Helping Organizations and Employees Thrive in Uncertain Times
Our New Jersey team returned to BIONJ’s Annual HR Conference
Panelists Soni Basi, Ph.D., Meredith Marlin, Wendy McDermott, and Tracy Tyler, MBA.
Photo Credit: BioNJ
On June 5, Senior Recruiters Laura Gruber and Suzanne Solleder from Benson Executive Search returned to BioNJ’s Annual HR Conference at Kean University. Under the theme of “Adapt & Advance Amidst Ambiguity…Again,” the conference focused on helping HR leaders embrace challenges in today’s ever-changing world. Featured panelists and keynote speakers spoke on topics such as retaining and engaging high-potential leaders, sustaining culture, and recent developments in employment law. We sat down with Laura and Suzanne to hear more about what they absorbed throughout the day.
One idea that stood out to Gruber and Solleder was the acronym “VUCA,” –volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. They saw this idea reflected in culture labs, a common HR concept in tech and science industries. Culture labs are designed to provide shared values, beliefs, and behaviors to shape and sustain organizational culture, even during global and local disruptions. “The panelists advised HR leaders to acknowledge that every employee is valuable, and emphasize collective victories as an organization,” noted Solleder. “A sustainable corporate culture is based on values such as transparency and collaboration, and helps companies reach goals faster.”
Another benefit of sustaining culture is that it helps employees at all levels feel connection, which develops a desire to grow within the organization. Despite talks about the end of the “Great Resignation,” there is still debate about the best ways to recruit, retain, and engage top-tier talent during such uncertain times. The conference started with a panel about “managing flight risk,” which deeply resonated with Gruber. “Despite the conference’s focus on life sciences, the panel explained retention tactics that any HR leader can use,” Gruber explained. “All HR leaders need to be proactive about continual check-ins, allowing flexibility and mobility, and providing exposure to other functions with top talent, and I deeply appreciated the reminder.”
Speaker Lynne Anderson, J.D.
Photo Credit: BioNJ
The last panel discussed recent policies against DEI initiatives and updates on pay equity. Recently, New Jersey passed a law that will require employers to “disclose certain compensation and benefits information in job listings and for promotional opportunities” (Fisher Phillips). This follows a national trend towards increased pay transparency which HR leaders must pay attention to and learn from as they navigate recruitment, hiring, and other practices. “I left with deep insights, questions, and thoughts about the future of employment law in New Jersey and beyond,” said Solleder. “As an executive search firm, we’re sensitive to the needs of all our clients, and I feel more equipped to help our clients navigate DEI and pay transparency policies during a search.”
Like last year, our team left the conference with invaluable insights from panelists and fellow attendees. We want to thank the BioNJ team for hosting us, and we can’t wait to share what we learned with our clients.