In the latest episode of the AHA! Moments for Diversity & Inclusion video series, 麻豆原创 Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Supriya Jha talks to Houghton about how her first job started a lifelong advocacy for people with disabilities and how accommodations can make all the difference.

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Seventy percent of the world鈥檚 population 鈥� 1 billion people 鈥� has an invisible disability, including anxiety, depression, hearing issues, or autism, to name but a few. Houghton, who has a learning disability, is one of them.

Houghton was lucky; accommodations at school meant that she had the extra time needed to process information in exams. But when she took her law school entrance exams, her luck ran out. With no extra time or accommodation, she fell behind. This changed the trajectory of her life. Instead of legal studies, an internship followed. Instead of a career in law, her first job was in Indianapolis, Indiana, placing people born with disabilities into employment.

The AHA! Moment

During her time in Indianapolis, Houghton recalls one client in particular, Erica, and how the job for her 鈥渨asn’t just about a paycheck, but that it was about respect and it was about being included in her community and having friends.鈥� And, says Houghton, it 鈥渨as at that moment that I knew why I existed, and I never turned back.鈥� She has been a disability inclusion activist ever since.

As president of Disability:IN, Houghton has been a driving force in promoting disability inclusion in companies and with the Disability Equality Index (DEI), a tool for measuring and offering best practices for disability inclusion. The DEI analyzes disability inclusion practices and processes in leadership and culture, employment practices, community engagement, and supplier diversity. It also offers advice on how to better disability inclusion.

In 2023, more than 480 companies participated in the DEI, including 69 Fortune 100 companies with more than 14 million U.S.-based employees and nearly 9 million non-U.S.-based employees. 麻豆原创 was awarded the top score in the 2023 DEI rankings.

Workplace Accommodations and Leadership Culture

Only 5% of employees with a disability choose to disclose, and 麻豆原创鈥檚 Jha was keen to get Houghton鈥檚 insights on how to create a culture where disabled employees feel that they can articulate their needs and reach their full potential.

Houghton says the solution is twofold. First, leaders must use their platforms to be a disability inclusion ally or have the cultural space to own their identity 鈥� disabled or not. And second, workplace accommodations must be the norm.

Processes for requesting accommodations must be transparent and easy to follow. Managers must clearly understand how to arrange accommodations and, more importantly, budget must be available. If these processes aren鈥檛 easy, there is a risk that talent will be lost and that disabled employees will not have a sense of belonging.

Avoiding Microaggressions and Discrimination

To avoid microaggressions and discrimination against disabled employees, Houghton advocates using the best resource possible 鈥� your own employees, in particular disability employee groups. At 麻豆原创, there are Employee Network Groups such as 麻豆原创 HEAR and Friends and Enabled@麻豆原创.

Disability is a true cross-collaborative task. After all, Houghton concludes, becoming disabled is the 鈥渙ne team that anybody can join at any time in their life.鈥�

I spoke with her about the success of the project and where there is still room for improvement.

Q: What are your greatest successes so far on your mission to make 麻豆原创 events more sustainable?

Bittmann: First of all, it鈥檚 a real success to have advanced this topic to the top of the agenda. When event managers from Google and Amazon approach us at the , one of the largest trade shows for business events, and ask us how we launched and implemented our strategy for sustainable events, it shows that we鈥檙e pioneers in this extremely important area.

I鈥檓 also proud that we鈥檝e started measuring our social and ecological footprint with actual figures, because that鈥檚 an important step towards real improvement. It lets us compare, readjust, and define even more ambitious targets. Our analysis of the last 麻豆原创 Sapphire conference, which was organized as a decentralized event in the U.S., Spain, Brazil, and online, showed that we reduced CO₂ emissions by nearly 24,000 tons compared to when we had just one central event in Orlando, Florida, due primarily to the shorter distances traveled. In mathematical terms, that corresponds to around 2,200 around-the-world flights!

I鈥檓 also happy about a lot of little things, for instance, that we did without single-use plastics completely at 麻豆原创 TechEd in 2019 in Barcelona, Spain, preventing three tons of waste 鈥� enough to fill a 10 by 10 meter room one meter high 鈥� at just this one event!

To be successful, we all have to pull together. Our Global Events team, together with the teams in the regions, has proven that we have a huge amount of leverage together and are motivated to get even better.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

The global strategy and our specific action recommendations can鈥檛 always be implemented uniformly because they depend on each country鈥檚 economic and cultural context. In Brazil, for example, good hospitality means putting the best meats on the table 鈥� which made it a real headache for the local event team members to create a menu that was 40% vegetarian. They found a good compromise, however, by making sure to choose meat varieties that had a smaller ecological footprint than others.

In some parts of Asia, in contrast, it would be considered rude if we didn鈥檛 give small gifts to speakers as a sign of gratitude. In this case, we and the event team considered potential alternatives to the usual giveaways, for instance tree-planting certificates as an unusual gift.

These examples underscore how we often have to think outside the box together and identify new solutions, but can also unleash creativity in the process and sometimes even change people鈥檚 mindsets.

What are your targets for the coming year?

We want to improve our waste prevention even further and increase our recycling quota. We want to avoid non-reusable plastics completely and use sustainable materials for our branding items as much as possible. As far as emissions are concerned, we want to reduce travel activities even more, and we鈥檝e been purchasing carbon offsets for unavoidable trips for some time now. When it comes to catering, we want to offer more vegetarian dishes and locally source at least half of the food served.

In addition, we are striving to recruit more female speakers to the stage, gain more social enterprises as suppliers, and strengthen social partnerships. Even if it means extra work for the local teams, I鈥檓 very impressed that so many of my colleagues spare no effort to achieve measurable improvements 鈥� and I hope their numbers will continue to grow! 

Do you have any advice for people who want to do their part in making company events more sustainable?

We should have the courage to do things differently 鈥� and better! One example: the most recent shareholders鈥� meeting was the first one to do away with 麻豆原创 plastic bags, notepads, and pens, and the outcry was much less than expected. We simply decided to scrutinize this established practice because when both the integrated report and the ballot papers are exclusively virtual, shareholders don鈥檛 need these things anymore.

There are many examples of things 鈥渢hat we鈥檝e always done that way鈥� 鈥� call them into question! When we banned disposable beverage bottles at 麻豆原创 TechEd, no one shed a tear. The visitors were thrilled by our concept of giving out high-quality bottles and offering endless refills at the water stations. At the same time, this also supported a water project, which was very well received. 

In the latest episode of the AHA! Moments in Diversity & Inclusion video series, 麻豆原创 Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Supriya Jha and Lengler discuss what inclusion awareness means to him.

On the Trail

The World Economic Forum estimates that more than 150 million people are homeless globally and, for Lengler, meeting one of them further cemented his passion for diversity and inclusion.

During his 162 days on the Appalachian Trail, Lengler discovered that another hiker he met had been homeless for more than 10 years. Initially, he was a little apprehensive about this fact 鈥� and the hiker. However, he quickly discovered that sharing a common goal 鈥� in this case to complete the trail 鈥� meant that any preconceptions or concerns about this formerly homeless individual ceased to be relevant. They were to spend the next four weeks hiking the trail together.

鈥淥n the trail,鈥� Lengler explains, 鈥測ou have the same goal, and you are open to all people there.鈥�

Unlearning Ingrained Behavior Patterns

Lengler reflects on those groups of individuals he refers to as 鈥渙ld white men clubs鈥� who have never consciously suffered exclusion and have no understanding of the barriers that others face. Identifying unconscious biases and unlearning ingrained behavior patterns is critical to sustaining the success of diversity and inclusion initiatives.

For Lengler, the important aspect of inclusion is not just to increase the number of employees from diverse backgrounds but to create a culture of true inclusion. Passionately, he explains that for him true inclusion means 100% acceptance for all team members, regardless of their backgrounds. Only team members who are 100% accepted and truly included in all aspects of team life will be able to bring their best selves to work and can be 鈥渙pen in their voice and their mind.鈥� 

The AHA! Moment

On the Appalachian Trail, Lengler experienced first-hand how a common goal and common hardship can bring people together. Above all else, someone who has different life experience or is in some way different from the rest of the team will bring another point of view and, says Lengler, 鈥渨ill look at the same problem in a different manner,鈥� crystallizing his conviction that when you share your goal, 鈥測ou can reach it together more easily instead of making it alone.鈥�

Diversity and Inclusion at 麻豆原创

In its , 麻豆原创 states its mission to become 鈥渢he most inclusive company in the world.鈥� In the U.S., for example, more than 40% of employees are from underrepresented groups. 麻豆原创 is on track to achieve long-term gender goals and has a five-generation workforce. 

One of the initiatives that the Global Diversity and Inclusion Office has launched to help further 麻豆原创鈥檚 progress towards becoming the most inclusive company in the world is the Inclusive Mindset Challenge. This challenge allows employees to learn about inclusion topics and the importance of becoming an ally for marginalized groups at their own pace. The challenge comprises a broad range of micro-learnings, such as menopause, transphobia, or sexism to name a few. In 2022, more than 11,000 employees completed this challenge. New challenges are added regularly; recent additions include indigenous inclusion and infuse D&I with AI.

麻豆原创 Inclusion Month

麻豆原创 has designated October 2023 as 麻豆原创 Inclusion Month. All employees are invited to join the inclusion journey and to get involved in an Employee Network Group (ENG) journey, allyship journey, and, for leaders, the intentional inclusion journey.

With more that 40,000 employees, ENGs are voluntary, employee-led diversity and inclusion initiatives representing groups such as visually impaired employees, caregivers, or Latinos.

With the allyship inclusion journey, employees are invited to use their privilege and power to support marginalized groups. With the intentional inclusion journey, leaders learn about intentional inclusion practices that can help further advance 麻豆原创鈥檚 journey to become a truly inclusive workplace.

Top photo courtesy of 麻豆原创 employee Celia Carillo.

