HR official shares how to keep benefits relevant, how to succeed with DEI
Recently, HRD announced the Best Places to Work 2024 award winners, recognizing the best of the best in business.
And once again, Fidelity Investments Canada got the nod. The secret to their success: listening to employees, says Diana Godfrey, senior vice president of HR and corporate affairs.
“The people are special, and we’ve been able to create the culture because they are committed and, organizationally, we are committed to listening to them,” she says in a conversation with Key Media Managing Editor Sarah Dobson. “Listening is not about waiting for your turn to talk; it’s about absorbing what the person is saying before you respond.”
How do you manage benefits?
By lending an ear to workers, the company has also been able to ensure that their benefits packages remain relevant, says Godfrey.
“The reality is that benefits only matter if employees are interested in them,” she says.
“So what we do is ensure that we're listening to what our employees have to say. We spend time working in focus groups, having listening circles, doing surveys. All the ways that you would expect to hear more from your employees.”
Fidelity Investments also tries to understand “what the marketplace looks like”, “what the trends are” and how things are changing.
“You spend time again communicating and understanding. So the more time you spend listening, the better you are able to deliver benefits that matter to people.”
Catch Godfrey’s full conversation for free right here.
“This is a journey for us, and recognizing that things change and adapting is what we’re committed to, and that’s what makes us a little bit different,” says Godfrey.
How can DEI be improved?
Fidelity also uses insights from employees to improve its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, says Godfrey.
“Our initial foray into what was Diversity and Inclusion at the time over 10 years ago, was the establishment of our ERGs or employee resource groups.
“We started with the Women's Leadership Group. Over time, it evolved to include other communities in the organization. The reality is that these communities of employees have allowed us to be educated about the nuances of their community. They ensure that all of us understand the challenges that they face and how we can help.”
Learn more from Godfrey’s conversation with Dobson for free right here.