Aashna Sinha

The current scrutiny of DEIB efforts presents an opportunity to move beyond performative actions. By centering employee well-being and psychological safety in inclusion and diversity strategies, organizations can build trust, address existing anxieties, and ultimately achieve a more sustainable and impactful form of inclusion. Inclusion and diversity initiatives currently need a way to prioritize metrics that measure not just diversity numbers, but also employee experience and belonging to lead to a more holistic approach that creates equitable workplaces. #DEIB #DEI #Diversity #inclusionanddiversity #belonging

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Want to be featured on our podcast? I'm interviewing Alim A. Dhanji, the chief people officer at Equinox, next week. He’s had a remarkable 25-year journey crafting diverse, high-performance teams that deliver stellar results. Before his time at Equinox, he led as president of adidas Canada, guiding business strategy across multiple channels. Do you have questions you would like to ask during the show? For example: -How do you nurture a thriving workplace culture? -What are the most effective strategies for driving performance? -How do you get your people to care about work? Submit your questions here: https://lnkd.in/eVMrazhd This is a fantastic opportunity to make your voice heard and gain insights from a seasoned leader in the industry. Feel free to jot down your queries in the comments below. #cultureleaders #podcast #qna #culturekeynote

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#HR friends - The Circle by Founders Circle Capital is a great leadership community, connecting growth stage execs with frequent high-quality content, thought partnership, networking, and more - I am honored to be on the upcoming #IPO panel and encourage you to check it out and consider becoming a member! #leadership #humanresources #thoughtleadership #iporeadiness #strategy #execution Emtrain

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Turnarounds are so incredibly challenging. Success requires: 1) deeply understanding the market and true range of outcomes, 2) great strategy / decision making and 3) execution. Investor disappointment often comes from unrealistic expectations re: market demand. Management must be intellectually honest...and have the courage to explain what is...and the so what. And sooner and simpler is better. #peloton #turnarounds #valuecreation #alpha #strategy #wsj

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In the world of entrepreneurship, we often hear about the importance of revenue, growth metrics, and market penetration. But how often do we focus on the joy our work brings, not just to us but also to those we serve? Lynn Rachel Rose , a visionary in the jewelry design industry, has built her business on a foundational principle that seems as simple as it is revolutionary: joy. Lynn's approach serves as a poignant reminder of why many venture into the world of self-made business in the first place: to follow passions and create something meaningful that brings happiness to ourselves and others. Listen to the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/gwRDTwHB Or Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gG9ViGRw How do you incorporate joy and fulfillment into your professional endeavors? Do you find that focusing on these aspects influences your success and well-being in the business world? 💡 #podcast #businessandwellness #newpodcast #thedeanslistpodcast

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Workplace skills are becoming obsolete faster than ever before -- 71% of workers desire more opportunities to update their skills and 80% want to see companies invest more in upskilling and reskilling. Now, more than ever, learning agility is an essential workplace skill. This means that for both organizations and people it's important to be adaptable to change and stay current by refreshing old skills and learning new ones. This is a core tenet behind the CLO-LIFT movement: we must rethink and reframe corporate L&D to meet this moment of rapid change and make work more personal and meaningful. I encourage you to read our first position paper (1 of 3) on how to accelerate the critical skills needed to succeed in this brittle and volatile world. Won't you join us? #CLOLIFT

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For any Talent Leader looking to truly optimize their contingent workforce as part of their overall Talent Strategy.

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Tough news for a beloved brand - As a fitness enthusiast and a lover of biking and spin classes, this bike saved me during the pandemic. Peloton's rise in the fitness and wellness industry was propelled by its innovative blend of technology and exercise, offering people immersive at-home workout experiences. The company capitalized on the growing demand for convenient and effective workout programs, attracting a dedicated user base willing to invest in its products and services. Peloton Interactive had a rapid expansion that led to challenges, including backlash over its pricing model and some controversies surrounding its advertising campaigns. Despite its setbacks, Peloton retains a loyal following and community - there is opportunity and the potential to reinvent itself - these are tough times and it will be critical for them to have the right team in place to do so. Some thoughts on what they do well: 1. Engaging Content: Peloton provides a diverse range of on-demand and live classes across various fitness disciplines, including cycling, running, strength training, yoga, and meditation. 2. Community Building: Peloton fosters a strong sense of community among its users through its social features, including virtual high-fives, leaderboards, and group challenges. 3. Convenience and Accessibility: Offers on-demand workouts and live classes that can be accessed anytime, anywhere. 4. Brand Loyalty: Peloton has built a loyal and dedicated fan base who are passionate about its products and services. Will be cheering them on as a supporter and community member - Play to your strengths. #innovation #reinvention #business #leadership #health #fitness #playtostrengths https://lnkd.in/gaSsUJua