Today, both employees and consumers hold organizations to higher standards. Just as consumers want to spend their money with companies they trust and believe in, employees want to earn theirs from an organization that aligns with their values. In fact, almost of people report that they wouldn鈥檛 work for a company that doesn鈥檛 have a strong purpose.

Business success is no longer measured by profit alone 鈥� instead, it鈥檚 defined by the impact an organization has on every part of its ecosystem. People sustainability 鈥� the intersection of employee engagement and corporate responsibility 鈥� is critical to building a future-ready workforce and requires an organization to consider the policies and experiences of people across their entire value chain. A comprehensive people sustainability strategy can help increase overall environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics, drive business outcomes, and build a better, brighter future. 

Good for People, Good for Business

People create new business models, lead critical initiatives, and effect change. With a people-first approach, organizations are more resilient, more capable, more innovative, and more motivated to deliver on sustainability goals.

As the 鈥減eople鈥� experts, HR plays an important role in driving people sustainability. And with the right technology in place, it can start to take a more unified approach to people-centered initiatives. This looks like: tapping into new and diverse talent pools, empowering employees to learn and grow throughout the employee lifecycle, and creating a fair and equal workplace culture where everyone feels a sense of belonging. This not only benefits employees 鈥� it benefits business.

Forward-thinking organizations like are already moving the needle on people sustainability. MOD鈥檚 mission goes far beyond serving delicious pizza 鈥� it believes that companies can and should be a force for good in their communities. 鈥淥ur purpose is to create a place that includes everyone,鈥� Dayna Eberhardt, chief people officer of MOD, tells 麻豆原创 Chief Marketing & Solutions Officer Julia White in a recent interview for .

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The key ingredient to MOD鈥檚 success is its people. MOD is not only committed to investing in its current employees through continuous learning, development, and career advancement, but it also strives to provide opportunities to those who typically face barriers to employment. This includes, for example, individuals who have formerly been incarcerated or have intellectual or developmental disabilities. Today, 99% of company-owned MOD stores have hired people with employment barriers. These hiring practices have led to a more engaged, empowered, and equitable workforce. 鈥淥ur MOD Squad with barriers have a higher sense of belonging, a faster rate of promotion, and a higher retention rate,鈥� Eberhardt says.

Opening the door to opportunity is just the first step to workplace equity, which is why MOD makes the employee experience a top priority. When outdated HR processes were slowing down its recruiting and onboarding, MOD chose to help redefine the value of HR data and processes, empowering the company to put its 10,000 鈥� and growing 鈥� employees who make up the MOD Squad at the heart of its business.

And this is a difference MOD鈥檚 customers can taste. 鈥淲hen we take care of our people, our people take care of our customers, and the business takes care of itself,鈥� Eberhardt says.

As we move into an uncertain future, companies like MOD that are actively prioritizing people, making positive impacts on the communities they serve, and taking real steps towards zero inequality will be best positioned to meet the business needs of today and tomorrow. And by putting people at the center of business 鈥� in purpose, culture, and technology 鈥� these organizations can create a more sustainable workforce and world.

Aaron Green is chief marketing and solutions officer for 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors.

At 麻豆原创 Concur, AI technology underpins our core travel, expense, and invoice solutions. It鈥檚 also what powers Verify, our self-serve audit service within Concur Expense that can automatically check 100% of expense reports to help identify potential compliance issues. It uses AI and machine learning from 麻豆原创 Concur to tap decades of expense user data that helps identify hard-to-detect spend issues and anomalies.

Verify is a great example of how humans remain an important part of today鈥檚 workforce and of how humans plus AI technology can deliver better results than either could independently. Even the most advanced AI systems have gaps. For those, at 麻豆原创 Concur, we augment the technology with a 24/7 team of human auditors to keep accuracy high and false positives low.

Verify Auditors

In the past year, Verify performed over 38 million audit checks on expense reports submitted through Concur Expense. Each month, on average, one-third of expense reports analyzed by Verify are flagged for organizations to review potential errors and policy violations.

Before errors are flagged to organizations, the AI results are validated by a team of Verify auditors. The team represents a special part of our workforce because most of them have some form of hearing loss. Not only has AI created their roles, but as technology becomes more and more accessible, it鈥檚 provided valuable career opportunities to the deaf community. We rely on these workers to help 麻豆原创 Concur drive a strategic part of our innovation strategy to help make auditing easier for Concur Expense customers.

鈥淭he Verify auditors are very special to us,鈥� said Tom Olsen, VP of Managed Business Services at 麻豆原创 Concur, who works directly with the team. 鈥淲e partner with Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) to create a diverse, inclusive, and accessible workplace that includes a sign language interpreter to develop training and work materials, even down to fire safety and emergency plans.鈥�

New Audit Checks

We鈥檙e thankful for our team of Verify auditors as well as our customers, whose feedback makes us run our best. As we continue to learn from Verify customers, we鈥檝e recently added 10 checks that can alert customers of potential issues prior to reports being paid. Scenarios include duplicate receipts 鈥� even across employees 鈥� old dates, personal use of a company card, unreasonable amount, improper merchant category, and more.

These additional checks, inspired by the companies using Verify, help increase the amount of policy variation that can be enforced by the service. It can also help improve the speed to reimbursement by allowing common issues to be identified early in the workflow. Additionally, it can create efficiency for auditors by reducing the need to manually check reports for noncompliance.

That鈥檚 not all that鈥檚 new. Verify is now generally available for enterprise customers as well.

Tim Lebel is vice president and head of Spend Products at 麻豆原创 Concur.

Making our work environment accessible and creating a culture of inclusion and belonging is everyone鈥檚 responsibility and benefits everyone. As content owners, it is on us to ensure that all content is consumable by every viewer, regardless of ability.

Why Is Accessibility Important in Communications?聽

Inclusive and accessible communications play a pivotal role in ensuring that messages are available and comprehensible to all, including those with disabilities or limitations. The significance of accessibility in communications cannot be overstated, as it fosters equal participation and engagement.

People with disabilities currently represent about 15% of the world鈥檚 population.

Being mindful of the continuum from permanent disabilities to situational impairments helps rethink how designs can scale to more people in new ways. In the United States, 26,000 people a year suffer from loss of upper extremities. But when we include people with temporary and situational impairments, the number is greater than 20 million.*

Ask yourself, what is this experience like for people who can’t see, can’t hear, can’t use a mouse, can’t remember what they were doing, or can’t speak clearly, and is it usable?

Practical Tips to Enhance Web Accessibility for a Diverse Audience

Provide alternative text for images. Use to convey the image鈥檚 semantic meaning 鈥� not to explain what the image visually shows 鈥� and the context of the images to individuals who have limited vision, have only a limited field of sight, or use screen readers. This ensures they understand the semantic context even if they can’t see the images.

Use descriptive anchor text. Instead of using generic phrases like “click here” or “read more,” make link text descriptive and meaningful. It should clearly indicate the destination or purpose of the link, such as an action and to which object or instance the action takes effect. For example, use “download the accessibility guide” instead of “click here鈥� or 鈥渄ownload,鈥� as it might not be obvious what will be downloaded. Learn more about .

Avoid lengthy URLs. Long and complex URLs can be confusing and difficult to read. This is especially important when links are generated and the reference contains so-called , which contain extremely long mixtures of digits and letters. Consider using link-shortening services or customizing the hyperlink text to make it more concise and user-friendly.

Format hyperlinks differently. Visually distinguish hyperlinks from regular text by underlining, bolding, or using a different color. This helps users easily identify and recognize clickable links. Different colors might not be helpful for individuals who have problems in perceiving colors or being able to distinguish a color from another. However, screen reader users can get the information that a link is a link, independent from its visualization. The screen reader can determine the link’s technical type. Additionally, a screen reader retrieves information if a link redirects to a spot on the same site or if the link has been visited before, indicating it as a visited link, when using a specific link navigation mode.

Ensure sufficient color contrast. Make sure there is enough contrast between the hyperlink color and the surrounding text to ensure readability for people with visual impairments. Avoid relying solely on color to convey the presence of a link.聽Use the to check the readability of your design and content.

Include context and purpose. When linking to external content, provide a brief description or context within the surrounding text. This helps users understand the purpose or relevance of the link before clicking on it.

Test accessibility with screen readers. Use screen reader software or tools to test the accessibility of hyperlinks. Screen readers should be able to accurately identify and read out the hyperlink text to ensure it is understandable and meaningful. Improve content for screen readers by using .

Avoid excessive use of hyperlinks. While hyperlinks are useful for providing additional information or references, avoid overloading your content with links. Too many links can be distracting and overwhelming for some readers, especially those with cognitive disabilities.

Test on different devices and platforms. Ensure that hyperlinks function correctly and are accessible across various devices, browsers, and operating systems. This helps guarantee a consistent and inclusive user experience.

Caption and transcribe multimedia content. Provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio content. This is vital for users who are deaf or hard of hearing. It is also useful for international comprehension and for those who cannot play audio or video.

Sign it. Provide sign-language interpretation services for all live events and include this in the replay where possible. By default, 麻豆原创 uses American Sign Language (ASL), but may use other sign languages depending on the location of the audience.

By following these practices, you can make your content more accessible and ensure that all users can understand and interact with your content effectively.

*Source: United States Census Bureau, Limbs for Life Foundation, Amputee Coalition, MedicineHealth.com, CDC.gov, Disability Statistics Center at the UCSF

Alexander Kuban is UX designer and IT technology consultant for Accessibility at 麻豆原创.

The is here to help. Each year, this team of PhD-level organizational psychologists and HR technology market intelligence experts aggregate and synthesize data from a wide range of reputable business press resources that put forward HR trends and predictions and conduct a content analysis to derive key themes or 鈥渕eta-trends.鈥� For 2023, the analysis involved 73 resources, leading to a list of 346 individual trends, which were then categorized into seven broader meta-trends.

Below is a quick recap of the 2023 HR meta-trends and a few examples of how organizations of all sizes are using 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors solutions to get ahead 鈥� and stay ahead 鈥� of the curve.

