Doug Houser:
From Rea & Associates studio, this is unsuitable, a management and financial services podcast for entrepreneurs, tenured business leaders, and others who are ready to look beyond the suit and tie culture for meaningful, measurable results. I'm Doug Houser. On this weekly podcast, thought leaders and business professionals break down complicated and mundane topics and give you the tips and insight you actually need to grow as a leader while helping your organization to grow and thrive.
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These days, work is no longer defined by showing up at 8:00, punching a clock, doing your job, and getting out of there at 5:00. Employees are increasingly shaping the workforce and they're demanding a business environment that prioritizes health, wellbeing, psychological safety, flexible work options, DEI, and more.
Today, Karen Sating, a leader on Rea's HR team is here to talk about what Rea is doing to shape the workplace environment and reinforce a people-first culture. Perhaps our conversation today will provide you with some ideas about how to take your own organization to that next level, particularly, as you continue to compete for top talent. Welcome to unsuitable, Karen.
Karen Sating:
Thank you so much, Doug. I'm really excited to be here today.
Doug:
So thanks so much for being on, I mean, obviously so much going on and like all organizations, we've had to kind of alter our way of thinking in this age of COVID and certainly as we come out of it even post-COVID. We quickly had to go to flexible work options overnight, literally, as almost everybody did. So talk about some of the things we've learned over the last year with regard to that and how that's changed over that period of time.
Karen:
Sure. Yeah, absolutely. So remote work has been on the rise for years, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought the necessity of remote work into sharp relief. Before the pandemic, the office has played a crucial role in company culture, and for many, productivity was partly measured by how often employees were seated at their desks. During the pandemic, employees learned to adjust to extended video conferencing, flexible work hours to manage the challenges of working from home and changing priorities. Businesses had new challenges arise such as how to lead teams remotely and provide autonomy while protecting the business's bottom line. Decisions needed to be made quickly amidst the rapid changes that were happening. And now leaders have learned that employees can be productive even when they're not in the same room or the same building. And we certainly learned that here at Rea. When remote work is no longer something that we're forced to deal with, we shouldn't expect that people want to return to working at the office. In fact, many prefer remote work with the number one reason of having more of a work-life balance.
Doug:
Interesting. Two questions then, from an HR perspective, what has surprised you the most over this past year as we've kind of altered and pivoted to this environment? And then, what has perhaps been least surprising as well about all of that?
Karen:
So 2020 was definitely one of those infinite years of our life and it changed really the world of work as we know it. I think what was most surprising is that when the pandemic hit, there was this sudden influx of remote work, which it brought on a lot of challenges. And I think a lot of those were unexpected. People having challenges with working from home, balancing maybe kids being home from school. And so it was, you're sitting at your desk one day and then you're getting notified, guess what? Take what you need, you're going to be working from home indefinitely. And I think we were all surprised by that. What wasn't surprising is that Rea and companies adapted quickly. They were up to the challenge. HR professionals took the driver's seat in a lot of situations and adapted quickly. So we had a very smooth transition. Technology was on our side. We were set up for success in that regard. And so we found out that we very much could work from home successfully. There were minimal challenges in regards to technology and it went really well.
Doug:
Yeah. Thankfully we were well-prepared with the help of a lot of folks, including you certainly. Now, from an HR perspective and then a recruiting perspective, all of a sudden it becomes very difficult to sort of make people involved in our culture and get that feel. I mean, ultimately, we can talk about, yes, the products that we put out, the services that we offer and how we try to work with clients and what we're trying to do, but what brings people together is that culture of the workplace and enjoying who they work with and feeling pride in that. How do you bridge that gap in this type of environment, not only with current employees in that culture, but in the recruiting process as well?
Karen:
Yeah. Great question. And it's very interesting how recruiting took a complete 100% shift to virtual recruitment. And in regards to talent acquisition and development of teams and retaining teams, the pandemic and its repercussions really provided a historical change agent as virtual recruiting and onboarding a remote workforce has really become the norm for companies and many HR professionals. So no doubt virtual recruiting is here to stay. And in the same way, a hybrid workforce of onsite and remote employees is becoming the standard, and that hybrid hiring process really combined virtual and in-person elements as becoming the norm.
So candidates are really looking for companies that take a strong stance on social issues and HR is increasingly focusing on employer branding. So instead of necessarily highlighting and showcasing the company's products and benefits, they're publicizing what the company is doing to support employees and customers and communities in times of crisis. So a candidate's impression of a company is and will continue to be heavily influenced by their everyday interactions with HR and the organization. And with organizations putting people first with the help of HR, employers will show not necessarily tell what their company is all about. So it's really important that we differentiate ourselves as an employer of choice.
