PERSONAL SPOTLIGHT
HUMAN RESOURCES CULTURE— Continued from page 18
CALLING ALL
PEOPLE TO WATCH NOMINATIONS Is there someone in the media financial community who is doing outstanding work – raising the bar for themselves or their company in remarkable ways? TFM would like to consider writing stories about them in our annual People to Watch special report. The deadline for nominations is July 23. We welcome all suggestions. Those who are nominated don’t need to be members of MFM or BCCA. There are just two main requirements. They must: Be part of the media financial community;
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Have a goal or responsibility that is likely to lead to improvements, either at the company where they work or within the media industry in general.
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Download an application at mediafinance.org under TFM (People to Watch). You are welcome to nominate more than one person.
24 The Financial Manager • May/June 2021
remote, WarnerMedia expanded its employee platform called Props. It is a real-time recognition and positive reinforcement program. Users within the company’s F&A team have sent thousands of messages of encouragement and praise for the big and small things accomplished each day. The employees are all granted “points” and can gift them to other employees in exchange for gifts, charitable donations and custom WarnerMedia awards. Mostella was an early champion of this program and says that Props is “a virtual way for employees to feel like they are a part of something bigger and connect across teams and locations to celebrate each other’s accomplishments.” Collaboration is another key way to lower anxiety levels and increase empathy. A manager at a consulting firm in Atlanta shared a suggestion: employees at her company who work together on projects are using technology to create “shared virtual rooms” for an afternoon. That allows each person to continue to advance their part of the project, but they have a space and time for informal and immediate collaboration. Another suggestion is to create a “virtual break room” to meet a buddy, so you don’t feel so alone. INDIVIDUAL NEEDS Employees also need to believe their concerns are being treated individually. Addressing the “what about me” component of employee connection can involve on-boarding new employees in a virtual or hybrid environment and providing development opportunities for established team members. Managers are finding creative ways to connect with new staff members during virtual sessions. Part of that involves making sure the technology is working properly. And it pays to quickly assign a virtual “buddy” as a guide and to introduce newcomers to the rest of the team. In some cases, managers
are asking their new team members to come into a safe office environment for a period of time to complete a thorough training plan. The resounding opinion is that it is important to make a fast and good impression. WarnerMedia’s Johnson says that he believes his team is experiencing a heightened degree of communication and connection with each other. “In fact, we are more bonded in some ways because we are in each other’s living rooms every day.” However, he mentions that interactions with peers on other teams or stakeholders may suffer in a virtual environment. One solution might be to invite managers and leaders from other teams to join yours and share what they are working on and how their responsibilities are impacting the company. Development doesn’t always have to be about new technical skills. The pandemic certainly created a seismic shift in approach to culture and workforce strategies. Yet, in some ways the approach remains the same: a focus on employees and their needs balanced with the company vision. Yet each company takes its own unique approach. The process can be as big as addressing your strategies in the midst of a pandemic while also rebranding your company, as Trilith Studios did in 2020. “[That] really involved all of our employees shaping and championing our new vision. And in an unexpected way, having this happen during a pandemic really forced us to hone-in on what our company and our industry adds to the world,” says Triluth’s Hernandez. At Triluth, flexibility remains a key priority, “9-5 is no longer a real-world standard. Meetings are determined by availability, and dogs and children are welcome!” Hernadez adds. Cindy Pekrul is a former senior vice president and deputy controller at WarnerMedia. She can be reached at cindy.pekrul@comcast.net.