From Trend to Foundational: Employee Experience

If you do a quick comparison from past years鈥� meta-trends analyses, you鈥檒l notice an elevated shift for the employee experience. To no surprise, this topic continues to dominate the conversation and has become a cornerstone for HR and business strategies. With the recognition that all HR meta-trends are shaped by and shapers of the employee experience, our team of experts have “graduated” employee experience from trend to a foundational principle.

鈥淗R digitalization was a key objective in our transformation to address our work culture challenges. Our necessary to develop and engage our people was an important aspect enabling the execution of our business strategy.鈥�

鈥� Arun Serikar, Director Global HR Technology,

1. Winning the Race for Skills

With the combination of employees maintaining the upper hand in the job market and many parts of the world continuing to face relatively tight labor markets, the focus on skills-based hiring and employer brand has skyrocketed the race for skills into the number one slot for 2023.

鈥淲e knew that to continue to be an employer of choice, we wanted to satisfy the needs of our employees and applicants who were demanding an enhanced experience.鈥�

鈥� Cherilyn Nobleza, Executive Director HR Transformation and Analytics,

2. Mobilizing the Workforce for the Future

Organizations are continuing to lean into learning and development to keep employees engaged and properly skilled 鈥� and with economic uncertainty likely leading to a shift between external hiring and internal mobility, this topic remains top of mind.

鈥淭hanks to , we have transformed into an organization that prioritizes learning and growth and our employee engagement has significantly increased. We are now composed of people with a habit of learning not once a month but a little bit every day.鈥�

鈥� Adela Giral Lopez, CHRO,

3. Adopting Emerging Technologies with Purpose

As artificial intelligence (AI) use cases within HR begin to span across the employee journey, employees are beginning to see the added value for help in completing basic tasks and receiving personalized recommendations. But for that comfort level to grow, it鈥檚 imperative that HR teams remain vigilant in ensuring the use of intelligent technology is fair and transparent.

鈥淲ith support from 麻豆原创, we have been able to extend the functionality in 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors solutions to create an innovative solution that helps employees identify and develop the skills that will be vital in the digital world and the future of our company.鈥�

鈥� Gabriel de Diego, HR Strategy and Transformation Director,

4. Making Flexible Work, Work

Who wouldn鈥檛 love a four-day work week? This is just one of the many options being considered 鈥� and, in some cases, implemented 鈥� as organizations continue to experiment with new flexible work options designed for where, when, and how work happens.

鈥� is helping us truly empower and engage our employees by creating one space where employees can find everything they need and get virtual support to get their work done 鈥� no matter where they are.鈥�

鈥� Yoav Ventura, Cofounder and Managing Partner,

5. Embedding Holistic Well-Being Everywhere

Although many have settled into the 鈥渘ext normal鈥� from a working perspective, there are still a significant number of stressors at play that emphasize the need for organizations to continue their understanding, support, and prioritization of employees鈥� holistic well-being 鈥� including their mental, physical, emotional, and financial health.

鈥淩egularly engaging with employees is critical to ensure everyone鈥檚 voice is heard, their needs are addressed, and there is a positive work environment that makes people want to stay with us.鈥�

鈥� Tennyson Devoe, Senior Director of Safety and Organizational Excellence,

6. Embracing the Complexity of DEI&B

In 2023 we鈥檒l begin to see organizations take a 鈥渓ifecycle approach,鈥� meaning diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B) will be embedded across all people-related activities, with particular focus on practices related to talent acquisition and retention.

鈥溌槎乖� solutions are helping us achieve our diversity and inclusion goals. Greater visibility into the total workforce and transparent, improved reporting capabilities allow us to set recruitment and succession targets around race, gender, and disability.鈥�

鈥� Jeanett Modise, Group HR Director,

7. Preparing People Leaders for Today and Tomorrow

Your next generation of leaders will play a significant role in the success of your organization and in 2023, it鈥檚 all about developing leadership and management skills across the workforce. Keep in mind 鈥� not every high-performing individual is a good fit for managing a team so alternative paths outside of the traditional career ladder should be made available.

鈥淥ur talent strategy brings stronger engagement through clear objective setting, , and development conversations. We have the opportunity to improve internal mobility through succession planning capability, creating a diverse talent pipeline at all levels.鈥�

鈥� Fiona Brunskill, Director of People and Cultural Change,

For additional insights on the meta-trends and how you can prepare for what鈥檚 next, read the full report, .

Carrie Klauss is global director of Solution Marketing at 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors.

麻豆原创 will work with the Tent Partnership for Refugees, a , the CEO and Chairman of Chobani. As a Turkish immigrant, Ulukaya saw firsthand the power of immigrants finding appropriate employment and how it benefits the refugee and the businesses who hire them.

I鈥檓 excited to be a part of this for several reasons.

For me, working with Tent is a deeply personal cause. As a soldier in the US Army鈥檚 75th Ranger Regiment, I deployed twice to Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. I saw a beautiful country full of incredible people torn apart and ravaged by war.

In August 2021, I was also one of the thousands of people worldwide who worked feverishly to help evacuate as many Afghans from Kabul as we could. In those two frantic weeks, we did everything possible to save our friends. These men and women were not strangers, but people we had forged deep relationships with. They were some of the bravest and hardest-working men and women I have ever met.

The men and women this program will mentor are incredibly intelligent and hard-working professionals. Their command of the English language is excellent. They bring technical skills and professional expertise to the table.聽 Like so many before them, they are eager to embrace the American dream.

But they are in the challenging position of rapidly learning a new culture after being ripped out of their homes — some literally in the middle of the night — while trying to do whatever they can to support their families, both here and, in many cases, back home in Afghanistan.

Tent Trains Corporate Mentors to Help Refugees Find the Right Employment

Led by Veterans@麻豆原创 and in partnership with Autism Inclusion Network, Black Employees Network, Business Women鈥檚 Network, 麻豆原创 Interfaith Alliance, Latinos@麻豆原创, and Pan-Asians@麻豆原创, this initiative will be working to help these Afghan mentees starting in May.

Volunteers will provide mentorship, interview prep, resume review, coaching, and access to a more robust professional network as the refugees work to find new employment in the U.S. that is better matched to their skills and expertise. 麻豆原创 is excited and honored to be a part of this important initiative.

Help Tent by Joining the Cause

This is an opportunity to help these amazing human beings integrate into the American workforce, to enrich this nation through their talents and experiences. That is why Tent鈥檚 work is important. It鈥檚 why we are so excited to work with them.

If you are so moved, consider as they continue their mission to help refugees and immigrants more easily transition into the American work force.

Tom Amenta is a field marketing specialist for Cloud ERP at 麻豆原创 North America.

Innovative brands have realized this.

Zwift 鈥� a massive multiplayer online cycling and running program that enables users to train, interact, and compete in a virtual world 鈥� recently embraced inclusion by adding a hand-cycling that allows physically challenged athletes to race in the metaverse alongside able-bodied athletes. And it鈥檚 not alone. Earlier last year, Degree Deodorant hosted the world’s first on the Decentraland metaverse with a 26.2-mile picturesque course along the platform鈥檚 Vegas City Sports Quarter district, which reflected a more inclusive landscape with structures such as ramps for wheelchair users.

But How Does This Help Businesses?

Research shows that inclusion strengthens social networks, reduces barriers, and increases trust to generate economic benefits. Businesses that incorporate inclusivity are more likely to make bolder and better decisions. Meanwhile, sports possess the ability to transcend linguistic, cultural, social, and, now, physical barriers. With the metaverse looming large over the foreseeable horizon, a convergence of sports and inclusivity could serve as a lighthouse for business and society 鈥� a truly mouthwatering prospect of things to come. But is there an addressable market for this to make business sense?

There are 5.07 billion active Internet users in the world today 鈥� 50,000 already Web 3.0 virtual worlds and 12% of U.S. Internet users are interested in using the metaverse. Digital avatars contribute immensely to the virtual experience and are increasing becoming ubiquitous.

Per the U.S. Census Bureau, 12.8% of the U.S. population in 2019 registered as people with disabilities. The European equivalent that year was 39 million 鈥� Great Britain alone accounted for 11 million 鈥� while Asia had an estimated 135 million people with disabilities. The global fitness platform market for the disabled alone is expected to hit US$1.41 billion this year, a CAGR of 23.9%.

So, there is clearly an audience for this type of inclusivity. But why bother the metaverse with it?

Answering the Community鈥檚 Call

Digital avatars contribute immensely to the virtual experience and are increasing becoming abundant. In fact, online communities are demanding greater inclusivity. A revealed a general underrepresentation of people with disabilities and women, alongside an inaccurate representation of online identities. With 57% of Gen Z metaverse-gamers their penchant for in-game self-expression as higher than in real life, developers are taking note. Last June, Meta the launch of wheelchairs, over-the-ear hearing aids, and cochlear implants for its avatars. As the metaverse takes shape, inclusivity features prominently on the social media giant鈥檚 development agenda.

And it is just not Meta. Companies developing gaming consoles are building for inclusivity as well. From Xbox Adaptive Controllers to community-built modified controllers, features to assist those with mobility, hearing, and impaired vision are gaining prominence. Gaming companies are also modifying popular games for impaired gamers. For instance, The Last of Us II 鈥� the game from the company Naughty Dog 鈥� now has play modes for deaf, blind, and mobility-impaired gamers. Likewise, colorblind players can now enjoy the hugely popular Call of Duty: Black Ops thanks to a new mode that customizes the game鈥檚 display to create a spectrum of options to suit a player鈥檚 specific need.

Clearly, the metaverse can be a great enabler of inclusivity and open new doors.

A New Vista of Inclusion Opportunities Powered by the Metaverse

Imagine a metaverse loaded with features that welcome all to coexist in the surrounds of a safe virtual haven. Events like the marathon and my annual cycling event can become regular features in the metaverse, much like those in the real world today.

