Katherine Plumhoff
Writer and editor who crafts stories about travel, food, feminism, and communication. Formerly at a hedge fund in NYC, currently a content-creator-at-large roaming around Latin America. Big fan of carrot cake and honesty.
Find her at kathmeetsworld.com or on Instagram @kplumhoff.
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September 21, 2020
T Rowe Price Group Inc
Preparing for the Unexpected: How Maria Fava Found Her Confidence as a Bicultural, Bilingual Woman at T. Rowe Price
Born in Mexico City and raised in Guadalajara, Maria Fava never would have predicted that she'd have a career in financial services. And certainly not in Maryland.
Over two decades ago, when Maria moved to the U.S. to study psychology at the University of Texas at Arlington, she'd planned on moving back to Mexico to study law after graduation. Instead, she fell in love with an unassuming Italian-American her senior year. She married him and moved to Maryland, his home state.
<p>Now, some twenty-five years later, she's still in Maryland, and working at investment firm <a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/t-rowe-price-group-inc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">T. Rowe Price</a>—the same company where she started her career. But she hasn't been at T. Rowe Price all those years. Having joined the firm as a broker, she left to start a family and help her husband run his business. Fifteen years later, she knew she wanted to return to the company that had helped her launch her career, so she rejoined the firm in a totally new capacity a year and a half ago. </p>
<p>Now a Corporate Events Lead Manager, the unpredictability of her own life has taught her a lesson close to any event planner's heart: always plan for the unexpected.</p>
<p>We sat down with Maria over Zoom to talk about her decision to join (and rejoin) T. Rowe Price, the challenges and opportunities she's had from being bilingual and bicultural, and her advice for other women looking to become more confident in their careers. </p>
<h2>Adapting to new environments and learning to see insecurities as assets</h2><p>Maria's commitment to helping those around her uncover their strengths stems largely from her own early-career experiences of learning how to fit in. Having moved from Guadalajara to Texas, and later from Texas to Maryland, she knows a thing or two about feeling out of place. </p><p>In her first few years in the States, for instance, she worked on her accent. "I noticed that by learning English in Mexico, I had more of a British accent, and when I got to Texas, that was a little awkward," she laughs. She eventually did such a good job adopting a Texan accent that she worked to change it all over again upon moving to Maryland. But that came with its own challenges, especially early in her career. </p>
<p>"Sometimes I would use a word that was incorrect and I had this anxiety of sounding dumb. I thought it might've been better if I <em>did</em> have an accent so that [coworkers] could understand that English was not my first language," says Maria.</p><p>She also had to learn to deal with often being not just the only Hispanic woman in the room, but sometimes the only woman, period. And on top of navigating the workplace in her second language and learning a new culture, she had to contend with the voice inside her head that told her she didn't really have the experience she needed to do the job: "I felt that I didn't quite have the qualifications that I needed to be able to compete."</p><p>It was the support she received from T. Rowe Price to build her finance expertise, coupled with her own realization that "being bicultural and bilingual enabled me to do my job better," that helped her move past this and develop confidence in herself and the unique skills she brought to the table. Maria hopes other women reach the same realization, and offered some advice to start building that confidence in yourself:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Don't exclude yourself from anything.</strong> "Don't look at the qualifications that you need and right off the bat think you don't have them. Give yourself a break, apply for the job that speaks to you, and find out if you need to have continuing education or other training later," she says.</li><li><strong>Always have a backup plan. </strong>In the world of event planning, says Maria, one adage is truer than all the rest: nothing is perfect. "What sets you apart from being an okay planner to a really good planner is anticipating all the things that could go wrong and having backup plans for the backup plan."</li><li><strong>Get there early. </strong>Almost <em>too </em>early, says Maria, who's taken this on as a personal goal after getting lost en route to one of her first-ever big client meetings and showing up an hour late. "I never did that again!" she says. "I'm always early now."</li><li><strong>Find opportunities and act on them.</strong> Maria's career has seen her take on finance, accounting, marketing, events, and legal work, all because she's not been afraid to raise her hand and volunteer to work on new opportunities. </li></ul><h2>From broker to small business owner to events manager: coming full circle </h2><p>Maria first joined T. Rowe Price by chance. Having just relocated to Maryland, she needed a job and a friend told her T. Rowe Price was looking for bilingual speakers as they expanded into Latin American markets. She was hesitant at first, "I'd never even taken a finance class. I had no idea how I was going to do it," explains Maria, "but I went to the interview and I got the job." </p>
<p>T. Rowe Price supported her as she got her brokerage license and Maria found that she loved the work. "I'm a lifelong learner. If you give me a book, I'll try to learn from it. It really was exciting to me," she says.</p><p>Her career took off from there. She traveled often, presenting to clients, and took on more and more responsibility. "When I started, I was 22 years old, right out of college, scared to death of everything I was asked to do," she says. "But I got completely out of my comfort zone. It was an incredible experience that allowed me to be basically fearless."</p>
<p>She would've kept going, but she and her husband also wanted to start a family, so Maria went part-time and consulted for T. Rowe Price for a few years, then transitioned to working with her husband to start and manage their wholesale produce business. She learned a different set of skills and handled the accounting there for 15 years, while consulting for clients, including T. Rowe Price, on the side.</p>
<p>Maria's career has seen her take on finance, accounting, marketing, events, and legal work, all because she's not been afraid to raise her hand and ask for opportunities. She first got involved with translation work at T. Rowe Price after she caught an error in some of the firm's Spanish marketing materials and flagged it to their legal department. That turned into regular contract work down the line and opportunities to learn about different parts of the business. "If I voiced an interest in wanting to do something, [my managers] always gave me the tools to get that education and continue to learn," says Maria. "Be sure to speak up and ask for the learning tools, education, or leadership opportunities that you want."</p>
<p>A couple years ago, when Maria's kids were headed off to college, she felt ready for a career change—and she wanted T. Rowe Price to be a part of it. "I knew I didn't want to be a broker again, but I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to pay it forward at T. Rowe Price and do something for other people like it had been done for me," says Maria.</p><p>In her new role as Corporate Events Lead Manager, she's responsible for executing meetings hosted by the company's C-suite and management community, but she's also set a personal goal for herself: to mentor and support the women around her, the way her own T. Rowe Price mentors supported her when she began her career. "I wanted to see if there was anything that I could do to help some of the up-and-coming talent to feel the way that [my first managers] made me feel," she says.</p>