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Join me in wishing Joanna Bloor the happiest of birthdays! What better present than being featured in the Wall Street Journal for her trendsetting style – "Executive Women are Wearing Sequins to Work." Joanna, a career futurist, adventurer, and aspiring fairy godmother, continues to inspire us all. Cheers to you on your special day! 🎉🎂 See the article below in the comments!

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Happy Friday and for those of you in the US happy unofficial start to summer! Loni J. Sabo (HR leader extraordinary) recommended Marc Effron, a thought leader in HR and President of Talent Strategy Group, for me to read and follow and it was a great recommendation! He provides honest, helpful, meaningful and a little skeptical ideas on HR and Leadership(good research too)! I am sure I will be sharing more of his articles in the future. This week I am sharing his 2024 HR global census and it is an interesting read. The long and short of the survey is that the HR team is engaged and willing to go the extra mile, but struggle as "they rate their ability to influence and their business knowledge as their two worst capabilities. They have many HR experiences but not enough in the areas most critical to organizations’ future success, according to their self-assessments." Key findings: 1. People Before Business: HR teams in the balance between employees and business lean towards the employee. The believe by business is HR is not keenly interested in the business is borne out by this survey 2. Re-balancing work and life as HR dials back, but varies by role and geography. The stress level of HR since 2019 has declined. Interestingly since 2019 the willingness to sacrifice significantly in other areas of my life has dropped 8%, but those who are 100% in office are 10% more likely to sacrifice than those who are virtual (will this change reverse if and when the economic tide turns or when we settle into the new normal? How might this trend affect career growth?) 3. HR is pretty engaged, but not surprisingly by role, geo, gender and level it varies. 4. The survey asked HR to name their strengths and weaknesses in terms of experience and capability. HR did well in traditional areas such as talent management, HR strategy, and talent acquisition, but weak in Talent Analytics, DEI, workforce planning, knowing the business deeply and while they do build strong relationships lack the ability to influence (these are self-ratings) 5. Tempered Ambitions with only 4 in 10 HR leaders wanting to be CHRO and only 3% wanting to be CEO. CHRO, and no surprise here, are more profit focused and work more hours than the rest of HR. A few thoughts and I would love to hear yours: many employee surveys, leadership books and articles discuss the importance of investing in your people to retain them through learning opportunities, coaching, mentoring etc. How can HR and leaders align to make this a priority while HR shows its understanding of the business. Many of the HR areas for growth are newer to HR like DEIB, talent analytics etc. I believe with time the HR teams will grow competency in these areas. I think Gen Z has seen the great recession, pandemic and have a believe in the brand of me and value a work/life balance. I wonder as they mature will these change? What are your thoughts?

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Interesting article in the WSJ revealing the negative impact of remote work, isolation and loneliness. The disconnection increases turnover and less connectivity between co-workers. Days in office are more likely spent dashing from back-to-back meetings and less time exchanging any personal/de-stressing "small talk". Relationship building in a business setting is important for growth, friendship and connectivity. #Hybridwork#WorkinIsolation#SolomonPageFashion&Beauty #SueLamoreaux