Add cutting-edge sports performance analytics from to this and challenged participants can receive a significant boost for their efforts of being recognized as competitive athletes. In fact, in the highly competitive world of Paralympics where every inch matters, teams that can get their hands on 麻豆原创 Sports One can integrate data from various sources and study consolidated insights from all the athletes on their team with real-time analytics. At the highest levels, where the gold medal is decided by seconds, even challenged athletes deserve the very best and can benefit from what cutting-edge performance analytics can offer. In the esports world today, organizations like readily use 麻豆原创 data and analytics solutions such as and to help make split second decisions and heighten their performances on the professional circuit.

With such precedents in place, the metaverse becomes a prime greenfield of opportunities and facilitates the development of an environment where inclusivity can genuinely thrive. This, coupled with gamification and play-to-earn models, can lead to the creation of an ecosystem in the metaverse that nurtures a virtual economy with limitless horizons. Brands and technology companies that are building an inclusive metaverse will enjoy numerous revenue-generating avenues and enhanced social agendas.

We are at the dawn of exciting times for sure.

To learn how software helps clubs and organizations digitalize sports performance management, visit .

Richard Whittington is senior vice president of Sports, Media, & Entertainment at 麻豆原创.

鈥淓veryone鈥檚 autism is slightly different,鈥� Dietsch explains. Before the terms neurodiversity and neurodivergent became common currency to describe these differences in brain functions and behavior, autism was often classified as a disability.

Today, most individuals on the autism spectrum reject the 鈥渄isability鈥� label. Neurodivergent means just that: different, not disabled.

More often than not, says Dietsch, neurotypical individuals who view neurodivergence 鈥渁s a disability and a hindrance鈥� are the ones applying a disability label to an autistic individual鈥檚 differences in behavior, interaction, or communication.

Unfortunately, these differences can sometimes make it difficult for autistic individuals to shine in conventional job interviews, contributing to the higher rates of unemployment or under-employment in this group.

To make recruiting practices fairer and to promote an autistic-inclusive workplace, 麻豆原创 founded the program in 2013.

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Autism at Work Program

With a team dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace experience for autistic colleagues, the Autism at Work program offers tailored accommodations including, for example, the sharing of interview topics in advance and an Autism at Work buddy for new hires.

This global program not only signals a commitment to autism inclusion but provides robust tools and processes to deliver it. More than 215 colleagues have been hired in association with this program or have self-disclosed.

The program has been vital in hiring autistic employees who, in turn, often become role models and an inspiration to others.

The AHA! Moment: The Role Model

Dietsch recalls very clearly the moment when he realized that 麻豆原创 could be the right fit for him and a workplace where he could thrive.

At an Autism at Work event in 2018, Dietsch met someone on the autism spectrum working in cybersecurity at 麻豆原创. Seeing this positive role model made him believe in himself and that he, too, could work in cybersecurity. He felt inspired to apply.

With a hiring format designed to set him up for success 鈥� no open questions, no group tasks, no relying on eye contact, for example 鈥� Dietsch secured an internship at 麻豆原创 before applying to his current permanent position.

鈥淚 Do Not Have to Mask Myself鈥�

Only 5% of disabled and neurodivergent employees choose to disclose. A culture that makes employees feel uncomfortable or vulnerable about being their true selves puts great pressure on the individual, increases the chances that employees will not reach their full potential, and increases the chances that companies will lose out on valuable talent.

By the time Dietsch joined 麻豆原创, he had experienced firsthand the strength of 麻豆原创鈥檚 commitment to welcome neurodivergent employees. He had first heard of Autism at Work in 2013, attended another Autism at Work event in 2016, and experienced a life-changing moment in 2018 when, at another Autism at Work event, he met the colleague who worked at 麻豆原创 in cybersecurity.

By 2019, Dietsch had also experienced the Autism at Work hiring process that played to his strengths and had secured an internship.

Disclosing his neurodivergence was not an issue 鈥� there was no risk. 麻豆原创鈥檚 commitment to autism inclusion was already clear to him. He could be his true self with no need to adapt his behavior or endure the mental strain of trying to be someone else to fit in. He felt included and had a clear sense of belonging.

A Culture of Autism Inclusion

麻豆原创 has two important pillars for fostering inclusion of individuals on the autism spectrum:

• Autism at Work: This program was Dietsch鈥檚 initial touchpoints with 麻豆原创. It acts as the external-facing arm focused on hiring and onboarding autistic employees as well as creating an inclusive workplace.
• Autism Inclusion Network (AIN): This is an Employee Network Group from 麻豆原创 with Chief Technology Officer and Executive Board Member Juergen Mueller as the sponsor. AIN acts as the internal platform promoting belonging for 麻豆原创 employees and driving workplace diversity and inclusion.

Working with Our Strengths

Dietsch is clear about the strengths of autistic colleagues. For example, if you are looking for a frank, honest opinion, then your autistic colleagues will give you one each and every time 鈥� especially at 麻豆原创, where autistic colleagues are empowered to be their true selves. The important thing to remember, says Dietsch, is that even when the honesty feels brutal, it鈥檚 not personal.

Leave out the irony, the sayings, and any form of communication that requires 鈥渞eading between the lines鈥� to get the best out of your interactions with autistic colleagues. It is, says Dietsch, quite simple: 鈥淟et鈥檚 meet in the middle.鈥�

When Coldplay started their Music Of The Spheres World Tour in 2022, the goal was clear: to make it their most sustainable and environmentally friendly tour yet by cutting their CO2 emissions by 50% compared to the 2016/17 world tour. 麻豆原创 supported this goal with the development of the Music Of The Spheres World Tour app which allows fans to not only enjoy exclusive tour content but also helps them visualize how their actions attending shows contribute to their carbon footprint so they can choose more sustainable transportation options.

The calculates the impact of fan travel to and from shows, providing rewards for fans who commit to low-carbon transportation options and enables Coldplay to understand the fans carbon footprint to offset emissions. As Coldplay launches year two of its tour, more than 350,000 fans in over 150 countries have downloaded the app, proving Coldplay鈥檚 vision right: armed with information and intent, every concert-going fan can make more sustainable travel choices.

Next Step: Making the App Accessible for Blind and Visually Impaired People

During the development process, both Coldplay and the 麻豆原创 team set the goal to make the app accessible for users with disabilities who rely on assistive technology like screen readers or magnifiers. As the 麻豆原创 team started to work on accessibility functionalities, a Coldplay fan from Mexico reached out to share her challenges as a blind person using the app.

The fan, who asked to remain anonymous, explains: 鈥淚鈥檓 blind since birth and I need screen readers for productivity and entertainment in my daily life. As a huge Coldplay fan, I tried to use the tour app and quickly noticed that the app was difficult to use for one who is blind or visually impaired. I鈥檓 very much driven to advocate for blind people to get equal opportunity, and to enjoy interactive content. That鈥檚 why I contacted 麻豆原创 to support in the areas of sound design, testing and providing ideas for software development to make the app more usable for blind fans.鈥�

The Coldplay fan connected with Nicole Windmann, vice president for Accessibility and Inclusive Design at 麻豆原创. 鈥淲ith our 麻豆原创 products we aim to create a more sustainable and inclusive environment for people. Accessibility is a key driver of this vision. When we include insights from people with different backgrounds and acknowledge different ways of working, perception, and interaction with our designs, we can create the most enjoyable and efficient software.鈥�

Working with three 麻豆原创 employees who are also blind, the development team worked to optimize accessibility functionalities for the Music Of The Spheres World Tour app. The team labeled items like screen buttons and described images, to enable screen readers to read out the functionality and provide helpful hints. Additionally, gestures such as swiping or double tapping are often used by blind people to navigate an app without having to look at the screen. To use this functionality, the team re-structured the code of the Coldplay app, providing a more suitable navigation for blind users.

In close contact with the 麻豆原创 team, the Coldplay fan volunteered to test the app usability for blind users and give her feedback. 鈥淲orking with 麻豆原创 has been great!鈥� she says. 鈥淢y feedback helped the developers understand the blindness point of view. In a world where the capabilities of people with disabilities are often underestimated or assumed without getting to know the person first, I鈥檓 inspired every day to work on a more inclusive world.鈥�

鈥淎t 麻豆原创, we believe that diversity drives innovation and better experiences for our employees, customers, and partners alike,鈥� Christian Klein, CEO and member of the Executive Board of 麻豆原创 SE, says. 鈥淭he fans feedback on the Coldplay app is a great example of the vital role user feedback plays in shaping our applications and the importance of having products and services that are inclusive and accessible to all.鈥�

After an extensive testing and development phase, we鈥檙e now ready to provide blind and visually impaired people an even greater app experience 鈥� just in time for Coldplay鈥檚 2023 Music Of The Spheres World Tour stops in Latin America, Europe, and North America.

To experience it all for yourself, the聽Coldplay #MusicOfTheSpheresWorldTour聽app is available for download on聽听补苍诲听.

鈥淥ur fans worldwide are our biggest inspiration. They have enabled us with their feedback to make the Music Of The Spheres World Tour app as useful and accessible as possible. We鈥檙e proud of the collaboration with our partner 麻豆原创, who has created an impactful app that can now also be used by fans who are blind or visually impaired,鈥� Coldplay states.

The Coldplay fan from Mexico is wishfully looking forward to the 2023 tour. 鈥淚 will be attending Coldplay鈥檚 San Diego show and I am already thrilled about it. And of course I will make sure to check the app for sustainable travel options,鈥� she says with a smile on her face.

Isabelle Schuhmacher is senior director of Global Sponsorships at 麻豆原创.

Top image via Robert Mallows

Yet we know that the principle is not enough. Talking about it is not enough. Good intentions are not enough. Doing the actual work to define and measure equity across the organization — and to correct if and where necessary: that is what鈥檚 required.

At 麻豆原创, we are constantly looking at ways to do that work, and we have spent a lot of time focusing specifically on fair pay. 麻豆原创 Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Supriya Jha has written about our multi-year journey tackling this issue, as well as how we鈥檙e ensuring the results of our efforts are transparent. That visibility is critical to empowering all of our employees worldwide.

