Employee and Customer Experience – HR Technology – Data and Analytics
So many buzz words, so little time. I recently attended three conferences this Fall: HRTech in Las Vegas, NV (October 1-4, 2019), Boise Startup Week in Boise, ID (October 8 – 12, 2019), and Chicago Startup Week in Chicago, IL (November 4-8, 2019). Three contrasting locations with a common theme: People Matter. No matter how great your ideas and technology, this golden nugget should guide your overall strategic and cultural development.
HR Tech
HRTech – 10,000+ attendees, 450+ exhibitors, 100+ sessions, and thousands of product solutions intent on addressing the needs of people, at companies large and small. 37 categories of solutions for the health, wealth, and engagement of people.
How do we improve the employee experience to capitalize on our most valuable resources – people? From the moment a candidate meets our company for the first time, either online or in-person, to the day they walk out the door, the way we treat them will be etched in their brain as the Company Brand.
In the Marketing world, your Brand is your Identity. It’s no wonder HR Departments are taking on a new role in the company with more of a PR twist. The revolution of technology is creating a fiercely competitive landscape of cost efficiencies combined with the desire to attract and retain the best and brightest. A happy workforce produces creative teamwork and new ideas. An unhappy workforce creates a revolving door of talent, and a myriad of unpleasant tasks and costs to accompany it.
Companies are turning to technology to improve the employee experience, and to create a culture where the battle for talent will be won. HR must develop a resume of its own with all the key words and stories to sell their solution, while maintaining a culture where people want to “co-brand” and identify with the company values. A multitude of buzz words (Artificial Intelligence, Data & Analytics, Rewards & Recognition) boils down to this: companies can optimize the talent pool and environment through data – and they should.
Panning For Gold in Boise, ID – Boise Startup Week
In the Gold Rush of the 1860’s, the Boise Basin County was “not known for its large gold nuggets, but only small fine picker-sized gold.” Today’s picker-sized gold is in the form of small business, and the entrepreneurial spirit of the gold rush was highlighted during Boise Startup Week.
In its 4th year, Boise Startup Week amassed 2600+ attendees, 120 sessions, and over $50,000 in awards to early stage companies. A week-long startup adventure of food and apparel to services and technology. Despite the plethora of solutions, one message prevailed: “It’s all about people, and partnering with the right individuals.” People matter more than anything else – ideas are a dime a dozen.
Innovators stressed the importance of defining and integrating cultural values into the core of the company. This was not a retreat, and yet the messaging was refreshing with talk of being vulnerable and open as a company, while obsessing about the problem and not the solution with your own customers. Ultimately, the “Customer Experience” as an extension of the “Employee Experience”.
Believe in who you are, what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, where you need to be, and when the time is right. No matter how many degrees or diplomas you may have, or what school you attended – to succeed as a startup, you must have GRIT. It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s not easy. But if your intent is authentic and you listen – really listen – to your employees and customers panning for gold in the startup world can produce the success you’re dreaming of.
Heavy Lifting in Chicago – Chicago Startup Week
The windy city opened its 1st Chicago Startup Week in the 1871 Auditorium, Chicago’s Center for Technology and Entrepreneurship. With 1600 attendees over the course of the 5 days, and 34 sessions, topics ranged from optimizing your performance, to tackling diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Secrets were shared of growth, sales, and team success, to raw stories of why some startups fail with lessons learned from founders and investors.
In order to withstand the rigors of the startup world, an emphasis was placed on mindfulness and wellness. Meditation, strength training, and healthy eating were offered as the mental and physical fuel required to combat the noise and focus on priorities. Integrity, a unique point of view, and engagement were offered as tools to build awareness for your brand while staying customer focused. Your idea can’t just be a good, it must be visceral to you, be invested in it.
As a person who moved to the Chicago area to work at Motorola, it was quite fitting to spend the last two days of Chicago Startup Week at mHUB. Walking into the manufacturing environment brought back the energy of the Customer-centric team of people I had once worked with, during the cellular heyday. “mHUB exists to ensure that the Midwestern manufacturing industry continues to accelerate, grow, and thrive.”
“Chicago and Midwestern manufacturing have always been the heart of the nation's economy. It is an industry where smart, hard-working people come together to use machines, tools and human labor to transform raw materials into brilliant and useful new products. It also is an industry of people who know what it means to have the grit, discipline and work ethic to roll up their sleeves and do the heavy lifting.”
While all three events I attended were alive with technical innovation, a golden thread ran through each one to highlight the importance of your team, and your customers: obsess about both. Stay focused on your purpose and values, while honoring the relationships built along the way.