Do Companies Care? The Role of a Chief People Officer with Tara Fournier, Chief People Officer at Enthusiast Gaming

Tara Fournier, Chief People Officer tackles change management and employee retention, communication, access, and caring. We ask hard the hard questions to understand where HR should fall as it relates to support. Should HR be an advocate for the employee or should they be an advocate for the betterment of the company?

It's a fine line. Here's the story.

Takeaways

1. The role of a Chief People Officer is to oversee HR operations, manage people, culture, and engagement, and help organizations navigate through periods of change.
2. Employee retention is a significant challenge, and companies need to create a caring culture to keep employees happy and productive.
3. In a remote or flexible work environment, it is important to provide platforms for employees to connect and form interest groups outside of work.
4. Caring can be validated by examining the budget, communication strategy, and access to executives and the board that support initiatives.
5. Companies should prioritize open and transparent communication, provide access to leadership, and allocate resources to demonstrate their commitment to caring. Being a hustler is important in the staffing industry, and learning the political game is crucial in corporate recruiting.
6. Joining professional organizations like SHRM can provide valuable networking and learning opportunities.
7. Balancing the needs of the company and the employees is a challenge for HR professionals, but caring for employees is essential.
8. Young professionals should do the hard things first, not be afraid to use their voice, and weigh the facts when making decisions.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Etiquette

06:08 Navigating Organizational Change

16:02 Companies Struggle with Caring

31:41 The Role of PYRA in HR