’t mean equal.” “When we think about this narrow description of what benefits look like, we’re really only talking about half of half of the American population,” Lowe said. He advises thinking beyond the traditionalist view of insurance as “medical, disability, and vision” and expanding into mental health, skills training, and beyond to approach each employee holistically. Financial education and savings benefits should be part of that approach. “The resilient, adaptable employee is one who has the financial reserves to not be terrified about missing a paycheck. And that’s where you come in,” said moderator Karl Ahlrichs, HR leadership columnist and consultant.Tracking Programmatic Success Of course, the ROI on these programs is important. Leaders should be open and direct with employees about whether the benefits are working and the importance of measuring their success. “If you’re paying for these programs, there’s a conversation you need to have with your employees, which is, ‘We’re all in this together. These costs, whatever they’re going to be, we’re sharing them, and we need to work together to figure out how, overall, we get those costs down.’ And there’s a tradeoff there, which is you make sure that your data is available, and you can tell that story back to your finance team,” said George Spurling, CEO of Budgie Health. One problem with ROI measurement is accurately assessing positive outcomes of preventative care. For example, how can one prove that having free access to Ozempic for weight loss, rather than a diabetes diagnosis, prevents an employee from getting expensive-to-treat weight-related illnesses down the line? Miller suggests letting science drive your health benefits strategy. It’s important to have ample benefits that accommodate all lifestyles and stages, so not every benefit will be used by every employee. That means standard metrics might incorrectly imply that a program isn’t being used enough if only some, not all, employees activate it. HR should make sure this is communicated effectively to CFOs and decision-makers. “Sometimes people push back on some of our programs, [saying] that we don’t have high utilization, but I say, ‘we have appropriate utilization’ because we’re not trying to fit a one-size-fits-all,” said Sherry Nelson, senior director, benefits and well-being at TransUnion. Her team uses surveys to gauge and demonstrate whether employees are getting what they need in the moment they’re in now. Communication as Employee EmpowermentWith a diverse range of benefits comes the challenge of communicating all the many bits and pieces to employees effectively and consistently. “You may have really great benefits, but in the middle of the year when you have some sort of devastating back pain, you’re not going to remember that at the beginning of the year, on page 12, there was something about [physical therapy],” Spurling said. “How do you get all of this complexity and get it to the right person at the right time?” AI can help, searching the employee handbook and manuals for benefits programs and providing detailed information to employees on demand. “But it’s only as smart as the data it has, and if it doesn’t know what your claims experience is, if it doesn’t know what dependents you have, if it doesn’t know information about you as an individual, then it’s just like you’re having a conversation with a really smart person that knows nothing about you,” Spurling said. So, there still needs to be human oversight and availability. TransUnion makes mental health first aid part of its manager training to encourage leaders to get involved directly with employees who need help, and to have the knowledge to direct them to appropriate resources, Nelson says. Post-Covid, leaders and workers are more open and vulnerable with each other, leading to better dialogues about support, “There’s been some liberation to do that without judgment,” Nero said. Having so many benefits options to choose from can lead to decision paralysis on the part of both the employer and the employee. Lowe advises looking ahead to workplace and lifestyle trends, such as the rise of part-time “gig” workers and people working well past traditional “retirement age,” and planning accordingly. “Three-and-a-half years is the average tenure of the American worker, and it’s probably not going up,” Lowe said, citing portability as an attractive quality of a benefits package. “As we think about the composition of what our organizations look like, benefits will need to include creating value for that portion of the population.” Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost, Top Think, and several printed essay collections, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, On New Jersey, and CBS New York.(Photos by Tim Hiatt for From Day One)
From Barriers to Breakthroughs: Elevating and Empowering Women in Leadership
