Sitting in our boardroom on the 40th floor in the Century Plaza Towers, one of the most iconic corporate real estate locations in Los Angeles, I vividly remember staring out at the majestic skyline views mustering up the courage needed to push for the most unpopular solution imaginable, “Send all of our employees home to work remotely…. indefinitely.”
I could feel the weight of our senior leadership team’s concern for the well-being of our people and the viability of our business as we wondered how to navigate the enormity of challenges ahead. Different than any other “boardroom agenda,” there was palpable, personal concern for the health and safety of our own families and communities.
My strength, in that moment, came from the well-established bond we held as a leadership team. I knew I had the support needed to put my credibility on the line to do what was right for our people. Our executive team stood by me 1000%. That moment said more about our Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) culture, values, and ability to succeed as a cohesive team than any financial metric.
Most of us can intimately relate to the roller coaster of 2020/2021: the deep despair, the glimmers of light, and moments of sheer perseverance that will mark our generation for decades.
I’ve spent my discretionary time during COVID voraciously reading articles/case studies, dissecting sample workplace plans, avidly talking to our employees, and connecting broadly with a diverse spectrum of Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)communities.
Insights gathered from this quest include 3 key predictions for the future of work:
1. Flexibility is the ultimate employee benefit and will drive the employee experience — Exceptional employee experiences will be formed by a balance of highly personalized and customized ‘moments that matter’ and a consistent experience perceived as equitable and aligned to business needs. Employees want both flexibility and collaboration along with autonomy and direction. At URW, this is at the core of how we will Reinvent Being Together in the workplace. How we blend these needs, find “win-wins”, and ultimately maximize flexibility will be key to success.
2. Diversity will outperform all — As we embarked on an unprecedented journey, we laid the path with each step. There was no guide, no way to revert back to prior success. URW’s US COO, Dominic Lowe, pushed us to be authentic, ensure that we include by bringing people along, and “listen to be wrong”. This requires engagement with individuals with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Organizations with inclusive cultures are: 2X as likely to meet or exceed financial targets, 3X as likely to be high-performing, 6X more likely to be innovative and agile, and 8X more likely to achieve better business outcomes. This will continue to amplify and only organizations embracing diversity and inclusion will thrive.
3. Agility and innovation will materialize as superpowers — The terrific news is that we are better positioned than ever before to succeed! COVID rapidly accelerated our ability to be agile and innovate. Our employees have learned to innovate continually and have crafted their work to meet the unique opportunities and challenges of the pandemic. We are all now better equipped to contribute in radically different ways, and know that meaningful change can happen at lightning speed with the right mindset and conditions. It will be up to senior leadership teams, along with HR, to unlock and harness these newfound strengths.
Today, as I sit with URW’s leadership team in our Century City boardroom, the view overlooking the L.A. horizon is different. There is renewed optimism as we start welcoming employees back to the workplace. A sense that we have come so far on this journey. And a realization that living into our company vision—Reinvent Being Together—is what enabled us to succeed this past year, and it’s what will continue to drive our success in the future.
Christi Karandikar is executive vice president of human resources for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.
Return to Awards Program Main Page
