Exploring the future of the HR profession: A Q&A with Chloe Drew
HR leaders are in “uncharted territory,” says Eden Health's first chief people officer.
With the impacts of the pandemic, coupled with continuous evolution of workplace technologies to support the employee experience, HR leaders are in “uncharted territory,” says Chloe Drew. To be most successful, leaders must collaborate with their peers across organizations, and be willing to “share what they are trying and what’s working, and what’s not working” in their mandate to support their employee teams.
In our latest chat in this series, BenefitsPRO caught up with Drew, who in September was hired to be the first chief people officer for Eden Health, a primary care and insurance navigation company for employers, headquartered in New York City.
Drew brings 20 years of experience designing, leading and scaling strategies in human resources, corporate social impact and philanthropy, as well as diversity, equity and inclusion. Previously, she was an advisor at gradient, a boutique advisory firm that supports global companies across sectors on customized DEI strategies. Before that Drew was the chief people officer at the real estate tech firm Compass, supporting 2,500 national team members.
Katie Kuehner-Hebert: How has the role of HR professionals changed in recent years, and what’s driving it/?
Our role has changed drastically over the past few years as work has become more personalized than ever before. COVID-19 swiftly sent the world into lockdown, forcing many employees to quickly adapt to a fully remote workforce and recreate their daily routines. This massive transition had a tremendous effect on mental health and workplace culture, highlighting the importance of making strategic and intentional investments in a workplace culture that makes employees feel supported, respected and heard.
HR teams continue to be on the front lines of this effort and are tasked with juggling a variety of organizational needs. Communicating new work from home benefits, working alongside organizational leadership on workplace plans, sourcing talent, maintaining employee engagement and driving DEI goals are all simultaneous priorities and responsibilities for HR teams. Taking a people-first approach will continue to be critical for HR professionals in order to keep employee engagement high and retain top talent.
KKH: How has this shift impacted the relationship between the C-Suite, HR and employee benefits consultants?
COVID-19 completely transformed the way HR collaborates with other departments within an organization. HR is now working even closer with C-Suite executives and employee benefits consultants to implement a variety of policies and procedures around workplace culture and benefits, DEI and hiring best practices. Each person has a unique purview into different business needs, so working hand in hand with other key functions across the organization has become a necessity to implement the best solutions and help scale the business.
KKH: How has technology changed the way you work? How has it changed your role?
The HR playbook that we knew is outdated. With technology advancements, we now have instant access to resources, tools and data that can help us better collaborate, brainstorm and open-source ideas to create processes that better inform our business decision-making process.
And I would add that I have experienced a shift towards more intentionally and consistently generous exchanges with my HR peers with people leaders eager to share what they are trying and what’s working, and what’s not working. There seems to be a real sense of this being new and uncharted territory, and we are stronger by collectively sharing how we’re supporting our employee teams.
KKH: Do you see an increasing need for specialization within the field (talent management, compliance, DEI, etc.)?
Yes, with a caveat. As HR professionals, I think we have a history of overextending ourselves, which can lead to less ability to focus on the highest impact levers, not to mention personal stress and pressure. This was very evident when COVID-19 hit, as HR teams were tasked with additional responsibilities outside their day-to-day scope. In fact, seven in 10 HR leaders believe this year has been one of the most challenging of their careers, according to a Paychex survey.
Some businesses seek out HR generalists, but I believe building an HR team with a variety of specialists with strong experience and knowledge in one to two areas — including health insurance, benefits or talent management — is crucial in order to have well-defined goals and prevent burnout.
One example though where I would say that the work is more horizontal than vertically specialized is around DEI. As chief people officer, I consider myself to be the head of DEI as well, with a responsibility to ensure that we apply that lens across everything we do — and drive accountability for results.
If specialization isn’t a realistic option for your organization, if for example, you’re small and growing, I would recommend bringing on a solution with excellent support for your needs, especially if the solution can provide input across multiple disciplines. This is something that we do at Eden Health for HR teams to help them handle all insurance and medical-related needs.
KKH: What skills will be most important to HR professionals in the future?
COVID-19 has shown that the most valued skills for HR professionals now and in the future will be compassion, communication and empathy. As HR professionals, we have a continuous pulse of all needs across an organization to ensure all employees feel valued, respected and productive. We are now responsible for putting policies and procedures into place and constantly assessing the professional — and at times personal — needs of every employee.
Where do employees need more flexibility? How do we create opportunities for employees to take a break and connect while also not contributing to Zoom fatigue? What protocols would employees need to feel safe returning to the office? Eden is a remote-first company because we listened carefully to how our teams said they wanted to work — both individually and collaboratively. These were some of the many questions we have asked ourselves and our team members across multiple organizations.
Now more than ever, HR professionals need to intentionally take time to carve out questions and a safe space for employees to share their feedback, ideas and concerns and then seek out solutions in order to be accountable and create a culture that employees feel proud to be a part of.
KKH: What trends, challenges or issues do you see most affecting your profession?
According to a recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs in August 2021. Every HR leader has seen countless articles about the “Great Resignation” — it is real and it comes with countless business consequences. The spotlight on employee experience to retain employees and drive engagement is more important than ever and largely falls on HR’s shoulders.
Building a competitive company culture that keeps pace with employees evolving needs and demands will continue to be a challenge in the years ahead. While “company culture” can mean many things, we will continue to see increased employee demands for providing tools and resources that support their overall well-being.
In fact, a survey by America’s Health Insurance Plans found that 56 percent of US adults with employer-sponsored health benefits said that whether or not they like their health coverage is a key factor in deciding to stay at their current job. When employers make a conscious investment to offer healthcare solutions and benefits that help employees manage their primary care, physical and mental health needs, they feel genuinely cared for. The proof is in the pudding — great health benefits make for healthy, happy and loyal employees.
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