BY Ade Akin July 02, 2025Women hold just 28% of C‑suite positions in U.S. companies. That’s a significant improvement from several decades ago, but still far from parity. “Closing this gap isn’t a pipeline problem, it’s a systemic one,” said Kim Quillen, a business editor for the Chicago Tribune.That blunt assessment set the stage for five leaders to share concrete strategies for recruiting, retaining, and advancing female talent into executive roles. Quillen moderated the discussion at From Day One’s Chicago conference.“If you want women to rise, you must show them it’s possible,” said Molly McCabe, SVP of people success at Ulta Beauty. She pointed to Ulta’s numbers, noting that 70% of its C-suite and 90% of its workforce are women, as proof that representation fuels ambition. “When your CEO is a woman and your senior leaders look like you, the notion of becoming a decision‑maker stops feeling like an impossibility,” she said. Christina Dietz, VP of HR at Northwestern Medicine, echoed that view. She described how her health system intentionally mirrors the demographics of the patients it serves. “Our executive team reflects the community we treat across gender, race, and background,” she said. That alignment strengthens both patient trust and employee engagement by demonstrating that leadership is accessible and accountable.Designing Intentional Career Paths and Measuring Progress“Fortune favors the prepared,” said Jaclyn Trovato, the CHRO at ComEd. ComEd’s 48% female executive ratio didn’t happen overnight. The utility company began sponsoring STEM camps for girls and creating apprenticeship programs for female technicians two decades ago. “By training women on the front lines, we built a pool of skilled candidates ready for engineering and leadership roles,” Trovato said.Tisha Danehl, SVP of ecosystem partnerships at LHH, described her firm’s cohort model. “Our Engage Program brings 30 high‑potential women together for six months of executive presence and strategic‑thinking workshops,” she said. “Within 18 months, every member of our 2020 cohort earned a promotion or expanded role.” This year, LHH is extending the cohort concept to male allies, pairing them with women to foster reciprocal sponsorship, says Danehl. Measuring progress is similarly important, panelists agreed. Panelists shared their insights on the topic "Bridging the Gap: Empowering and Supporting Women in Leadership"Dietz added that Northwestern Medicine’s HR portal now offers real‑time analytics on female representation at every leadership level. “Transparency holds us to our own standards,” she said. “When executives see the charts, it sparks immediate action.”Supporting and Uplifting Women in the WorkplaceQuillen asked the panel to define the often-misused terms “mentor” and “sponsor.” “A mentor offers guidance; a sponsor uses influence to open doors,” said Liza Jager, partner at RHR International. True sponsors, she says, publicly advocate for their protégés in C‑suite rooms and ensure they get stretch assignments. Mentorship alone can’t accelerate careers without that active advocacy, agreed Danehl. Trovato encourages organizations to formalize sponsorship programs, pairing high potential employees with senior executives who have the power to champion their promotions. “Random connections can yield results, but structured sponsorship drives more consistent outcomes,” she said. At Northwestern Medicine, maternity leave is supplemented with informal “phone‑a‑friend” support networks, pairing new parents with experienced colleagues they can call anytime for advice and encouragement. “Knowing there’s someone on the other end of the line who understands your challenges makes all the difference,” she said.That kind of personal support reflects a broader need: career aspirations shift with life stages, says Danehl. “What motivates a 25‑year‑old moonlighting for side hustles differs from a 45‑year‑old eyeing board seats,” she said. The panel urged organizations to tailor their development offerings, such as offering flexible hours for caregivers, rotational assignments for early-career talent, and executive coaching for seasoned leaders.Support also needs to take place in the form of psychological safety. “Psychological safety is currency,” McCabe said. At Ulta, managers are trained to interrupt bias in real time. For example, noting when someone is being talked over and inviting that person back into the conversation. “We teach leaders to say, ‘I realize I cut you off, please share your perspective,’” she said. Jager also echos the importance of psychological safety. “Organizations that invest in creating psychological safety benefit from increased trust and reinforce a culture of belonging. When this is paired with purposeful leadership-development initiatives, not only women executives are positioned for greater success, but all employees. Everyone wins.” Through its cultural-assessment work across organizations, RHR International has helped organizations to go deeper, understand their succession pipeline, and employ systemic solutions that increase the visibility of high-potential women, Jager says. She adds that “organizations that are achieving greater success in building a strong pipeline of women executives are looking more deeply into their promoting practices and investing in sponsorship and allyship initiatives. While mentorship programs are powerful, they are still a passive way to support women leaders. However, through sponsorship and allyship initiatives, executives have the power to raise visibility and more actively give an opportunity for women leaders—and others—to rise.”Trovato highlights the value of listening tours, where senior leaders visit women’s resource groups not to deliver speeches, but to hear directly about the challenges women face. “That practice surfaces issues early, before they become retention risks,” she said. Closing the leadership gap will take more than conversation—it demands measurable, ongoing commitment to listening, building support systems, and driving real change.Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Tim Hiatt for From Day One)
