As the pandemic swept the globe and brought chaos to how employees worked, it also drove unprecedented HR transformation in many organizations. For financial services titan Synchrony, the successful transformation to a flexible hybrid work model hinged on several factors, particularly the rise of a new coaching culture.
In addition to connecting its more than 20,000 employees worldwide with coaching, Synchrony’s retooled HR strategy has also included eliminating annual performance reviews as HR prioritizes active listening, says DJ Casto, executive vice president and CHRO.
Related: What a strong coaching culture can do for trust, performance and resilience
Of course, the transformation to hybrid hasn’t been without bumps, Casto says, noting that the HR team is leaning into agility and continuous learning, along with employee coaching.
“We’ve tried to give ourselves a lot of grace as we’ve navigated this,” he says. “We’ve coined this [effort] the ‘Great Experiment’.”
The experiment is apparently going well, given Synchrony has remained on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list for six consecutive years. And this year, Glassdoor rated it among its 100 best companies to work for.
In this recent video interview, Casto spoke with HRE about what it has taken to lead the change to a flexible work model at Synchrony.
Related: Learn more about navigating transformation in uncertain times at HRE‘s upcoming Elevate People, Ignite Change (EPIC) Conference, April 24-26 in Las Vegas. Tony Martignetti, chief inspiration officer and founder of Inspired Purpose Partners, will present the keynote Staying Grounded in A Chaotic World: Harnessing Courage, Curiosity and Compassion to Navigate Through Uncertainty.
