During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions more people than ever before began working almost exclusively from home. Now, in the pandemic's aftermath, many employees continue to work remotely several days a week while employers struggle to find ways to entice them back into the office.

This emerging hybrid work model is challenging managers to set realistic policies and invest in technology that ensures remote work is engaging, productive and secure. It also introduces new issues in employee onboarding and training, especially for young workers who never had the experience of working in a corporate office.

In this podcast, Steve Lovig, senior HR consultant at Flex HR, an HR outsourcing provider, shares his advice for making hybrid work a positive experience for both employees and employers.

Based in the Atlanta area, Lovig, nicknamed, "Captain HR," has more than 25 years of experience in human capital management. He started his career as an HR specialist at GE Capital, when he had a side gig as a disc jockey, and soon began a series of jobs in senior HR leadership and consulting. He started the HR function at Kaplan, the educational services company, and later was HR director at Homestar Financial Corp. until July 2023, when he joined Flex HR. He continues to maintain his own consultancy.

Other topics discussed in the podcast include:

• how to transmit the corporate culture when so many employees work remotely
• ways to help people feel valued, engaged and motivated
• the optimal mix of remote and on-site work
• what organizations should do to ensure responsible use of AI

Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget

In recent years, HR leaders have strived to use information technology not just to digitize HR processes, but to democratize HR technology, transforming it into a tool every employee can use for personal and professional development. Some practitioners go a big step further by redesigning digital systems with the express goal of improving the overall employee experience.

In this podcast, Kellie Romack, senior vice president of digital technology experience at ServiceNow, explains why she believes IT can be a tool for creating joy and simplicity in the workplace. The idea is to build a system that actively engages with employees and serves as a front door to the enterprise applications they need to do their jobs. "We have to get rid of the swivel chair," she says.

The result is more than just an old-school employee portal but a highly automated, responsive system that emphasizes action over navigation and is personalized for specific roles. She details the system deployed inside ServiceNow, which makes a cloud platform for managing IT and business workflows.

Romack previously held executive IT positions at Hilton and Walmart, where she was a ServiceNow customer leading similar efforts to improve the digital experience for both customers and employees.

Other topics discussed in the podcast include:

* the role of generative AI in improving the employee experience

* how to measure success

* why effective leadership is essential in bringing about change

* how ServiceNow's internal projects influence product development

Host: David Essex, Industry Editor, TechTarget