Design Thinking and Employee Experience: Creating a Competitive Advantage

About the Guest(s):

Jon Brickner is a prominent figure with over 17 years of strategic Human Resources experience. As a forward-thinking leader, he currently leads the employee experience design practice at Steelcase, where he intricately melds his HR background with the flair of design thinking. Jon's broad career spans various industries, and his talent is in bringing humanity and engineering together to enhance businesses and the experience of their people. He has an educational background from Case Western Reserve University and carries the initial dream of one day experiencing life as a Disney Imagineer.

Episode Summary:

In this engaging episode, host Jeff Lacy delves into the impactful world of employee experience alongside guest Jon Brickner from Steelcase. The discussion unravels why employee experiences are vital and how they can substantially drive business growth. Prepare for an insight-packed journey through the lens of a seasoned HR strategist and employee experience innovator.

Jon and Jeff unfold the significance of employee experience in today's talent-driven market, emphasizing its crucial role in distinguishing businesses. Their dialogue explores the essence of design thinking, its embodiment in workplace challenges, and the ways it seamlessly integrates personal desires, technological possibilities, and business benefits. The episode encapsulates Jon's experienced approach to HR, shifting towards a user-centric model that values employee feedback and innovation.

Key Takeaways:

Talent is a fully renewable resource; investing in upskilling and reskilling pays off in retention and growth.

Employee engagement can be greatly elevated by focusing on the moments that matter, thus impacting business success.

Prototyping, testing, and scaling ideas are fundamental in HR for driving positive change within an organization.

The concept of design thinking should be a critical skill in modern HR, focusing on empathy and problem-solving for better results.

Creating a culture that encourages employee input and clearing the path for them to innovate can lead to breakthrough ideas for the business.

Notable Quotes:

"An ounce of retention is worth a pound of recruiting."

"Talent is truly your own, one of the few fully renewable resources that we have."

"HR is something that should happen with people, not to them."

"The best ideas are simple… If you don't have a culture of prototyping, testing, and scaling, then you need to get there."

"Understanding which things matter to your people…is key."

Resources:

Book Recommendation: "The Power of Moments" by Chip and Dan Heath