How Leaders Are Solving The Talent Crisis

Plus: Meet The World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies 2021

Welcome to another edition of CxO.

A lot of leaders are wondering how to structure the optimal hybrid work arrangement to maximize workers’ well-being and productivity. For Humu cofounder and CEO Laszlo Bock, it’s one and a half to two days per week of remote work and three days in the office. The former SVP of people operations at Google told Forbes Senior Editor Jena McGregor that his research suggests that arrangement gives people the right balance between having the heads-down time to get things done at home and the need to develop the relationships and social cohesion that come from being in an office. (For more insights on managing talent from Bock and other leaders, check out a recap of the Forbes CHRO Forward Summit  held on November 3.)

The talent challenge is complex. On the hiring front, companies from Amazon to Macy’s are offering bonuses, tuition breaks and other perks to get people on board. Employers are investing more in robotics to replace human labor. Recent examples include Robotruck startup Gatik using autonomous trucks to make deliveries for Walmart and enthusiasm for Aurora’s IPO.  Farmers are using robots to kill 100,000 weeds an hour. While the new infrastructure bill is being hailed as a way to create high-quality jobs, I wonder if modernization will lead to more automation. In a time of labor shortages, perceptions are bound to change. The robots that were once coming to steal jobs are now being hailed as a solution to supply-chain disruptions and other woes.

The biggest challenge for many employers is not hiring people but keeping them. As McGregor reports, firms are shaking up benefits to stop people from quitting. Forward-thinking employers are also doubling down on creating opportunities to train and promote people. Post-pandemic workers need to refresh their skills and upgrade amid a rapidly changing landscape. One intriguing way to do it, courtesy of the learning experts at McKinsey,  is to revive the lost art of apprenticeship. I’m especially interested in the cognitive-apprenticeship framework that helps create an on the job environment for one-on-one learning.

We’re keeping an eye out for the most innovative and thought-provoking solutions to the talent crunch, while continuing to track what’s really going on. Another thing we’re watching is the ongoing saga of Facebook or, rather, Meta. Check out Marty Swant’s interview with CMO Alex Schultz on the rebranding.

Meanwhile, people continue to seek alternatives to social media sites that monetize personal data and raise concerns about privacy. One of the more intriguing moves comes from Sapien.Network, which aims to create a digital ecosystem that protects privacy and fosters community through NFT passports, tokens and blockchain. Confusing? Maybe. But their clarion call that a Mark Zuckerberg-controlled metaverse is a dystopia that must be resisted seems to be getting traction. We’ll no doubt see more innovation on that front to come. A Zuckerberg-controlled metaverse is a dystopia that we must resist.

Here’s my colleague, Christian Kreznar, with more news you might have missed. Have a great week.

Diane

Comings & Goings

Nat Friedman has announced that he will be stepping down as GitHub’s CEO. He’s set to be replaced by the software developer’s recently hired chief product officer, Thomas Dohmke. Friedman has run the company since it was acquired by Microsoft for $7.5 billion in 2018. Despite the acquisition, Friedman was able to maintain the company’s independent profile.

At GM, CIO Randy Mott has announced that he’ll retire following a transition period. Mott’s 10-year tenure saw GM build out its internal IT teams and develop sophisticated data analytics programs.

Leadership & Strategy

Zhang Ruimin, the longtime CEO of Haier, has opted out of selecting the company’s next batch of directors as he prepares to retire. The move is consistent with the managerial philosophy he’s developed at Haier over the past three decades, known as RenDanHeYi, which stresses the entrepreneurial and leadership potential of all its employees.

The slowdown in Covid-19 vaccinations and uptick in hospitalizations associated with the delta variant has many organizations scrapping their plans to return to the office. If your organization is looking to safely return to in-person work, these five strategies will be key.

As world leaders continue to strategize at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, employers would be well-advised to evaluate their companies’ environmental impact. Sustainability isn’t just for do-gooders—it can make or break employee retention. Here’s where you should focus your efforts.

Curious about the rationale behind Facebook’s decision to rebrand as Meta? Check out Marty Swant’s interview with CMO Alex Schultz.

By The Numbers

100,000

Teslas ordered by Hertz for its rental fleet.

Just over a year after the pandemic dragged Hertz into Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the car renter is riding a stock market high driven by enthusiastic retail investors. Befitting a “meme stock,” the company has struck a deal with the king of meme stocks, Tesla, to the tune of $4.2 billion.

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