How to Stop Being Nice and Start Being Kind About Skills and Development
BY Ade Akin June 26, 2025Many leaders today default to being “nice” when it comes to employee development and feedback, often opting to avoid truths in favor of protecting feelings. Maria O’Keeffe, the chief people officer at Ogilvy, says this approach is ultimately a disservice to both employees and organizations. Her suggestion to other leaders: to stop being nice and start being kind. “Being nice is protecting people’s feelings, which is important. I don’t expect anyone to be rude or caustic, but I don’t think it’s authentic. I don’t think it helps people grow," O’Keeffe said during a fireside chat at From Day One’s Chicago conference. “Being kind is about authenticity. It’s about transparency, and it’s about not shying away from those difficult conversations that ultimately will help people grow,” she told moderator Alex Maragos, anchor and reporter at NBC 5 Chicago.O’Keeffe says that the tendency to “say as little as possible” during performance reviews or termination meetings is often driven by a fear of liability, and typically fails employees on the receiving end. This absence of courageous honesty seeps into meetings, letting bad ideas go unchallenged because no one wants to stand alone as the dissenting voice.In contrast, kindness requires the courage to be direct and authentic. It provides the clarity that employees need to understand expectations, develop skills, and find the right career path in an era that demands rapid adaptation.O’Keeffe, who joined Ogilvy after spending 25 years with Edelman, emphasized the power of founder-led organizational cultures, like Ogilvy’s, which is grounded in the values of David Ogilvy. “We cling to that in a very important way,” she said, noting these historical values remain relevant today. However, Ogilvy consciously avoids dwelling in the past. “We try to modernize those values and those tenets so that they fit a modern organization today,” O’Keeffe said.This intentional culture, visibly reinforced through quotes on walls, homepages, notebooks, and meeting discussions, serves as a critical anchor for employees navigating relentless uncertainty. O’Keeffe described the current climate as mirroring the unprecedented challenges 2020 brought: economic headwinds, regulatory shifts around diversity, equity, and inclusion, the ongoing complexities of hybrid work adoption, and heightened demands for emotional well-being support. A strong, clearly communicated culture provides stability in the face of uncertainty. Maria O'Keeffe of Ogilvy spoke with Alex Maragos of NBC 5 News TodayIncreasing economic pressures inevitably lead organizations to make tough decisions, including potentially downsizing their workforce. How companies handle the aftermath of these decisions is pivotal, she says. At Ogilvy, the approach centers on radical transparency about the financial situation and a swift pivot towards purpose. “We give people a sense of purpose in every role at every level within the agency,” she said. Leaders at Ogilvy articulate how each employee’s contributions help to unlock growth, drive better outcomes, or create new offerings, connecting everyone to the organization’s goals.This transparency extends to strategic decisions. “Employees crave information. Information is power, and it’s empowering when you have facts to be able to make informed decisions,” O’Keeffe said. Transparency matters too, when it comes to adopting new tools and technology. O’Keeffe acknowledged the initial “angst and concern” within Ogilvy's creative ranks about AI’s capabilities. The agency overcame resistance by demonstrating AI's practical role: handling rote, administrative, and repetitive tasks that “empty people out,” freeing up time for the deeply human-centric, creative work that “feeds their soul.”Ogilvy leverages WPP’s, its holding company, AI platform, Open, through its “Open for Open Days.” The agency essentially shuts down for a full day, allowing employees to immerse themselves in the platform within their specific roles, learning practical applications in familiar environments. “We [look at] the adoption trends right after those days, and the line continually increases,” she said. When asked for her defining word of 2025, O’Keeffe chose inclusion. She defined it as fostering a profound sense of belonging and connection for every employee. “I want people to feel they are in a safe, inclusive space doing something that is part of something bigger,” she said. This means ensuring that employees are included in growth opportunities, working on meaningful teams, and contributing to client work with a positive impact.Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Tim Hiatt for From Day One)
Meaningful Recognition: Empowering Managers to Elevate Employees
