WorkFWD: The Future of Work
‘The Future of Work’ is the topic of conversation for the #WorkFWD21 event, with a special lens on post-pandemic life, remote opportunities, and how to actionably apply DEI in a highly virtual landscape.
In this event, we had a Fireside Chat with Nicole Vasquez, Co-Founder & Chief People Officer of Deskpass; and a panel discussion led by Joy Pittman, CEO of HR For The Culture; and Joy Poli, CEO of Strategic Talent Resources.
Prior to the event start, we also had a Happy Hour and networking hour in partnership with Inner Circle!
As part of our partnership with Inner Circle, they are offering all FWD community their first 3 months Inner Circle Silver Membership FREE! Join here.
Fireside Chat with Nicole Vasquez, Chief People Officer of Deskpass:
We open our event with an incredible Fireside Chat featuring Nicole Vasquez, Co-Founder & Chief People Officer of Deskpass. First, Nicole dives into her background in both community building and management, and how those areas have influenced, and ultimately led her to where she is right now as CPO (Chief People Officer) of her co-founded the company. When asked about her title and the meaning behind it, Nicole mentions that the “human component of business”—working with and for others with an emphasis on their needs—is how she defines her professional focus.
After spending over a decade in community building, Nicole shares that her ultimate goal is to bring people together. “I believe that [when] people from a different variety of backgrounds of experiences… come together, a type of magic happens where they share information and people gain new perspectives,” she says.
As such, her goal with Deskpass has always been to revolutionize the idea of ‘work’ and what people define as ‘work’—and especially now, in a post-pandemic world where remote options have become the norm—and team building has shifted away from the traditional.
Nicole and FWD Founder, Michael Donnelly, go back and forth about what’s changed for work, how teams are impacted by the shift to virtual work, and what the future of work really looks like. They cover everything from employers creating clear expectations to the power of virtual mailboxes and how these boxes can help to provide authority and an ownership of business assets in different places/locations. They also discuss the idea of ‘proximity bias,’ and how in-person employees may get unconscious advantages based on their physical proximity to colleagues and/or employers.
Nicole and Michael also discuss the changes to work caused by COVID-19 and what employers and employees can expect when it comes to work best practices, norms, and other business-related shifts.
Notable Quotes:
“I love people. I love honoring the human component in business.” — Nicole Vasquez
“DeskPass is a hybrid work solution for companies with remote or distributed teams. We provide access to on-demand desks, meeting rooms, and private offices through our network of thousands of partner workspaces across the globe. We are revolutionizing the way people and companies think about workspace.” — Nicole Vasquez
“We are empowering people and companies to choose where their best work happens by giving them that freedom to choose.” — Nicole Vasquez
“Remote onboarding is a huge thing. How do you really welcome somebody in to a remote team when they’re just logging in all day and singing off and not seeing people in person… The second huge thing for me is being very clear about your policies for work.” — Nicole Vasquez
“I believe that [when] people from a different variety of backgrounds of experiences… come together, a type of magic happens where they share information and people gain new perspectives,” she says. — Nicole Vasquez
"Work isn’t somewhere you go, it’s something you do. We give our people the freedom to work where they work best, wherever that may be." — Spotify Mission Statement
“Hybrid work has emerged as the term. Hybrid work is a blended work model meaning that employees usually have the option to work from home, from their company office, or a third space—such as a co-working space—or a temporary space, such as a hotel lobby while traveling. The reason that has won out is because companies have recognized that remote work has worked, but working from home isn’t the same for everyone.” — Nicole Vasquez
“Successful remote teams start from the very beginning. Everything from the job description.” — Nicole Vasquez
“By freeing your mind about this concept of the traditional office, you can really think outside the box.” — Nicole Vasquez
Key Takeaways:
The future of work is shifting and remote work is no longer a luxury but a necessity for many individuals and businesses.
Remote work looks different for every person (and is not always a positive).
Teams and employers need to have clear expectations and communication with employees about what remote work looks like.
Companies like Deskpass aim to revolutionize what remote working looks like by offering companies the ability to choose what works like and where it takes place.
Panel: ‘The People-Side of HR’ Featuring Joy Pittman (HR For The Culture) & Joy Poli (Strategic Talent Solutions)
The next part of our event switches to the “JoyFULL” Panel Session featuring Joy Pittman, CEO of HR For The Culture, and Joy Poli, CEO of Strategic Talent Resources and Inner Circle co-founder.
Joy Pittman began the conversation, talking about how she built her brand, HR For The Culture, as a result of discontentment around her corporate finance experience, and her awareness—and thus action—in taking up space as a Black woman and empowering other Black women around her to do the same.
Living at the unique intersection between culture and human resources, Pittman built HR For The Culture, a company dedicated to both building and scaling businesses (the concept of ‘scaling by growing’), as well as empowering women, encouraging team leadership, and fostering, of course, culture.
