Rooted in Violence: Wrestling With the Dark History of HR as We Work Towards a Brighter Future | Melissa Swift

Over the last century, the world of work has changed extensively. We’ve experienced growth in the service sector, increased participation of women and minorities, and the rise of automation and technology – yet, oddly enough, many HR practices haven’t evolved much or at all. Melissa Swift, the Transformation Leader for North America at the Mercer consulting firm, believes that it’s time to update HR to finally meet the demands of today’s workplace.

Melissa Swift is a recognized authority on humanistic workplace transformation and the author of Work Here Now: Think Like a Human and Build a Powerhouse Workplace. As the Transformation Leader for North America Mercer, she helps C-suite executives and organizations reinvent the employee experience, drive performance, and create a sustainable competitive advantage.

In this episode, Dart and Melissa discuss:
- Uncovering the dark history and roots of HR practices
- The evolution of traditional and agile HR models
- Work Here Now, by Melissa Swift
- The danger of excessive customer centricity
- Mapping customer journeys alongside employee journeys
- Research findings on what makes work pleasant or unpleasant
- The competing demands and complexities of the CPO role
- The impact of unrealistic expectations in the age of technology
- Pitfalls of a cost-centered approach to work
- And other topics…

Melissa Swift is a recognized authority on humanistic workplace transformation and the author of Work Here Now: Think Like a Human and Build a Powerhouse Workplace. She is the Transformation Leader for North America Mercer, an HR and wealth management consultancy that helps C-suite executives and organizations reinvent the employee experience, drive performance, and create a sustainable competitive advantage.

Across her diverse career, Melissa has founded a research institute on leadership of the future for Russell Reynolds Associates, launched two ESG practices at Deloitte, and conducted landmark carbon credit trades for Deutsche Bank. Her research has been published in Harvard Business Review and The Wall Street Journal, and her insights have been quoted in Newsweek, The Washington Post, The Economist, and more. She has also been featured as one of Twitter’s “20 Digital Transformation Leaders to Follow” and named a “Top Influencer on the Future of Work” by Onalytica.

Resources Mentioned:
Work Here Now, by Melissa Swift: https://www.amazon.com/Work-Here-Now-Powerhouse-Workplace/dp/B0BVX6J4V1
The No Asshole Rule, by Robert Sutton: https://www.amazon.com/The-No-Asshole-Rule-audiobook/dp/B000NOKBYS
Mapping Experiences, by James Kalbach: https://www.amazon.com/Mapping-Experiences-Complete-Alignment-Blueprints/dp/1492076635
The Anatomy of Genres, by John Truby: https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Genres-Story-Forms-Explain/dp/0374539227
Humanocracy, by Gary Hamel: https://www.amazon.com/Humanocracy-Creating-Organizations-Amazing-People/dp/B08F2RZ6VH

Connect with Melissa:
LinkedIn:

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.