BY Carrie Snider June 25, 2025As the modern workforce stretches across five generations, employee recognition must adapt accordingly. “Boomers expected to maybe work for one to two companies,” said Guy Westermeyer, founder of Westcomm. “Fast forward to the youngest generation, and we’re hearing about 25 companies.” That shift has transformed employee expectations—recognition must be personal, timely, and authentic.Westermeyer, whose agency supports HR teams in employee communications, says that meaningful recognition can’t be limited to a once-a-year training or an annual holiday message. “We can’t just do this during February, and then again by Thanksgiving. We’ve got to do this year-round,” he said during an executive panel discussion at From Day One’s Minneapolis conference. One of the most powerful strategies? Specificity. “If I know that dad wants to buy a zoo membership, are there ways to reward that person with buying that zoo membership?” Westermeyer suggested. Personalized gestures show employees they’re truly seen, and that managers are listening.Recognition shouldn’t just be top-down, he says. “We need to create ways for peers to give each other thanks and praise,” he said. At Westcomm, that includes a “love bomb” Slack channel, where team members can post spontaneous shout-outs. For bigger wins, he suggests curating those shout-outs into a newsletter or email roundup to help remote or hybrid workers relive the moment.Developing Everyday AppreciationAt UnitedHealth Group, panelist Lukas Mudra believes everyday appreciation is the heart of meaningful recognition. As VP of people, inclusion, and culture, Mudra sees firsthand how authenticity and small, personalized gestures can shape workplace culture more than elaborate programs. “You have to pay people, right?” he said. “That’s table stakes. But beyond that, people want to be seen—for who they are and what matters to them.”Megan Thompson, special correspondent at PBS News Hour, moderated the panel discussion about "Employee Recognition and Rewards: How Managers Can Be Empowered"Appreciation doesn’t have to be over-engineered, he says. “If you pause and truly take time to listen to your people, it’s a lot easier to align recognition that is meaningful and that matters to that person,” he said. Something as simple as acknowledging a new father for balancing work and home life can leave a lasting impact. “Those are the moments that people reflect on and that build that sense of loyalty to the organization.”In a virtual world, leaders need to be intentional. “Even if they physically need to put it in their calendar to say, ‘I need time to consider what’s happening in my employees’ lives,’” Mudra said. Whether it’s a public “shoutout,” a private thank-you email, or a stretch assignment, the key is knowing what recognition each person values.Mudra also highlighted the role of employee resource groups (ERGs) and internal platforms. “It’s not direct recognition in the traditional sense, but it’s incredible to see the engagement when people share life milestones and personal wins,” he said. “It brings humanity back into the workplace.”Embedding Recognition into Company CultureAt Xcel Energy, recognition is core to culture, not just compensation. Panelist Yen Ly explained that the company is redefining its employee value proposition, with employee experience standing alongside customer satisfaction and organizational performance.“It’s not just about pay,” Ly said. “It’s about showing appreciation—especially from leaders to employees.” Recognition should feel natural and integrated into everyday work, not like an extra task.Ly, VP of total rewards, admitted that even as a leader, she’s working on pausing to celebrate small wins. “There are always 101 things to do, but it’s important to stop and say, ‘Great job,’ even for the little things.”Xcel uses a company-wide recognition platform, but Yen noted that cultural adoption still has room to grow. She’s exploring ways to simplify the process—like integrating thank you emails with the platform for easier, more visible recognition.She also pointed out a missed opportunity in how leaders assign stretch projects. “Sometimes I give someone extra responsibility because I see their potential,” she said, “but I forget to say that’s why. That clarity matters.”Hybrid work makes intentional recognition even more critical. “It’s easier to recognize people you see daily,” Ly noted. Leaders must be mindful of proximity bias and strive for inclusive recognition across all work settings.To track impact, Xcel uses engagement surveys, but Yen stressed the importance of digging into employee comments and following up. “Even if you think you’re showing appreciation, it might not land the way you expect,” she said. “Don’t assume—ask.”Connected Recognition MomentsAt Allina Health, culture and recognition go hand in hand. Panelist Jen Bailey, VP of total rewards and HR shared services, shared how the organization recently launched a new “Compass” outlining its vision, mission, and values—and used it to update formal recognition programs. “We aligned our platforms to reflect our values,” she said. “When you see compassion or teamwork, share it.”Allina celebrates “All Together Better Month,” a time for employee appreciation and storytelling. A private Facebook page helps employees across 12 hospitals and 70 clinics connect, celebrate wins, and recognize each other’s