Shannon Custard—the Global Competence Development Manager at Ingka Group—is responsible for leading their global learning organization consisting of over 177,000 workers across 30+ countries globally. As they began the transition from a competence-based to a skills-based organization, Shannon wanted to focus first and foremost on frontline populations. They believe that frontline population learning equity is important and often neglected. So they focused on solving the skills problems for the f...
Oct 25, 2023•49 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Megan Bickle is the Director of Culture, Employee Engagement and Employee Listening at Western Digital. In Megan’s experience, roles can be viewed as a collection of skills. Viewing roles this way allows organizations to be more responsive to the evolving needs of the business in terms of the skills needed for development and hiring. Megan believes that job architecture is essential to becoming a skills-based organization. Skills were a part of their overall integrated talent management strategy...
Oct 11, 2023•50 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast The world of skills is evolving rapidly thanks to technology and data which is why we are devoting yet another season to the skills odyssey. In these opening arguments, you’ll hear how we’ll shape the season, why we’re focusing on skills again, who you can expect to listen to, and what we are most looking forward to. Press play to start a new season of Workplace Stories. Connect With Red Thread Research Website: Red Thread Research On LinkedIn On Facebook On Twitter Subscribe to WORKPLACE STORIE...
Sep 27, 2023•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast The importance of creating skills-based organizations is no longer a theoretical discussion: it’s now a practical reality. To ensure that businesses reach their desired outcomes, it is necessary to ensure that their workforce has the skills needed to get the job done. Brian Richardson and Brian Hackett are deeply entrenched in helping business leaders discuss and develop the skills initiatives needed to improve their organizations’ metrics. In this in-the-weeds discussion, we learn from both Bri...
Sep 27, 2023•53 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Peter Tulumello is changing the culture at one of Canada’s largest grocery retailers. As a grocery chain, Sobeys has a large segment of frontline workers and with it, their own unique pain points. To understand the problems that the frontline faces, Peter recognized that he needed to get into the stores to understand frontline workers’ day-to-day roles. Listen to this interview to hear how Peter identified major problems and came up with valuable solutions. Connect with Peter Tulumello Peter on ...
Aug 23, 2023•47 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast What happens when a mechanical engineer tackles an L&D problem? A completely redesigned learning environment. On this episode of Workplace Stories, we interview General Mills’ Valerie Digman. Valerie describes how she helped solve a frontline training problem and improved efficiency by 5%. If you’re interested in improving efficiency and rethinking traditional training methods, you won’t want to miss this interview. Press play to learn from Valerie’s experience at General Mills. You will wan...
Aug 09, 2023•46 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast We’re all humans, so the needs of workers are similar across the board. John Brothers has learned this from his time as VP of Talent at Acuity. On today’s episode of Workplace Stories, John recounts his experience working through Acuity’s cultural and business mindset shift and how that has affected the frontline workforce and beyond. Connect with John Brothers John on LinkedIn Connect With Red Thread Research Website: Red Thread Research On LinkedIn On Facebook On Twitter Subscribe to WORKPLACE...
Jul 26, 2023•39 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Improving the employee experience starts with data. Rotana’s Andrew Wolhunter understands that and uses Rotana’s qualitative data to retain frontline workers in a competitive market. Andrew has an enthusiasm and infectious energy that he not only shares with his coworkers at Rotana, but he also shares this excitement with us on today’s episode. Listen in to learn how Andrew is using data to lead the change in the employee experience at Rotana. Connect with Andrew Wolhunter Andrew on LinkedIn Con...
Jul 12, 2023•53 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Frontline workers face unique challenges so organizations are making changes to empower them. On this season of Workplace Stories, we’re exploring the unique challenges and positive situations happening on the frontline. On this episode, we chat with Tabatha Cronin to learn how Cargill is supporting its massive frontline labor force. Listen in to learn how Cargill dug in to understand the motivations driving their employees. You won’t want to miss how this changed the way the company approached ...
Jun 28, 2023•49 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Frontline workers can have an outsized influence on the success of an organization. They are often the only interface our customers have with a brand. At RedThread Research, we have been diving into how to support frontline workers more holistically which is why this season we are focusing on the unique challenges that frontline workers face. We’ll also explore the changes organizations are making to empower them, as well as the good things happening on the frontline and how organizations can ad...
Jun 14, 2023•50 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to our ninth season! We are excited about these upcoming episodes. In this season, Stacia and I focus on the frontline by discussing frontline workers with thought leaders from many organizations across various industries. Frontline workers have typically been a part of the workforce that has been swept under the rug, but during the pandemic, they were thrust to the forefront of people’s minds. In this season, we’ll discuss how to define a frontline worker, how to lead them, how to ...
Jun 14, 2023•18 min•Transcript available on Metacast A lot has changed for managers and organizations over the last three years. So, what can be done to successfully navigate those changes so that managers can be successful and organizations can continue to thrive? The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is designing a new framework for their managers to help them better understand what they can be doing to intentionally lead their staff. This inspiring conversation with Paula Matthews from AAFP is a fantastic way to wrap up our Making Ma...