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I work in fashion. I run marathons. As a runner, this piece bothers me because it presents a performative side of marathon running that for me feels at best peripheral. Yes, there are celebrities and elites at the big races. But, running is a different culture than fashion. For the big marathons, it has always been “race week” or “race weekend.” Outside of the now random list of vendors at race expos (now including hair styling tool demos), race week doesn’t exactly feel like a “fashion week.” The Abbott World Marathon Majors have always had more pomp and circumstance due to more funding and thus more press. The running community shows up in hordes for the big marathons. Many people dress up (especially for Disney races); many people do not. There are many people who run towards serious personal fitness goals; others run to raise money for a cause; and others run for the sheer joy of it. For the most part, the running community is friendly, tightly knit, and fiercely loyal. That said, there are major problems to be solved, particularly on the diversity and inclusion side. To me, presenting marathon race week like the spectacle of a fashion week misconstrues the “why we do it” side of running. https://lnkd.in/eApC7qdN #running #athletics #fitness #sports #branding #marketing hi

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Talent acquisition leaders are largely left out of their company’s strategic planning process, and many feel they operate as “order takers” according to findings in our new ‘Talent Acquisition at a Crossroads’ report with The Josh Bersin Company. Companies are cutting their TA spend, and at the same time, CEOs feel that skills shortages are getting worse. Moving from transaction to strategy is now critical for business success. In his latest blog, Josh Bersin discusses the latest Talent Climate research. #Talent #TalentAcquisition #HumanResources #HR #Recruitment #Staffing #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Tech #Technology #TalentClimate

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Inspiration and humanity in leadership are crucial, and few embody these qualities better than the women featured on the Dare to Lead podcast. In the latest episode, Brené Brown and Lisa Gevelber dive deep into bridging the digital divide, ensuring more people have access to technology, and understanding the concept of "human in the loop" in AI. Their conversation sheds light on the remarkable ways teachers, business owners, and everyday individuals are leveraging AI to make a difference. This episode underscores the importance of inclusive technology and the power of human-centric leadership. If you're seeking to be inspired by leaders who blend innovation with empathy, this episode is a must-listen. These are the kinds of discussions that can transform our approach to leadership and drive meaningful change. Listen to the episode and join the conversation on how we can all work towards a more connected and humanized future. https://lnkd.in/e7WNDxyJ

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Having co-authored the first real deep-dive into what #DEI really looked like in the fashion industry back in 2021, I was thrilled to be asked by Auriane Tang-Subtil on her Golden Impact podcast to speak about what has happened since. The succinct answer is probably two steps forward, one step back. We recorded this conversation back in November last year and even since that time, I have seen a lot of revert-to-type thinking creeping back in. Clearly many fashion, retail and consumer brands are having a torrid time with declining sales and EBITDA. This landscape has seen many companies reverting to the conventional hiring wisdom of the ‘best’ candidate for the job being an individual who is succeeding in the same job, within a rival brand, at a similar scale. In essence saying, a lower-risk hire will simply cut and paste a competitor’s strategy into our business. But this blinkered thinking stunts innovation and courageous leadership which I feel is what we fundamentally need at the moment. Post-pandemic, there had been a groundswell of driving diversity of thought and ensuring that boards looked like, and represented the consumers they served. This cannot falter. We’ve also seen CEO and executive hires made by brands who were simply set up to fail from the start. Poor internal structure, false confirmation of funding or turnaround timelines which are suddenly halved. More often than not, these positions have been taken by women or POC wanting land their first-time CEO role and who’s career become tarnished from this supposed failure, setting back the DEI agenda further. The glass cliff is a thing, and it is real. Headhunters have a real responsibility here. Increasingly here at DHR Global we work with companies to optimise their organisational design before beginning any search. By conducting quantifiable analysis into existing talent, structure and culture, then benchmarking the results against the best-in-class brands, we can truly define the neccessary criteria of a new leader, based upon the objectives of the business. The search then focuses on what a leader can deliver and not just which brands they’ve worked for. The executive search industry has a real part to play in driving more equitable and transparent hiring. Be a consultative partner and intelligently push back on cookie-cutter hiring as it will not help your client in the long term. The momentum that began to build post George Floyd cannot be wasted as it is a chance to unlock real value that companies cannot keep ignoring. Listen now: 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eHrJjCch 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/ePaxMRpX DHR Global #diversity #leadershipconsulting

