How HR leaders prioritize people in an evolving workplace

“Really simple questions that ground us in the reality of how somebody is doing right now, linked to the work that we need to do,” is the intent of these weekly conversations, explains Sam Oliver, vice president of people and communities for the networking-equipment company’s Europe, Middle East, and Asia regions.

He joined other HR professionals for a virtual discussion about putting people first amid a changing landscape of talent, work culture, and technologies like artificial intelligence, hosted alongside Fortune and workforce software provider UKG.

The consistent feedback loop is a key pillar in Cisco’s approach to fostering a workplace that Oliver says allows employees to be their best selves. Cisco ranks fifth on the latest Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in Europe list, which analyzes more than 1.3 million confidential survey responses, a representation of the experiences of more than 2 million employees located within the continent.

Oliver says that feelings drive how they think, behave, and ultimately perform. “So if we want to drive great business performance, we’ve got to come back to how people are doing,” he says. 

“This doesn’t happen by chance,” adds Thomas Petit, VP of business HR for the international therapeutics division of AbbVie, which sits at second on the list. “You can’t wake up one morning and say, ‘We’re going to improve psychological safety.’ It requires an intentional effort.”

HR leaders at the virtual discussion say the workplace is in great flux due to changes to where employees work and how they come together in person or remotely, AI and other disruptive technologies, cultural changes that put a greater emphasis on empathy, and uncertainty about how to address diversity and inclusion, the climate, and other more divisive societal issues.

Employees consequently want competent, respectful, and fair leaders; a sense of teamwork with colleagues; and pride in a bigger purpose beyond business objectives, says Tony Bond, EVP and chief diversity and innovation officer at Great Place to Work. “What defines a leader in today’s world is somewhat different than what defined a leader 10 years ago,” he says.

Employers are still figuring out the RTO game

Among the hottest workplace topics that employers are still sorting through is how often they require employees to be in the office. Few have settled into extremes: Amazon, as an example, telling employees to return to the office five days a week, but Spotify conversely doubling down its “work from anywhere” policy. Instead, most are settling into a hybrid model that allows for a mix of office and remote work.

“We call it ‘Live where you love, love where you work,’” says Alan Winters, chief people officer and deputy chief compliance officer at Teleperformance Group. 

The French-based outsourcing firm employs half a million globally and a vast majority are frontline customer service representatives that handle phone calls, email, and online chat inquiries on behalf of Teleperformance’s clients. Today, roughly half of the company’s workforce works remotely and Winters says the company hires some employees who will never step foot in an office.

Cisco has leaned into a hybrid approach. “If people want to come together, to innovate or to do work, then the space is here for them,” says Oliver. “The office should be a magnet and not a mandate.”

AbbVie’s policy is called “three plus two,” meaning three days in the office and two that can be, but it is not mandatory. “It’s a system that allows some flexibility, because people like to be at home,” says Petit. “But also it helps people get together.”

The best employers use AI as a tool to augment rather than replace 

Beyond the anxiety around where employees will work are questions about how that work will change. Employers are embracing AI, cutting jobs, and transforming workflows in the process. But Bond says that the best employers first look at how AI can augment work, rather than replacing people with technology. 

“Leaders have to help humans be the best humans they can possibly be,” says Bond. “So there’s some development investment that needs to be associated with that.”

Medical devices and equipment manufacturer Stryker created a centralized team to explore strategic applications of AI. But beyond thinking through how to utilize the technology, Stryker is focused on building trust. “Overall, it’s more important how you implement it and how you communicate to bring the team along and create trust,” says Sabine Krummel, VP of HR for Stryker’s Europe operations. 

Teleperformance recently launched a new emotional intelligence program across four markets to assess employees’ brain profiles, understand coaching and development needs, and factor in how technologies like AI can propel changes to human interaction. 

“We’re all human and we all make decisions through emotions,” says Winters. “So the more you are attuned to that, the better off you are going to be for the future.”

Stryker and Teleperformance ranked sixth and 12th, respectively, on the 2024 Best Companies to Work For in Europe list.

At Cisco, Oliver says employees are coming to realize that AI works best at augmenting decision making. Everyone at the company’s HR department is currently undergoing AI training to learn how to use it, but also bolster their comfort level.

“AI is brilliant at giving you information, but it’s not brilliant at wisdom,” he says. “It can help you to understand, but it’s not good at empathy.”