As part of that journey and our commitment to visibility, our organization recently took steps to measure our progress on fair pay. Here is what we found.

An Inside Look Into Pay at 麻豆原创

As Supriya outlined, our organization undertook a global statistical analysis in mid-2022 — an analysis that will now be conducted annually — to examine pay against comparable roles.聽 The analysis found that our employees are paid fairly for equal work in more than 99% of cases.

But our team wanted to go deeper. So, we commissioned an additional U.S.-focused study, which refined the lens to focus on groups where we knew industry-wide systemic barriers to equal pay were more likely to exist. We were thrilled to find similar results.

This research aimed to determine whether there were any statistically significant inequalities among employees performing comparable work, specifically with respect to both gender and race. It found that nearly 99% of 麻豆原创 employees in the U.S. are paid fairly. We adjusted the compensation of employees who found themselves in that narrow minority.

Fair pay is part of 麻豆原创鈥檚 moral and structural integrity for the long term. We do not just want employees to feel appreciated, we want them to feel empowered, and part of career growth conversations means having open dialogue about salary and compensation. Employees expect — and deserve — to have confidence in the measures in place that will reward strong performance while also paying equitably.

Simply put, we must consistently and regularly review our pay practices to ensure there is equity across the entire system.

An Outside-In Analysis of DE&I Efforts

And yet, we also know that the full picture is much bigger than just pay equity. Organizations must address the systemic and cultural factors that create, or potentially limit, access to career opportunity 鈥� those key moments in the hiring, career development, and promotion process that influence how it is someone finds themselves with a certain opportunity in the first place. Take this study for example: a statistical analysis on fair pay across similar roles starts with the assumption that to begin with everyone is already in the best job for their skills and potential.

As we outlined last week, this broader focus is where some of the more complex and difficult change must occur, given its connection to social relationships, networking, mentoring, potential bias, and other nuances that can be deeply ingrained in existing work structures and cultural norms. Some of the areas we are continuing to investigate within 麻豆原创 North America include:

• Succession planning, which literally foretells the future of the entire organization. It starts with elevating potentially 鈥渓esser known鈥� folks, with intention. Are we painting a picture of what we want our leadership 鈥� and, by extension, our team 鈥� to look like?
• Talent funnel, where proactive measures build out diverse pipelines, so 鈥渓ess traditional鈥� talent sources are no longer seen as risky choices, but instead understood for their inherent value. A tip for hiring managers: the level of diversity in your network is key to building high-performing teams in your future!
• Working parents and caretakers, who must be well-supported and cared for at work and at home. Ensuring policies and benefits are designed to support those dedicated to care taking and family-friendly needs.
• Access to opportunity, because too often it is not just what you know, but who you know, that connects you to an opportunity. Mentorship is important, but sponsorship is fundamental.

As we continue to synchronize this holistic view at 麻豆原创, we are intentional about fully realizing the power of the diverse communities we want to foster. Though this journey continues, we are proud to humbly continue getting better at making diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) at 麻豆原创.

Lloyd Adams is president of 麻豆原创 North America.
Megan Smith is head of HR for 麻豆原创 North America.

At 麻豆原创, we are committed to creating inclusive products that all people love to use for work. This requires active collaboration and communication among user researchers, designers, engineers, and product managers throughout the entire design and development process. I want to share some of the ways we have transformed how our teams work to inspire others to do the same.

Here are four simple things that your teams can do today to improve the user experience for all and create a culture of inclusion.

Adopt an Inclusive Approach to How Teams Work Together from the Very Beginning

To ensure everyone on the team gains a holistic understanding of the needs and motivations of the people they are creating products for, we need to get everyone involved right from the start. This means enabling user researchers, designers, engineers, and product managers to work together throughout the end-to-end process. It also means that each member of the team will be involved in the research itself.

At 麻豆原创, we are committed to making part of our everyday practice. For this to happen, user researchers take a participatory approach to the research itself 鈥� and intentionally include people from different cultural backgrounds, regions of the world, with a range of disabilities, working environments, and more. This has proven to be a game changer for our teams and has led to some surprising and impactful insights. Involving the core team in the research process also makes it possible for engineers to quickly build and test prototypes to ensure they function as intended, and for product managers to prioritize and integrate features into the final product.

Be Intentional about How the Work Happens

Active collaboration can only happen with the proper infrastructure in place to ensure designers, researchers, engineering, product management, and other key roles are continuously sharing work, getting feedback, and troubleshooting issues together as part of the day-to-day process. Collaboration rituals must be intentionally designed and inclusive of all roles on the team. By actively collaborating and communicating throughout the process, the team can proactively identify and address potential barriers to accessibility and usability.

Daily standups, frequent work sessions, and weekly retros are examples of the kind of rituals that make it easy for designers and engineers to work through issues they find together; for user researchers to continuously evaluate the designs and prototypes as the team comes up with different iterations of the experience they are developing; and so that product managers can make data-driven decisions throughout the end-to-end process.

Promote Diversity within the Team

This is often overlooked but plays a critical role in creating inclusive outcomes. It鈥檚 about being intentional about the diversity within the team itself. Diverse perspectives lead to better products. A team with diverse backgrounds and experiences brings a range of perspectives and insights to the design and development process.

When choosing who to assign to a project, focusing on diversity will allow the team to benefit from the unique perspectives within the group and contribute to the creation of products that are more inclusive and usable for a wider range of users. It’s at the intersection of our differences that we can truly foster and envision breakthrough ideas.

Start Developing a Problem-Seeking Mindset

In order to find solutions, you must first understand the problem. Creating products for a diverse global population requires us to proactively identify gaps in the current experience. Identifying the issues early on is something that needs to be celebrated and seen as an opportunity to improve the experience before it launches to customers.

The team must be open to challenging their own assumptions and biases and seek to understand how to make accessible and usable experiences for everyone. We have to continuously remind ourselves that we are not our users and hence need to have complete and unwavering focus on not only understanding the users but aligning as a team on the problem we are trying to solve.

麻豆原创 Design has made it a goal to come together as one intentionally diverse team with a shared purpose for creating inclusive experiences that improve people鈥檚 lives every day. By working together to understand and meet the needs of diverse users, team members can develop a shared understanding of the importance of inclusivity and a commitment to building products that are accessible and usable for all.

Experience matters. Follow our journey as we transform the way we build products for enterprises on .

Arin Bhowmick is chief design officer at 麻豆原创.

Milliken was relying on an outdated, on-premise human capital management (HCM) system that struggled to keep up with the changing demands of its workforce. A poor user experience led to limited adoption and a slew of frustrations for admins and users alike. In addition, obtaining accurate reports was nearly impossible due to the number of disparate HR processes in use around the globe. It was clear that a new approach was needed. To fully support its workers, Milliken decided that it was time to move to the cloud.

Taking a phased approach, Milliken began by implementing cloud solutions to support its recruiting, succession planning, performance management, and analytics processes. By leveraging , it was able to offer mobile-friendly job applications in a number of languages and to create a more accessible and user-friendly experience for applicants. In addition, an expanded presence across more than 40 job sites helped Milliken make significant strides towards creating a diversified talent pool with quality candidates. Within one year, applicant volume increased by more than 300%. To further align its recruiting and succession processes with business diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) goals, Milliken leveraged advanced analytics to capture data on headcount, turnover, and hiring. Comprehensive graphs and reporting capabilities enabled Milliken to visualize data across the workforce, from compensation and benefit trends to key diversity metrics.

Building upon its initial successes, Milliken began to transition its core HR processes from on premise to the cloud. To improve data quality and overall transparency, it leveraged to manage employee and organizational data across the globe. Moving towards a single platform has helped better support HR compliance and allowed Milliken to respond more proactively to legal and regulatory changes. Mobile capabilities were deployed to deskless associates, supporting the company鈥檚 sustainability goal to reduce paper consumption.

Looking forward, Milliken intends to continue its cloud transformation by moving benefits and compensation administration processes to the cloud. Improving the access and overall experience of key HR functions is an integral part of Milliken鈥檚 mission to support its people and ultimately create a sustainable workforce. With less time spent on operational tactics, Milliken鈥檚 associates can focus on delivering positive outcomes for their customers and communities.

Jeff Glauber is global solution marketing lead for 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors Employee Central at 麻豆原创.

Almost 700 people who attended workforce development or entrepreneurship programs provided feedback to the survey. Participants were predominantly disadvantaged or disabled youth who averaged 28 years old and were evenly split between genders. What they all shared was the desire for a better life, whether they struck out on their own or worked for an organization in pretty much any industry.

鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible to measure the impact of volunteerism unless you actually talk with the beneficiaries. Unlike traditional post-project research that can take years to get results, our remote data collection and analysis approach surfaces project impact in weeks, making it actionable faster for corporate sponsors like 麻豆原创 and their social enterprise partners and the communities they serve,鈥� said Sasha Dichter, cofounder and CEO at 60 Decibels. 鈥淲ith near real-time information from beneficiaries, organizations can hold themselves accountable, quickly comparing results from different geographies and using the data to improve offerings based on participant feedback.鈥�

Having participated in the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program, I can attest to the deeply satisfying and motivational experience of providing hands-on support to my in-country partners at . To date, the global, pro-bono consulting program run in partnership with has helped over 450 nonprofits and social enterprises address business challenges using the skills and knowledge of 麻豆原创 employees like me. But what really matters is how these social enterprise programs make a difference in the lives of the people in the communities they serve, reducing inequalities and supporting underserved populations. Accurate metrics on program results prove the efficacy of these programs and become the foundation of future deep impact plans.

Metrics Reveal Long-Lasting Improvements

Seventy-seven percent of respondents to the 60 Decibels survey said that their quality of life had improved. People in the entrepreneurship programs cited gains in skills and knowledge, along with positive changes in their perspectives, business expansion, and, tellingly, higher customer satisfaction. Professional, financial, and personal growth were the top three positive outcomes for beneficiaries who participated in workforce development programs. When asked to rate skills gained through their participation in one social enterprise program, beneficiaries ranked computer skills highest (70%), followed by communication (45%), better time management (40%), ability to navigate teamwork (32%), and enhanced professional skills (32%).

