In our Fall 2020 Newsletter, we talked broadly about celebrating diversity and the importance of building organizations that are open to new and different approaches to solving problems. Research shows that when teams are more diverse, innovation, collective intelligence, profitability, and long-term valuation rise. We want to follow up by sharing some practical ideas about how we find diversity candidates.

During December 2021, the Practice Leaders at FlemingMartin held virtual lunches with 70 Life Sciences, Tech, and Digital Health Chief People Officers (CPOs). We explored a wide range of topics, but much of our discussion time focused on leveraging the increased visibility of the People function, making investments in culture/communications/DEI, sharing tools and resources for delivering trainings and coaching, and addressing ‘The Great Resignation.’

During early Fall 2021, the Practice Leaders at FlemingMartin held virtual lunches with nearly 100 Life Sciences, Tech, Fintech, and Digital Health CPOs (Chief People Officers). We explored topics such as attrition, vaccination, returning to the office, human resources budget items, and “net promoter scores” for the Chief People Officer job itself. Selected excerpts from these discussions are below.

Even in normal times, recruiting exceptional talent to your company takes skill and effort. Currently, the market for top talent is fierce, and companies must stand out from the crowd to attract stellar executives. Candidates, like all people, want to feel important and valued, and your recruiting process must deliver that feeling. From the first outreach, through the interviews, and finally with the offer, each step of the hiring process shapes candidates’ impressions of your company.

During late May and early June 2021, the Practice Leaders at FlemingMartin held virtual lunches with 90 Life Sciences and Technology CHROs (Chief Human Resource Officers). We explored topics such as returning to site, vaccination policies, mentoring employees virtually, people-related concerns from Boards, and workplace political discussions...

FlemingMartin held our quarterly CHRO Lunch Series in March, bringing together 95 senior human resources executives from Life Sciences and Technology companies throughout California. Our guests spent considerable time sharing their thoughts and plans regarding Return to Work/Return to Office.

A large percentage of employees who have been working from home for the past year want to maintain some flexibility. Numerous companies are now planning for a shift to a hybrid approach to work (i.e., 2 days at home, 3 days in the office with hoteling/hot desking). Some Executive Teams have a strong desire to get everyone back into the office as soon as possible due to concerns about weakening culture...

When we started FlemingMartin in 2011, our goal was to build a firm focused on execution with relationships built on trust. We always love working with new companies, but our measure of success is largely based on how many existing clients come back to us.

Happy Holidays from the FlemingMartin Team... Here's to fewer Zoom calls and a brighter 2021!

On November 11th, the United States commemorates Veterans Day, honoring those who have served in the US Armed Forces. A friend recently reminded me of the words of Dr. Jefferson Wiggins regarding his service as a Black soldier serving in a segregated unit in World War II. After receiving recognition for helping liberate Europe from Nazi occupation, he explained “It (was) a group of people who believe in compassion and justice and bridge building that got us where we are.”

As companies and individuals continue to adapt to the COVID era, it seems that acceptance is a key component of moving forward. As a firm, we are seeing more of our clients acknowledge the dramatic changes to their business environment, which gives the certainty needed to plan for the future once again. A recent industry-wide survey of executive recruiting firms revealed that, despite devastating metrics in March and April, the number of “opened” or newly-started searches has significantly increased month-over-month from May onwards. The industry is not back to 2019 numbers, and that is perhaps not a realistic expectation, but the steady buildup in activity is a good sign.