Lasting from December 2007 to June 2009, the Great Recession was the longest in post-World War II history. For those that experienced it, it’s hard to forget the massive layoffs, store closures and iconic brands that disappeared seemingly overnight. However, that was more than 15 years ago and much in the world has changed.   With conflicting metrics, the debate has continued as to whether or not we are currently in recession. However, in recent weeks, companies have eliminated recruitment staff and announced company-wide layoffs, signaling the worst is yet to come.  What does this all mean for your business and what action should you be taking?   Watch our September Engagement Experts episode, where Jackson Lynch, Founder and President of 90Consulting, and Workify CEO, Stephen Huerta, examined how to recession proof your business and set your organization up to thrive regardless of outcome.

It has never been more important to listen to your employees and understand the experience that your workers are having at your company. Retaining your top talent is becoming increasingly challenging and the stakes are high for businesses to make the necessary changes needed to maintain a respected employer brand. So, why are organizations struggling to make better data driven decisions? Why are so many companies relying on guesswork, or hunches, rather than cold hard data? The short answer is that people analytics can be hard. HR departments can run into a myriad of challenges in running a people analytics function from poor data quality to outdated tech stacks. While these challenges are real, advancements in technology have made it easier than ever for organizations to launch and scale a people analytics department. In this Engagement Experts episode, we examine how easy it is for companies to build people analytics programs that can quickly measure critical metrics and offer insights to challenges such as retention, manager effectiveness and low engagement. Adrian Perez, Sr Manager People Analytics at GitLab, and Workify CEO, Stephen Huerta, is discussing “Designing a People Analytics Function for Data Driven HR”. PRESENTERS: Stephen Huerta, Chief Executive Officer at Workify Adrian Perez, Sr. Manager, People Analytics, GitLab DISCUSSION POINTS: Where to start in creating a new people analytics function Common challenges and setbacks when launching a people analytics Why it’s critical that you define your core set of people metrics for your business How to tie metrics back to business goals and align them with OKRs Operationalizing your people analytics function and prioritization of work How to look at an ROI on your people analytics investments

It continues to be a bumpy road for return to office plans. Many companies are being met with employee resistance, and it’s creating an awkward dynamic.    Over the last few months, businesses have revised timelines, imposed mandatory days in the office, and applied other measures to get employees back. These guidelines have caused frustration and confusion. Most of these efforts to return to the office have failed, and even large brands like Goldman Sachs and Apple are struggling to get the results they’re looking for.    In this month’s Engagement Experts 101, we’ll be exploring why leaders are struggling to get buy-in from their employees, and how companies can reinstill confidence in their future of work plans. Bart Kohnhorst, President of Leadership Growth Systems at Crestcom, and Workify CEO, Stephen Huerta, will discuss “5 Actions to Align Leadership Around the Future of Work.”     PRESENTERS Stephen Huerta, Chief Executive Officer at Workify Bart Kohnhorst,  President - Leadership Growth Systems, Crestcom   DISCUSSION POINTS  How did we get to this awkward phase of the Future of Work  Why companies should focus on rebuilding employee confidence   Key behaviors that managers need to successfully navigate change  Why every manager in every department is part of the solution  5 actions that every organization should take to drive alignment

As a follow-up to last month’s Engagement Experts 101, we are excited to announce our April session -  “Leveraging Neurodiversity as a Value Driver” - in celebration of Autism Awareness Month. Neurodiversity is a viewpoint that brain differences are normal, rather than deficits. Over the last few years, companies have caught on to the fact that neurodivergent talent make up approximately 20% of the workforce and have experienced unemployment rates of up to 80%. Through intentional diversity programs, organizations like SAP, Microsoft and Ernst & Young have created more inclusive workplaces that enable neurodivergent employees to thrive and have filled critical technical roles in the process. In this episode of Engagement Experts 101, Hiren Shukla, Neuro-Diverse CoE Leader @Ernst & Young, and Workify CEO, Stephen Huerta, discuss how all businesses can leverage neurodiversity to create transformative value for the business.

The last two years have brought about significant change and massive disruption to our lives. After years of being disconnected and having to deal with health, economic, social and political challenges, empathy has never been a more important competency for leaders and managers. Historically, empathy was a “soft skill” that may not have been a priority for many leaders. With increased adoption, technology has become a critical part of enabling remote and hybrid working. It has also blurred the lines between work and personal lives increasing the importance of emotional intelligence for those in leadership roles. In this episode of Engagement Experts 101, Jakob Franzen, Executive Coach at The Modern Coaching Company, will share why empathy has become such a vital leadership skill and how businesses can cultivate empathy in the workplace.

Watch our informative discussion on tips and trends for developing and deploying effective pulse surveys. In this episode of Engagement Experts, Rhiana Barr, Chief People Officer at Greenlane Holdings shares best practices and tactics that will help your organization make better data-backed decisions and garner insights that will deliver impactful results.     PRESENTERS Stephen Huerta, Chief Executive Officer at Workify Rhiana Barr, Chief People Officer at Greenlane Holdings    DISCUSSION POINTS  Why pulse surveys are important in a post pandemic world  Methodologies rooted in people science and psychology  Leveraging analytics to drive insights and action  Strategies for cascading information through your organization  Enacting change within teams and across the company

With so much change in the workplace, it’s critical that businesses are (re)defining their employee brand, leaning into a future-of-work strategy, and consistently communicating across levels of the company.  Join us for an engaging conversation on why companies need to stand out in the talent market and why it is a must to invest in your employer brand. In this episode of Engagement Experts, Eric Harris, Founder of MindHandle will share best practices and tactics that will enhance your employer brand.   PRESENTERS: Stephen Huerta, CEO of Workify and Eric Harris, Founder of MindHandle.    DISCUSSION POINTS:  Why employer branding is important in a post pandemic world  Importance of defining your future of work strategy  Standing out as an employer of choice in a tight labor market  Marketing and communications role in surviving the Great Resignation  Practical best practices and strategies for modernizing your brand.

Monica Marquez, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Beyond Barriers, joined us to discuss how leaders can lean into the diversity conversation and how to avoid the most common mistakes that will prevent you from transforming your organization.

As the CEO of TXP Agency, a boutique leadership and development consulting firm, Sam gets a lot of questions from his clients on how they can build more credibility around their engagement initiatives – so he decided to sit down with Stephen to get his thoughts. The topics discussed on this webinar: living in a feedback driven culture moving away from the annual survey leveraging a more strategic approach to engagement how to take quick action on engagement data.

An engaging conversation on leading and coaching through times of change. With the return to office accelerating, managers are going to have to yet again manage through another period of change. Nikhil Paul, Leadership Team Coach & Founder of We R Human will share how teams at organizations like Hubspot, SalesForce and Walmart and managing change. Nikhil Paul, Leadership Team Coach & Founder of We R Human Nikhil Paul is a leadership team coach who founded We R Human to help high growth teams and companies strengthen their focus, culture and execution. Previously, he led an employee engagement SaaS startup and learnt firsthand the challenges leaders all over the world were facing in motivating and retaining their employees. He has a decade of experience in building teams and problem-solving employee engagement issues with clients like Walmart, SalesForce and Hubspot. In his spare time, he emcees weddings and leads dance workshops.