Notably, almost 60% of beneficiaries in both programs reported an upswing in their business revenue or income. Results ran the gamut from the ability to save money to strengthened leadership, networking, and other business strategies.

Measurable results went beyond business fundamentals. Almost 70% of beneficiaries reported a significant uptick in their self-confidence, having increased their skills so they could become more independent and 鈥渁ct on a vision鈥� for the future. Forty-five percent said they garnered greater respect from household members after attending the program. Breaking free of parental support was a benefit for many people, allowing them to make a more valuable contribution to their home. Numerous people credited their newfound professional maturity to their experience in workforce development programs.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to measure the 360-degree view of program impact,鈥� said Dichter. 鈥淕etting a job and increasing your income is immediate, but there鈥檚 also the lasting experiential results that someone carries into their family life and throughout their career.鈥�

Triple Impact of Social Enterprise Programs

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical program, and I talked with Hemang Desai, global program director of 麻豆原创 Social Sabbatical, who saw the results of the study as validation of its success.

鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to delivering triple impact for long-term, sustainable benefits to social sector organizations and the people and communities they serve, as well as the personal and professional growth of 麻豆原创 employees,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur program is continuously evolving to address global challenges aligned with 麻豆原创鈥檚 corporate social responsibility strategy, Most recently, that includes increased collaboration with nonprofits and social enterprises to meet sustainability objectives such as climate action and circular economy. We鈥檙e focused on scaling our efforts, using what we鈥檝e learned to expand pro-bono services to social enterprises supporting economic equity and social justice.鈥�

As global calls for sustainability grow louder, social enterprises that educate and train disadvantaged people for fulfilling careers that address these challenges are a potent force for positive change. In fact, I鈥檓 actively involved in 麻豆原创鈥檚 newly-launched virtual social entrepreneurship support program, Acceleration Collective. I鈥檓 providing communications coaching and consulting to , a Nigerian-based social enterprise that educates women in rural communities to become self-sufficient, turning local waste into a sustainable livelihood. Climate change negatively impacts the most disadvantaged populations, offering social enterprise programs another opportunity for meaningful community impact.

Follow me @smgaler.

The 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors second half 2022 release, which is available for preview today, introduces new innovations focused on empowering organizations to create an agile and future-ready workforce in a rapidly changing workplace as well as further investments for individualized experiences and agile and compliant HR.

Creating a Future-Ready Workforce

In the face of increasingly complex and more urgent transformations, organizations must accelerate their talent development at scale. At the core of such adaptability is an understanding of the skills organizations need to build and grow. As part of our early adopter care program, select customers will have access to skills ontology, growth portfolio, and dynamic teams, which work together to deliver greater intelligence on the skills and capabilities that currently exist and are needed within an organization.

The skills ontology is a major advancement for 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors that鈥檚 connected to global skills databases to help ensure that organizations have a comprehensive and up-to-date view of the most important skills for their workforce. It delivers machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) powered recommendations to employees about relevant and trending skills to prioritize for development.

The growth portfolio, also part of the early adopter care program, is how employees can reveal their skills, capabilities, education, language proficiencies, and certifications. In the second half release, this data will connect employees to the most relevant assignments in . While the skills ontology gives organizations the ability to align talent development to the ambitions of the organization, the growth portfolio enables employees to align their own talent development to their ambitions.

Dynamic teams is also part of the 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors foundation and available to all customers. Within organizations today, there are countless teams that exist outside of traditional organizational structures 鈥� groups of people that work cross-functionally on a project for a certain amount of time. The dynamic teams functionality can provide organizations with visibility into these teams as well as tools to help manage and assemble teams. Team progress can be measured using objectives and key results (OKRs) and employees can find a dynamic team within 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors Opportunity Marketplace to help learn new skills and continue to grow their career. This transparency within the organization levels the playing field and creates equal opportunity for employees.

With richer data and greater talent intelligence, organizations can help ensure that employees are connected to the most relevant talent development opportunities that are aligned to the ambitions of employees and the needs of the organization. Skills ontology, growth portfolio, and dynamic teams provide significant updates to the foundation of 鈥� built into what customers already have instead of requiring an entirely new solution.

Some more exciting features for our second half 2022 release are around individualized experiences and agile and compliant HR, including:

• Chosen name and personal pronouns: As part of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we are taking important steps to help every individual be seen and valued. People can now indicate their chosen name, personal pronouns, and gender directly within the people profile. This information is displayed consistently across 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors solutions 鈥� from recruiting to learning, helping to foster a greater sense of belonging.
• End-to-end visual redesign: We are enhancing the overall look and feel of 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors by implementing the Horizon visual theme for 麻豆原创 Fiori. This new theme enhances consistency while delivering a more informed and streamlined product experience. Employees will find nearly every element of the solution updated with new colors, typography, iconography, layouts, and visual hierarchy focused on intent and success. We remain on track to have every employee-facing 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors experience unified with the theme by the end of 2023.
• 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors Work Zone guided onboarding experience: By bringing together 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors solutions and third-party integrations, organizations can more efficiently handle an array of complex onboarding processes. This new feature helps ensure that employees receive individualized experiences, even before their first day. Covering key phases of the new hire journey, the guided onboarding experience for helps provide the tools and information employees need, both before and after hiring.
• Cross-system workflow capability: We are unveiling a new cross-system workflow capability for processes that involve multiple users from multiple systems, such as 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors Employee Central and the payroll component of 麻豆原创 ERP Human Capital Management. A guided activity framework for key processes enables our on-premise customers to more rapidly unlock the value of the cloud with 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors Employee Central and the latest HXM innovations while maintaining and progressively moving on-premise processes to the cloud over time.
• Time management enhancements: We are continuing to enhance our capabilities in time management with the much-anticipated ability to export leave events into calendar applications along with better support for public holidays and handling of grace rules. Time administrators can now copy time-related configuration objects, reducing the need for manual duplication during configuration. In addition, temporary work schedules and absence information on a per day basis will now be available for reporting in 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors People Analytics.

All these and many more exciting features will be available in our 2H 2022 release, in preview today and production on Friday, December 9. Please watch our for more information.

Amy Wilson is senior vice president of Products and Design for 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors.

Expo 2020 brought together over 200 participants 鈥� including 192 countries and various organizations, businesses, and educational establishments. The mega event attracted over 20 million visitors despite being postponed for 18 months due to the global pandemic that has disrupted the world鈥檚 economy and the lives of millions.

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A Differentiator

Initiated in 1851 in London, World Expos are a gathering of nations dedicated to finding solutions to the day鈥檚 most urgent issues by engaging the hearts and minds of visitors. World Expos, which attract more visitors than the FIFA World Cup and Olympics combined, are governed by the and serve as a platform for countries to display their most recent technical, scientific, cultural, social, and economic achievements.

Famous innovations launched at World Expos include the steam engine, which characterized the industrial age to come, followed by the introduction of many gamechangers including the washing machine, the telephone, television, the x-ray, the diesel engine, the first touchscreen gadgets, and the first humanoid robots.

Hosted and organized by Dubai, several things set Expo 2020 apart:

• Marking a turning point in history, Expo 2020 aspired to be the of its kind.
• It was the most inclusive ever 鈥� the helped people of determination, as people with special needs are referred to in the United Arab Emirates, navigate easily.
• Its customer experience and supply chain infrastructure secured the first for a World Expo.

Sustainability

The event was 100% ecological thanks to the sustainable use of water and energy and a minimal carbon footprint. An astonishing 90% of the material used during the construction process is being reused to build public buildings. In addition, Expo 2020 Dubai had its very own metro station, carrying as many as 44,000 passengers per hour.

From recycling to promoting natural solutions, the idea was to inspire visitors to protect the Earth for future generations. Besides having an entire district dedicated to , Expo 2020 also hosted theme weeks focused on topics such as water, climate, and urban and rural development.

鈥淥ne of the most exciting moments at Expo 2020 was the ,鈥� says Deirdre O鈥橰eilly, 麻豆原创 head of Expo 2020, whose tiny team of eight hard workers was instrumental in the overall success at the event.

The sustainability week served as a major call to action in association with the United Nations to advance the SDGs. Global leaders, policy-makers, business leaders, and key players from the SDG campaign were present at the event to encourage everyone, including businesses, organizations, and individuals, to drive positive change.

鈥淥ur focus on sustainability does not end with Expo. We must ingrain it in our daily lives if we want to end extreme poverty, inequality, and climate change by 2030,鈥� says O鈥橰eilly, who encourages everyone to take action by creating their own .

Inclusion

One key achievement of Expo 2020 was the PODway app, which was designed to help people of determination navigate the site easily, highlighting accessible features in pavilions and accessible services for events. The app supports people with mobility, visual, hearing, cognitive, and sensory-access needs as well as features wayfinding and transportation options. It also includes an 鈥楽OS鈥� button for immediate contact and appropriate support 鈥� underpinned by geotracking of a person鈥檚 position on-site.

The organizers hailed the app in a recent , quoting Dina Storey, director of Sustainability Operations, Expo 2020 Dubai. 鈥淓xpo 2020 Dubai is committed to celebrating diversity and promoting inclusivity, and the PODway app ensures that each and every visitor with differentiated needs can make the most of the incredible experiences Expo has to offer,鈥� said Storey.

Experience

What all visitors, organizers, and suppliers will surely recall is their flawless experience, which included registering for the event, buying tickets and passes, getting food and vouchers, and accessing the wide world of merchandise that was available in the 192 country pavilions. A unique, behind-the-scenes framework struck a balance between the system architecture and the use of the latest technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain.