Joy Poli then shared her background in criminology/criminal law, her career in the Cook County State Attorney’s office, and her role in helping victims of sexual assault and domestic violence understand their rights and court processes. Passionate about ‘clearing the fog’ for those who were struggling to understand processes and/or steps, Poli then transferred these skills to staffing, helping individuals find work and corporate HR with a focus on bringing ‘joy’ to clients and teams.
After becoming a mom, she made the leap from corporate to starting her own company, Strategic Talent Solutions, with a focus on applying the corporate model to small businesses. Reflecting on her journey, she shares an anecdote from her sister that originally inspired her: “Leap and your net will appear.”
Quickly, both Joys jumped into talking about what leadership, remote work, and diversity really mean in the changing business climate. Pittman comments on the differences between seemingly-shared experiences and how, despite the fact that someone’s circumstances may look similar to someone else’s, the truth is that everyone is experiencing what they’re experiencing in a different way.
Poli also chimes in, talking about the pandemic, the ‘Great Resignation’ (that she, among other HR professionals, definitely saw coming), and the inequality despite shared circumstances. “We are experiencing the same storm,” Poli says, “But in different boats.”
Both Joys dive into the DEI component, talking about what it really means to include people in the conversation [Pittman says to actually include them] and how we can make our departments more inclusive [Poli says to recognize that equality and equal access to resources looks different for every person]. They also talk about the interview and internal processes and how interviews are often seen as spaces of exclusion—yet spaces where we want to create environments of inclusion and acceptance (while still finding the perfect fit).
Pittman talks about how rewriting and changing processes should come from someone who is in the actual experience. Poli supports that, talking about inclusivity and how it may look different for each person. They both also touch on the concept of grace-giving, along with salary negotiations and empowering yourself to ask for what you deserve.
Notable Quotes:
“Leap and your net will appear.” — Joy Poli
"Everybody is processing a set of circumstances that is very different than the next person." — Joy Pittman
“One of the issues around navigating this stuff is humanizing people. Everybody is processing a set of circumstances extremely differently from the next person. Even folks that seem to look alike, and represent alike, and share some experiences, are still processing this space that we’re in differently.” — Joy Pittman
“So I think that what we have to do, what’s paramount to this conversation, is leaving room—we talk about diversity and the inclusion part of it—is leaving room for experiences that are not our own. And not having to understand the experience to respect it.” — Joy Pittman
“We are experiencing the same storm but in different boats.” — Joy Poli
“A lot of times, and I find it all over work, is that the people writing the processes or procedures have never done the work. You’ve never sat in the seat that you’re actually writing for. So, I think that becomes a big deal when you’re saying what seems reasonable is through a lens that’s very, very miniscule.” — Joy Pittman
“If you’re going to be inclusive, include people.” — Joy Pittman
“Embrace the hybrid because it’s not going away.” — Joy Poli
“How do we make sure that everyone has equal opportunity? Well, that means something different for everyone.” — Joy Poli
"You have to be prepared [to ask] questions in spaces [with] decision-makers who aren't quite ready to answer them." — Joy Pittman
“Inclusivity doesn’t necessarily mean fair across the board.” — Joy Poli
“You have to be prepared for the outcome of asking certain types of questions in spaces for decision-makers who may not be ready to answer those questions and what that does for your candidacy.” — Joy Pittman
“Inclusivity looks different everywhere. Inclusion is not a cookie-cutter thing, it looks different across organizations.”
“I think that giving grace is something that needs to happen across the board in many ways. And that grace comes from a place of understanding your privilege… The ability to ask questions and turn down a job is a privilege. So, remembering that—and that is not a privilege that’s assigned one race, gender, ethnicity, but it is something that is more commonly assigned in different races, genders, and ethnicities. So, realizing that everybody has a form of privilege when you walk in a room based on what you’ve been able to achieve and accomplish.” ― Michael Donnelly
Key Takeaways:
Everyone’s circumstances are different and every person will see or feel something differently.
Equality looks different for every person.
Inclusivity doesn’t always mean ‘fair’ across the board.
Inclusivity and DEI practices should not be written by someone who has not lived the experience.
You can tell a lot about a company’s practices and values by asking questions and seeing how people respond and/or answer.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions and see how DEI practices are active in the everyday.
Listen with empathy to understand the experiences of others.
Books/Resources Mentioned:
It's About Damn Time: How to Turn Being Underestimated into Your Greatest Advantage
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It
HUGE thanks to everyone who joined us and shout out to Inner Circle for your incredible support! Why we love Inner Circle? Curated networking for business development and resources — Like for real business development as in new client relationships #letsgo
Let’s Get Connected:
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