<p>That was part of her rationale for joining Mosaic, T. Rowe Price's employee diversity resource group. She appreciates all that the company is doing to make people feel included and wants to be a part of that. "There's more engagement, more opportunities, even just to collaborate with each other and find each other within the firm," she says.</p><p>She also looks for opportunities to remind those around her that they can achieve anything they want to if they're willing to stretch their comfort zones. Not long ago, she encouraged a co-worker who was struggling to get advancement opportunities to advocate for herself, and she's since been promoted. "Now I ask <em>her</em> to review things for <em>me</em>!" Maria says, smiling.</p>
<h2>Preparing for the unexpected: planning through a pandemic</h2><p>In a career built on her ability to adapt and navigate between different environments, it's a little ironic that Maria's second year back at T. Rowe Price has seen her adapting to a completely different version of event planning. When offices shuttered and events were canceled because of COVID-19, Maria had to figure out how to put on events completely virtually.</p><p>"It was a hundred miles an hour, searching for virtual platforms, learning terms, taking webcasts, just trying to get trained and educated on how best to support my clients," she says. "But I'm all about the experience. I spent a lot of time learning about best practices—lengths of meetings, camera versus no camera, lighting—just how to create the proper environment for the objective not to be missed."</p><p>It's been stressful, says Maria, but not impossible, and the opportunity to completely transform her role has been an interesting one. "I always believe that you sell yourself short if you run away from an opportunity to learn. I would have never learned all these new technologies, but I've learned so much, and I appreciate that," she says. "Being adaptable has been the key to succeeding in this environment."</p><p>And she's been able to see the silver lining, too. "I don't want to say that there's a lot of positive things about COVID," says Maria. "Everybody is going through so many different things in their personal lives and people have all learned to be a little more understanding."</p><p><em>Interested in growing your career (and your confidence) at </em><a href="https://www.troweprice.com/corporate/en/careers.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>T. Rowe Price</em></a><em>? Learn more about the company and open roles </em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/t-rowe-price-group-inc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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September 18, 2020
popular
8 Questions to Ask Yourself to Determine If You’re Burning Out—And What to Do If You Are
I thought about writing this blog piece like one of those quizzes that used to be on the back pages of Seventeen and Cosmo where each question would offer several answers of varying point levels and you'd pick one answer per question, tally up your points at the end, and match your score to one of several possible results.
<p>But then I realized that someone suffering from burnout (or on the cusp of it) probably didn't need more busywork added to their plate.</p><p>That's especially true during a pandemic that's already stretching our mental resources thin. An <a href="https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/flexjobs-mha-mental-health-workplace-pandemic/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">August FlexJobs survey</a> found that 75% of people have experienced burnout at work and 40% have experienced it specifically during the pandemic.</p><p>So instead, I've done away with the addition.<strong> Here are eight simple yes-or-no questions to ask yourself about burnout.</strong> If you respond "yes" to more than one or two of them, proceed from there to the second half of this article, where I've shared tips for healing from burnout and preventing it in the future. If most of your answers are "no," I congratulate you on finding the elusive work-life balance and/or having built a career that works for you and/or finding a supportive company and boss and/or being impervious to the stress that wrecks us lesser beings. In all seriousness, if that's you, please do leave tips for maintaining calm and avoiding burnout in the comments before you close out of this tab and go on with your day.</p><h2>8 questions to ask yourself about whether you're burning out</h2><p>Per<a href="https://icd.who.int/browse11/l-m/en#/http://id.who.int/icd/entity/129180281" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> the World Health Organization</a>, burnout is a work-specific issue defined as a "syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed." It goes farther than having a rough day or week and refers to a general sense of exhaustion, cynicism, and ineffectiveness at work.</p><p>Based on a<a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/burnout/art-20046642" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> guide to burnout from the Mayo Clinic</a>, here's what to ask yourself about whether you're burning out:</p><ol class="ee-ol"><li>Have you been feeling less capable at work?</li><li>Are you feeling more exhausted than usual?</li><li>Would your coworkers or clients say you've been acting more irritable or impatient than normal?</li><li>Do you feel less motivated to do work?</li><li>Have you found it hard to concentrate on your work responsibilities?</li><li>Do you feel less satisfied by your achievements than you have in the past?</li><li>Do you find yourself wanting to call in sick more often?</li><li>Have you experienced physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or stomach issues?</li></ol>
<h2>What to do if you're burned out</h2><p>You can approach burnout in one of two ways. The first focuses on treatment and the second focuses on prevention. For the highest chance of successfully reducing burnout over time, you should work within both approaches.</p><p><strong>First, you can seek to cut it off at its source by fixing the root cause of burnout. </strong>Some of those causes and ways to address them include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Unclear job expectations</strong><strong>.</strong> If your role has changed recently or you've gotten a new manager, you might not have a clear idea of what it is that you need to do to succeed, making work feel like an ambiguous mess of stress. To fix it, sit down with your boss and go over what you understand that's expected of you, including key responsibilities and the metrics that will measure how you're doing on them, and ask your boss to correct your understanding or to fill in any gaps.</li><li><strong>Unreasonable pressure. </strong>Whether you're regularly asked to complete tight-turnaround work, forced to make do with less resources than you need, or given more work than you can complete, feeling sustained pressure at work can be one of the major factors behind burnout. Flag your situation to your boss, and, if they don't engage well, to your HR liaison, and ask what changes to timelines, processes, schedules, or workflows can be made to make things a little less stressful. This might not be possible in all fields, like for paramedics, for whom no amount of workflow magic will reduce the time pressure they sometimes face, so keep that in mind, too.</li><li><strong>Unfair treatment. </strong>If you're facing workplace issues like bullying, favoritism, or being underpaid for your work, it's not surprising that you're having a hard time feeling fulfilled by it. These are some of the thorniest issues to unpack at work, but if you think you can do so without further endangering your mental health or job security, you owe it to yourself to try. Bring it up in your next one-on-one with your manager or consider going directly to another manager in your department or to HR if it's your manager that is the problem.