Why HR Alone Cannot Build the Culture of an Organization
Summary:
Jenny DeForno, Chief People Officer from Touch Bistro, joins us to share her journey and insights into the HR world and beyond. In this episode, DeForno shares an insider's perspective on the unexpectedly high level of customer service required in the tech sector, especially within the restaurant and hospitality industry. Shedding light on the significance of customer obsession and its correlation to how employees are treated and in turn, tend to their customers, she provides a narrative of how internal company dynamics can ripple outward to customer interactions. Additionally, Jenny challenges the pervasive myth that HR alone is responsible for building an organization's culture, underscoring her belief that it is a collective effort across all levels.
Key Takeaways:
* Culture is a collective responsibility, not just an HR one.
* Customer obsession can fuel company culture and product innovation.
* Incorporating cultural embodiment into the compensation structures to bolster a values-driven organization.
* The episode highlights the contagious nature of customer-centric business practices on internal employee treatment and stakeholder engagement.
Chapters:
0:00:00
Introduction to the podcast with guest Jenny DeForno
0:00:20
Jenny DeForno shares her background and role at Touch Bistro
0:01:51
Discussing the unique customer service aspect of the restaurant and hospitality industry
0:02:33
How customer obsession shapes the internal culture at Touch Bistro
0:03:14
Myth: HR is solely responsible for building the culture in an organization
0:04:10
Ways HR practitioners can make culture building a shared responsibility
0:05:10
Conclusion and contact information for Jenny DeForno
Connect with Dr. Jim: linkedin.com/in/drjimk
Connect with CT: linkedin.com/in/cheetung
Connect with Jenny DeForno: linkedin.com/in/jennydoforno
Music Credit: winning elevation - Hot_Dope
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Transcript
So Jenny, welcome to the show.
Jenny do Forno: Thank you so much for having me, Dr. Jim excited to be here. There's some great energy happening on the floor today.
Dr. Jim: This is the first episode recording out of the podcast zone. So this'll be pretty interesting. Before we get into the. myth busting conversation.
I think it's important for you to share with the viewers and listeners a little bit about your story and what Touch
Jenny do Forno: Bistro does.
Fantastic. So look, I was I'm an accidental tourist when it comes to HR. I fell into it when I came back from grad school. It was something I thought I would do for a year and try out.
s the one single thing that, [:Went actually onto the venture side for a bit. So spent some years with Omer's Ventures in Canada learning to invest in really great companies. And now I have the extreme privilege of being the chief people officer over at Touch Bistro.
Dr. Jim: Let's dig into Touch Bistro a little bit.
It's a tech company that serves a restaurant and hospitality spaces, correct?
Jenny do Forno: That is correct.
Dr. Jim: So when you're looking at delivering a platform for that customer base and that audience, what's unique about that sector or industry in terms of delivering tech that you didn't expect when you joined the organization?
ybe understand or appreciate [:And so care for their customers is first and paramount. And therefore, we always think of software is a little bit impersonal. Here's the software. It's out of a box. But the care and the dedication that is required from our team in terms of helping those restaurateurs is just tremendous.
Dr. Jim: So how does that external customer obsession shape your internal people strategy?
Jenny do Forno: know what? I love being in such a customer centric business because I think it permeates everything that we do from the leadership down in terms of how we treat our employees as our own employees. stakeholders and then that translates into how they feel about the work that they do and how they serve our customers externally.
n is just customer obsessed. [:Dr. Jim: All right. You ready to bust some myths?
Jenny do Forno: I love it. Let's bust
Dr. Jim: some myths.
When we think about leadership and HR myths that are out there that you just wish would die, what's yours?
Jenny do Forno: That HR are the people that build the culture in the organization.
Dr. Jim: All right. Say more. Why does that annoy you?
Jenny do Forno: It annoys the heck out of me because it's everybody.
It is the collective of the organization from the leadership starts with the leadership right on down in the organization where we all have to live and embody the values that we say are important to us. And certainly, HR can be the champions of it. HR can be the team that tries to keep it front and center in the organization, but everybody has to own it.
And if everybody doesn't own it, it's never going to be successful.
ture, any of that stuff. Oh, [:Jenny do Forno: This is a big mix of tools in my toolkit that I try to use and it's everything from just continually having those conversations. So you're in an SLT meeting or you're in a company kickoff or you're doing quarterly town halls, making sure that conversations around culture are always front and center.
lues in your organization on [:Dr. Jim: Great stuff, Jenny. All right. There you have it. Myth busted. Culture is not just an HR responsibility. If people want to continue the conversation, what's the best way for them to get in touch with you?
Jenny do Forno: You can get in touch with me at LinkedIn, Jenny De Forno on LinkedIn, or also on Twitter. I'm also pretty active on Twitter.
And that's at Jenny De Forno on Twitter as well. So please feel free to reach out.
Dr. Jim: Thanks for hanging out.
