Gillian McKenna has always focused on people. She has spent her entire career as chief people officer of Generation, an international nonprofit that tackles unemployment through job placements and skills.
Gillian is based in Glasgow, and she leads a global, fully-remote HR team. Her approach blends tech-savvy with a deep knowledge of what makes people flourish. In this edition, Gillian talks about how to balance wellbeing and performance, lead in times when rapid change is occurring, and why meaningful work always involves people, not processes.
In what ways does Generation’s mission of supporting economic mobility affect your approach to human resource management, especially in cultivating a culture that reflects those values?
Our belief that employment can change lives is the driving force behind everything we do at Generation. Our values are clear and consistent. We believe that we can go further together by solving problems, improving our best, supporting and empowering each other, and being transparent.
Our values and culture are designed to create a culture that is inclusive, supportive and encourages everyone to be their best. It means providing many learning opportunities to colleagues, encouraging personal growth and making everyone feel valued and heard. Our HR frameworks are aligned with our values to create an environment where everyone can benefit and contribute from our collective success.
What innovative recruitment strategies would Generation recommend in a talent-rich landscape to attract and retain talent that is committed to making a social impact?
We are proud of the talent and dedication of our colleagues. It is a blessing that we have experienced low turnover over the past few years. The global team is spread across 21 countries and 100% remote… We aim to retain talent by opening up all vacant positions to our internal colleagues.
When we hire externally, we also look for candidates who are aligned with our mission and values. We are fortunate to have an economic mobility mission that is very compelling. This mission attracts talent who want to be part of a high-performing, impactful team and believe in the mission.
Mental health affects our thoughts, feelings and behaviour. It’s therefore important that we all promote our own wellbeing and that of others.
In light of global challenges for DEI, what is Generations’ view on the role diversity and inclusion plays in organisational cultures and practices?
We are inspired by the 130,000+ Generation alumni who have successfully transitioned into their new workplaces, and 87% of our employers want to hire Generation graduates once again.
We want to create a culture of inclusion and equity for all our colleagues in our 21 countries. This will allow us all to thrive and achieve our mission. Our focus has always been on this.
It is difficult to manage a remote team, but it can have many benefits. We engage with our Generation employee group on how we can foster and build community. We regularly measure employee satisfaction via pulse tools so that we can address challenges and create opportunities, as well as strengthening our employee value proposition.
AI and digital technology are transforming the workplace. How is Generation preparing their workforce to adapt these changes both internally and in the communities they serve?
We are proactive in preparing both our employees and learners for the new world of work at the age of AI. We place a lot of emphasis on digital literacy, and the use of AI tools. We ensure that our internal team is equipped with the AI tools and training to remain competitive, and adopts technology in a way that advances our work.
We equip our graduates and learners with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in an AI-driven market. These changes are happening across all sectors and professions. We are making sure that graduates in green jobs, healthcare and customer service, as well as skilled trades and skilled crafts, are equipped with AI skills.
With the growing focus on employee well-being, what can Generation do to prevent burnout among its staff and promote a healthy balance between work and life?
Our employees’ health and well-being is our top priority. Healthy and engaged employees help us achieve our mission. We know that working in an environment where you are remote, globally based and have to move quickly can be difficult. We provide resources for our colleagues to maintain their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. There is an Employee Assistance Program and access to a Mindfulness App. We also have a clear and defined approach to wellbeing, with defined responsibilities and expectations for our organization, managers and colleagues.
Mental health affects our thoughts, feelings and behaviour. It’s therefore important that we all promote our wellbeing and the wellbeing of others. We are committed to creating a space of safety by raising awareness about mental health and normalising the conversation. This will be achieved by encouraging colleagues to take positive actions to improve their wellbeing.
How does Generation manage the shift to remote and hybrid working models? What strategies have been effective in maintaining productivity, engagement and motivation?
We are a 100%-remote organisation and, thankfully, we haven’t had to deal with the challenges that come along with hybrid or return to office mandates. We maintain positive employee engagement scores, and we experience low levels attrition. This further highlights the value and benefits of our 100% remotely-based set-up.
