HR Tech Interview Interview with Brandy Rosner, Vice President of People Operations at TaskUs

How do you help a globally distributed team create better work structures while boosting productivity? There are several HR practices and HR Technologies to help enable this, more so during this ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Brandy Rosner, Vice President of People Operations at TaskUs weighs in:

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Tell us a little about yourself Brandy… we’d love to hear about the diverse work and employee culture at TaskUs? 

I joined TaskUs in 2018 bringing with me 18 years of experience in the staffing and outsourcing industry. Researching on the company, I fell in love with the core values of TaskUs, most especially the value of being ridiculously good.

Aside from vibrant office designs that foster productivity, this core value is also felt in our culture of diversity and inclusion. We have a strong workforce of more than 23,000 teammates from all over the globe–and the richness of backgrounds and ideas definitely contributes to a welcoming work environment at TaskUs. Such is important to encouraging the personal and professional development of our teammates.

Our core values have influenced my work within the company. In the summer of 2019, we established a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) strategy, which created Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). These are employee-led organizations that exist to provide a safe space for marginalized or underserved identity groups.

ERGs are dedicated to the professional development of its members, driving positive change inside the workplace through education and awareness, and contributing to the communities where our employees live and work. ERGs are inclusive and welcome all TaskUs employees.

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Can you share your thoughts on the changing role of HR in tech today: what are some trends and skills that are must-haves for HR teams today?

At TaskUs, we’ve long supported a diverse and distributed workforce. Even before the pandemic, companies’ teams were becoming increasingly remote. With this shift, there are a few major changes that HR teams need to make, but the biggest in my mind is a focus on mental health and wellness. HR teams need to establish new tools that care for their employees from afar, while simultaneously adjusting for differences in culture and cultural responses to crisis.

We pride ourselves on creating a truly supportive and enjoyable culture at TaskUs. From beautifully appointed and decorated offices, to remote work options, and support for the mental health of our workers, we put the welfare of our teammates first because it’s not only the right thing to do but also a smart business decision. As such, we have doubled our number of available trained life coaches, licensed mental health professionals, and psychologists to help employees deal with the complex challenges of working remotely. We’ve also introduced round-the-clock teleconsultations for improved support. Our centralized, digital platform allows easy booking, online sessions, and personalizations.

We’d love to hear about some of the technologies you use to drive employee initiatives and HR and Work processes at TaskUs?

Coaching is an integral part of our culture and we’d like to see it happening at all levels of our organization. Our own developers have created an in-house digital platform called Boost that documents weekly 1-on-1 meetings between managers and their direct reports, and tracks the progress of actionable goals. Boost is also used by our in-house wellness and resiliency teams in conducting personalized life coaching and mental wellness sessions with our teammates.

We have invested in technology to boost our Employee Self Service capabilities and created RPA solutions on the backend to increase response times.

As HR leaders respond to the business needs of the new normal; how are you seeing teams readjust their hiring and onboarding policies during this time? Can you talk about the biggest HR and work transformations made at TaskUs in light of the pandemic?

Prior to the pandemic we had already started building our Cirrus Program (cloud-based global virtual site model). Being prepared allowed us to respond quickly to moving to a true virtual recruiting and onboarding process in March of 2020.

Some of the highlights of our process include online information sessions that allow potential employees to learn about our culture and values prior to interviewing, which is also done remotely. We utilize technology to schedule interviews, complete skills assessments, verify internet speeds, complete virtual onboarding, and orient new hires.

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What are some of the top tech trends and in-demand skills you feel will dominate HR and hiring trends in the tech marketplace in 2021? Some HR technologies you feel will drive the year?

Empathy is an increasingly important skill in the world of HR as well as the tech workplace in general. As companies continue to adapt their practices to serve distributed workforces, their understanding and patience with employees dealing with the challenges of coronavirus and the shift to remote work will help them and their companies thrive.

Mental health needs to remain a top priority for company leaders especially now that practically all companies have a significant number of employees working from home. Supporting overall wellness leads to personal and professional productivity.

I believe that the key technology solutions for 2021 will be technology that helps build a virtual sense of community and delivers effective communication.

And lastly, a few of your biggest takeaways and tips on working effectively from anywhere….and adjusting to the new normal.

As a company leader, adjusting to the new normal also means understanding that each employee at your organization is dealing with individual challenges and adjustments. Those with school-age children, essential worker spouses or family members, or living alone, all face unique struggles that now impact their productivity and workflow. Open lines of communication are essential in working effectively and empowering employees.

On a personal level, build a routine and divide work life and home life. As we change our schedules and move from in-office work, it’s so important that we’re able to create transitions in our day, and create a semblance of structure.