This reflective mindset sweeping across every business is driving a diversity of thought that’s shaping the future, widening perspectives, and providing tools to change work for good. And it’s important for every person 鈥� regardless of age, role, status, and experience 鈥� to be engaged in this global conversation.

The new series of听Forward Live听is one of those opportunities for unfiltered and relatable discussions with forward-thinking industry leaders. With a perfect blend of self-discovery and curiosity and a dash of entertaining fun and humor, the 51风流SuccessFactors video series will uncover how the best possible human experiences at work are created.

Looking Ahead for What’s Next

Each episode of听Forward Live will include live and thought-provoking interviews with some of today’s most interesting personalities and brightest thinkers. Viewers will also be treated to panel discussions with 51风流SuccessFactors customers that are changing the business world in positive and monumental ways, as well as a range of entertaining games and audience engagement.

Explore how to build a more inclusive culture at work in the , hosted by New York Times best-selling author and Emmy-nominated storyteller Baratunde Thurston. Thurston brings his unique blend of humor, wisdom, and compassion to lead the conversation around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B).

Thurston will be joined on stage by a panel of leaders featuring NBA Chief People and Inclusion Officer, Oris Stuart; Paramount Senior Vice President of Global Inclusion Strategy, Jason Williams; Tapestry Global HR Officer, Sarah Dunn; and 51风流SuccessFactors President, Jill Popelka. Together they will explore the topic of DEI&B in the workplace, including challenges they are facing in their respective industries and inspiring approaches they are taking to create inclusive cultures where their employees and customers feel like they belong. The timing of this conversation couldn’t be better now that organizations are devoting over toward resolving people biases compared to process biases.

The series will continue throughout the rest of the year with more inspiring guests and important conversations. Future episodes will tackle topics such as the importance of learning and upskilling for a sustainable workforce, new ways of working and building an inclusive culture and the different skills needed to support them, and how businesses can redefine work in ways that support the whole employee, from personal life and professional ambitions to the need for purpose.

51风流SuccessFactors is proud to present this second series of Forward Live. Just like you, we’re inspired to turn work into an extension of every person’s purpose and create a world of conscientious workforces always supported, motivated, and skilled to take on every challenge that comes their way. And we are grateful to our Forward Live thought-leadership partners and 51风流SuccessFactors customers for sharing the advice, strategies, and stories that will help change work for good.

Catch every episode of the 51风流original series Forward at听.

Kim Lessley is global director of Solution Marketing for 51风流SuccessFactors.

To be the best sports brand in the world, adidas needs to work with talent that reflects the diversity of its customers. In 2020, the company redefined its framework for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to clarify what DEI means to adidas as a company: championing individual uniqueness and cultivating a culture of belonging so that everyone can create at their best.

鈥淒iversity means ensuring that we have a plethora of people from different backgrounds,鈥� said Amanda Rajkumar, executive board member, Global Human Resources People and Culture at adidas. 鈥淓quity means putting fair processes in place across the board, for all employees. And inclusion means ensuring that the environment at adidas is one where everyone feels welcome. As the first non-white member of our executive board, these topics are close to my heart.鈥�

Taking a Data-Driven Approach to DEI

Historically, our society has been an unequal playing field, and that inequality is still present in our workplaces. To promote equity, adidas is working to diversify its workforce and has set clear targets around ethnicity and gender.

For example, the company aims to fill at least 30% of new positions in the United States with Black and LatinX people. Globally, adidas is reforming its hiring and career development processes to increase representation of women and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) at all levels.