The entire event ran on 麻豆原创鈥檚 technology and expertise, helping Expo 2020 Dubai deliver personalized experiences to millions of visitors from around the world, achieved by collecting and analyzing masses of data. This previously impossible feat was possible thanks to AI, which was used to measure and improve customer experiences by finding patterns across an overwhelming number of data points, unleashing more value for the customer and promoting brand awareness and loyalty.

Over 1,200 point-of-sale entities were connected through , establishing a smooth end-to-end customer experience, and over 55,000 receipts were printed daily using .

Besides managing the transactions of 20 million visitors and the virtual Expo online experience of 174 million, the streamlined digital experience also facilitated the work of 25,000 suppliers delivering goods and services around the site. 麻豆原创 Ariba solutions聽made up the real-time, unified digital procurement and payment platform for Expo 2020鈥檚 global supplier base.

鈥淥ur work with 麻豆原创 is an example of what can be achieved with the invaluable support of our technology partners to host one of the most digitally advanced World Expos ever,鈥� said Dubai Chief Technology Officer Mohammed AL Hashmi.

The impact of Expo 2020 will last long after the gates closed as it morphs into , a smart, sustainable city providing an ecosystem that embraces technology and digital innovation. Expo 2020鈥檚 motto of 鈥渃onnecting minds鈥� is already helping to create a better future based on innovation and collaboration between nations, cultures, and institutions.

Operating in a socially responsible way strengthens an organization鈥檚 brand reputation. Job seekers and consumers today want to support organizations that stand for something important and that are making positive impacts on society at large. Investors are putting more emphasis on sustainable development goals with a significant increase of focus on social impact. Human rights and environmental regulations are increasing rapidly. All of this demands a more sustainable approach from CEOs and business leaders.

People, Planet, and Prosperity

When you hear the word sustainability, the first thing you may think of is recycling or environmental sustainability, but sustainability is about so much more than eliminating single-use water bottles and reducing fossil fuel consumption. A holistic approach to sustainability incorporates social, environmental, and economic sustainability 鈥� or people, planet, and prosperity.

Organizations are increasingly recognizing the need to be as focused on social, or people, sustainability as they have been on economic and environmental sustainability 鈥� all three together support and drive business sustainability. People make up society, impact the environment, and power the economy. People are at the heart of any strategy to make progress on sustainability goals. In today鈥檚 workplace, HR has both the opportunity and responsibility to ensure that people are at the center of work by creating an environment in which the workforce, and the organization, can thrive.

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Defining People Sustainability

People sustainability focuses on treating people 鈥� those within an organization鈥檚 workforce, across their supply chains, and in the communities in which they operate 鈥� ethically and fairly.

Just as environmental and economic sustainability require careful preservation and use of natural and financial resources, people sustainability requires treating people and human potential as precious resources that must be supported and valued to drive resilience, agility, and achievement of sustainability goals.

Companies that prioritize people sustainability, by creating social impact and building a more diverse and inclusive culture, are able to boost employee engagement and productivity. They鈥檙e also better positioned to attract and retain talent. Penny Stoker, global talent leader at EY, unpacks how .

Unpacking the Six People Sustainability Pillars

The 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors HR Research team has identified six distinct areas, or pillars, that comprise people sustainability. Although the areas are distinct, it is also clear that there is overlap between these pillars. At the center of them all, of course, is culture 鈥� as it drives so much behavior both within and outside an organization. Let鈥檚 unpack these areas a bit in the context of HR and people processes.

Health and Safety
At a minimum, you need to ensure the workforce is safe from physical health and safety hazards and has access to basic necessities. Does your onboarding process provide new hires with appropriate safety training and equipment from day one? Do you have visibility into your total workforce, including their locations? Knowing who and where your workforce is at all times allows you to react quickly in times of crisis and provide support where needed.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Here the focus is on treating each individual, regardless of social identity group or belief system, fairly and equitably and ensuring they feel a sense of true belonging. Are you able to attract and engage job seekers from diverse backgrounds? Do you have a standardized selection and interview process? Do you provide pay transparency? Are you measuring and tracking diversity, equity, and inclusion goals?

Well-Being and Balance
Beyond basic health and safety, this area focuses on ensuring employees鈥� holistic well-being 鈥� psychological, social, financial, and career 鈥� is prioritized and supported with the necessary tools and resources. Do you offer a comprehensive benefits package with compelling options? Do your employees feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work? Have you fostered a culture of continuous dialogue between managers and their reports?

Trust and Transparency
The focus here is on employees having a voice, understanding how key decisions impacting them are made, and trusting their organization to act in ethical ways. Do you regularly listen to your employees and act on the feedback they provide? Have you established policies and processes for the ethical use of intelligent technologies and data privacy and protection? Do you publicly publish diversity metrics?

Empowerment and Growth
Here employees are provided the clarity, support, and tools needed to grow their skills and are empowered to influence their career trajectory. Are you offering inclusive learning options to meet the needs and learning preferences of a diverse workforce? Do you ensure managers provide equitable and actionable feedback to their teams? Are you providing equitable access to development opportunities?

Organizational Purpose and CSR
In this final pillar, the organization is actively working towards giving back and making a positive impact on the world; employees are encouraged to participate and feel energized by the organization鈥檚 mission and values. Do you ensure individual goals are aligned to company objectives to increase sense of purpose and meaning in work? Are you providing your workforce the space to pursue their passions?

What Can Organizations Do to Drive People Sustainability?

In most organizations today, different parts of the business lead these efforts with minimal awareness of or collaboration with each other鈥檚 strategies. However, we have to start somewhere. The most logical first step is to understand where you are today. Do you have a unified strategy 鈥� at least across some of these pillars? Start the conversations and begin to break down organizational silos.

Prioritize people, and planet and prosperity will follow. This is what it means to be a resilient, results-driven, and people-first organization. One that鈥檚 not only equipped to meet the business needs of today, but one that adapts to the business needs of tomorrow.

To learn more, watch a replay of the SuccessConnect keynote, .

Kim Lessley is global director of Solution Marketing at 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors.

It is defined by the impact an organization has on every part of its ecosystem: workers, supply chains, communities, and the environment. Yet less than one percent of organizations today are fully aligned to all 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

We know that getting this right 鈥� or wrong 鈥� has real implications. As organizations increasingly shift their strategies toward a triple-bottom-line approach focused on profits, planet, and people, it鈥檚 this last pillar that is intrinsically part of the other two despite being historically overlooked. People make the decisions that impact our environment. People design and execute the strategies that drive results and profits. And people are ultimately responsible for how we shape the future of our planet.

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Introducing People Sustainability

At SuccessConnect, we introduced a new term to guide organizations on their journey to create a future-ready workforce and a more equitable world: .

People sustainability is the intersection of employee engagement, empowerment, and corporate responsibility. It is defined as treating people — within an organization鈥檚 workforce, across their supply chains, and in the communities in which they operate — ethically and fairly. Just as environmental and economic sustainability require careful preservation and use of natural and financial resources, people sustainability requires treating people and human potential as precious resources that must be supported and valued to drive resilience and agility — and the future we all wish to see.

At 麻豆原创, we define people sustainability through six core pillars. While there may be even more considerations when you think about the broader social sustainability umbrella, we determined that these are the most important pillars organizations can focus on right now to help people thrive:

• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I)
• Well-Being & Balance
• Trust & Transparency
• Health & Safety
• Empowerment & Growth
• Organizational Purpose

A Focus on People Sustainability Can Improve Overall ESG Metrics

New * and commissioned by 麻豆原创 demonstrates that by focusing on the needs of the people in their workforce, supply chain, and communities, organizations can drive positive results for their organization and the environment.

In other words, invest in your people and the results will follow.

Despite criticism of the current state of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, the growing social and economic pressures from investors, employees, and shareholders for organizations to show how they are addressing inequity and climate change while maintaining growth indicates that ESG is here to stay. In fact, a McKinsey report found that expect that ESG programs will contribute more to shareholder value in five years than they do today.

A holistic people sustainability strategy can help organizations improve their ESG metrics across all three pillars of people, profit, and planet. Our research found that more than 86% of respondents believe that investment in people sustainability, as outlined above, can drive positive economic and environmental sustainability outcomes.

Furthermore, people sustainability pioneers, or those with the most mature people sustainability strategies, are 30% more likely than followers, those with the least mature people sustainability approaches, to include people metrics in their ESG reporting. This suggests that the pioneers see the value in demonstrating their commitment to inclusion, engagement, and well-being as an integral driver of their overall ESG success.

The results speak for themselves: our research found that employees of people sustainability pioneers reported higher employee job satisfaction and productivity, are less likely to leave their jobs, and are more enabled to achieve their career goals.

Developing a Holistic People Sustainability Strategy

We鈥檝e established why people sustainability is important, but how can leaders successfully incorporate it into their organization? It requires substantial behavioral change combined with employee engagement and the right technology. According to our research, more than three quarters of respondents at all levels — executives, managers, directors, and frontline employees — believe that behavior change is necessary at all levels of the organization.

Part of this change is approaching people sustainability holistically. The six pillars we鈥檝e identified already exist; however, they exist in silos, operated by different teams and measured with separate goals. Our research demonstrated a notable difference between pioneers and followers in how they approach this challenge: 80% of pioneers believe that addressing people sustainability with a single, unified strategy is more valuable compared to only 61% of followers.

One manufacturing employee surveyed as part of our qualitative interviews put it best: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not even a question anymore. You can鈥檛 do social sustainability in isolation. You can be the best company in the world, but if your supply chain is not on board, then it doesn鈥檛 mean anything.鈥�

While this won鈥檛 happen overnight, a unified approach will produce the rewards organizations need to build the resilient, results-driven, and people-first culture needed to meet business demands. A unified approach to people sustainability will have a positive impact on critical business KPIs, according to the research, including financial performance (71% of respondents agree), employee job satisfaction (78%), employee engagement (76%), and brand reputation (75%).

