Banc of California’s HR team is leading an HR revolution by rethinking how to simplify human resources and drive business strategy.
In 2022, the HR team launched more than 20 new programs focused on bringing out the best of our 700 team members. For example, in 2021, the bank’s employee referral program garnered only nine referrals. In 2022, the refreshed Talent Award Program attracted more than 300 employee referrals and almost 50 new hires. By increasing the referral incentive and splitting payment into two installments, at 90 days and one year, we decreased turnover of first-year employees.
Other new initiatives focus on leadership development, mentorship, wellness, tuition reimbursement and summer interns.
The HR team also completed job architecture, introducing new corporate titles to showcase career pathing and how individuals can progress in the organization. In addition, to highlight strong performance, we added a new companywide goal called Principles of Success to every team member’s performance review.
The results are incredible! In 2022, turnover among high-performing employees was below 4 percent, and today, it’s less than 1 percent. Promotions increased 22 percent, diverse hiring increased by 12 percent and internal mobility is up 28 percent this year.
Encourage Self-Care
Veyl prioritizes a healthy work/life balance for its 145 employees. They are encouraged to strengthen their mental well-being through our companywide mental health days and wellness hours.
They also enjoy a wellness reimbursement program, which empowers them to make informed choices about their physical and mental well-being and have the resources they need to prioritize self-care. Most recently, we reimbursed an employee for a walking pad she purchased for her home office to keep herself moving throughout her workday.
The company also encourages employees to volunteer in their communities and give back to programs close to their hearts.
One employee volunteered at The Libre Initiative, where she helped sign up people for English and financial aid classes. Another worker helped at a school that trains barbers and cosmetologists.
—Tiffany Keenan, director of people operations, Veyl Ventures, Duncan, S.C.
Gather Feedback
Our organization didn’t have an in-house HR team before and wanted to do more for its employees. So we created an employee group to improve workplace culture and boost engagement and morale.
The group comprises employees from all departments. The monthly meetings are a place where employees feel their voices are heard.
We also offered team-building events, such as an end-of-year holiday gathering at which we wrapped presents for needy families, ate cookies and drank hot chocolate.
In addition, we added a talk therapy benefit (which is 100 percent employer-paid) to address employee mental health concerns and provide access to a benefit that our employees wanted.
We also got nitro cold brew coffee on tap for the office because employees asked for it.
We’ve made significant progress. Our employee engagement score was 94 percent this year, compared to 85 percent in 2021.
—Ann Wang, SHRM-SCP, director of human resources, Solar Energy Industries Association, Washington, D.C., and president, DC SHRM
Stronger Together
We started a PEACE team to help employees connect with their purpose. PEACE stands for People, Environment, Activities, Charities and Engagement.
Employees work together to raise money to support the community in ways that interest them.
We gave financial support to charities such as Happy Feet, which provides new shoes to children in need, and the local food bank.
Our fundraising activities have included a raffle of themed baskets, a Pampered Chef party and the ever-popular hot lunches. Team members bring in food, and employees give a suggested donation to eat. We have a lot of great cooks here, and we’re in a rural area, so employees enjoy getting something different for lunch.
We also organized people to help with cleanup after a tornado hit western Kentucky in December 2021, and we handed out food at the food bank.
Employees working together to connect to a greater purpose has helped to improve our employee engagement and morale.
—Charity Franklin, HR business partner, Dyno Nobel Inc., Graham, Ky.
Create a Culture of Caring
Our organization is a nonprofit provider of services to the homeless in Los Angeles County. Our team members put themselves on the front line every day.
So, in April, we provide employees with two self-care days, which we call Spring Wellness Days. These days are for employees to use however they choose. We want our employees to detach from work and take care of themselves as spring begins.
We also have “Let’s Talk” days, when we bring in onsite counseling through our employee assistance provider. The counselor listens and talks with employees in a confidential setting. This reflects the agency’s commitment to self-care.
Finally, we’re starting a wellness program with monthly activities to increase employee connection and engagement, including nutrition classes and fitness challenges. We know that our employees have the heart to help, and we focus on wellness to keep their hearts full. Wellness and employee morale are interconnected, and a culture of care is important for all organizations to practice.
—John Horn, SHRM-SCP, vice president of human resources, LA Family Housing, North Hollywood, Calif.
Relax and Recoup
In the last year, we have offered a series of cultural and health awareness events designed to focus on the health and well-being of our team members.
In honor of Stress Awareness Month in April, we partnered with a local mental health practitioner to host mindfulness training. The pair of one-hour seminars taught techniques to reduce stress, including guided meditation, sound therapy with crystal singing bowls to promote relaxation, and light yoga movement.
This was a great opportunity for participants to learn more about different ways to cope with stress. Despite our limited floor space for yoga mats, we were pleased to receive positive feedback from our team on this program.
—Stacey Barnier, SHRM-SCP, director of HR and risk management, San Bernardino County Employees’ Retirement Association, San Bernardino, Calif., and president, Inland Empire SHRM
Give Thanks
Since we are part of the health care field, the past three years have taken a toll on our employee morale. We formed a well-being committee dedicated to providing ideas for fun and engaging activities for our 2,200 employees in more than 90 offices. We allow employees to choose the activities that appeal to their teams. We encourage staff at each office to participate together to build teamwork.
Some ideas include making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cookies for local shelters, decorating and writing holiday cards for seniors in nursing homes, joining book clubs and podcast clubs, participating in walking challenges, and making blankets for children in foster care.
At Thanksgiving, we participated in a “Thankful Turkey” event. Each office received a paper turkey cutout to post on a wall, and employees wrote what they were thankful for on “feathers” that they added to their turkey.
Some of our locations offered paper turkeys in their waiting rooms so patients could participate as well.
—Rebecca Mohiuddin, SHRM-SCP, CHRO, Central Ohio Primary Care, Columbus, Ohio
Time to Innovate
We are a fully remote team, and every other year, we make it a point to meet in person.
Last year, Playvox flew all 200 employees to Colombia, where the company was founded, for our kickoff meeting. We had a week filled with great business sessions and a lot of fun, which enhanced our team’s collaboration.
Also, our engineers each year put together a two- or three-day hackathon, during which they collaborate to find solutions to business issues or simply innovate and bring new ideas to life.
All employees can watch the hackathon, while senior leaders vote on the best ideas.
In addition, we have a Slack channel that allows each team member to provide recognition to others in the form of a “high-five.” The great thing about this public recognition channel, which is integrated with our performance-management platform, is that employees read the congratulatory messages and interact with their colleagues to celebrate small and large achievements alike.
We also have a fitness channel in Slack where we pose monthly healthy-living challenges. Employees post pictures and videos of their fitness routines and share healthy eating habits. Each month, we select up to three winners.
These are only a few of the things we do consistently to engage our team; it’s necessary in a remote work environment. We foster a culture of transparency and open dialogue and embrace having fun, so our team tends to respond in the same manner, which strengthens trust and collaboration among our team.
—Ismaily Piedra, senior vice president of people and culture, Playvox, Sunnyvale, Calif.
Compiled by Dori Meinert. Illustrations by Gravina/iStock.