How does Generation develop strong leaders that can help the organisation achieve its mission?
We at Generation are committed to developing strong leaders. No matter what role you play, we encourage you to be a leader. We provide opportunities for leadership development through cross-departmental work, secondments, and other initiatives.
Our global team is launching the Generation Leadership Development Model. We have provided training in coaching skills to all. Our LEAD model is based on four key domains: leverage teamwork, empower others, achieve success and drive the future. This model helps colleagues to understand the different leadership requirements for various career stages. We want to develop leaders who are prepared for their future roles, and who are deeply committed to the mission and values of our organization.
How does Generation ensure that employees are able to perform their jobs effectively and efficiently?
Generation’s learning and development program provides colleagues with platforms for learning to help them achieve their goals in terms of learning new skills and gaining experiences.
We have introduced gigs and secondaryments as a way to give colleagues the opportunity to expand their knowledge and experiences. These initiatives have been successful. We’ve also launched AI training to all our colleagues in order to keep them up-to-date with the changing AI landscape.
Our employment programs take a similar long-term view. Our graduates not only master the technical skills required for a particular role or profession, but also the mindsets and behavioural skills that will allow them to navigate the changes in their roles as well as progress along the lifelong learning journey. It works. By five years after the program, 63% employed alumni had progressed into non-entry-level roles.
The pace of change is incredible in the workplace. The HR profession must be and remain more data-driven and efficient, with a technology-focused approach.
As the population ages and retires later and later, what would you suggest to address the needs and expectations of multigenerational workers in order to promote collaboration and inclusivity.
We are proud of our multigenerational team. We’re proud of our multigenerational workforce.
We want to make the most of this shift in workforce demographics, which will see a larger percentage of workers aged over 45. This is an opportunity to retain and attract a diverse workforce from different generations and age groups.
We provide remote working, flexibility, and a place where everyone can learn from the unique perspectives and experiences of others, no matter what stage they are in their lives. Promoting inclusivity and harnessing the strengths of each colleague is key to meeting the needs of multigenerational employees.
How does Generation, a nonprofit organization, design its compensation and benefits packages to retain and attract talent?
We will introduce a transparent philosophy of compensation and benefits in 2023 for our global team. We wanted something that was fair, straightforward and competitive. We shared clear information on salaries and market position to ensure everyone understood what compensation meant.
When possible, we check benchmarks every 3 years. We guarantee fair base salaries, based on the market, location and level, and using a mixture of non-profit and multi-sector standards.
Our approach is more inclusive because we have also established minimum leave thresholds and increased benefits in many countries. This ensures that everyone receives fair time off to attend personal or family events.
What HR practices have you changed to reflect team feedback?
Our internal and external programs are based on data. The Generation Global HR team makes sure we are constantly evaluating and evolving our people frameworks in response to feedback.
We analyze the feedback we receive from our regular employee surveys on satisfaction and well-being, our stay interviews, and our Generation global working group of employees to make sure our initiatives add value and further our mission.
We embrace AI, automation and technological transformation to continuously improve the quality of our service.
What is the biggest HR challenge and opportunity right now? How are you dealing with it?
The biggest HR challenges that Generation faces are the same as those we face with our employers and graduates: adapting the changing technological, economic and political landscape.
In our remote setup, it will be important to show agility and the ability to pivot when needed. We must also maintain connection, community, and employee engagement. We will continue to encourage continuous learning and professional growth, and will maintain our focus on evaluating and continuously improving all of our initiatives for people, in order to create a supportive, inclusive work environment.
These efforts will address future challenges, help us grow, improve our offerings and navigate an evolving HR landscape.
How do you envision HR developing over the next five-year period?
This question would have been easier to answer a few years ago. I am more interested in how HR will look in five months or 15 years. The pace of change is incredible in the workplace. The HR profession must be and remain more data-driven and efficient, with a technology-focused approach.
HR professionals must be agile and add value by collaborating with CEOs/executive team members and adapting and keeping up with the latest trends and technologies.