鈥淲e need to ensure that hiring managers and recruiters understand the importance of our DEI imperatives and take affirmative action to support underrepresented groups,鈥� said Rajkumar. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 see it as lowering the bar, but as widening the gate for those who have not had the same starting point in life.鈥�

adidas is one of the first companies on DAX (the German stock index) to collect data on DEI. It uses DEI insights not only to support decision-making, but also 鈥� crucially 鈥� to measure progress against its targets.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no point in setting targets if we cannot accurately measure our progress against them,鈥� said Rajkumar. 鈥淟ine managers can see the current diversity status of their teams, so they can have meaningful conversations with HR about how to improve and to meet their targets. Data is essential to getting this right.鈥�

Creating Real Change

For too long, HR has been denied a seat at the executive table. The tumultuous events of 2020, including the Black Lives Matter movement and the COVID-19 pandemic, have brought HR to the fore.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no other department that can hold up a mirror to the organization,鈥� said Rajkumar. 鈥淗R is the ombudsman between employer and employee. We represent the conscience of the firm, which is why HR has played such a crucial role in the last year.鈥�

That鈥檚 why, in the third quarter of 2020, adidas introduced mandatory anti-racism and unconscious-bias training worldwide. The company also defined strategic focus areas to attract, recruit, promote, and retain a diverse workforce at all levels and areas of the business.

With听 underpinning HR and talent processes at adidas across the entire employee life cycle, the company can measure progress against its ambitious DEI targets and create a work environment where all employees feel like they belong.

To learn more, watch听.

Deb Lyons is senior director of Global Marketing for 51风流SuccessFactors.

As a result, not only do customers prefer to do business with Scotiabank, but the company鈥檚 own employees see Scotiabank as an employer of choice too, according to Barb Mason, group head and chief human resources officer at Scotiabank.

Empowering Employees with Better Learning Experiences

Should employers hire candidates with a strong desire to learn, or try to nurture this quality in all its employees? According to Mason, it鈥檚 a bit of both. Too often, employees aren鈥檛 afforded the opportunity to learn on the job and grow their skill set 鈥� especially women and people of color.

鈥淔or us, it is all about ensuring that we have systemically equitable processes in the bank to allow everyone to have the same opportunities and understand what they need to do to be able to get these opportunities,鈥� Mason said.

Scotiabank embraces equitable hiring processes that set a standard for equity for the rest of the employee life cycle. This begins with diverse interview teams who strive to ask unbiased interview questions and follow other best practices for inclusive recruitment.

From the start, Scotiabank lets its employees know it is dedicated to providing next-level learning and skill-building experiences. Throughout the recruitment and interview process, HR leaders open the door to a world of on-the-job learning for candidates. With a modern learning experience similar to employees鈥� favorite video streaming services, Scotiabank鈥檚 workforce can tap into on-demand learning and training built on Blend by TalenTeam powered by听.

Creating the Highest Performing Workforce to Date

Mason knows that learning doesn鈥檛 do any employees 鈥� or the business 鈥� any good if people don鈥檛 know how to access learning resources. In addition to making these resources readily available to employees as part of the company鈥檚 next-generation HR experience, Scotiabank also readily provides opportunities for experiential learning for directors and above.

During hypothetical scenarios, employees have the chance to tackle new tasks set at a level above their current role at Scotiabank. For instance, a mid-level bank officer may have to resolve a simulated customer challenge that is usually handled by a senior officer. Employees get to learn new skills on the fly, and the company gets to see employees鈥� aptitude for performing in a new role. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a pass or fail,鈥� said Mason. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an experience.鈥�

Meanwhile, the Scotia Inspire program, enabled by听, empowers women in senior positions to participate in mentoring and sponsorship for the next level of women at Scotiabank. This begins at the very top, with women in the executive suite enabling leaders to mentor women in every other role across the business.

鈥淲e now have the highest caliber performance of women that we鈥檝e ever had in the history of the organization, and I don鈥檛 see that ever changing,鈥� said Mason.

To learn more,听听in an episode of Forward with Adam Grant.

Carolyn Judge Phillip is vice president of Corporate Marketing for 51风流SuccessFactors.

Against this backdrop, employee well-being has become a critical topic for business leaders. Many companies are coming to the realization that good people management is about taking care of the quality of life at work rather than just focusing on the quality of work produced by employees.

In trying to address overwork issues before they impact mental health, professional services company Deloitte is a pioneer.