People Sustainability Helps to Change Work for Good

A sustainable workforce drives a sustainable business. At SuccessConnect, we introduced new capabilities within the 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors Human Experience Management Suite that can transform how organizations can manage their talent. Collectively, these innovations use data and artificial intelligence (AI) to understand every individual鈥檚 whole self — their skills, interests, aspirations and much more, even as they change over time — and then use that to match them with opportunities over the course of their career.

When we think of the challenges organizations face today — the skills gap, hiring challenges, and a rapid pace of change — the ability for people to move and grow within an organization is how we will successfully build diverse teams, drive growth and learning, foster belonging, and increase organizational agility.

This is why a unified people sustainability strategy is paramount to the future of work. You cannot make progress on DE&I without trust and transparency. Empowerment and growth are limited without clarity on organizational purpose. Bringing it all together is what creates a resilient, results-driven, and people-first organization — one that鈥檚 not only equipped to meet the business needs of today, but one that can learn, grow, and adapt to meet the business needs of tomorrow.

Read the 鈥溾�� IDC Document # US49724322 and join the on October 27, 2022.

Aaron Green is chief marketing and solutions officer for 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors.

*From May through August of 2022, IDC conducted qualitative and quantitative studies of employees and business leaders across multiple countries and industries; two focus groups in the U.S., 16 in-depth interviews with executives across three regions, and a survey of more than 3,500 employees and business leaders in 11 countries across NA, EMEA, APAC, and Latin America.

Over 200 years later, we still face issues with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). In fact, many of the most critical challenges we face today are actually evolutions of the same challenges we faced over the last few years. Human resources (HR) leaders must understand how these challenges are creating the next normal, but also assess and determine how technology can accelerate HR transformation.

The Hybrid Era

2022 is the year to construct policies, practices, and norms around the permanent hybrid workplace moving forward. HR leaders must expand their conversations around hybrid work to consider reconfiguring job roles, modifying schedules and locations, and determining when an external workforce is the best route to take for staffing.

麻豆原创 provides the components needed for a successful total workforce management strategy. With 麻豆原创 solutions, organizations can source, engage, and actively manage external workers. In addition, can surface key tasks and insights, providing an intuitive experience that is personalized for each role and individual.

Learning and Internal Mobility

Organizations continue to struggle to get employees to own their development. It is critical for HR leaders to widely communicate what skills and roles are important priorities for the business, provide content and experiences to address these areas, and reward and recognize employee learning and development.

can offer everyone 鈥� whether they are in an office, at home, or deskless 鈥� visibility into development opportunities that are meaningful and relevant to the individual and important to the business. The can help you identify gaps and future needs and then align the right workforce learning and development to address those gaps.

Intelligent Technologies

Concerns are growing with the rise of newer, more intelligent employee monitoring technologies for hybrid and remote work, but intelligent technologies for data-driven decision-making are still considered fundamental. HR leaders will need to effectively communicate to help employees understand these tools: their purpose, their value, and how and where personal data is used.

With intelligent technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning embedded across 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors solutions, you can offer prescriptive guidance on a wide range of strategic areas. For example, personalized learning recommendations use machine learning algorithms based on employee profile information, learning activity, history, and more. 聽By connecting this unique learning experience to personal development and growth, you can help everyone understand the benefit of using these intelligent technologies.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

DEI continues to remain important in 2022, but with the rise of hybrid and remote work organizations must monitor how flexible work models impact DEI efforts. Involving DEI leadership in the creation and evaluation of hybrid work policies will be critical to ensure such opportunities are equitable.

With calibration decisions, you can analyze historical data and surface important information to managers that may have been overlooked in hybrid and remote settings. This guidance helps managers make informed talent decisions and ensure equitable treatment. Also, the writing assistant in can guide performance feedback that is equitable and actionable, regardless of employee demographic characteristics.

Employee Experience

Organizations are improving employee experiences by balancing policies that benefit the entire workforce with practices that meet each employee鈥檚 unique needs. Personalizing the employee experience can include linking learning and development with personal career goals, matching employees with internal jobs or gigs based on their interests or areas of expertise, and assessing the working style compatibility of team members.

Employee experience management solutions help organizations continuously listen to employees and take insight-based action to improve employee experiences and engagement. Organizations can capture employee sentiment directly within the flow of work by triggering embedded feedback opportunities in moments that matter.

Well-Being

Supporting holistic well-being will be foundational to people sustainability efforts. New policies and practices that emphasize employee well-being 鈥� such as four-day work weeks, comprehensive benefits, competitive wages, and development support 鈥� will become more widespread and serve as a tool for engagement, attraction, and retention.

can provide the first touch point with a potential employee. Articulating how your organization prioritizes well-being on your career site is key to attracting and retaining key talent.

The Race for Talent

The workforce is demanding more of their current organization and, if they don鈥檛 receive it, is increasingly proving they will find it elsewhere. Organizations must develop strategies to reengage their employees who are unhappy and disengaged with individualized development plans and internal mobility opportunities.

With unified talent solutions, you can enable everyone to share more about who they are 鈥� their strengths, aspirations, and preferences 鈥� so you can match people with meaningful work and build stronger, more dynamic teams. With this whole self approach and intelligent recommendations for employee development and growth, you can align people with purpose and drive the adaptability needed for better business outcomes.

Leadership

People management now requires leading hybrid and remote teams, which comprises setting expectations for flexible work, assessing performance virtually, and creating and maintaining a positive culture in a dispersed team, to name a few. Regardless of team member location, management is becoming more 鈥渉uman-centered鈥� and emotionally supportive. These new skills will require organizations to rethink how they select, promote, and retain people managers.

With , you can automate repeatable tasks to give managers more time for employee development, coaching and giving feedback to team members, and interacting with the team. You can identify new required competencies for performance assessments and selection of new managers.

For the complete insights and recommendations, read the . .

Susie Thomas, PHR is global director of Solution Marketing at 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors.
Lauren Park is a research scientist for Growth and Insights at 麻豆原创 SuccessFactors.

With over three decades of experience in the industry, Palmaka has always been passionate about the power of technology to transform businesses for success and positively influence the region鈥檚 economy.

Q: You started working at a very early age. What was your first job?

A: When I was 16, I applied for a trainee position with Philips Electronics. I was still in high school in S茫o Paulo. I didn鈥檛 have any expectations because Philips was a big company — why would they hire me? I just entered my name and went through some interviews. But I really wanted the job, because my family needed the income. When I was selected, that was a big thing. When I was 17, I was hired as an employee. Like many young people in this region, I had to juggle my day job and going to school at night. My mother was worried that I was commuting by bus alone across the city at night.

How did this shape your work ethic and your sense of responsibility?

As a child, I lived a modest life. My parents and my grandmother came to Brazil from Poland, where their values had been shaped by the restrictions of the Second World War. At home, nothing was wasted, everything was reused. Milk came in recycled bottles, and we made our own yogurt. Our clothes were hand-me-downs from family. Books and backpacks were used with care so that others could reuse them later. We never left the water running or the lights on. There was a conscious use of resources; we had a huge sense of respect for things like energy, food, and water.

The concept of circularity has been ingrained since childhood. How does innovation and technology help drive sustainability?

Whenever I hear the word innovation, I think it means doing something that has not been done before, or applying known methods to get different results.聽 It鈥檚 about those “aha” moments in life.聽 I鈥檝e been very inspired by a young woman, Anna Luisa Beserra, a Brazilian environmental entrepreneur who is the founder and CEO of a startup called Sustainable Development and Water for All (SDW). When she was 15 years old, she developed a filtering system to disinfect rainwater collected in cisterns. It鈥檚 called Aqualuz, it鈥檚 a portable water purification system that uses solar energy to make water contaminated with bacteria safe to drink. Today she has her own business that brings safe water and sanitation to some of the most arid regions of Brazil.

You are now a member of the Board of Directors of her company. And under your leadership as regional president, all the managing directors of 麻豆原创 Latin America and Caribbean are women. Was that one of your goals?

No, not all. It was a natural evolution that began during the succession planning phase for my replacement when I moved into my current position. We always start with a list of criteria we are looking for to fill a certain position. Who has the right skills, knowledge, and ability? Then it鈥檚 a process of elimination, weighing pros and cons, weighing the different skills, different backgrounds. I consider different perspectives, sometimes the difference between men and women, but I did not set out to hire women for these positions. I was looking for people who could bring something new to the table, people who are able to lead by example. Gender is just one aspect of a balanced organization.

Talk about sustainability is everywhere. Companies are trying to figure out how to address their environmental, societal, and governance (ESG) factors. How are you and your team guiding customers in that direction?

We need to learn how to articulate what’s behind those three letters: ESG. There are many things that we can each do personally. In my case, as I lead in the company, I have to educate those around me and guide those conversations with our customers. CEOs and C-level executives are telling us sustainability must be embedded into everything we do. A year and a half ago, we hired a sustainability officer that reports directly to me. We are actively looking at how customers are dealing with the ESG factors to find examples we can learn from and replicate. The oil and gas industry comes to mind, where there is immense pressure to transition to renewable energy for environmental reasons. Agribusiness is big in Latin America and also has environmental issues. Of course, this topic really accelerated during the pandemic, and in our region there is a special need around the societal factors. We鈥檙e dealing with a huge gap between the rich and the poor. We have skills shortages, workforce issues, salary in terms of equity, and so on.

What about governance?

This is a key factor. In the past when people talked about sustainability, it was about planting trees. Today, thanks to increased focus on ESG factors, you need a holistic strategy. Both global and local companies have to consider governance because they are doing business in different parts of the world and are impacted by all the regulations. Some companies are improving in the ESG area because they have to comply, others are doing it because it鈥檚 the right thing to do, and it鈥檚 embedded in their core vision and purpose. It doesn鈥檛 matter. Companies are responding to the push to do better for whatever reason. We鈥檙e seeing a lot of innovation in startups, which has a lot to do with the mindset of the new generation.

Let鈥檚 not forget, this is not about one single company. Every company, large and small, plays a role. Sustainability is becoming part of the business DNA.

Read more stories from the 麻豆原创 Pioneers series.