HRO Today October 2019
View magazine issue Read web articles
October 2019
Strength in Numbers
Cigna’s CHRO John Murabito leverages a data-rich people strategy to drive proactive business decisions.
By Debbie Bolla
“What we do in HR starts with the needs of the business.” That’s Executive Vice President and CHRO John Murabito’s guiding philosophy for the human capital management approach at Cigna, a global health services organization that recently acquired Express Scripts. This major acquisition added more than 50 percent headcount to the already 45,000-plus global workforce. So it’s not surprising that one of the business’ top priorities is navigating the change that comes with more than doubling its workforce.
Going Beyond Basic Benefits
Organizations are starting to offer packages that support the complex lives of employees.
By Marta Chmielowicz
Today’s employees do not leave their lives at the door -they bring their whole selves to work. And increasingly, they expect their employers to offer a diverse range of benefits that support them physically, emotionally, socially, and financially. From offering extended paid paternity leave to helping employees financially plan for their children’s college educations, organizations are beginning to embrace new and innovative family-friendly benefits.
Taking Data-Driven Action
Today’s HR leaders are relying on analytics to drive forward HR strategy -but there are some hurdles to cross along the way.
By Marta Chmielowicz
Human resources has always been a people-focused function -but now it is a numbers-based profession as well. In fact, LinkedIn’s Global Recruiting Trends report indicates that 64 percent of today’s organizations use data at least occasionally and 79 percent are somewhat likely to take advantage of it in the next two years.
Elevating the Candidate Experience
Looking to improve the overall experience during the hiring process? New research offers six strategies to help.
By Debbie Bolla
Current unemployment numbers aren’t working in the favor of HR. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an unemployed population of 6.1 million and 7.3 million open positions. This means that HR and TA teams need to use every strategy in their wheelhouse to ensure they are attracting the right talent into their organizations. A key piece of this puzzle is the candidate experience.
Recognition Driving Business Results
An effective recognition program can improve retention while reinforcing key organizational values.
By Marta Chmielowicz
As the war for talent continues, employers are increasingly adopting human-centered approaches to drive business results and bring more humanity to employees’ experience at work. According to the 2018 SHRM and Globoforce Employee Recognition Report, retention and culture management are two of the top challenges of today’s businesses -and a values-based recognition program can help.
Keeping Job Seekers Engaged
Companies can advance their recruiting strategies by communicating their culture and brand through online tools.
By Marta Chmielowicz
An employer’s reputation and brand are key factors that draw in top talent -and in today’s digital world, it is more important than ever that companies leverage online tools to communicate what makes them unique and attractive.
The State of Total Talent Management
New research examines the benefits and challenges of this new approach to the workforce.
By Larry Basinait
Today’s workforce continues to evolve and look much different than it did not too long ago. With the onset of remote work, the gig economy, and the demands of the millennial generation, it’s rare to find a company comprised of only a traditional, permanent workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the domestic contingent workforce is a staggering 6 million workers. Organizations are using contingent workers for a number of reasons, but the most essential are to fill needed skill sets, increase flexibility, and save costs. So how do organizations manage these workers?
Cross-Departmental Collaboration
A partnership between HR and finance departments can spell out success for predictive talent strategies.
By Marta Chmielowicz
Modern HR departments are increasingly turning to data and analytics to guide their people strategies -but a recent study from Oracle, HR Moves Boldly into Advanced Analytics with Collaboration from Finance, shows that they are not doing it alone.
The Science of Inclusion
3M’s D&I program is driven by the connection between inclusion and employee well-being.
By Ann Anaya
Diversity and inclusion go together -one cannot exist without the other. And they are distinctly different sides of the same coin. 3M leaders have used the study of neuroscience to connect inclusive behaviors to well-being in the workforce. The result was the creation of “The Science of Inclusion” employee training program, which is rolling out regionally this year and slated for worldwide adoption in 2020.
Fostering Respect and Inclusion
Understanding policy is only one part of an effective harassment training program.
By Andrew Rawson
Since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements, one of the main challenges for HR leaders is how to implement an effective sexual harassment training program. Today’s programs need to be relevant to a diverse workforce, up to date with evolving laws, and part of the organization’s strategy to improve workplace culture.
Meeting All Employees’ Needs
A robust absence and disability management program can ensure even nontraditional workers remain healthy and productive.