Apr 11, 2023•45 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Workplace Stories we talked to Moderna’s Noah Rabinowitz and Nkiruka Ogbuchiekwe. We explore ways that managers and other leaders can question conventionality by recognizing and thinking through false dichotomies. Listen in to hear how Moderna is building its systems by putting its company culture first and by constantly questioning traditional ways of doing things. Learn more End-of-Season Webinar Don't miss our season recap, where we will summarize key themes, share critical...
Mar 28, 2023•54 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast On this episode of Workplace Stories, Affirm’s Feedback and Development Lead, Kaitlyn Mathews, describes how her organization uses its data to drive changes within the company. Kaitlyn also touches on their delivery systems, the HR relationship with managers, using tech to strategize, and how she uses her role to help others realize their capabilities. Learn more End-of-Season Webinar Don't miss our season recap, where we will summarize key themes, share critical insights and anecdotes, and iden...
Mar 14, 2023•54 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast In this conversation, we speak to Sara Reed, Vice President of People and Talent at Western Governors University. We discuss what struck her about what senior leadership is doing to support managers within her organization, how building connections and community actually helps to support accountability, and why it is important to analyze the reasons that people choose to lead. Learn more End-of-Season Webinar Don't miss our season recap, where we will summarize key themes, share critical insight...
Feb 28, 2023•48 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Mary brings years of experience to Morningstar and on this episode of Workplace Stories, she explains how the manager and employee experiences are tied together. As you listen, you’ll be fascinated by the way that Morningstar conducted research to identify and define concrete sentiments that would improve the employee experience. Learn More End-of-Season Webinar Don't miss our season recap, where we will summarize key themes, share critical insights and anecdotes, and identify our questions on h...
Feb 14, 2023•44 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Clint Kofford, the Vice President of Talent with National Veterinary Associates, has a unique perspective on what it means to be a leader in today’s changing landscape. With extensive experience in numerous multinational companies, Clint is a thought leader in this space. His fascinating viewpoints caused us both to stop and think and even changed our minds about certain issues. Press play to hear what they are and to see if his views might broaden your perspective. Learn more End-of-Season Webi...
Jan 31, 2023•52 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast A scene-setter for our latest set of Workplace Stories—listen as we focus on what it actually means to be a manager in 2023. Learn more End-of-Season Webinar Don't miss our season recap, where we will summarize key themes, share critical insights and anecdotes, and identify our questions on how to make managing more manageable. Register today Resources & People Mentioned BOOK – Creating Meaningful Change by Clint Kofford Connect With Red Thread Research Website: Red Thread Research On Linked...
Jan 31, 2023•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Phil Willburn—our Season Sponsor Workday’s Vice President, People Analytics—makes a very welcome second appearance on ‘Workplace Stories,’ where he shares genuinely useful EX best practice. Does he have the definitive answer to our question, Evolution or Revolution? Listen to decide.
Dec 27, 2022•59 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Jessica Lee, SVP of Global Talent Development at Marriott International & The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center, shares her insights into how to create a consistent and supportive EX across the hotel giant’s 30-plus brands.
Dec 13, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast If Meta wants us all to work at least some of the time in a Metaverse, it probably wants to figure out what the right Employee Experience is to get there. Kelly Monahan's making sure that happens.
Nov 29, 2022•53 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Former Goldman CPO Dane Holmes wants to remind us all of a huge truth: processes may end—but people don’t (you don’t stop learning once you’ve completed your module). So why don’t we look at Employee Experience that way?
Nov 15, 2022•53 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast For Vice President of Learning and Leadership at Walmart Brandon Carson, the systems we put in place ARE the employee experience. And if we want to change that, we need to help not just the cognitive worker, but that often-neglected other constituency in the EX debate—their physical worker equivalents.
Nov 01, 2022•43 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast For leadership expert and author Ashley Goodall, we get the employee experience consistently wrong because we just don’t want to look at the way humans really are out-of-the-box. Is he right?
Oct 18, 2022•55 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast A scene-setter for our latest set of Workplace Stories—a deep dive into where we really are with EX right now.
Oct 18, 2022•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast With a unique combination of experience across the worlds of the military, non-profit, government and commercial sector, mobile health entrepreneur Michael Madon shares what years of trying to make connection happen in organizations has taught him.
Sep 27, 2022•51 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, CLO at online education leader Udemy Melissa Daimler—who recently published a new book on making workplace reconnection work, ‘ReCulturing’—sits down with Chris and Stacia to detail practical steps on making our new complex workplaces human once again.
Sep 27, 2022•54 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast It’s our special pleasure to share a conversation with renowned HR strategist Dave Ulrich around the importance of Connection and the practical steps leaders need to be making now to make it happen.
Sep 13, 2022•59 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast This week we sat down with Gretchen Murphy, CHRO of data center services specialist Service Express, to hear how only ever adding people who fit your culture but then constantly supporting them through conscious Reconnecting techniques really delivers.
Aug 30, 2022•50 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Based out of San Francisco, Airtable is a fast-growing software product company with a mission to democratize software creation. It says it’s doing that by enabling anyone to build the tools that meet their needs, but is that focus on openness and collaboration talk or walk? In this next debate on how to make reconnecting real, we find out from a great conversation with the company’s Global Talent Development Leader, Jessica Amortegui, who has a lot to say about walking the walk—from the way her...
Aug 16, 2022•52 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast 