鈥淚 know from my own personal experience that burnout is no fun for anyone from the point of view of physical and emotional health,鈥� said Jen Fisher, chief well-being officer at Deloitte US. 鈥淗owever, it鈥檚 also very bad for business. If your workforce is burned out, your productivity and profits are both affected.鈥�

Spotting the Warning Signs

According to Fisher, it鈥檚 important for managers to stay alert and look out for signs of strain among their teams. Is someone acting differently? Is their productivity down? Are they being negative when they normally have a positive outlook on life? Are they sending e-mails in the middle of the night? Fisher explains that these are clues that should prompt you to check how someone鈥檚 doing and see if they鈥檙e overloaded with work.

Establishing a culture of openness is also crucial to help ensure that people ask for help when they need it. 鈥淥ne thing I鈥檝e learned is that if you鈥檙e feeling under pressure, there is someone else around you who will be feeling the same thing,鈥� remarked Fisher. 鈥淭hey might just be afraid to say it.鈥�

Setting Boundaries to Help Maintain Work-Life Balance

Fisher believes that helping employees set their own boundaries in regard to work-life balance is crucial if you are to create a happy and healthy working environment. 鈥淲e lock up our cars and other possessions, but when it comes to one of our most precious assets 鈥� our time and energy 鈥� we just give it away,鈥� said Fisher.

Here, employers have an important role to play in discouraging 鈥渟elf-sacrificial鈥� behaviors, such as people staying up all night to complete a project. It鈥檚 also important to create an environment where employees feel that they can disconnect from technology for an hour or two without disastrous consequences.

Making the Connection Between Well-Being and Performance

As well as helping create a happy workforce, the business case for prioritizing well-being in your organization is powerful. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a clear connection between well-being and performance, and care initiatives really hit the bottom line, with impacts on everything from productivity to absenteeism and staff retention,鈥� said Fisher. 鈥淯ltimately, if you don鈥檛 invest in your people, your business will suffer.鈥�

To learn more about Deloitte鈥檚 pioneering approach to employee well-being, check out听

Deb Lyons is senior director of Global Marketing for 51风流SuccessFactors.

Just ask TELUS, a leading communications and information technology company with $16 billion in annual revenue and 15.2 million customer connections spanning wireless, data, IP, voice, television, entertainment, video and security, healthcare, and agriculture. TELUS connects people to what matters most to improve lives and build a better future 鈥� and it starts with supporting and enabling its employees.

TELUS鈥� employees have long depended on the company鈥檚 technology, devices, and services to work from home 鈥� well before remote work became all the rage. Since 2006, TELUS鈥� employees have enjoyed flexible work arrangements, with approximately 75% of its Canadian workforce spending a portion of time working remotely.

In response to the global health pandemic, 95% of TELUS employees work from home, including 99% of domestic call center employees. As a result, the company has achieved higher levels of workplace satisfaction and productivity, as employees are empowered to find new ways to fit work into their evolving lives.

Just as TELUS was ahead of its time with its flexible work styles, the company is proving to be a pioneer in supporting employee well-being.

According to Sandy McIntosh, TELUS鈥� executive vice president, People and Culture, and chief human resources officer, 鈥渨ithout a robust people strategy, you won鈥檛 have a business that will thrive or succeed.鈥�

Under McIntosh鈥檚 leadership, well-being has become an ongoing cultural commitment and business imperative. TELUS has developed a strategy that recognizes the whole person and includes five interlocking dimensions that align with emerging industry best practices from the National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and the World Health Organization:

1. Physical: The company offers physical fitness and well-being centers, as well as virtual fitness classes and apps, virtual care solutions, nutritional counseling, health coaching, and more. TELUS also hosts biannual well-being challenges for employees and household family members to promote healthy habits.
2. Psychological: TELUS understands its employees are all somewhere on the well-being continuum and that each person鈥檚 situation is dynamic. The company offers industry-leading benefits coverage for mental health support and 24/7 support to mental health counselors and therapists through its Employee and Family Assistance Program and virtual care. In 2020, TELUS launched custom mental health training for leaders and over 90% have completed it. In May 2021, the company extended the reach by introducing similar training to all employees.
3. Social: TELUS creates opportunities to connect employees at work, home, and in the community through initiatives like TELUS Days of Giving, as well as supportive resources, collaboration tools, and employee resource groups that offer mentoring, networking, peer support, volunteering, and coaching.
4. Environmental:听TELUS helps employees maintain healthy workspaces at home and in offices. In fact, TELUS is reimagining its offices for the future of work with work styles and well-being top of mind, offering a mix of private and collaborative spaces to support whitespace and brainstorming.
5. Financial: TELUS supports all aspects of its employees鈥� financial well-being, offering competitive salaries and benefits and financial literacy resources, including a financial well-being hub where employees can find tools to help them reach their financial and life goals.

鈥淥ur job as leaders is to come at well-being from all five dimensions because well-being is not just mental and it’s not just physical,鈥� said McIntosh. 鈥淟eaders have a responsibility to make sure that employees understand their financial situation, that the environment is appropriate, and their social connections are healthy. If you understand all of that and keep pressing the gas on all levers, you create a magical place where people want to be,鈥� McIntosh explained.

For TELUS, it鈥檚 deeper than providing technology and tools. The company is working to create a common language, build leadership competencies and practices, and use data insights to shift mindsets and behaviors.

听provides TELUS with the technology to create a company culture dedicated to flexible work that in turn supports employee well-being. With cloud-based tools, employees can tap into engaging, individualized experiences. The company knows that a better employee experience will empower the workforce to provide better experiences to customers.

Very rarely does a superior or business leader say an employee must give up the things they love. But McIntosh says that employees often feel this way, especially after they have been promoted or move into a new role. Employees who quit a beloved hobby or stop exercising because they feel they don鈥檛 have the time may soon see the rest of their lives 鈥� including their performance at work 鈥� begin to free-fall.

鈥淣obody explicitly says to you, 鈥楽top doing these things,鈥欌�� said McIntosh. 鈥淏ut also, unfortunately, nobody explicitly says to you, 鈥楰eep doing these things.鈥� We have to, as leaders, overtly come out and say, 鈥業s your self-care in check?鈥欌��

Making Good on a Commitment to Employee Well-Being

At TELUS, team member well-being initiatives aren鈥檛 designed to simply make the company look good. Rather, they exist to make employees feel good and perform at their best.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really focused on helping leaders understand we don’t mean fluffy stuff,鈥� said McIntosh. 鈥淲e don’t mean every Friday we’re having a pizza party. We mean that you understand that you’re leading other human beings.鈥�

Take, for example, one TELUS benefit that provides employees, including their dependents, with up to CAD5,000 per year to spend on psychologists, psychotherapists, and social workers 鈥� a benefit unmatched by its peers. TELUS also enables its team members to connect with registered mental health clinicians through a range of virtual care solutions and provides a free, unlimited subscription to the leading mental fitness app Calm.

鈥淗uman beings are complex, and we need to look at all five dimensions and put all of these ingredients together,鈥� said McIntosh.

To learn more,听听in an episode of Forward with Adam Grant.

Carolyn Judge Phillip is VP of Corporate Marketing for 51风流SuccessFactors.

Chobani prides itself on being a values-driven, people-first food and wellness company. Employees describe it as 鈥淥ne Chobani 鈥� we work in different places and do different things, but we are one.鈥� Its energetic work environment comprises diverse backgrounds and cultures, with tight-knit teams that feed off innovation and creativity.

This unity is reflected in Chobani鈥檚 efforts to reduce inequities in the workplace by offering programs that benefit the entire workforce, regardless of job title.

鈥淐hobani is fundamentally about access to delicious, nutritious, natural, and affordable food,鈥� said Grace Zuncic, chief people officer, Chobani. 鈥淏ut it also stands for access to a living wage, good benefits, and a workplace that lifts you up, makes you feel appreciated and welcome for who you are, and where you can really be yourself. Our values are simple: people, integrity, leadership, giving back, innovation, and craftsmanship.鈥�

But merely expressing these values is not enough: Zuncic says it鈥檚 important how these words are enacted across the entire organization and how they make employees feel. The company strives to transform employees鈥� lives through the experience employees have from their first day.