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I had been craving to go back to school since finishing my Org Psychology studies a few years back, which helped me grow tremendously, both personally and professionally in understanding the whys behind human behaviours better. Value of that program was not about factual knowledge but about opening up my mind and making me question few fundamentals that I had unknowingly held dearly. A new chapter of "unlearning" and learning starts again and I’m extremely excited to join the upcoming cohort of the Wharton Executive Education CHRO Program where I will exchange perspectives on compelling HR strategies that can drive change in global organizations. #HumanResources #CHRO #WhartonCHRO Start date: March 27, 2024

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I have long grappled with "Top XX" lists. As many of you know, we don't do a Magic Quadrant or Wave or any other such thing when writing about vendors. This is because we believe that each vendor has strengths and weaknesses and that the needs of customers are far more complex than a simple "up and to the right" graphic can explain. There's a shoe for every foot, so to speak. Given that, it always feels a little funny to find myself on these types of lists. All of us are more than whatever that particular list is highlighting. It also feels funny when I am on List X, and most everyone else who was on List X is also on List Y, but I am not on List Y. I cannot stop my brain from turning... Who did I offend? Who do I not know? Should I get to know them better? Should I be more provocative, less "no BS"? Etc. Etc. Etc. So, I've decided to think about these lists in a different way. Anyone who ever puts me -- or anyone else -- on a list of being a "Top X" is simply seeing the work that we are putting in to do something good. They see the years of sustained effort. They value what we are doing. And, particularly in a space where there isn't a lot of outside commendation, that is something to be grateful for. But, it is critical to point out that if you (or I) are NOT on a list for "Top X," it says nothing about the work we are doing. Lists are a reflection of what others see, value, or understand about your work, intersecting with whatever message they are trying to put out. And that is OK. It doesn't say anything about the work itself. And it certainly doesn't say anything about the person. So, with that said, thank you to the team at Human Resource Executive for seeing and valuing the work that I, Dani Johnson, and, by extension, our RedThread Research team, are doing to make our working worlds a bit better. We so appreciate the recognition. In particular, thank you to Elizabeth Clarke, Rebecca McKenna, and Steve Boese. Further, congratulations to the others who were recognized for the work you are doing. We see and value you, too, and are grateful to call you colleagues in this effort to improve our corner of the world. And for those of you who are reading this, be sure to reach out to these folks, and make sure they feel seen too. I promise they will appreciate it. Jeanne Achille Gretchen Alarcon Jason Averbook Josh Bersin Maria Black John Boudreau Yvette Cameron Jason Cerrato Zachary Chertok Mervyn Dinnen Kris Dunn Alexis Fink Ashutosh Garg Steve Goldberg Brian Hackett Ron Hanscome Stacey Harris Ravin Jesuthasan, CFA, FRSA Donald Knight George LaRocque Kyle Lagunas Madeline Laurano Chris Leone Anita Lettink Melanie Lougee Kevin Martin, Donna Morris Eric Mosley, Holger Mueller Kevin Oakes David Ossip Thomas Otter Seth Patton Richard Rosenow (more in the comments -- hit the limit!)

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I had the honor of speaking at the AILA GMS Conference in Chicago, where I joined an incredible panel of experts to discuss the global competition for tech talent. Moderated by Jessica Jensen from Canada, and featuring insights from Brendan Coggan (USA), Helle Holm Thomsen (Denmark), and Mahrukh Umrigar (India), we explored which countries are leading the way in attracting and retaining foreign tech workers. Our panel addressed crucial questions about immigration options, tech-specific work authorizations, and the challenges tech workers face when exiting jurisdictions. We also discussed accelerated pathways for employers and the processes involved in obtaining work permits and permanent residency. Representing Brazil, I highlighted the country's ambitious plans, including a $60 billion investment in the tech sector aimed at bolstering national sovereignty. This investment targets biotechnology, chip development, and advanced systems. Additionally, Brazil is fostering innovation through $30k investments in tech startups and initiatives to transfer critical know-how in the sector. It was a fantastic opportunity to understand how different countries are positioning themselves in the global tech industry and to share Brazil's vision for the future. The tech sector's importance to the global economy cannot be overstated, and it's inspiring to see such a dynamic exchange of ideas and strategies. Mission accomplished! ✅ #AILAGMS #TechTalent #Immigration #GlobalTech #Brazil #Innovation

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