The Future of Work after COVID-19 with Karina Schultheis

Punk Rock HR Episode 115:

This week, I’m joined by Karina Schultheis. She is a manager of human insights and HCM evangelism at Ultimate Software. However, even though Karina has an amazing job now, it hasn’t always been that way. She has worked in other jobs with other bosses and therefore brings a unique perspective to the table.

Currently, Karina is a newly promoted employee at an amazing company. Ultimate Software really gets it right on so many levels and they have been recognized for it. It is one of the best companies to work for, not just in America, but the world. Karina is also a working mother who is about to give birth to her second child.

In this episode, Karina and I talk about the future of work post-COVID. If you like insights on human behavior and what it’s going to take for companies to turn it around, listen in to this conversation with Karina Schultheis.

In this episode you’ll hear:

How integral the human element is to a company’s culture.
Why personalization is going to become crucial for organizations.
What it takes to build a culture of trust in a company.
The importance of well-being for the employees and leaders of an organization and how it leads to better retention rates.
The role of authenticity and flexibility in leadership teams.
What substance abuse is doing to our workforce right now as influenced by COVID-19.
The role of HR in driving productivity and maintaining healthy boundaries.
How we can move forward post-COVID and amidst all the social justice reforms happening in our country.
Karina’s hopes for HR and for the workforce going forward.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

WHY IS PERSONALIZATION GOING TO BECOME CRUCIAL FOR ORGANIZATIONS?

Organizations are going to need to be more flexible post-COVID. There are many working parents and other employees who will be dealing with unprecedented issues. With that comes a large aspect of personalization. There is just no way that organizations can thrive if they don’t pay attention to individual issues and work through them accordingly. Employees are juggling all different kinds of circumstances regarding COVID-19, such as educating their kids, having health concerns or anxiety about returning to work, and being unable to work traditional hours. These are the things organizations must personally attend to.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BUILD A CULTURE OF TRUST IN A COMPANY?

There needs to be a level of trust and communication between employees and managers so that issues are brought up and resolved. This starts with managers trusting that they have hired the right people. When that trust is there, managers won’t feel a need to constantly check up on their employees throughout the day. They can trust that their people will do what they need to do. From there, both the employee and manager needs to invest in that trust, making consistent efforts to build and maintain it.

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF WELL-BEING FOR THE EMPLOYEES AND LEADERS OF AN ORGANIZATION AND HOW DOES IT LEAD TO BETTER RETENTION RATES?

We have learned over the past few months how important emotional well-being is to simply be able to function as a person and an employee. Companies are beginning to realize how harmful stress is to the performance of their employees. Stress and bad mental health are very counterproductive to the goals of individuals and businesses. Organizations need to continue putting a larger focus on these issues and backing that up with actions such as encouraging PTO days and opportunities to decompress. If they do this, people will begin to see that they care and will support the organization even further. Through continual reassurance and communication, retention rates will be much higher than ever before. On the other hand, if an organization has a terrible culture and treats its employees awfully, those employees will leave.

WHAT IS SUBSTANCE ABUSE DOING TO OUR WORKFORCE RIGHT NOW?

Addiction is known as the great equalizer. Especially during COVID-19, people are drinking more than ever before. In fact, 50% of employees reported that they’re drinking during the day and 33% that they are drinking more than before. Many are also turning to illicit substances to help them cope with all of the trauma brought on during this time. Additionally, the meetings that provided addicts with support are no longer being held, leaving them without anywhere to turn. This is an issue organizations need to start talking about more.

HOW CAN WE MOVE FORWARD POST-COVID AND ALL THE SOCIAL JUSTICE REFORMS HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY?

We have been talking about diversity initiatives for a while now, but not much action has been done. However, CEOs are starting to realize how crucial this issue is because more people are demanding that it be addressed. What we must realize is that there is a difference between not doing any harm and actually moving the needle forward. We need to confront our own biases and actually work toward dismantling systemic oppression. Employees must educate themselves and open up conversations around these issues going forward.