FREDERICKSON PARTNERS NEWSLETTER
June

In this issue:

LETTER FROM VALERIE   |   JUNE ARTICLE   |   CURRENT SEARCHES   |   CLOSED SEARCHES BEST OF THE REST HR SEARCHES   |   FEATURED CLOSED PEOPLE/HR SEARCH   |   OPEN TO CONSULTING?MEDIA COVERAGE   |   EVENTS   |   THE COVID CORNER   |   ABOUT FREDERICKSON PARTNERS

LETTER FROM VALERIE

Dear Friends,

Thank you, everyone who read my letter last week about Black Lives Matter, supported my firm’s remarks and wrote us heartfelt notes. In addition to suggested actions and organizations to donate to, my interest now is in how business leaders can take their knowledge and experience with cultural transformation directly to police departments to help set new standards. For example, they may transform systemically by serving on the board of local police departments to help mandate changes in how cops are trained, assigned goals and rewarded. My concern is that police departments need to undergo significant cultural transformation. We all know how hard that is. On the plus side, it has been surprising and uplifting to see how many CEOs have made public statements pledging to do better on diversity. It’s now up to all of us to help them achieve it.

In HR hiring now, while the coronavirus has caused major global disruption, opportunity is continuing and even booming for many industry sectors. Tech is very strong (as CNBC reported in May ). And this TechCrunch article looks at longer term possibility in areas like SaaS and HealthTech. HBR points out that this is a prime time for CEOs to fill talent gaps (The Economist says four-fifths of CEOs worry about skill shortages). Forbes provides inspiring examples of HR and Talent organizations partnering in new Collaboration and Altruism projects to get people hired.

This month I also want to talk about something on many of your minds as you ponder new opportunities: should you make a move to a bigger company or a startup? My team and I discussed this at length, See “One Size Doesn’t Fit All” for considerations on which may be right for you in, your next steps as an HR leader.

Take care,
Valerie
650.614.0220
valerie@fredricksonpartners.com

JUNE ARTICLE

ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL:
Six Considerations for HR Job Seekers Choosing Between Enterprise and Startups

As you consider your next HR leadership role, what size of company will be the most rewarding? The key is understanding where you want to go next in your HR career and what you are missing to make yourself the most desirable.

In choosing Enterprise or Startup, ask yourself:

• Do you want to deepen a specific HR domain expertise? Large employers allow you to specialize in one area, such as transformation, technology utilization, leadership development or board communications. At a smaller company you will jump between all HR responsibilities, and will make do or outsource specialist projects, such as executive compensation or developing a performance management system.
• Are there possible ‘down’ sides? Large employers may be slow and require many levels of approval, often globally, to make any significant changes. Small companies, including startups, may have limited resources and will make tough decisions about where to focus. You might sometimes disagree with the priorities.
• Where are your gaps? For example, if you are perceived as not hands-on enough or fast-moving, you may want to prove yourself at a startup. If you’ve worked at multiple startups, you may need to spend a few years as a sophisticated expert in an area like HR Business Partnering to show that you have the intellectual fortitude and gravitas to support big company executive initiatives.

Three suggestions for Evaluating Opportunities at Enterprise Organizations:

1. Take advantage of what’s available. Large companies provide a myriad of resources you can call on, such as internal executive coaches, organizational development specialists, and large communications departments, often with opportunities to move laterally within HR or to support other types of business leaders. You also have a global group of HR peers to talk to and collaborate with, without the isolation of being the top dog and perhaps only one at the company who has an HR perspective.
2. Look for programs that help you move and develop within the organization. Special programs may exist to help you transition to different HR roles, take advanced course work or gain more executive exposure.
3. Don’t assume it will be easier than a smaller company. Large enterprise organizations have more developed strategic plans and are in a position to be clear about their expectations. When a sitting CHRO moves to a larger organization as senior HRBP, yes: he or she may avoid the pressure that comes from adhering to SOX and the board. But this may be replaced with pressure to dive deep, roll up his or her sleeves, and deliver on many different fronts simultaneously.

Three suggestions for Considering Roles at Smaller Companies Including Startups:

1. Perform a deep dive on the leadership. Figure out not just the business plan and how it should translate into an HR road map and what the chemistry is like with the executive team, but what level of HR support each member of the executive team is used to, how they interact with HR, and what the budget will be. If C-level leaders haven’t worked at a best practices-led larger company, they may not have experience with strategic HR executives or even understand People/HR roles. The less they know, the more they may devalue HR and think that they know best.
2. If time allows, consider adding specific HR training before you start. The coursework found in the SPHR certification can help you to get up to date knowledge you may need as you cover more HR areas (potentially less useful in a big company).
3. Take advantage of the greater flexibility A small company gives you the ultimate responsibility and flexibility to do things on your own, make decisions quickly and act on them. Said another way, you can chose which of the firehoses to drink from first, since on Day 1 you will be faced with a myriad of emergent situations ranging from executive compensation negotiations, layoffs, whether to bring in Workday, key executives wanting to quit, large areas of non-compliance and much more. It’ll be fun and exciting and a lot of work, much of it not strategic at first.