</li><li><strong>Overall lack of job satisfaction.</strong> Have you ever felt fulfilled at work? If not—if this bout of burnout is just a more intense version of the malaise you've long felt upon starting your workday—<a href="https://blog.powertofly.com/should-i-quit-my-job-quiz-2625762726.html" target="_blank">consider switching your job</a>. Do some serious reflection on what kind of work has made you feel satisfied and look at<a href="https://powertofly.com/jobs/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> job boards</a> to see what else is out there. If you're going to spend the majority of your waking hours working, try to make sure you're not stuck in a role that drains your energy and gives you nothing in return.</li></ul><p><strong>Second, you can reduce feeling burned out by changing how you react to stress.</strong> Even the best job will include some tough moments, and you need to have a robust mental toolkit for responding to them. Keep this advice for approaching stress in mind:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Set boundaries. </strong>You're paid to do a specific job—not to worry about that job for every second of every day. Utilize notification settings for Slack, email, and work calls to make sure that you're not getting dragged into work updates after work hours. Set up a system that works for you and don't feel bad about using it. The email can wait.</li><li><strong>Prioritize activities that give you energy,</strong> especially if your work doesn't. It's not enough to just stop working and expect energy to flood your system anew. You need to identify the things that bring you that sense of excitement and joy, whether that's cooking, reading, talking with a friend, working out, meditating, or being creative. Set up your day so that you always have time to do something just for you at the start or end of every work day.</li><li><strong>Treat yourself like you would a baby.</strong> No, not with mobiles and pacifiers but <em>yes</em> with serious commitment to your basic human needs. It's maddeningly simple: getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, being connected to loved ones, and taking care of your brain (like via meditation and therapy) are the building blocks for a stable mental and physical state that lets you respond to stress without it taking over your life.</li></ul><p>Note that <strong>neither approach includes advice like "take a vacation."</strong></p><p>Getting a few days' respite from your problems won't make them go away, and even if two weeks off was enough to soothe your stress and re-energize you, you'll just feel depleted and burned out all over again when the vacation high has faded.</p><p>To really address burnout in your life, you need to find a healthy work environment with clear expectations, good communication with your manager and team, and fair treatment, and cultivate a personal approach to work and life that prioritizes your mental and physical wellbeing. It might seem like to fix work burnout, you have to put in even more work. That's true. You do.</p><p>But let me tell you: it is so thoroughly worth it.</p>
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September 15, 2020
Career Advice
How Viasat’s Jasmine Harvey Architects Her Own Career
Jasmine Harvey is pursuing her MBA while working full-time as a buyer for Viasat, a global communications and satellite internet company. Balancing home, work, and school while maintaining a 3.9 grade point average has been quite a challenge. Jasmine had a perfect 4.0 until she took one of the hardest classes in her program, Managerial Economics and Global, during this COVID pandemic. She finished a full 15 percentage points above the class average, but was still 0.6 points away from an "A".
<p>"I was devastated after receiving my first B," she says. "I have two more classes remaining, and I know I am going to hit this out of the park. I'm speaking into existence that I will complete my MBA with only one B."</p><p>I don't doubt that she will.</p><p>Jasmine applies that level of drive, determination, and focus to everything in her life, whether it's launching a Black Professional Alliance (BPA) chapter at Viasat's Duluth campus or advancing her career and plotting her way towards her dream job. We sat down to discuss her career journey, what it's like being a Black woman at Viasat, and how she optimizes her development at work, in the classroom, and beyond.</p><h3>From government to private industry</h3><p>Jasmine spent several years working as a purchasing specialist for the United States Army, at Fort Benning, Georgia. She enjoyed the work, but realized that her opportunities for growth were minimal, particularly since leadership positions were seldom vacated. "I became uninterested with the repetitiveness and was determined to expand my career," says Jasmine, who spruced up her LinkedIn profile and later contacted by a Viasat recruiter.</p><p>Highly impressed with the interview, Jasmine quickly accepted Viasat's offer to come on board as a Procurement Specialist. "I researched the company and saw that they received several awards for being one of the best places to work," she notes. "It appeared that Viasat is not just a place of work, but they actually care for their employees. Not to mention, I've never been employed with a company who offered tuition reimbursement."</p><p>Although her responsibilities are similar to her previous work at Fort Benning, the challenges she endured were the complete opposite. Jasmine was unknown to the satellite industry. "In the beginning, it was like being at a new school; surrounded by unfamiliar faces and learning from a new teacher. At times, I became very frustrated trying to grasp the information." Now, two and a half years into her career at Viasat, Jasmine is mentoring and answering questions from other new buyers.</p><h3>Leaning into her career development</h3><p>Jasmine knows exactly where she'd like to be in a few years: achieving the goal of being promoted into a leadership or management role at the Duluth location. She's already chasing after that goal by enrolling in Viasat's mentorship program.</p><p>Jasmine matched with Ron Rhodes, Director of Operations, who is listed as the most compatible mentor for her career goals. Jasmine is preparing for her first meeting with Ron. "I'm excited to hear about Ron's career journey and the challenges he faced along the way. Ron came on board as an Operation Program Manager and worked his way to the Director's position, and that's the typical goal for me also," says Jasmine.</p><p>Thrilled for the opportunity to obtain advice from people sitting in seats she one day hopes to occupy, Jasmine plans to select the director of purchasing, as her next mentor. "His extensive knowledge with Viasat is a perfect fit for my career guidance," she says, with poise.</p><p>Jasmine credits her success to the opportunities offered at Viasat and supporting cast. Formal programs, tuition reimbursement supporting her MBA, and the opportunity to visit Viasat headquarters for training (after which Jasmine developed a presentation to share her learnings with her team in the Duluth office) are just a few tools available to help move oneself to the next level.</p>
<p>Her coworkers have also played a critical role in her development. Jasmine says that she is grateful for Charlotte White, who has been at Viasat for over 40 years. Charlotte provides calmness, techniques, and workarounds to unique situations. "I wouldn't be in the place I am today if it wasn't for her," says Jasmine. "She often reminds me that this is not a sprint, but more like a marathon. It takes time to grow and you will never know it all," says Jasmine.</p><h3>Supporting women and minority groups at work</h3><p>When Jasmine joined Viasat, her desire was to get involved and become active throughout the organization. As a member of Viasat Women in Technology Alliance, which is an Employee Resource Group that supports women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, Jasmine is continuing her goal to collaborate with peers and leadership.</p>