And then with the skills gap crisis, that's really not new to HR professionals or businesses, it's what we've been intensified with the progression of COVID-19. So we're really focused on enhancing critical skills and competencies in the workforce this year. And reskilling the workforce in a virtual space really adds an additional layer of complexity. So the focus again is on people and growing employees within their organization.
And so when you ask, "What are the challenges with being remote?" There are many challenges. Managers need to be trained and understand how to lead teams remotely. HR professionals and talent development professionals need to learn and understand how to engage the remote workforce, how to keep them engaged, how to bring them to feel connected to the organization and their teams and their colleagues so that they can develop and grow and remain with the organization. Because I think retention is absolutely key and it'll help bring in top talent.
Doug:
Well, and you talked a little bit about that connectivity and just I think that mission or that kind of social consciousness that a company has is so important to people in today's age and talk a little bit about some of the things we do as an organization to help foster that. Because I know that's certainly one of the things that attracts so much of our, particularly our young talent, and really make sure that connectivity and that sort of consciousness are there. What are some of the things we do?
Karen:
Yeah, absolutely. I think the most important thing that we do and something that's not new to us is we put our people first. And that is the top priority. It's critical for the success of the organization. So we've done an advantage because we've been doing that all along. And our culture, the Rea way, and listeners might not be familiar with that, but it's our values and it's how all of our team members strive to conduct themselves at work every day. But with those values, we're living things like encouraging each other, helping each other, being an advocate, respect, all of those values that people want to see in a workplace, and Rea strives to do that and I think that really contributes to the firm's success. That's why we've been around since 1938 and why I believe we are an employer of choice.
Some things that we're doing to keep people engaged, we found that people can successfully work from home. And we found that with virtual recruitment, with having a remote workforce, whether they're partially or completely remote is that we have to remain connected. And the things that we're doing to make that happen from a recruiting perspective is, for example, our internship program, which I'm very passionate about is that we engage our interns early on and we have copy and convos sessions where we get together with our interns prior to them starting with the firm and we share information to help set them up for success. We connect them with our teams so that they can learn more about the firm and we connect them with each other so that they can learn more about each other. And so they start to get that sense of connectedness and belonging, which I know we'll talk about here shortly with diversity, equity, and inclusion. But they get that sense of belonging and connectedness that they get excited that they want to start working with Rea.
We do the same thing with our hires, but more one-on-one. So we're connecting with them, but we're also looking at new ideas of keeping people connected in a world of work that's moving more and more towards flexibility and remote work. We use letters, events, all of those things that can bridge a connected workforce prior to joining the organization.
Doug:
I'm used to Rea, our organization, having so much fun together in the offices and I've been at a number of different places and I think that's one of the truly unusual things that we do here, probably more so than most. And I've been amazed at, here in Columbus, we've got a Committee of Awesomeness, for example, that people have taken hold of and come up with some just super fun ideas and creative ways to stay connected and get together. But I think it's important because we all have different situations at home. And you still, even though we've had to move to do at least a hybrid type of environment, we've got to recognize that people need to separate the two in some fashion and make sure that you've got time both personally and professionally for your mental wellbeing as well. And I know that's something you're passionate about and make sure we are on top of, so talk about some of the things we try to do to stay on top of that.
Karen:
Absolutely. And I do have to just throw it in there that we had such a great event on Employee Appreciation Day last Friday. The firm invited everyone via Zoom after work. We had a live band on Zoom and it was so interactive. It was so much fun. People were able to request songs and everyone was so engaged. It was such a great event. So kudos to everyone at Rea that put on that event, because it certainly kept everyone engaged. It took them away from maybe the stressors of maybe feeling isolated working at home or not connected or just dealing with juggling all aspects of working from home. So that was a really great idea. And I think you were on there, Doug, so I think you will say that it was a lot of fun.
Doug:
Yeah, it was a lot of fun. They even played a Clash song for me, so I appreciated that. But yeah, it's again, one of those things that we try to do, because you got to prioritize mental health and wellbeing. It's such a big part of where we can all help each other. So it's events like that and what are some of the other things that we try to do along those lines with the kind of that making sure we're looking out for each other?
Karen:
Absolutely. I think we realized early on when the pandemic hit, that we've always had that prioritization of our employees' health and wellbeing. And I mean, there has been a greater emphasis now more than ever for HR and businesses regarding wellbeing, especially with people working remotely. So the care of colleagues and employees going forward will also pick a greater significance.
