HP Innovation Journal Issue 15: Summer 2020 | Page 11

Tracy Keogh / Chief Human Resources Officer
“WE’RE LEARNING
ABOUT SUPPORTING
A FULLY REMOTE
WORKFORCE, WHICH
WAS EXPECTED TO
TAKE YEARS BUT
IS NOW HAPPENING
AS WE SPEAK. ”
5 / What will employees need most from
their employers when it comes to physical
and mental well-being?
Caring leaders who can demonstrate empathy.
We are checking in with one another,
showing that we care, and reminding
people that they’re not alone. Secondly, we
have provided mental health benefits for
our employees and will continue to do so.
Finally, flexibility is more important than
ever as employees are managing their own
and their loved ones’ health. We’re helping
employees take charge of their well-being
through a daily mindfulness practice,
CubeFit sessions and a company-wide Wellness
Challenge, and more.
Summer Scholars in response to the decline
in internships due to COVID-19. This sixweek
program will allow college students to
learn about many aspects of our company.
We have had a tremendous response from
employees, and we are thrilled that so many
of their children signed up.
4 / How can managers help their employees
explore growth opportunities and network
if the workforce is mostly at home?
There are many opportunities to get creative.
Since we’re a global company with
a distributed workforce, we have always
hosted virtual training. The Manager Connection
sessions that we launched during
COVID-19 are helping managers stay
connected and collaborative with their
teams. Specifically, they’re learning how
to reduce meeting overload, create virtual
fun, and continue to foster a growth mindset.
We’re also helping leaders acknowledge
their teams’ situation and balance optimism
with realism, drive inclusion, use
this time to adapt, elevate their leadership,
and practice self-compassion. In our
sales organization, we are quickly pivoting
and sharing best practices on conducting
virtual customer meetings and remote
briefings. Learning doesn’t have to stop
during a pandemic, and neither should networking.
In fact, we have teams hosting and
participating in virtual internal and external
conferences and trade shows.
6 / In the world of HR, what do you know
now that you didn’t know before, and how
can you use it going forward?
After a crisis, things don’t go back exactly
to the way they were before. Things change
structurally as employees discover new ways
of working, collaborating, and connecting.
We've captured many best practices during
this pandemic that, moving forward, will
change how we work for the better. We’re
learning about the growing trust employees
place in their employers to give them
accurate information about the virus. We’re
learning about supporting a fully remote
workforce, which was expected to take
years but is now happening as we speak.
The key is to continue building a transparent
and resilient culture as we slowly and
safely return to the office.
INNOVATION/ SUMMER 2020
9