<p>During strains of the current pandemic, and recent world events centered around racism and police brutality, Jasmine insisted on being part of the change to make the world a better place. Deliberations amongst other employees, they created and launched a Black Professional Alliance (BPA) at Viasat's Duluth campus a few weeks ago, with the goal of creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. </p>
<p>The BPA's first meeting was a huge success! Jasmine is receiving feedback from others who also want to be involved. "BPA is not just providing opportunities for Black people, but we want to give an opportunity for everyone to have a sense of belonging within the organization." </p><p>Jasmine, <a href="https://blog.powertofly.com/how-companies-can-actually-change-2646733177.html" target="_self">like Viasat's Chief People Officer Melinda Kimbro</a>, wants the company's renewed focus on diversity to last. "Speaking about race in the workplace can be uncomfortable sometimes," she says, "but cultural diversity and inclusion must be a round clock practice within our organization."</p>
<h3>Looking forward</h3><p>You know how people get homesick when they're away for a while? Well, Jasmine says she's getting "worksick" as she continues to work from home—she misses the face-to-face interaction with her teammates and coworkers. But for now, she'll continue to keep doing what she does best—striving ahead despite the constraints of an ongoing pandemic.</p><p>"Unexpected challenges may come, but I've learned to adapt and overcome all obstacles. Confidence and inspiration give me the motivation to keep striving for excellence to make any mission a success," she says. "I've always been taught with the proper application of time and effort…anything can be achieved"</p>
<p><em>You can learn more about careers at Viasat </em><a href="https://careers.viasat.com/?_ga=2.231335449.740560624.1598298964-2034158666.1598298964" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p><em></em>
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September 14, 2020
Career Advice
How CSL's Kristen Krebs Applies Her Psychology PhD at a Biotech Leader
If you had asked Kristen Krebs what her dream job was when she was studying for her PhD in Industrial/Organizational psychology at DePaul, she might not have known exactly what title to give, but she would've described a role within a thoughtful organization where she got to make people's work experiences more positive, build a team with talented people, and feel connected to an overall mission.
<p>As it turns out, that's exactly what she's doing right now as the Senior Director of Global Talent Development at biotechnology company CSL Behring.<br/></p><p>"It feels like a dream role in that it covers a broad range of the talent development areas I love and I get to work on a global scale," says Kristen, who didn't know much about CSL Behring when their recruiters reached out. But as she learned about CSL's commitment to saving lives and improving quality of life for people with serious rare diseases, as well as their HR group's ongoing transformation, she knew she had to accept their offer.</p><p>We sat down with Kristen to learn more about her career trajectory, how she got into Industrial/Organizational psychology in the first place, and what it's like working at CSL, including what's changed at work as the world adjusts to living in an extended pandemic.</p><h3>Finding her passion academically and in the job market </h3><p>Kristen's work in talent development would be meaningful even if she didn't have an incredibly personal connection to it—but she does.</p><p>Her dad worked on Wall Street during the 80s in a very stressful job, and Kristen connects his untimely death at the age of 47 with the demanding environment he faced at work. "I've always felt that the stress of his job had a lot to do with the tax paid on his heart," she says. "That was a critically defining moment in my life"—she was a sophomore in college at the time—"and I realized through that traumatic experience that if I could dedicate myself to increasing the satisfaction and reducing the stress people experience at work, that would probably be pretty meaningful and rewarding to me."</p><p>She majored in psychology during undergrad, and after taking a class in Industrial/Organizational psychology her senior year, Kristen realized she wanted to continue studying in that subset of the field and applied to grad school. "I/O focuses on human behavior at the individual, team, and organizational levels. That's everything from putting somebody through a hiring process and onboarding them, to motivating them and helping them improve their performance. At the team level, it involves all aspects of helping teams become high performing. At the organizational level, it focuses on areas such as company culture, organizational design and change management," she explains. "It's a super degree that trained me to think big picture and work at both the macro enterprise level and micro individual level. It's also a very versatile degree in that I could have gone into many different areas of the HR function – I just chose to specialize in Talent Management based on what I'm most passionate about."</p><p>As Kristen worked to finish her dissertation, she joined a consulting firm and worked with various clients on their management practices and employee engagement issues. She loved the diversity of problems and people she worked with, but over time the travel began wearing on her and she realized she didn't like not being able to see the long term effects of her projects. "I got sick of going into companies, making lots of recommendations and getting new things started, and then not getting to see how the changes and improvements actually played out in the company after the project was finished," she says.</p><p>Kristen knew she wanted to find an in-house role, but her particular area of consulting made it clear that she didn't want to work just anywhere. "I was doing employee engagement work so I really saw the underbelly of every organization I worked with. I knew all of their pluses and minuses. And there were really no clients that I would want to work for, except for one that stood out above all of the rest," she says.</p><p>She called that client, a joint venture pharmaceutical company that is now part of Takeda, to let them know that she was looking for a new role and asked if they had any positions she could apply for. As it turned out, they were just creating a new position focused on leadership development. Kristen went in for the interview, got it, and stayed at that company 8 years until she and her husband decided to move back to the east coast to be closer to family. She found a job leading leadership development at another pharmaceutical company and stayed for several years, taking on new roles that expanded her responsibilities globally into performance management, career development and succession planning. Although she loved the work, during that time the company was acquired and as the culture changed for the worse, she realized she needed to move on. That's right when CSL Behring came calling.</p><h3>Directing global talent through a global pandemic</h3><p>Kristen says that interviewing with CSL felt like she'd found a dream role that brought together many of the areas she is passionate about. "When I was meeting people and hearing them talk about the position, the company and CSL's strong patient focus, it really aligned to my values and the work I like to do. The organizational culture felt more familial rather than corporate," says Kristen.</p><p>The role itself, which involved leading an internal transition to create a global Talent Development team, was a perfect complement to Kristen's experience and ambition. "It was just a phenomenal opportunity to come into HR at a time when they were still building. I could really help shape what the talent development space would look like and create a global function for the organization," she says.</p><p>Kristen spent the first few years in her role shaping that transition, which officially went live in January 2020. She had just a few months to enjoy it before a whole new priority took over: preparing to transition CSL's workplace and their talent development programs into a completely virtual world.</p><p>"Our team sprang into action—we have a fantastic team across the globe who are highly collaborative and always willing to go the extra mile—and the way they handled everything when the pandemic hit was impressive," says Kristen. We quickly pulled together online resources and delivered virtual courses on timely topics such as working remotely, managing virtual teams, dealing with change and uncertainty, and emotional intelligence, to name a few. </p>