So I think some of the things that we're doing as we're looking at wellbeing and health is we have a new benefits coordinator, Alison, who's wonderful. She's under our operations team, but partners with our HR team. And we're looking at really total rewards, so we're looking at health and wellness. We partnered with a new organization on that. We've got an app with all kinds of great things in regards to employee wellbeing and activities and different opportunities there. Work flexibility is huge at Rea. And I think a lot of companies are finding that you need to be flexible. We have a work from anywhere program, which really provides... hopefully we get there soon, post-pandemic, of having that flexibility to work from home. And I think that's really important.
And as we continue to evolve and grow organically and through mergers and acquisitions that we understand and continue to foster work flexibility, but also we need to continue to provide recognition to our employees, which boosts their health and wellness. It also boosts their productivity. I mean, studies have shown that that really helps foster retention and boost employee productivity. So as we continue to look at ensuring the wellbeing of our employees, ensuring their safety, which we've done so through our health and safety committee and our protocol in line with the COVID pandemic, that we want to ensure that we're helping our employees mitigate any stress and that they know that whether they're working from home, that they're connected, that we care about their health and safety. And when they're in the office, they can come and work in a safe environment where they know that that's our number one priority.
Doug:
I think that's so important what you said there about truly caring. One of the things I've always noticed is, and it's even more important in today's environment with COVID and everything going on in the world, is just having that compassion and empathy. I think that's a great lesson for all business owners out there, just asking folks, "Are you okay? How's everything going?" And really mean it, not just the cursory inquiry, but I think that comes across really well in our organization. And I'm certainly proud that we emphasize those things.
And that brings up to me inclusion and getting different perspectives and diversity. And one of the things we do really well, we have a next-gen group. We get our young professionals involved and they actually talk to the board and have a voice so to speak. So how do you, if you're an organization out there, what are some of the things you can do to really emphasize that inclusiveness and different perspectives and all those types of things?
Karen:
Yes, definitely. I mean, when you look at diversity, equity, and inclusion, a lot of people might say, "Well, what's the difference? How are they related?" Basically, diversity is the presence of similarities and differences among individuals. And it's going to include many different things like race, gender, religion, etc. Companies need a diverse workforce to provide the potential for greater innovation and creativity. Equity is really promoting justice, impartiality, fairness. So equity in the workplace refers to fair treatment and access opportunity advancement for all individuals.
So companies really need to do that to eliminate barriers to fair treatment and to really help get systematic change in organizations and industries. I think that equity is extremely important, especially for disadvantaged groups. So inclusion comes into play as well, which really describes the extent to which each person in an organization feels welcome, respected, supported. And really with inclusion, it's two-way accountability where each person must grant and accept inclusion from others. So from an organizational perspective, it's what enables organizations to realize the business benefits of the potential for greater innovation and creativity that diversity provides.
Doug:
Yeah. That's so well said. And again, it goes back to having that social consciousness too that makes your organization so attractive to new talent and young people. They want to know that your organization really is passionate about it and does that. They're not looking to just come and do the job and check out. You're never going to attract and retain the right talent if you don't think that way. So we all need to continue to adapt and evolve, that's the world that we're in. You can't have that one way of thinking.
Karen:
Absolutely. And I mean, employees are actually expecting it. They want their employer to be actively involved. And again, the same theme as you can hear as we're talking is about connection. It's about diversity. It's about including. It's about engaging. It's about people. And creating and fostering an environment where employees feel valued is key to building a really high-performance culture.
Doug:
Yeah. That's awesome. So well said. Well, thanks for joining us today, Karen. It was a pleasure and look forward to talking to you again, I'm sure sometime soon.
Karen:
Thank you so much for having me. And I really appreciate being a guest on today's podcast and great seeing you, Doug. Thanks so much.
Doug:
Absolutely. And if you want more business tips and insight or to hear previous episodes of unsuitable, visit our podcast page at www.reacpa.com/podcast. And while you're there, sign up for exclusive content and show notes. Thanks for listening to this week's show. Be sure to subscribe to unsuitable on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you're listening to us right now, including YouTube. I'm Doug Houser. Join us next week for another unsuitable interview with an industry professional.
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The views expressed on unsuitable on Rea Radio are our own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Rea & Associates. The podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the professional advice you would receive elsewhere. Consult with a trusted advisor about your unique situation so they can expertly guide you to the best solution for your specific circumstance.