work. LinkedIn is also used for professional recognition.Leadership modeling plays a key role. “Recognition grows when leaders are seen doing it,” Bailey said. “It creates a culture where people feel valued and want to stay.”Personalization is essential. “Ask your employees how they like to be recognized,” she said. “Some want public praise. Others don’t. Tailor your approach.”In hybrid environments, recognition must be intentional. “You don’t have hallway conversations anymore,” Bailey said. “Use IMs, emails, or team chats—just make it visible.”Allina tracks recognition impact through KPIs like turnover and engagement. “We’ve reduced first-year turnover significantly, thanks to stronger onboarding and manager support,” she said.Finally, Bailey emphasized managing change with care. “When programs evolve or sunset, explain the why and offer new tools to keep appreciation alive. Recognition should never just disappear.” Recognition is the heartbeat of thriving workplaces. When managers genuinely appreciate their employees, they build stronger cultures and lasting loyalty.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.(Photos by Travis Johansen for From Day One)
People-Centered Approaches to Workplace Productivity
BY Jennifer Yoshikoshi June 23, 2025Workplace productivity isn’t just about policies and perks anymore, it’s about fluency in human difference. As new generations enter the workforce with different expectations, the challenge for employers isn’t just keeping up, but tuning in. Jodi Hill, vice president of global talent attraction and engagement strategic initiatives at Wells Fargo says HR leaders should evolve their strategies to bring out the best in every employee.Hill spoke during an executive panel discussion at From Day One’s Minneapolis conference, where leaders shared how their workplaces lead initiatives to create environments that support worker productivity in sustainable ways.To address the needs of employees, leaders often use surveys to understand how they can better support their workers. Dustin Wellik, vice president of HR strategy and solutions for 3M says his company uses what it calls “active and ambient listening strategies.” By collecting the comments and questions that are made through communication channels, events and town halls, 3M will consolidate them for themes. “You can also start to understand tone,” he said.“If you start to get hints of anxiety that could be they don’t feel like they’re equipped or capable to perform what we need them to do, or at the volume we need them to do it,” Wellik added. “If they’re resistant, perhaps we're not quite hitting what's in it for them or incentivizing them to lean in.”At U.S. Bank, one focus is on uplifting employees through a campaign called “Innovation Week.” Kelly Johnson, senior vice president and HR advisory services lead for U.S. Bank said this is part of its attempt to create a culture that fosters innovative ideas and empowers employees to share them. “I think this really allows the team to feel comfortable and to bring those ideas forward and to create that space for change,” said Johnson.With a new generation of workers entering the field, leaders need to learn how to adjust their management styles and acknowledge differences in the way younger generations like Gen Z function and work. Dr. Colleen Flaherty Manchester, professor in the work and organizations department at the Carlson School of Management, moderated the discussion Hill said that social media is key to recruiting and attracting new workers because the younger generation has grown up with technology and media. She suggested that “Day in the Life” videos can offer a glimpse into the work day, offering potential applicants with a very raw and realistic image of what it’s like to be an employee for the company.Enhancing Wellness and Productivity Through ChangeWhen employees are struggling financially or mentally, it can take away from their ability to be productive at work. One of the ways that companies are cultivating an empowered and engaged work culture is by using demand pay or earned wage access. This benefit allows workers to access a portion of their accrued wages prior to payroll at no cost.“They now have the power to access a portion of those wages and utilize those wages in a way that puts them in a better financial situation, and they’re not coming to work stressed out,” said Steve Davis, national sales manager of business partnerships for Global Payments.Davis encourages company leaders to look into ways that they can emphasize financial wellness and benefits that can create a better culture. When it comes to ensuring that workers' needs are met, leaders should also be able to hold conversations with their staff about what challenges they might be facing and how they as leaders can help. Johnson added that it’s key to have education for leaders to train them on how to start conversions and how to engage in dialogue about employee performance, potential external stressors and what’s impacting the employee. At U.S. Bank, the company offers support circles for their employees, a group that allows individuals to connect with others who are experiencing similar things in life. This can include being a new mom, dealing with aging parents or becoming an empty nester. “I think sometimes those