<p>We also needed to quickly convert existing training to virtual, which was relatively straightforward to redesign, she explains; they just had to figure out how to adjust their in-person programs to fit a virtual setting, and in fact had already started experimenting, pre-COVID, with ways to do that, in order to offer more scalable and flexible training opportunities and achieve better ROI. Previously, they had experienced a problem with participant cancellations when other work priorities came up that would often leave facilitators teaching to half empty classrooms. Now, explains Kristen, CSL facilitators in Switzerland, Germany, Australia, and across the U.S. offer trainings at various times for employees around the world. "This gives employees more class options to choose from and it's ultimately a better learning experience, because participants hear from each other and learn about different parts of the business, different cultures and different perspectives. It's also great for the facilitators to be exposed to that," says Kristen.</p><p>Kristen's team is also responsible for all of CSL's onboarding, but that wasn't as straightforward to transition to a virtual experience in some parts of the world, particularly in the first few days after everything shut down and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security hadn't revised the stipulations for how a new hire's legal documents needed to be handled in a virtual world. "That was a little trickier," says Kristen, smiling.</p><p>In the end, the U.S. stipulations were revised and Kristen's team was able to adapt to digital processes for now. As the return-to-office date continues to shift for CSL and many other companies, Kristen and her team have stayed agile, updating their training playbooks and creating plans for whatever future awaits.</p><p>"It's important to keep all of what's going on in perspective," says Kristen. "We will come out fine on the other side. We just have to stay focused and flexible."</p><p><em>If you're interested in learning more about CSL, visit their PowerToFly page </em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/csl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p><em></em>
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September 09, 2020
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23 Ways Companies Are Supporting Working Parents
With "back to school" looking just a little different this year, we asked our partner companies what they're doing to make the transition as smooth as possible for parents.
Being a parent was hard already. Then came a pandemic that shuttered schools and childcare facilities and added "teacher" and "round-the-clock caretaker" to the list of things that American parents must be for their kids. And with many schools not planning to open for several more months (and many of the ones that have opened finding that they need to shut their doors again), it's looking like that will be the case for a while. Working parents will have to continue to juggle the wellbeing, education, and raising of their children while also doing their full-time jobs either remotely or in-person as essential workers.
<p>Many companies are stepping up to help make that juggling go a little easier.</p><p>Some already had generous policies to support parents and others are experimenting with what works for their employees for the first time. While<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/05/technology/parents-time-off-backlash.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> parent-specific policies have caused a stir at some tech companies</a>, taking care of working parents allows them to participate more fully at work and improves retention across an organization.</p><p>Here at PowerToFly, we have the privilege of partnering with companies who truly believe in creating work environments where everyone—including and especially women and underrepresented minorities—can thrive. We asked several of our clients to share ways that they are supporting the working parents on their teams in the hopes that their ideas and policies can shed some light on what industry-leading companies are doing in this space and inspire others to do the same.</p><p>So, whether you're looking for ways that your company can do better, or if you're a job seeker looking for your next role at a parent-friendly company, we hope you'll be inspired by some of these initiatives: </p>
Flatiron Health is enabling flexibility
<p>"With parents of school-age children facing so much uncertainty during the pandemic, Flatiron Health has extended policies to support employees with children. Flatiron promotes a flexible working environment, allowing parents the time and space to attend to childcare and facilitate education. All Flatiron employees have been given permission to work remotely until July 2021, which allows parents to move temporarily to a location that may be more ideal to coordinate childcare and schooling. This flexible environment includes empowering parents to block their calendars for childcare and schooling and communicate openly to their teams about their roles and expectations as their children return to school. In partnership with The Next Generation, the Parents' Employee Resource Group (ERG) at Flatiron Health, parents are also invited to take part in supportive discussions via Slack conversations and in smaller Zoom support groups to highlight and address the needs of the parenting community."<br></p><p><em>Learn more about Flatiron Health</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/flatiron-health-inc" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p><p><em><br></em></p>Bridgewater Associates is investing in parental wellbeing
<p><em>"</em>In response to COVID-19, Bridgewater Associates has made several enhancements to our existing benefits program to help employees and their families stay safe, juggle their personal responsibilities, and support their overall wellbeing in this time of uncertainty. An area of focus has been supporting working parents and caregivers during this time. In addition to existing parent discussion groups, generous PTO, and unlimited sick days that provide flexibility to all, we added these new benefits with parents in mind:</p><ul><li>Flexible working hours</li><li>Additional discounts for online academic support and tutoring</li><li>Assistance in sourcing educators, distance learning supervisors, and childcare professionals</li><li>Expanded back-up childcare options</li></ul><p>To address the coronavirus itself, the firm assists in finding local testing options, provides case management to those testing positive, and will put on a drive-up flu vaccination clinic in the fall for all employees and families to mitigate against the compounding risk of both viruses.</p><p>More about Bridgewater's approach to benefits <a href="https://www.bridgewater.com/ceo-david-mccormick-reflects-on-the-employee-benefits-journey" target="_blank">here</a>."</p><p><em>Learn more about Bridgewater</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/bridgewater-associates" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>Elastic is encouraging parents to “shut it down”