Putting Its Values Into Practice

According to Zuncic, COVID-19 gave Chobani an opportunity to show its workforce how much it cares. While Chobani鈥檚 executive leadership team always led in service of essential workers 鈥� who comprise the majority of its workforce 鈥� during the pandemic, the company offered financial incentives for employees to get tested and vaccinated.

It was one of the first companies in the United States to offer paid leave for vaccination. It also opened up discussions about mental health among frontline employees and implemented new policies to help ensure employees at all levels have access to the right mental health support and resources.

In addition, Chobani introduced a US$100 daily subsidy to help cover the cost of childcare. This financial support helped the company keep production moving in the face of extremely high demand while supporting employees during a difficult and uncertain time.

Delivering an Exceptional People Experience

In order to help power its people and workforce strategies, Chobani relies on to provide a robust experience across the entire employee life cycle, help upskill and reskill its people, and deliver the data and insights to further the company鈥檚 mission.

鈥�51风流SuccessFactors HXM Suite has helped us deepen engagement for both managers and employees and strengthen their understanding of our people strategy as well as the tools and resources we offer,鈥� said Zuncic. 鈥淓liminating barriers between management and employees enables meaningful conversations around goals, performance, learning, career development, and succession.鈥�

Empowered by an integrated suite of 51风流solutions, Chobani is even better equipped to continue to lead in making work better for all, elevate communities, and make the world a healthier place.

To learn more,听.

Deb Lyons is senior director of Global Marketing for 51风流SuccessFactors.

Top image courtesy of Chobani.

The last two years have required us all to make big changes to the way we do everything, especially how we work. Amid all the uncertainty, one thing is clear: after where we鈥檝e been, we have to look Forward and change work for good.

That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e working with another incredible host, Adam Grant. As his generation鈥檚 leading organizational psychologist and the host of , Grant is ideally suited to help our listeners find inspiration and glean best practices from the companies that are thriving in the new normal.

Conversations You Won鈥檛 Hear Anywhere Else

In the eight episodes of Forward, we give you the chance to learn how leading companies are grappling with trending issues.

In the launch episode, Thurston talks to Chandra Sanders, program director of RISE at The Mom Project, an online community that provides career resources for female professionals. There has never been a better 鈥渏ob description鈥� of what it takes to be a mom and what that means for the companies that hire them.

Thurston also talks to Grace Zuncic, chief people and culture officer at Chobani, which has taken a pioneering stance on the most difficult issues impacting employee wellness. Says Zuncic: 鈥淲e started to implement some programs, do things differently, and take a new mindset to how we approached mental health, various inequities, and long-term policies.鈥�

In the follow-on episodes, Grant will explore an important truth: the way organizations approach their people and the experiences they have at work ultimately impacts the bottom line.

In conversation with Sandy McIntosh, executive vice president, people and culture and chief human resources officer at TELUS, Grant will explore how leading with flexibility and compassion supports well-being. One takeaway: sometimes the way to get the best results is to acknowledge that you don鈥檛 have all the answers.

You鈥檒l hear Jen Fisher, chief well-being officer at Deloitte US, declare to Grant that it鈥檚 possible to beat burnout at scale. Fisher also talks about how it was her own experience beating burnout that not only lead her to this discovery but also to the job she has now.

Grant talks to Amanda Rajkumar, executive board member, Global Human Resources, People, and Culture, at adidas, about a topic that鈥檚 especially relevant now: what it takes to have difficult conversations to drive real, meaningful change about diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Finally, Grant and Barb Mason, group head and chief human resources officer at Scotiabank, discuss how a new approach to learning and development might lead to long-term success in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We are privileged to partner with these leaders on helping to make work better for all. We are inspired every day by the work they do. We thank our customers for sharing their strategies and stories in the episodes of Forward.

Catch every episode of the 51风流original series
Forward at .

Carolyn Judge Phillip is vice president of Corporate Marketing for 51风流SuccessFactors.