Marci leads the development and implementation of initiatives that attract, retain, and grow exceptional talent for our organization. With over 25 years of HR experience, she has a proven track record of partnering with business leaders to maximize results within their teams and align them with the company’s vision and values. Her passion is coaching individuals to play to their strengths and reach their full potential, while fostering a culture of inclusion and innovation. She has led programs related to employee growth, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, change management, and leadership development. Marci enjoys community service, cycling, traveling, and snorkeling/diving.
We are delighted that Marci will be speaking in Austin as part of our US summit. We caught up with her to see how she’s feeling in the runup to the event.
Hi Marci, we are thrilled that you will be speaking at the Wellbeing at Work US Summit in March. Our first and most important question is, how are you doing today?
I’m well, thank you. I am looking forward to digging into the topic of wellbeing at work and how we can help improve employee’s experiences.
As a leader based in the region, what are the main challenges you are facing when it comes to employee wellbeing and mental health?
There are a couple of things I’m seeing. First, many folks are battling burnout. The workloads being carried along with the ability to be reached through multiple outlets (email, text, phone Teams/Slack), can be overwhelming. Secondly, and most likely connected, we are seeing people struggle with increased anxiety within the workplace, with contributing factors like cost of living in Austin and general anxiety over issues within our country.
What strategies have you seen developing over the past 6 months, both internally and externally, that are moving the dial on wellbeing in the workplace?
I’m seeing more people set firm boundaries on the time they are willing to spend working or being accessible. When they evaluate their time commitment to the organization, they are now considering additional factors they did not previously, like commute time for instance.
Why is employee wellbeing so important to you personally?
Being a cancer survivor, I realize you have one shot at this life. We all need to use it wisely. Be where you need to be, when you need to be there. We all have to juggle, and we need to focus on being fully present wherever you are at that time.
What impact is AI having in your organization and how are you managing that?
AI is an accelerator for us which helps us tackle the repetitive tasks which used to take hours for someone to do, and allow for more time to focus on strategy and creativity. Similar to when computers were becoming more common, there are some who fear it will take their jobs and some who fully embrace AI. Our job is to help them become comfortable with this change and help them understand how it benefits them.
Other than AI, are there any challenges that you are seeing for the first time and how are you addressing them?
While not necessarily a first, the pace of change continues to accelerate and communication channels are more fragmented. In a business like advertising, staying on top of that change is fundamental for our business, clients and employees. And, we try to over index on communication about change to be as transparent as possible and to help address issues as they arise.
What areas do you think employers should be focused on over the next 12 months?
While there are many issues I will monitor and address in the coming 12 months, one that is bubbling to the top is more attention needs to be given to the dual demands of caring for aging parents as the Sandwich Generation (Gen X) is navigating being the primary caregiver for children as well as their parents. Creating programs for this group, similar to Parental Leave for new parents could have a large impact on retaining the institutional knowledge these employees hold.
Do you feel that investment in employee wellbeing in the region is increasing or decreasing and is that a direct reflection on HR leaders’ increasing ability to demonstrate effective returns of their strategies to leadership?
The investment in wellbeing gained such momentum in 2020 and has sustained over the past few years but that focus is slipping. Gallup recently released a report calling the shift in employee satisfaction with employers, “The Great Detachment.” Organizations made big changes in 2020 and through the pandemic, where employees worked changed, customer expectations changed and so much more. Now some of that is shifting again and employees are feeling disconnected and dissatisfied. This detachment is costly. It will be critical for employers to continue to invest and evolve their programs to support employees through change and create avenues to support reengagement.
How has your organization been leading the way?
Our community is our people and our home in Austin and we try to empower and give back to both. For example, we have always supported employee passions and purpose-driven projects that aim to do good. Employees have created pro-bono projects for everything from Austin Pets Alive to creating awareness for the bill to repeal the state tax on feminine hygiene and family products. Similarly we have a unique program called 4WARD which allows all employees 4 hours each month to volunteer at an organization of their choosing. We also regularly create group volunteer outings where they can use their 4Ward hours. Inside our walls, we created wellness rooms as a place for employees to be able to take moments for themselves where it is quiet and out of the mix. This was especially important when we transitioned back to working in the office 3 days a week. In fact, even when we did return, we gave employees a very long runway to prepare themselves and their families for that change.
Marci will be speaking in Austin at the Wellbeing at Work Summit US which takes place in New York, Austin Texas and virtually. Further details on the Summit can be found here.