<p>"Elastic is supporting parents by providing essential time off during COVID-19 with regular shut-it-down days. Shut-it-down days happen twice a month, allowing parents (and all our Elasticians) time to rest, reset, and deal with challenges. In addition, all Elasticians have four weeks of COVID time off to use if a loved one is ill, for spending time with family for things like homeschooling, or just to take care of themselves (sometimes parents need extra care, too). We've also invited experts such as parent educator Julie King to run 'Parenting in a Pandemic' seminars that offer strategies for handling a changing education environment. Lastly, our Elasticians support one another through community Slack channels that offer a safe space to share practical advice for new parents, parents with teens, homeschooling, and beyond."</p><p><em>Learn more about Elastic</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/elastic" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>PwC is subsidizing childcare
<p>"PwC is offering an array of options to help support working parents in the ways that works best for them. The firm recently introduced a sabbatical option for up to six months, is offering enhanced support for those working reduced schedules, and is giving some roles the option to participate in job sharing. PwC has doubled its back-up care reimbursement amount to $2,000, which can be used to pay any caregiver—including friends and family members—to help with child care. The firm's emphasis on protected time provides working parents time to tend to homeschool needs during the work day. The firm is offering discounts on tuition programs, tutoring, and college admissions counseling. PwC also offers mental health support resources for its employees and their families at no cost. This includes access to 1-on-1 virtual coaching, community support groups, free meditation and well-being apps, trauma counseling and online resources."<br></p><em>Learn more about PwC</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/pwc" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em>Facebook is changing employee evaluation
<p>"Facebook made several changes to support our employees during this time. We removed all performance ratings as a way to address the anxiety, uncertainty, and conditions we were all dealing with. We introduced new paid-time off programs to care for family and are offering flexibility to our employees in terms of work schedules—allowing for alternate working hours—and the ability to go offline for chunks of hours, without taking paid time off. We've also provided financial support for work-from-home set ups and childcare.</p><p>By recognizing and acknowledging the variety of circumstances impacting so many people right now, we've helped to make sure that our teams empathize with this uncertainty and need for flexibility given whatever we may be facing personally. And from a recruiting perspective, we now offer candidates the ability to split their interview over multiple days.</p><p>Maxine Williams, Chief Diversity Officer at Facebook, puts it this way: 'When people feel vulnerable, they don't need you to solve the problem for them, but they do need to know that you are there for them if they need it.'"</p><em>Learn more about Facebook</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/facebook-inc" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em>Schneider Electric is listening to parents
<p>"At Schneider Electric, we are focused on listening to our working parents and quickly adapting to their needs as school starts back in this challenging environment. We have encouraged parents to take advantage of existing programs like flexible work arrangements, added more options (like online, phone, chat, and video counseling options) through our EAP for those needing additional support, and introduced new programs like temporary part-time options to better manage life's current demands. We are working alongside employees so they know they are not alone; bringing in external experts for live virtual sessions, offering forums for employees to share their concerns and ideas, and providing virtual training on everything from practical remote-working tips to how to build resilience and avoid burnout. The employee feedback we gain from surveys and crowdsourcing will lead to additional programs and resources in the coming weeks."<br></p><p><em>Learn more about Scheider Electric</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/schneider-electric" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>CarGurus is seeking to understand parents' needs
<p>"We aim to create a safe space for parents to share their concerns, fears, emotions and other thoughts pertaining to back to school. We have offered the following to the parents at CarGurus:<br></p><ul><li>An employee resource group (ERG) for working parents and caregivers to give a voice for the organization's parents</li><li>Informal roundtable discussions with the working parents and executives at CarGurus to communicate any frustrations and discuss tips, tricks, and thoughts on how to care for children as we work remotely during the pandemic</li><li>Unlimited paid time off (PTO), which the senior executive team highly encourages the company to use</li><li>Options to decrease or end contributions to dependent care FSAs when camps and childcare facilities closed</li><li>A premium membership to Care.com for all CarGurus employees</li></ul><p>CarGurus' goal is to keep discussions open with our Parent ERG and continue to be flexible in terms of receiving feedback and adapting as the school year progresses. Knowing that what works this month may not work next month, we believe that being flexible and understanding will be one of the best things we can do for the working parents at CarGurus."</p><p><em>Learn more about CarGurus</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/cargurus" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>Bounteous is providing resources to make schooling easier
<p>"Bounteous understands that the school season will look a little different this year. Whether children have opted for in-person or remote learning, we know that this is unchartered territory for our parents. To navigate through this work and school from home experience, our team has created a B: Connected Guide filled with professional resources, helpful videos, and links as well as a calendar complete with supplemental activities to support families throughout the day.<br></p><p>Team members can access creative learning pages and inclusive social opportunities to engage children of all ages, including college-bound students. This guide also provides parents with tips around safe social interaction and a list of extracurriculars ranging from books clubs to cooking lessons, and more. We want to put our team members at ease and provide stability in and outside of the Bounteous community."</p> <p><em>Learn more about Bounteous</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/bounteous" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>AAA is bringing parents together to help each other
