Flexibility: A Critical Component in Becoming an Employer of Choice
Though it has been established that workplace flexibility supports many business goals, including increased productivity, employers of large hourly workforces are hesitant to implement such practices because of the numerous regulations enacted and the onerous penalties for violating them.
Lisa Horn, Co-Director of SHRM’s Workplace Flexibility Initiative, will lead a lively discussion of how it can be done -- safely and successfully – despite the fact that there is no “one size fits all” solution.
In this dynamic conversation, you will learn how two very different organizations which employ large numbers of hourly workers have adapted flexible work arrangements. Bonnie Shelor, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Linda Martin, Administrative Director at Bon Secours Virginia Health System which employs a workforce of about 11,000 people, will share their struggles and success stories from a healthcare industry perspective. Lora Geiger, Director of Human Resources for TURCK, Inc., will discuss flexibility from a manufacturing perspective, detailing the steps her company is taking, the challenges they face and the success they’ve enjoyed. We ask our employees what they need in terms of flexibility and programs to help keep them a vital part of the workforce," said Bonnie Shelor, senior vice president of human resources for Bon Scours Virginia Health System. "Nothing compares to what an experienced employee brings to the table, and we deeply value that contribution."
Bonnie Shelor
Bonnie Shelor, the Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer for Bon Secours Virginia Health System, is responsible for the development and implementation of strategic human resources vision and goals for the organization. She has worked in human resources for more than two decades and has worked for Bon Secours since 1994.
Bon Secours Virginia, the fourth largest health system in the Commonwealth, includes seven award-winning hospitals and brings together a network of hospitals, primary care practices, ambulatory care sites and continuing care facilities to provide quality health care services to thousands of Virginians. The not-for-profit health system employs more than 13,000 people. Ms. Shelor is well versed in operations and business strategies and understands human resource’s role in helping achieve them. She has created, implemented and measured human resource strategies resulting in improved organizational performance.
During Ms. Shelor’ s tenure with Bon Secours, she culturally and operationally integrated two health systems, implemented an Accountable Care Organization for employees designed to create a Culture of Wellness and reduce healthcare expense, created an overarching culture of engagement that resulted in an organizational engagement score in the 98th percentile as measured by the Gallup organization and developed a Talent Acquisition Center of Excellence creating a brand for the organization to the external and internal community. In addition, Ms. Shelor implemented an Enterprise wide Talent Management, Talent Mapping and Talent Succession process designed to identify high potential/performance leaders to ensure the next generation of leadership.
Ms. Shelor has been honored to be recognized with several awards including the Executive Women in Business Achievement Award presented by Ernst & Young, Style Weekly, and Troutman Sanders, the Bonnie Dayan Memorial Award, sponsored by the Center for Companies That Care and the Human Resource Strategist of the Year Award, by the Titan Group LLC and Richmond Society for Human Resource Management. In addition, because of her work in developing a positive workplace for older workers, which has been recognized by AARP yearly since 2003, Ms. Shelor was invited to testify in July 2010 before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing, “Choosing to Work During Retirement and the Impact on Social Security.”
Under Ms. Shelor’s tenure, Bon Secours became known as an Employer of Choice and has been recognized by numerous prestigious organizations:
- 2011 and 2010 Gallup Great Workplace Awards, Gallup. The Gallup Great Workplace Award recognizes companies for their extraordinary ability to create an engaged workplace culture. Fewer than 30 organizations worldwide earned this award in 2011.
- Best Company for Working Mothers, Working Mother magazine, yearly since 1998. (Top 20 in 2009, 2010 and 2011.)
- AARP Best Companies for Employees Over 50, yearly 2003-2012. ( top 10, 2009-2011)
- National Association for Female Executives, 2005-2012.
- Alfred P. Sloan for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility, yearly 2006-2012.
- 2010 Employer of Choice, as named by the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the Richmond Society for Human Resource Management.
- Companies That Care Honor Roll, yearly 2007-2010.
Ms. Shelor has an undergraduate degree in Human Resources from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., and a graduate degree in Education and Human Development from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Linda Martin
Linda C. Martin, SPHR, MBA, currently serves as Administrative Director for the Center for Organizational Excellence with Bon Secours Virginia Health System. The Bon Secours Virginia Center for Organizational Excellence serves health system employees in Richmond and Hampton Roads, Va., by helping to strengthen the capabilities of individuals and departments through personal and professional development.
In her current role that she has held since 2010, Ms. Martin oversees organization development and training. She has led employee engagement and related cultural transformation work since 2005. As a result, the health system has achieved record employee engagement numbers in recent years as measured annually by the Gallup Organization. Since joining Bon Secours in 1997, she has held a variety of management roles with the Human Resources department.
With years of leadership experience in Human Resources, including employee relations, recruitment, and training and development, Ms. Martin is certified by the Society for Human Resource Management as a Senior Professional in Human Resources. She is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and Virginia Commonwealth University.
Lora Geiger
Lora Geiger is the Vice President of Human Resources for Coughlan Companies, Inc. . Prior to joining Coughlan Companies, Lora gained extensive experience in senior HR business partner organizational development, and leadership roles having worked in the software development and manufacturing industries, as well as consulting and account management experience in the medical equipment and insurance/financial service industries. During Lora’s leadership as Director of Human Resources for Turck Inc., an internationally recognized industrial automation company, they received local and national recognition for their holistic approach to culture, well-being and leadership development and related positive organizational and individual outcomes. Lora earned her doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University. She earned her B.S. degree in Human Resource Management from Winona State University and her Master’s in Human Resource Development from the University of St. Thomas. She has the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation from the Human Resources Certification Institute and is an ICF (International Coaching Federation) accredited coach. Turck employer honors during Lora’s tenure as Director of HR include:
- Work-Life Seal of Distinction, WorldatWork Alliance for Work-Life Progress
- Workplace Well-being Award, Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)
- HR Excellence Award – Management Resource Association, Employer’s Association
- The Alfred P. Sloan Award for Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility for being in the top 20% nationally for engagement in the use of flexibility in work as an effective workplace strategy to increase business and employee success
- Platinum Level Wellness by Design Awards from Hennepin County for finding unique and innovative ways to promote well-being at work, 2011, 2012 and 2013
- Outstanding eWorkplace Employer Award from the State of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Humphrey Institute for the advancement of Telework, for demonstrating corporate social responsibility, and contributing to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and traffic congestion and improved quality of life
- The Star Tribune, leading newspaper in MN, published its list of “Top Workplaces” and TURCK made the list consecutively based on employee survey feedback
Lora has been asked to speak at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) National Conferences on driving business results through strategic HR initiatives; the Work and Family Research Network’s international conference on leading towards well-being through organizational climate, leadership and individual factors that relate to thriving at work; Minneapolis Business Journal’s Innovations in Healthcare Forum on positive organizational and individual outcomes of well-being at work; Twin Cities Human Resource Association (TCHRA) and hrConnection on best practices in talent management; and at SHRM’s National Work-Life Conference and Work and Family Institute on creating organizational effectiveness and work-life fit. Lora has also been asked to speak on the role employers play in fostering workflex and well-being for business results by TCHRA, and HR Professionals of MN, Chicago’s SHRM Chapter, Twin Cities Commuter Services, Center for Law and Social Policy and New America Foundation in Washington D.C.; SHRM at the Democratic National Conference in Charlotte, NC and the International Association for Worksite Health Promotion – Executive Summit, in Las Vegas, NV.
Lisa K. Horn