connections with others that you may not work with day to day, those connections can be very impactful for employees to find a safe space to talk through that get ideas, to be able to be more successful as well,” said Johnson. Aside from personal stressors, the economic and political changes can also be distracting, impacting the ability for employees to focus. In these situations, Hill encourages transparency from the company while also putting a lens on what’s impacting the organization and using that as a guardrail for conversations. “At Wells Fargo, one of the things I think we have done really well is that we’ve had our leaders be very vocal with conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion and its commitment,” said Hill. She encouraged HR leaders to hold conversations with frontline leaders and guide them on how to navigate discussion about these topics. “The volume of change and chaos out there is so overwhelming that sometimes we forget about what’s not changing,” Wellik added. He suggested that while it’s still important to acknowledge the changes, highlighting what will remain the same is equally as powerful, including company values, objectives, goals and culture.(Photos by Travis Johansen for From Day One)
Employee Mental Health and Financial Wellness: How Managers Can Be Empowered
BY Carrie Snider June 17, 2025Burnout, debt, disconnection: today’s workforce is carrying more than just job responsibilities. And when these pressures surface, it’s managers who are expected to respond first—and best.At From Day One’s NYC half-day benefits conference, a panel of experts tackled a pressing question: How can companies better equip their managers to support employees holistically? From emotional intelligence to creative financial wellness tools, the conversation revealed why empowering managers may be the smartest investment a company can make.Mental Health First AidEquipping managers with the tools to support employee mental health and financial wellness may be one of the most powerful moves a company can make, says panelist Sean Masterman, VP of global employer sales at Calm.“Managers are the frontline of employee experience,” Masterman said. “Training them in mental health first aid helps create a ripple effect across the organization. It starts to normalize conversations around mental health and builds psychological safety.”One effective starting point for those conversations? Sleep.“Sleep is the number one reason people come to Calm,” Masterman said. “It’s a non-threatening entry point into broader discussions around mental health, and it helps reduce the stigma.”Masterman also emphasized the connection between financial wellness and mental health, noting that financial stress is a top contributor to poor sleep and overall well-being. “We’re not just talking about financial literacy,” he said. “We’re talking about helping people understand their relationship with money—how it affects them emotionally and mentally.”Engagement with mental health resources can vary across generations, and Calm is developing content to reflect that. “Gen Z is deeply impacted by financial insecurity,” Masterman said. “That’s why we’re creating content that speaks to people at different life stages and helps them feel seen.”Stretching Budgets to Support EmployeesEmployers today are eager to support their workforce’s financial wellness, but many face significant budget constraints and market volatility. “Companies are desperately trying to solve this problem,” said panelist Aaron Shapiro, founder of Carver Edison, a financial wellness company. “They see the data. They know how important financial wellness is, but there’s a lack of tools. Budgets are fixed, and especially over the past couple months, there’s more pressure than ever to become more efficient, increase earnings for shareholders, [and] more volatility in the market.”This tension creates a tricky balancing act for businesses. Many financial wellness programs offer value to employees, but at a cost that directly impacts the company’s budget. The panel discussion was moderated by Tania Rahman, social media director at Fast Company“For every dollar of value that’s typically delivered to employees through some financial wellness programs, it’s typically $1 of expense for the company,” Shapiro said. “So you launch a program, things are going well, but then the market shifts, budgets get tightened, and you have to figure out a way to make money go further.”Despite these challenges, innovative solutions can break this zero-sum cycle. “If we can help companies break out of that cycle, it unlocks a whole new level of possibilities and really gives companies an incredibly unfair advantage, not just from a retention perspective, but also in being able to play offense when the world is playing defense,” he said.One example is Carver Edison’s product, Cashless Participation, which helps employees boost their income without increasing company costs. “Over 87% of employees that use Cashless Participation say that it’s a more valuable financial benefit than some of the others being offered at their company,” Shapiro said. “It not only helps free up disposable income for those employees but gives them a whole new level of flexibility when it comes to managing all of the other financial priorities