Keep in mind that Covid-19 is dramatically changing work trends. In the article 9 Future-of-Work Trends Post-Covid-19, Gartner shows how HR leaders can and need to re-think employment planning, management, performance and other HR strategies. Good food for thought and an important way for HR to lead, whether you’re in a big or small company.

Lastly, remember that life and work are supposed to be fun. If there’s anything that we’ve learned over the last few months, it’s that it sucks being in an un-fun job during a highly stressful time. It brings out everyone’s true colors, for better or worse. If your current position isn’t satisfying, you may find that you really need to make a change to be back in alignment with your goals and personal values.

SAMPLE CURRENT HUMAN RESOURCE EXECUTIVE SEARCHES

SAMPLE RECENTLY COMPLETED HR AND PEOPLE SEARCHES

SAMPLE BEST OF THE REST HR SEARCHES

FEATURED COMPLETED PEOPLE/HR SEARCH

Abode Communities is a nonprofit organization for community development (https://abodecommunities.org/) Founded in 1968, its broad mission is to create service-enhanced affordable housing and facilities that transform underserved communities.

We are thrilled to announce the completion of the VP of Talent and Culture search for Abode, where we had to pleasure of placing William Nelson. Bill has had a full and super successful global career in HR and spent the past nine years as Executive VP and Director of HR at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, one of the world’s leading shopping center companies. He also spent a decade in HR leadership roles at Eastman Kodak, and grew his career at Amgen, UCLA, and at University of Baltimore/Maryland where he was AVP of HR. Bill has B.A. and M.S. degrees in Industrial and Labor Relations from Loyola University of Chicago, and an M.B.A. from Rochester Institute of Technology. Bill loves Adobe Communities’ mission and his ability to give back to the community now by helping provide affordable housing in low income communities.

MEDIA COVERAGE – WIRED MAGAZINE

Wired: Remote Work Has Its Perks, Until You Want a Promotion
May 28, 2020

In recent coverage, Wired magazine published a timely article on how Covid-19 is encouraging corporate culture to move to a “Work From Anywhere” model, with Facebook and Twitter leaders saying many of their employees will work remotely in the future.

Journalist Tom Simonite talked with CEO Valerie Frederickson for insights into remote work in Silicon Valley. Read more here.

Open to Consulting?

Are you a high-level, experienced human resources executive who is looking to make a transition into consulting and contract work? We’re in the process of expanding our consulting bench for all functions of HR, with a focus on Head of People professionals. Contact us here, if you’re interested in learning more.

Events

CHRO and CPO Zoom Cocktail Hours with Valerie and Friends

At the request of important clients, we’re continuing Zoom Happy Hours with Valerie. Limited to six sitting CHROs and CPOs, we’ll get together on a Thursday or Friday about 5:00 pm PDT, cocktail glasses in hand, to share what’s going well and brainstorm challenges. Blow off steam, make some new friends, and learn a new cocktail recipe.

If you’d like to join us for the next Hour June 17, or in early July (date to be confirmed), please email events@fredericksonpartners.com

The COVID Corner

It’s Day 95 of quarantine in the Frederickson household with Mom trying to work from home in the living room while the sweet 10-year olds “distance learn” (i.e., interrupt Mom all day long). If anyone ever disbelieves that interruptions affect the quality of one’s work, I am proof. At times I need to work until midnight or 2:00 am just to catch up.

To escape the noise, I’ve started working from the garden most days and love hearing the birds in the trees and the water bubbling in the fountain. The wifi’s great and it’s quiet most of the time unless I get buzzed by a hummingbird. Quarantine is a lot better when you’re in fresh air. Thankfully “Fake School” as I call it ended Friday and my kids will be doing a private sports summer camp with two other families at a shaded park.

  Here’s my quarantine meme of the
  month.

Menlo Park started allowing restaurants to open last Saturday so we got to go out for dinner for the first time in over three months. I was so excited to wear something other than PJs and slippers that I overdressed and even curled my hair. It was lovely eating a meal I didn’t have to serve or clean up and gratifying to support a local restaurant. I got carried away with the freedom and drank two Manhattans.

Like everyone else, I am worried about what’s next with the virus and am concerned that on both sides politicians have ceased discussing it regularly. Many of us are partly thinking, “We did this! We survived 60 or 90 days. It’s over!” when in truth the coronavirus is still a very real threat. A friend said it well in commenting recently that she’s feeling both isolated and inundated by the news.

So in parting, I wish you ways to find daily calm (and if needed, taking breaks from the media), in your garden or in a similar quiet place.