<p>"AAA is happy to have a dedicated Business Resource Group called Parents@AAA. Our BRG is composed of parents from all backgrounds and walks of life, who span across all levels and roles within our organization, united under the common goal of supporting working parents. We are supporting parents and their children's unique back-to-school situations by providing resources tailored to their individual needs. We have compiled information on COVID requirements and district expectations across our 7 states, in one place for parents to easily navigate. We actively provide ongoing tips and best practices for parents to navigate these uncharted waters. We provide our parents with resources through our Employee Assistance Program for needs like counseling, parenting tips, homeschooling resources, and work-life balance best practices. We stay in the forefront of these changing times by having so many of our team members actively involved in helping one another, together."<br></p><em>Learn more about AAA</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/aaa" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em>Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is connecting parents with childcare resources
<p>"We want to say to working parents: we see you, and we want to help. Nearly a quarter of our workforce at Blue Cross NC has children age 13 and younger at home. While our own onsite backup childcare center will be closed through at least the end of 2020, we're supporting our parents in many ways during this time. We're:</p><ul><li>Providing qualified employees with a childcare subsidy to help offset costs for tutoring, remote learning supplies and equipment, childcare, and more</li><li>Connecting our parents virtually through a "Pandemic Parenting" group on Yammer, our internal social media platform</li><li>Offering discounts to childcare finders, like nanny services and Sitter City, and tutoring services</li><li>Setting the expectation that leaders and employees will be open to flexible work schedules to support this new work life"</li></ul><em>Learn more about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/blue-cross-and-blue-shield-of-north-carolina" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em>Gainsight is welcoming family member cameos
<p><span style="background-color: initial;">"At Gainsight, we have set up a slack support group and Employee Resource Group for employees with children. We also have arranged for flexible schedules and have a policy that welcomes children (and pets) to say hello in Zoom meetings. Over the summer, we also set up a 'Lil' Gainsters' Summer camp with Zoom meetings that included arts and crafts, reading with our CEO and CMO, and cooking segments. It was a blast!"</span><br></p><p><em>Learn more about Gainsight </em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/gainsight-inc" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>Mindbody is enabling at-home school with tech
<p><span style="background-color: initial;">"Mindbody is implementing several new policies and support mechanisms for our working parents. We recognize that parents need flexibility in their jobs now more than ever, and to feel confident that they will not be evaluated in an inequitable fashion to their colleagues in their work performance. We are giving parents the opportunity to work with their leaders on their schedules and empowering them to do so. In addition, to create transparency for team members and their colleagues, we have updated the default Slack status options to include a designation for childcare. This indicates to others who may be contacting working parents that responses may be delayed. Additionally, there is a designated Slack channel for parents across the organization to share and connect. Finally, Mindbody is implementing a new IT hardware recycling program where our retired functional IT equipment like desktops, monitors, and laptops will be available for team members to have mailed to their homes for their children to use for distance learning. This program will be ongoing and meant to first support team members who are in need of financial assistance for IT hardware."</span><br></p><em>Learn more about MINDBODY </em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/mindbody" target="_blank"><em>here</em></a><em>.</em>VideoAmp is putting parents first
<p>"Our People Team quickly mobilized to figure out what the top concerns and priorities were for parents at VideoAmp. We used guided questions on topics like the tactics of back-to-school, emotional concerns, work implications, and employees' goals to better understand their needs. From what we learned, we're now encouraging all employees to be mindful of their peers' calendar work blocks and to respect time set aside for family meals, daily breaks, and time spent supporting their children with things like schoolwork.<br></p><p>Through our ongoing health and wellness initiatives, we strongly encourage kids to join our virtual dance and fitness classes with their parents. We also partner with Modern Health and offer company-funded mental health support, education, and resources for all employees and their eligible dependents. The telehealth service offers parent circles led by registered therapists where people can openly share their questions and concerns. </p><p>From its inception, VideoAmp has had a <em>People First</em> philosophy. We are passionate about health and wellness, and take the needs of our parent employees to heart. To this end, we offer annual vacation cash stipends to support taking time to reset and spend time with loved ones. For parents specifically, there are resources for child care and ongoing educational needs which they are eligible for from their first day at VideoAmp."</p><br><em>Learn more about VideoAmp</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/videoamp" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em>Chainalysis is welcoming inverted working hours
<p>"Chainalysis has approached the COVID-19 pandemic with flexibility and grace from the start and as school resumes, we've doubled down on that approach. This translates to flexible (or inverted) working hours for parents with the full support of our leadership team and CEO as well as an environment that welcomes impromptu cameos on Zoom from children, pets, and spouses. We have a #parentlife Slack channel that gives parents an outlet to discuss back-to-school options, day to day challenges, and the inevitable novel and often humorous situations we're finding ourselves in. While we don't know what the finale of this journey looks like, we're committed to iterating and adjusting as much as possible for our team and their families."<br></p><em>Learn more about </em><em>Chainalysis</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/chainalysis" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em>Primer is normalizing the challenges of parenthood
<p>"We are supporting parents by giving them explicit permission to manage their time including homeschooling during the traditional workday. At our last all-hands, our whole executive team communicated that as long as people get their work done, they are free to do it however works best for them and to take the time they need to support their kids. Second, we created a 'guide to working with parents' and circulated it around the company. This helps non-parents empathize and understand the experience parents are going through.<br></p><p>The main goal is to normalize what's happening so people can live their lives openly without judgment, and to make sure parents feel they can speak up about their situation."</p><p><em>Learn more about Primer</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/primer" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>ServiceNow is investing in a culture of belonging for parents
<p>"ServiceNow continues to pay attention to our employees' well-being by helping them avoid burnout and being mindful of external factors. We've added a stipend for employees around the world to set up their home offices, and a Perk Allowance program so employees can purchase products or services, including childcare and homeschool resources (textbooks, education classes & supplies), as well as personal technology equipment and packages to support at-home learning for kids. Even ServiceNow's Workplace Services teams around the world got creative, coming up with ways to keep employees connected with social activities in a virtual environment. From regular fitness classes to family game nights, to virtual happy hours and even cooking classes, the employee activities served as reminders of our culture of belonging, even when people couldn't be physically together."<br></p><p><em>Learn more about ServiceNow</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/servicenow" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>Kensho is getting creative (hello, Uber Eats family dinners and No Meeting Thursdays)