they have in their lives.”By tailoring financial wellness programs to fit both employee needs and company realities, organizations can better support their teams—even when budgets are tight.Emotional Intelligence in ManagementA key challenge for many organizations today is ensuring managers possess a high level of emotional intelligence (EQ) to effectively support their teams. Panelist Allison Roberts, senior director of HR at Interpublic Group, emphasized that true engagement goes beyond just overseeing work. “They need to have a high level of EQ managers, and what it looks like is truly engaging with your employees and showing them that you do care about them, not just about their work, but about them as a person,” she said.Roberts noted that emotional intelligence is often overlooked when promoting employees into management roles. This gap can lead to managers who lack the necessary skills to provide meaningful support, especially in today’s increasingly complex workplace.To address this, IPG has invested in education and training. Their learning and development team has been doing a lot over the last few years on EQ training for managers to help with understanding different dynamics. Specifically, a wide variety of generations in the workplace together, she added. This kind of training not only equips managers to better relate to diverse teams but also fosters an environment where employees feel truly supported.Roberts also highlighted the importance of leaders modeling emotional intelligence themselves. “For leaders, it’s about modeling desired behavior, and we get them engaged, then the employees will see and they’ll engage more. And a little bit of self-disclosure as well helps with opening those doors for employees to feel a little bit more comfortable engaging.”Holistic Approach to Employee Well-BeingEspecially in sectors like healthcare, supporting employees requires more than just traditional benefits. Panelist Lindsey Garito, AVP of total rewards at Montefiore Health System, talked about the importance of addressing well-being from a holistic perspective. “Financial health and financial well-being isn’t just about finances. It affects our physical health, our mental health,” she said. This interconnectedness means organizations must consider all aspects of an employee’s life when designing support systems.Garito also shared a powerful reminder: “The workplace is not a car wash. It’s not a place where you enter the doors and you’re suddenly cleansed of everything that’s going on in your life.” This insight underscores the reality that employees bring their whole selves to work, carrying personal challenges alongside their professional responsibilities. For healthcare workers, this can be especially demanding given the nature of their roles.To address these needs, Montefiore’s team focuses on proactive communication and accessible resources. They educate employees and managers and HR partners about available tools, Garito said, “making sure that they’re fully equipped to understand all of what we offer.” This approach helps ensure that support is consistent and reaches all levels of the organization.During Financial Literacy Month, Montefiore took extra steps to engage employees with a variety of workshops and on-site fairs, providing “face to face time with employees” that helps break down barriers to accessing benefits. “We get a lot of direct feedback from the employees about what they need and what they’re looking for, and then that helps inform our strategy,” Garito said.Supporting employee mental health and financial wellness is no longer optional—it is a strategic imperative for organizations committed to thriving in today’s dynamic world. By investing in manager training, fostering emotional intelligence, and implementing creative financial wellness solutions, companies can build a culture of psychological safety and holistic well-being. As these approaches take hold, managers become powerful catalysts for change, enabling employees to bring their whole selves to work and navigate life’s challenges with greater confidence. Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.(Photos by Hason Castell for From Day One)
How to Foster a Corporate Culture of Continuous Learning and Development
BY Ade Akin June 16, 2025When Roz Tsai set out to build a culture of learning at Thrivent, she didn’t start with systems or strategy—she started with people. As head of talent, Tsai led a bold company-wide learning initiative aimed at developing every employee, from the front lines to the C-suite, and embedding a culture of growth at every level.During an executive panel discussion at From Day One’s Minneapolis conference, Tsai outlined how Thrivent built a framework for purpose-driven leadership training and embedded continuous learning into its culture. She was joined by three other leadership and human resources experts to discuss how their organizations make learning an ongoing, meaningful, and fun process.Reskilling Starts With Values“We actually started by redefining our values,” said Natalie Canadeo, the VP of HR at Epicor Software. At Epicor, that meant digging into employee surveys and conducting interviews to identify what being part of Team Epicor meant to employees. Their findings became the foundation for the company’s learning