By Melissa Oliver-Janiak
Maintaining the flexibility that today’s workers demand comes with many challenges for employers. In particular for HR, the competitive economy is putting more pressure on organizations to be prepared when nontraditional employees (remote and temporary workers) experience a disability or absence issue. Developing a robust absence and disability management program is a critical and cost-effective way to help organizations address all employees’ health needs.
RPO on Top
New research shows the drivers of RPO are changing as the market matures.
By Nikki Edwards
Fact: The world of work is changing, and so is the world of recruitment. The accelerating pace of technological advancement and the global shortage of talent are probably the two most significant factors driving that change. So too are preferences for a more consumerized and personalized experience and having a social media presence. Alongside are the complexities of working with a multigenerational workforce, an aging workforce, economic and political uncertainty, and the emergence of next-generation industries and jobs.
The Next Gen Norm
Organizations need to focus on flexibility, growth opportunities, and company values in order to attract young talent.
By Jenn Labin
A decent, competitive salary and a basic health package was once enough to entice workers to join an organization, but today’s new generation of job seekers is demanding different, less tangible, benefits from prospective employers.
RX for EX
New research uncovers four key drivers to curating an impactful employee experience.
By Colon McLean and Ray Baumruk
With economic expansion and a competitive labor market, organizations are increasingly fighting to protect their bottom line while attracting and retaining top talent. This has placed more pressure than ever before on HR to focus on enhancing employee engagement and productivity.
Engaged and Informed
Today’s HCMs provide the perfect platform to effectively communicate with the workforce.
By Jennifer Ho
Effective communication in the workplace is an essential strategy for an organization to achieve its goals. By providing clear and timely communication about current objectives and tactics, businesses can improve engagement among employees and reduce costly mistakes. In fact, according to research from the University of Auckland, 70 percent of business mistakes are the result of poor communication. If effective communication can reduce mistakes within an organization, why are 57 percent of employees saying their companies don’t provide it, according to HBR?
Moving with Confidence
Strategies to help ease the anxiety that often comes with a company-wide relocation.
By Lisa Mendelsohn
For many employees, the thought of their company moving to a new location can be terrifying. So many questions race through their heads: What does this mean? Is my job in jeopardy? What about my family? My spouse? My kids? This is a very human and normal reaction to such an announcement, and it happens more often than not. It boils down to human nature and the fear of ambiguity. What can HR leaders do to mitigate the worry and make the process of a company move less stressful for employees?
Real-time Risk Mitigation
Background screening remains a critical step in the hiring process.
By Larry Basinait
Today, improving candidate experience is a major driving force in the hiring process -and a solid background screening approach is a critical step to ensuring that job seekers are satisfied. Candidates are looking for a process that is transparent and offers real-time updates on a mobile platform. While new research from HRO Today finds that 75 percent of job seekers ranked overall performance as “good” or “excellent,” there is room for background screening partners to improve the perception of how well they deliver their services. Where can improvements be made?
Market Volatility
Concern over the U.S.-China trade war has worldwide economies on edge.
By Larry Basinait
Deploying a global workforce and ensuring access to the best talent is a crucial component of success for all multinational enterprises. Global labor market intelligence is an invaluable tool for HR departments and can be used to inform critical decisions around the best countries and regions in which to grow. With that in mind, HRO Today and Orion Novotus, an Orion Talent company, partner to explain global unemployment rates by quarter.
HRO Today Association Award Winners
A special look at the accomplishments of 10 organizations recognized as leaders in the HR space.
By Debbie Bolla
While HR leaders completely understand the impact of recognizing the workforce, they are often left with little recognition of their own. This is where the HRO Today Association steps in. From building strategic recruitment functions to improving leadership development to increasing the retention of high potentials, this year’s awards honor the transformative work of leaders in the TA and HR space.
CEO’s Letter: Brace for Impact
By Elliot H. Clark
In this issue, we have a cover story interview with John Murabito, the CHRO of Cigna and the HRO Today CHRO of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award winner. I have known John for almost 20 years, which is why I do not have a vote in our own award programs because the committee feels I know too many people. The story of Cigna is as much about the story of HR as it is about the company. From the beginning, John’s vision has always been about making HR a part of the fabric of the business and a contributor to the data inputs on critical business decisions. Going back 20 years, these were very unique approaches.
Editor’s Note: Off and Running
By Debbie Bolla
How prepared do employees feel on their first day at a new company? Probably not very, considering that Sapling HR finds that new hires face more than 50 activities they have to complete during onboarding. But some good news: These activities lead to higher productivity and retention, with SHRM reporting 69 percent of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experienced great onboarding.
