Q and A: Exclusive Interview with Stacie Baird

November 30, 2022 by Verified First

HR today is more complicated than it was a decade ago. The effects of the pandemic have restructured the way professionals define what it means to be an HR professional. This evolution has shifted away from HR professionals adopting a strict business perspective to including a human perspective within their core responsibilities. HX, otherwise known as the human experience, is a reflection of this new wave of ideas transforming HR on a widespread scale.

In Season 2, Episode 10 of our HR at the Table webinar series, we hosted Stacie Baird, the Chief People Officer at Community Medical Services, for HR to HX: The People-centric Strategy. In this webinar, Stacie walked us through popular HR to HX topics from her podcast and answered three pivotal questions about what it means to value the human experience within the workplace. 

  • How do HR and HX relate to each other?
  • How is HX addressed in today’s workplace?
  • How does an HR professional go about adopting an HX mindset?

How do HR and HX relate to each other?

Every professional, regardless of whether they’re in the HR or TA profession, most likely has an idea of the role HR plays within an organization. However, when it comes to HX, not many understand what it is — let alone what it means.

Stacie is at the forefront of advocating for HX within the HR and TA industry. When differentiating one from the other, Stacie remarked, “HR and HX are the same idea but from different perspectives. HR, in general, is less people-focused and more rigid. HX creates an organization that has a greater level of trust.”

As an example, Stacie related HX to visiting a new place. “When you go on a trip, everything seems a little better. You’ve never seen it before, so it’s all fresh and new. HX is taking that traveler mindset and meshing it with HR. It’s inviting a new level of curiosity into your day-to-day.” 

How should HX be addressed in today’s workplace?

The many negative aspects that have rocked the industry due to COVID-19 are at the top of many professionals' minds. However, Stacie has been able to identify a silver lining. “COVID taught organizations how the human experience has an effect on businesses,” she said. 

This shift from a business priority to a human priority is a reflection of how HX is being addressed in today’s workspace. Stacie advocates for HX to be focused on through a humanitarian approach. She said, “HR should ask what is possible for people when it comes to exploring the employee experience. They should restructure the way they ask questions about what’s possible for people and for the business.”

HX can be advocated for in the workplace when HR professionals restructure questions from a negative perspective to a positive one. Some examples include:

  • Shifting “they” to “we” - What do they need to do? vs What can we help them do?
  • Focusing on possibilities - That isn’t possible because… vs That could be possible if…
  • Shifting to a human experience perspective - How does that work for the business vs How does that work for an employee within the business?

How does an HR professional go about adopting an HX mindset?

While HR and HX are closely related, adopting an HX mindset doesn’t come naturally to many within the HR space. Especially in face-paced environments, slowing down to prioritize the human experience can seem like an impossible task on top of daily HR duties. 

As a professional with personal experience in fast-paced environments, Stacie understands that shifting to an HX mindset can seem counterproductive to one’s day-to-day priorities. When asked how HR professionals can prioritize implementing an HX mindset, Stacie had this to say. “Approaching an HX mindset is approaching it with curiosity. Igniting curiosity in how you look at the day-to-day employee and candidate experience can open your eyes to their lens on the process.” 

When HR and TA professionals consider the human side of the candidate and employee experience, they’re able to craft an HR experience that puts the person at the center.

In Conclusion:

For more insight from Stacie Baird, watch HR to HX: The People-centric Strategy on-demand. Next month in our HR at the Table webinar series, we’re hosting Sandra Becket, Chief People Officer at Buyers Edge Platform, in Strategic Planning for a Dynamic Future of Work

About Verified First
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