strategy, an aligned system that helped identify skill gaps and delivered targeted upskilling. Tsai underscores that Thrivent’s approach is highly intentional, with tailored programs for each leadership tier. Thrivent offers a “Leading with Purpose” program for aspiring leaders and a “Leading High Performance” program for established managers. Mid-level directors participate in next-generation enterprise leadership courses. “We want every leader to understand their role in aligning corporate strategy to their team’s day-to-day,” Tsai said.Peter Grim, the VP of training, development, and design at Sedgwick, says even the best-designed programs need infrastructure to succeed. “It’s not just about dropping a virtual course in someone’s inbox,” he said. Sedgwick has embraced a rigorous pre-teaching and follow-up process, prioritizing relevance, context, and reinforcement.Identifying Talent With a Growth MindsetDetermining which programs are best suited for each employee is as vital as developing learning programs. “We use nine-box talent reviews,” Canadeo said, referring to the classic tool many talent managers use to map employee performance and potential. However, she stresses that conversations remain the more reliable marker to gauge those metrics. “One manager might see someone differently than their peers do. That feedback is crucial,” she said.Corey Criswell, the chief leadership officer, Americas at Adeption, points to experience-based development. She focused on identifying critical learning experiences that could prepare employees for new roles during his time at Target before joining Adeption.Dee DePass, business reporter at the Star Tribune, moderated the discussion “It’s not always about content; it’s about the kind of exposure and experiences people get,” Criswell said.Tsai highlights the risk of bias in talent reviews. “There’s no blood test for high potential,” she said. Without a structured assessment process, organizations can fall into the trap of overvaluing traits like charisma or familiarity. Instead, Thrivent looks for specific signals: learning agility, hunger for growth, and a willingness to challenge the status quo.How to Make Learning StickAll four panelists agreed that making continuous learning programs an integral part of an organization’s culture is often more challenging than launching them. The solution is to create learning ecosystems with relevant courses and measure behavioral change. Companies should strive to incorporate real business challenges into their training experiences. “That way, the learning ladders back to something real,” Criswell said. She also suggests that organizations encourage learners to participate in peer coaching groups and conduct small, real-world experiments to apply their new skills, thereby creating opportunities for reflection, accountability, and immediate feedback. “The goal is to make learning active and personally meaningful,” said Criswell.Grim echoed the importance of post-training support. “Follow-up coaching is critical,” he said. Sedgwick utilizes coaching sessions and mentoring after courses to enhance retention and provide opportunities for the practical application of skills learned. He also raised a common issue: subject-matter experts aren’t always effective teachers.Tsai broke it down simply: “Practice builds fluency. Adults learn when it’s relevant, repeated, and emotional.” She describes using storytelling and leader vulnerability to create emotional anchors. “You can’t tell people to ‘build psychological safety’ and expect change. They need repetition and practice.”Making Learning Engaging and FunLearning new things becomes more challenging when it’s formulaic, so it’s crucial for programs to be engaging and enjoyable. Canadeo shared how Epicor uses role-playing to engage new managers. “We bring in senior leaders to play the part of difficult employees,” she said. “It makes it real, and a little fun.” Epicor also incentivizes compliance training with contests and swag. At Sedgwick, Grim’s team creates humorous video content starring top performers from previous training sessions. “It builds a sense of community and pride,” he said. Employees who earn training badges receive custom virtual backgrounds for video meetings. “It turns a learning achievement into a visible win.”Criswell and Tsai both agreed on the benefits of experiential learning. Their organizations use simulations and games to drive home key lessons. However, Tsai warns talent managers not to prioritize fun over learning. “Make sure the fun has a purpose,” she said. “You don’t want your training to be remembered only as the day we talked about dream vacations.”Each panelist offered a closing tip for making learning programs feel more human. Criswell emphasized the importance of genuinely checking in with people, while Canadeo urged leaders to listen more than they speak. Grim highlighted the value of vulnerability, encouraging leaders to admit when they don’t have all the answers. Tsai offered a simpler reminder: bring more warmth—and even a few hugs—into the workplace. That spirit of connection echoed throughout the session, reinforcing the idea that learning is as much about human connection as it is about content.Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Travis Johansen for From Day One)