<p>"Kensho has always fully supported working parents and this unprecedented time is no exception. It's not enough to say we have a 'flex schedule'; you have to walk the talk, and our leadership team does just that. Our CEO, Adam Broun, recently mentioned in a company-wide meeting that schools will be back in session, which may impact parents' schedules, and we will work with them to meet their needs. In addition to flexible schedules, we offer a monthly stipend for Uber Eats for families to enjoy a meal together, as well as 'No Meeting Thursdays,' which helps parents plan their schedules. We also have the Kensho Parents Slack channel where parents support each other by sharing current news articles, words of encouragement, ideas and of course bragging about and sharing pictures of our beautiful children. And on the days when flexible schedules and friendly advice isn't enough, we have our unlimited vacation policy to use to recharge. The Kensho Family extends far beyond the walls of our offices and we truly care about each individual Kenshin."<br></p><em>Learn more about Kensho</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/kensho-technologies" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em>New Relic is expanding access to childcare
<p>"To better support Relics as we continue during shelter-in-place, we have added a few more items to our support options for caregivers. New Relic is committed to supporting our employees during this challenging time and helping to bring some relief to our employees and their families. Expanded options include:<br></p><ul><li>Access to Care.com memberships to help employees find trusted caregivers</li><li>Subsidized backup care services for emergency backup needs</li><li>Access to Virtual Babysitter Club, a network of professional performers who immerse children in remote social entertainment for an hour at a time that allows parents to catch a break or get some focus time and can be booked with <24 hours' notice. Activities include adventure games, dance parties, trivia, interactive magic, and puppet shows</li><li>Options to go part-time or take leaves of absence"</li></ul><p><em>Learn more about New Relic</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/new-relic" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>Quip is celebrating employees' children
<p>"Parents have a lot on their plates, from juggling work, caring for their families, and balancing busy schedules. Here are some resources available to support parents as children resume schooling:<br></p><ul><li>"Kiddos" Chat Room: Parents can share their experiences, ask questions, and support each other as we navigate what the new school year looks like.</li><li>B-Well Together Pandemic Parenting series: B-Well Together is a daily 30-minute webinar series, and Friday mornings are dedicated to the topic of parenting during this pandemic</li><li>Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources include free and confidential assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and work-life services.</li><li>COVID-19 Global Back-up Child Care: Services include reimbursement for child care and educational support, such as tutoring and learning pods.</li><li>And because we can always use a little more cheer, we recently hosted a Kiddos Live Show where our kiddos showcased their many talents."</li></ul><em>Learn more about Quip</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/quip" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em>Autodesk is piloting a new child care leave program
<p>"Many Autodeskers around the world continue to work from home to stay safe with their loved ones. While working from home has its perks, it also comes with challenges for parents who are balancing both work and parenting. To support our working parents, Autodesk launched the <a href="https://hrexecutive.com/what-this-software-companys-new-childcare-leave-looks-like/" target="_blank">Remote Learning Child Care Leave</a> program in anticipation of the new school year. The program is designed to give parents the flexibility and support to spend time during the work week to focus on their child's needs. Check out @AutodeskLife to see the #AutodeskParents campaign and hear from our Autodeskers on #parentWFHtips."<br></p><p><em>Learn more about Autodesk</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/autodesk-inc" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>Netskope is letting parents choose what's right for them
<p>"Here at Netskope, we understand the challenges that come with managing a workload and children's educational needs. To support health, safety, and our working parents, our offices will remain closed throughout 2020 to provide our employees with the flexibility to be home with their children. We trust that employees will manage their schedules as needed, and invite them to be creative. Some start their day later so they can use the morning to focus on school. Others are working four 10-hour days per week so they can spend a weekday focusing on the educational needs of their children. We encourage our employees to find out what works best for each of them and continue the open dialogue with their management teams. Our employees are the key to the success of our business, and with support and togetherness, we will get through this difficult time."<br></p><p><em>Learn more about Netskope</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/netskope" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em></p>uShip is leaning into flexible work
<p>"We're supporting our parents by allowing as much flexibility as possible. uShip is not requiring anyone return full time back to the office. We've actually thrived as a remote workforce, and it's really made us challenge the way we view effectiveness of in person collaboration. We're being supportive and flexible with schedules as well, asking parents to block off time when they know they'll be away for an extended period to help with personal matters and schoolwork. We've also found a way to continue providing home-cooked family meals every Friday from our chefs for touchless pick up at our office. There's also a uShip Slack channel dedicated to parents where we can share tips and provide encouragement to each other."<br></p><em>Learn more about uShip</em><a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/uship-inc" target="_blank"> <em>here</em></a><em>.</em>Raytheon Intelligence & Space is helping parents work around school schedules
<p>"Raytheon Intelligence & Space's ultimate success as a company is dependent upon our most important asset — our people. Over the past six months our leaders have been working with their teams to create a culture that allows our workforce to thrive as we continue to adjust to our new work environment. We have listened to employee feedback around childcare challenges and particularly school schedules. Many of our employees are parents now juggling hybrid and remote schooling while simultaneously working to meet our customer commitments. While there is no simple solution, we are thinking creatively to identify solutions that meet the needs of both the business and of our employees. For example, we have made several tools available including flexible work arrangements, Bright Horizons Back-Up Care and Family Support, and our Employee Assistance Program. We are focused on helping our employees navigate these unique and uncertain times."</p><p><em>Learn more about Raytheon Intelligence & Space <a href="https://powertofly.com/companies/raytheon-technologies" target="_blank">here</a>. </em><br></p>
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