Qualtrics chief people officer: 3 biggest lessons I learned in 2022

It was another tumultuous year for HR leaders, with plenty of new challenges and opportunities

BY John Corrigan 30 Jan 2023

2022 has come and gone, leaving HR leaders breathless after another tumultuous year of disruption.

Julia Anas, chief people officer at Qualtrics, a technology firm with offices in Seattle and Provo, UT, recently shared with HRD TV the three biggest lessons she learned last year.

First and foremost was how HR leaders can create a great employee experience.

“It must be founded in being able to advance an employee’s professional and personal journey. Those journeys running parallel is important to driving higher engagement, productivity and success,” Anas said.

The COVID-19 pandemic blurred the line between work and home to the degree that it’s now basically nonexistent. As a result, savvy HR leaders must serve their employees holistically, taking into account all aspects of their life. That means expanding benefits and perks, which brings us to Anas’ second biggest lesson.

“I continued to learn more about my own well-being, as well as the well-being of my employees,” Anas said. “Employees have to be able to choose what works for them, and leaders must be able to show empathy and meet employees where they’re at.”

Whether it’s physical, mental or financial well-being, HR leaders must be providing resources to assist employees in their daily struggles both in and out of the workplace. Thus, more companies are offering health and wellness perks (fitness class reimbursements, home exercise equipment, etc.), mental health benefits (counseling, free subscriptions to Headspace and Calm, etc.) and financial resources, such as tuition assistance and student loan debt relief.

As for her third biggest lesson, Anas said, “so much has come at HR that you have to be ruthless and focused, prioritizing what matters and being unapologetic about that prioritization.”