2022's workplace buzzword? Flexibility.
That was the name of the game for Claudine Hoverson, chief talent officer at financial services firm Synchrony. Over the last year, Hoverson has embraced the freedom that comes from listening to employees and giving them what they want — and for many, that's continuing to
"For us at Synchrony, this year has been about putting trust in our employees and providing them with choice and flexibility around hybrid work," Hoverson says. "That has made a huge difference for us. We talk a lot about flexibility becoming the new currency, and it's really becoming table stakes that organizations provide workers with some flexibility."
Read more:
At Synchrony, that flexibility means all employees have autonomy to work in a way and
"I own talent acquisition for the organization, and candidates are asking us about our flexible work policies," she says. "They are testing us on these things and wanting to know how we think about it and what we're doing as an organization. And we've seen a 30% increase in our attraction rates over the past 12 months."
Flexibility in schedules and work locations has led to flexibility in other areas of the company, too. Hoverson says Synchrony has shifted away from a traditional performance management system to a more holistic coaching model. This builds a year-round sense of connection, rather than a year-end review.
"Performance ratings come at the end of the year, but having continual conversations throughout the year where you're talking about goals, you're validating that employees are on track, you're discussing development and growth," Hoverson says. "That leads to discussing wellness — how employees are doing both personally and professionally."
Read more:
Once employees feel like they're being heard and supported, engagement in their benefits follows, Hoverson says. Recognizing the unique circumstances of each and every employee means they need options and that all-important flexibility in how they're using these offerings.
Hoverson turns to pulse surveys to get a sense of what employees need in their day-to-day, be it more
"We did not feel the Great Resignation at all because of everything we did with choice, flexibility and our unique benefits," she says. "I talk to other companies and they're asking, 'How do we get talent in the door?' You listen to what your employers are saying. Our employees told us, and we built programs that would support them in finding that work-life balance."
Juggling all of these new programs amid a far-flung workforce means that leaders need to embrace flexibility in their management approach. Companies should offer
"Learn how to listen and engage with your employees in a different way, because building that connection, listening empathetically, helping your employees find the solutions versus solving for them is very eye opening," she says. "We're doing things here with technology to train managers through virtual reality — they can go through some scenarios and practice to get more comfortable when it comes to having these harder conversations."
Read more:
While some employers are hoping 2023 is finally the year the workforce returns to pre-pandemic norms, Hoverson says that era is long-gone, and it's probably for the best.
"I know the past couple years have been tough on leaders and employees, but I don't want to go back. We have a great opportunity to change and chart a new path forward," Hoverson says. "The pandemic taught us that everything we knew about corporate life could be different, and we had the opportunity to be different. We could move faster and be more effective and have more balance. We just have to be open to some of the ways we can do that."
